Friday, June 12, 2015

Health Update

It is hard to believe I have been home from the hospitals for two weeks yesterday.  I have been tracking my activity levels.  Two weeks ago I struggled to walk with the walker for three or four laps of the hallway in the condo building, coming back in exhausted and sweating.  I built day by day, growing bored with the hallways after a few days and venturing outside.  Yesterday we went into Old Town Alexandria to see a visiting tall ship, and I walked for about 40 minutes in 85 degree temperatures.  A couple of hours later I had another hour of physical therapy - the new PT service is challenging me and helping me expand my limits.

I have to be honest, the therapy hurts.  I am moving muscles have not been active in months as my mobility had declined, I am bearing weight on body parts that have not held me up for a long time, I was up on my hands and knees for the first time in over a year yesterday, and stretching body parts that are stiff and painful.  Each day, I am more able to do things.  Yesterday I used a cane or two, most of the time, leaving the walker to the side.  When I finished therapy, I folded the walker and used the cane to go to the car, and to walk back to the condo when we returned home.  My how far I have come in two weeks, and I still have a long way to go. Me knees and feet need the most work.  My knees are stiff, but getting stronger each day.  My feet are very stiff, at the end of yesterday's PT session the therapist worked my feet, it was very painful, I was expecting to hear the sound of something breaking, but I stuck it out, this morning I have more feeling in the my feet then I have had in months. Progress takes work, and work is sometimes painful.

I am very grateful for the messages of support from friends and fellow bloggers.  I have had wonderful comments, email exchanges, text message exchanges, cards, gifts and phone calls.  In the darkest days of the hospital stay a couple of people got phone calls from me in the shadow of pain-meds - thank you for allowing me to ramble.  A couple of people have offered advice on dealing with the emotional stress of all of this, THANK YOU, you were far more help then all of the medical providers who were more interested in my blood pressure and pain level, then the state of my psyche, even when it was obvious that my emotions were being barely concealed.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous6/12/2015

    So good to hear you're regaining feeling in parts afar. Important for your balance & making sure you don't have any injury/irritation of which you're unaware. Glad you're feeling like you can see progress even though the process is painful. Just being able to get outside lifts the spirits. Although penguins don't fly (they have so many other great appeals) you'll be winging your way off somewhere before you know it.
    The tall ships are a sight to behold.
    Take good care.
    Leslie in NJ

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  2. You have lost weight too!

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  3. oooooooooooooh, yes, john! I can see it in his face!

    SO HAPPY for the progress you are making! and things may be a bit stiff and sore (heh heh heh) right now, but keep working the body and it will all come together.

    (confession - I pushed a little more weight with my legs last night in therapy...today my right thigh is not happy with me. but I need to do that!)

    I will pass your progress to my knitgurlzzz!

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    1. Anne Marie, last night in therapy? I didn't know? Let us know. Take care,

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  4. Love all this progress! It's great! You've come a long way, baby! Just keep up the good work.

    Next time I'm in DC, we'll go dancing!

    Peace <3
    Jay

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  5. I feel honored to be part of your journey; I hope I have sometime helpful.

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  6. Penguins walking on hands and knees, yup that visual ran through my crazy brain. One day at a time...keep it up.

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  7. It is so good to see all of your progress! HUGS! from all of us!

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