Rehab - Day 52 (6 Jan 2011)

Slept right through until 5.30 - Peter really in a bad mood this morning and there were F's flying all over the place when he was told he had no ciggies - oops!  I just stayed quiet in my little hidey hole with the door shut - I find him scarey when he's like that, all that pent up anger - I hope I'm not here when he finally blows up!!

It's still raining - is this going to end up like the 1974 flood??  I want to be home so can protect it if necessary, tho am probably not physically capable right now!!  I know my place can take a lot of water and doesn't flood but ... this is more than a "lot"!!  Having lived thru it, you forget it was 30 years ago - but if it is, it's 70 years too early!  Supposed to be every 100 years!

I had my first totally independent shower this morning - all on my own and in sublime privacy!  I also did it very carefully - lol.  Was a great feeling - Miss Independent Lady!  No problems at all and dried and dressed okay too.  So the last domino will be getting out of the car and I can do 99% of what I could do pre-May 2010 so really am ready to go home.

Downstairs to OT.  I did 30 mins worth when Tamsin arrived to do our cooking - I don't think she believed me as to how quickly it (Impossible Pie) could be made.  I was unsure if the recipe was the same as Debbie's but we decided to hope for the best anyroad!  Got it in the oven in about 15 mins flat and could then sit and have a cuppa - lol. 

Tamsin took me around to Physio when it was time and because the OT car was there (which will take us on the home visit next week), we decided to see how I'd go transferring in and out.  My first excursion down a ramp and I did OK (tho was worried the knees might let me down to begin with cos you transfer your weight differently to on a flat surace but all was OK.  As I thought, getting in wasn't a problem at all - getting out, I had nothing to lever myself up with so couldn't do it, way too low.  Luckily Shaun, wardie, came along at that moment and between he and Alissa, I got hauled to my feet.  Then Gwen remembered they used to have a bar that attaches to the car door frame that might be the answer.  So, I waited and they went looking and they actually found it, so we tried again and by dint of them also using the knee trick (they use their knee against mine which helps straighten me up), we got me up no problems and no hauling up on their part.  So roll on next week for the home visit!!

No rest for the wicked - Alissa got me walking up and over a higher step and sit/standing but also dancing (doing the salsa yet!)  Not very confident with dancing but tried and did OK tho no real rhythm, too busy concentrating on knees and feet!

I knew I wasn't going up for lunch so went back to check on my Impossible Pie and it had turned out OK (whew!) so Emily was having some before Tamsin took it upstairs to our fridge for my next few desserts.  I had taken my sewing down so got the cushion Gwen made for me for the bench outside and went and settled myself down there to sew, watch the rain (tumbling out of the sky still).  I got 2 hexagons done in the 2 hours - (Nobody ever said I was a fast handsewer - lol) but it was really relaxing and no mugginess, in fact it was quite chilly so thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Back into OT at 2.00 pm and finished off my routine.  I'd gotten Nick to take back the 4WW and my cushion to Physio for tomorrow (For the weekend, I'll have to have them in my room and from Monday, of course, it's walking stick all the way).  Because of the "Contact Precautions" status, they'll have to throw away the cushion so I'm taking that home and will make a carry cover for it, ie a cusion cover with cloth handles on one side for ease of carrying once I'm home.

When I got up to my room, Ben was there - oops, had forgotten I had appt at 1.30pm for swallow exercises :o\ - so we did them then.  Have to remember on Tuesday, 1.30pm for speech therapy in my room!!  I have to admit I was wrong about the exercises.  They are finally beginning to work and it is making it much easier to manage my food and which pipe it goes down!  As for coughing fits, they seem to be a thing of the past (that in itself is worth the effort).

The doctor popped in.  He said he'd been told we were giving the small Menaplex(?)plaster another go to see if that helped to heal the trachie site altogether (and stop the annoying whistling!) even tho it does irritate my skin.  I said we were and we were leaving it 3 days between changes to see if that sped things up.  He said that they weren't sure it would ever heal because of the radiated skin and Penny had mentioned the EN&T doctor down at the Block (the nice one who did the nose scope exam) had suggested putting a stitch or two in there to help it seal over. I said I'd be willing to do that as long as nobody wanted to give me a full operation, but he assured me it would be done by local, so I said that would be fine.

Went out for tea and had soup saved from lunch (they are kind to me), vegies and Impossible Pie which was as yummy as Emily had assured me!  Then took to my bed - you surely use up more energy with using a walking stick than the 4WW and my legs were pooped.  I was going to watch a couple of episodes of Criminal Minds but ... my eyes kept closing and was asleep before they even brought me my night time pills.