Rehab

So you might wonder when you cannot put weight on either leg what kind of rehab can you do? Transfers. Once I could push myself up in the bed, then I could move over to the side of the bed. They have a transfer board and then a piece of slick material you put over it to make you slide across it easier. You then put the board between the bed and the wheel chair and

pull yourself over. I don't remember how long it took before I could do this on my own, but it was awhile. Nevertheless the techs would pull the material and that would slide me over. My first exercises were arm exercises that you do with a theraband. Different colors are different

resistances. The first day I could barely do it and had to leave the room with nausea. But everyday got a little easier, and by the end I could lead the class if they had asked me. These were hour classes. So my day began at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast. 8:30 I would get dressed. 9:00 they would take me downstairs and I would practice transfers. 10:00 I had recreational therapy where I chose to paint ceramics. 11:00 was the arm exercises. 12:00 was lunch, 1:00 was talking to the social worker, 2:00 was more transfer practice or leg exercises. 3:00 -5:00 I was allowed to rest in my room 5:00 was dinner. 6:00 was a shower and then the rest of the evening I was free.

Successes were being able to sit in my wheelchair for longer periods of time. Being able to master the theraband. Being able to transfer to a chair because then I could also transfer to a shower chair and be able to take showers. Had to gain strength in my arms so that I could begin mastering rolling the wheels of the wheelchair on my own. One day they took me to a hallway with a fairly significant incline and made me roll down it and up it. Down was fairly easy, up not so much. When I asked why I was having to do this they said because I might be somewhere like a restaurant where I needed to go up a ramp. To which I replied "why would I try to do that when I would just have someone push me?" Anyway...I just did as I was told. Also I was given written exercises to help my thought processes come back. At first I could not add or subtract or remember words in sequence, but that all returned rather quickly.

I hate to admit it but I watched a lot of television. I became addicted to Everybody Loves Raymond because it was good for a laugh (I had never seen any of the original episodes). And I became a Suduko addict. I had not played it before either, but enjoyed working those puzzles for a past time. It would be a while before I could read as my vision was fairly blurred. I am thankful that the days were full of activity as it helped the time go by quicker. I was very thankful on May 8th when I finally passed the swallow test! I have never been a very good water drinker, but I remember that water tasted so good! It gave me a much better picture of what it means for us to thirst after the Word, and let Jesus be our Living Water. There is a great song by Dennis Jernigan that I played quite a bit about the lessons I was learning about water, called "Like A River". I will print the lyrics later.

Blessings on everyone's weekend.