Wow, what a relief to actually be here. I'm tired and it's still difficult to do day to day activities but I am finding ways to do what I need to do. I'm finding that these activities are achievable and slowly getting easier for me.
This morning I sorted out my cereal for breakfast, a cup of water and the pills that I would need to eat after and sat down in the sitting room to eat it - all on my own. It may seem like such a little thing to some but there is an effort and thought required to put all the pieces of the process together. The first thing that needs to be done is to find somewhere near the wheelie walker to put the crutches where I can reach both and they won't fall over. The reason I need the wheelie walker is that when you are using two crutches you can't use your hands to carry anything which is required if you don't want to eat at the kitchen bench. Then it's a case of getting everything you need: a bowl, a cup, the cereal, the milk, the pills. You need to be able to sort out obstacles, like moving the stool that you left in front of the pantry door last night so that you can actually get the cereal out. Set it all up and then put the cereal and milk away again. Then it's get the wheelie walker carefully over the little tiled lip between the kitchen and the sitting room without spilling anything. Getting into the chair getting close enough with the walker so you can still reach everything once you have sit down and then doing the reverse and getting things all away again.
Real food is such a wonderful thing. Even if it is just my choice of cereal. It has been so much more than that since I've been home though! My husband cooked my favourite risotto the day I came home (chorizo, mushroom and baby spinach). I got to be a helper and instructor. I think that my husband will soon weary of the instructor component and will be more comfortable with me navigating the kitchen and preparing meals again. I've also had real salads, grainy bread and cereals and even toasted hot cross buns (they were frozen for my return home since I missed out on easter - and frankly missed out on hot toasted bakery/bread items in hospital). There are real green beans in the fridge (not icky overcooked frozen ones) and other fresh vegetables that I'm looking forward to in the next couple of days. My tummy is so much happier. I am so in love with real food! (I am a little curious as to whether I came home with any vitamin deficiencies. I didn't get any final bloods taken and I'm not that curious I want to brave a trip to the doctors just yet, so I will just have to wonder)
Day to day at home is more exercise than in the hospital. Activities like breakfast take time and energy to co-ordinate and our house is larger than the hospital room and immediate area that I used regularly while I was in hospital. Even going to the bathroom is more exercise as it's a far longer walk from anywhere I am likely to be inside the house. I've also tried to add the exercises that I have to do into my day to day activities so that I am getting more in. This means that when I'm on my way back from the bathroom, I might do leg lifts at the basin (it's on a solid base and fixed - I'm not going anywhere hanging onto that) or maybe squats. The trip back to where ever I was in the house has to be the long way - past each end of the house, even if I don't need anything from there. I figure that the more that I add in, the more activity I'll have and the quicker recovery will be. I'm ready to be fixed already. I really have had enough of being so reliant on others, though realistically I know I have a little while to go before I'm going to be completely independent.
I am going to have my PT come in twice a week to start off with and we will see how I go in adding to my program as I progress further. I'm hoping to be confident enough to go to the hydro pool in a couple of weeks as well. I've been cleared by the rehab doctor for this but I'm not quite ready for public yet as the walk to the pool from the entrance is reasonably long compared with the distances that I have been walking in one go at the moment. I have a fear of being pushed over and there are always millions of kids at this pool that you need to pass to get to the ramp to get in - I'm sure that as I get stronger this will pass and in the meantime I'll find creative ways to maximise the exercise. My PT is gong to check out some other pools in the area to see if any of the others have a set up which will be a little easier/safer for me until I have a bit more confidence.
It's almost time to start to figure out dinner again. One thing hospital has done to me is make me hungry for dinner much earlier than normal. Not sure what it will be for dinner yet but I can assure you it will be awesome!
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