Preparing for Hip Revision Surgery

 I am still waiting for Hip Revision surgery, and it looks like it is going to be a long wait after all. 

The city has a massive number of Covid cases, and our ICUs are beyond capacity, so non-emergency surgery is on hold yet again. I find it hard to deal with the uncertainty of the situation, but with the extremely high risk of covid in our community, I believe it is just what needs to happen. I have been struggling to move forward with anything, and I am very much in a holding pattern; I can't exercise much, I risk falling, I can't work, volunteer, or do much work around the house, and with Covid, there is no chance of going shopping or visiting with friends right now. I have had a hard time focussing on all the things I can do and tend to slip into thinking about the things I can't do. 

Hip Reversion surgery is what it is called when there is a problem with a hip replacement, and they do a second surgery to try and fix damage around the hip and its parts. Basically, the name says it all. They are revising the surgery that was done before. In my case, since I have had a serious dislocation and now it is still unstable, they intend to change the lining section in the hip socket to a different type that fits differently and restrains the amount of movement of the hip a little more. They will also check for things like damaged ligaments etc. In the meantime, I am at significant risk of it dislocating again, and I have some pain and mobility issues.

When I had the original hip replacement, I didn't really know what I should expect with surgery and the rehab part, and I was pretty scared. I learned a lot from Facebook groups, and internet sites and friends and the hospitals did have prehab classes where I spoke with their dietician, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist who tried to prepare me for surgery and recovery and teach me ways to cope while living with arthritis and explain what they can.

I wound up needing a different car to come home in than when we had at the time and a different bed because we were sleeping in a low bed with a raised wood frame around it. I needed a bath seat, raised toilet seat and a handle around the toilet. I needed a walker and crutches to deal with stairs into our house. It was highly suggested that I get a recliner chair to sit and probably sleep in.

This will be my third time in hospital dealing with this hip, and I am starting to feel like quite the expert. At least this time, we don't have to buy any of the furniture or medical supplies! Been there, done that! I might not know "when," but I do have a better idea about the "what" and "how."

Packing lists

 

The last time was an ambulance ride with no jacket, no shoes, no phone, no nothing. My husband followed the ambulance to the hospital, and of course, they wouldn't let him in because of Covid 19, but they did take my phone from him and got it to me sometime the next morning. It was good to get in touch and tell him what was happening and eventually to Facetime on Christmas with my family. This time I plan on being prepared. I won't be having any company allowed, so no one to bring supplies.

Items I will Need to Pack

In the Hospital

• iPhone and earphones. Save some podcasts and music to my phone to keep me distracted.
• Charging cable and wall plug connector.
• glasses and a labelled case to put them in
• pen and notepad, maybe some activity book like colouring or crossword
• Slippers with good grips that you can easily step into.
• housecoat
• moisturizer and lip balm
• Hairbrush, elastics, hair clips.
• toothbrush and toothpaste in a case
• They do provide soap but if you have a particular kind, pack it along too.
• mini nail kit
• Pillow, comfort items or a small blanket if you want to. Things to keep you more comfortable.
• important papers your hospital might require like a list of medications and your health care numbers,
• Hard candies to suck on, or maybe breath mints
• Money is tricky. Loose change is usually a good idea, but with covid, nothing is open anyway.
• I would bring a garbage bag for dirty laundry.

Going HomeTime

• fresh underwear
• skirt and shirt or easy pull-on dress. (pants just don't work out well)
• I'm thinking about other slip-on shoes rather than my slippers for getting into the car.

Pickup Time

• Husband Bob is to bring a jacket or sweater if needed
• walker to get to the car
• crutches to get up a couple of stairs into our house.

When I get dropped off at home, Bob will go to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions from the hospital for pain killers and assorted other items.

I will update this post if I think of anything I forgot!

💚

I will stop whining about my hip for now and, like a good recreation person, move on to all the things that I can do until I actually have surgery. 

There are lots of things that don't involve much bending or stretching. And don't including all the things you can't do because your city is under severe constraints and risk due to Covid 19. 

💚

How I am Doing 9 months after a Hip Replacement?

It has been 9 months since I had hip replacement surgery because of osteoarthritis.

I am glad I had the surgery, There is a huge reduction in my pain level, and my mobility has increased a lot. My leg feels much more stable when I step on it.  Basically, I feel safer. My hip had been so bad that it literally was dislocated and locking funny and I just didn't know what would happen with the next step.

How am I doing now? I am so glad I had the surgery but there is still some discomfort, and my endurance is still, really lousy, and things like getting into a van are challenging.  Maybe I should be exercising more, maybe more time with the physiotherapist or massage therapist would help. I have not been slacking off.. but have I really done enough?

I recently looked at a graph about recovery after hip replacement, and it shows that recovery continues at a pretty good rate until about month 6 and after that, it slows down but still continues at a more modest rate for the full year post surgery.
I wonder about this graph. Is it that people are almost fully recovered at six months and are fully satisfied with where they are or do they become complacent and decide to just live with it, believing this is their new normal? Or perhaps this is as good as it is going to get. Maybe the law of diminishing returns is working, and a large amount of work required for further recovery just isn't worth the energy for the degree of improvement they are seeing.

When I had some muscle issues shortly after the surgery I was put back on bedrest and told to be very careful, so my initial recovery plan went out the window, and I got to baby myself. Pain management was bad.  I think I got into the habit of being very gentle with myself. The phrase "No Pain - No Gain is ridiculous. Exercise should not cause pain.. discomfort yes, exhaustion probably but not outright pain! But maybe I have been scared to see where that line between pain and discomfort lays in my case, and I am a little reluctant to take chances.

I find that I am not leading as active a life as I want to.

I am back at work doing my regular shifts. When I am actually doing things at work, I get a bit of an adrenaline rush and keep going and then once I go home after work I need some painkillers and I act like a wet noodle. My most significant effort at home after the workday is deciding whether I need an icepack because my hip and but muscles are swelling again or a heating pad because my lower back muscles toward the hip are so sore and tense. My arthritic left knee is not too happy either. My gait has improved with this hip surgery, but my poor muscles are having a hard time keeping up with all these changes that I am asking of them -  even though the actual mechanics are so much better.

Girl Guiding is affected too. After the surgery, I was hoping I could handle a winter (indoor sleeping) camp with the teenagers in our group that was planned for January. There was no way I could manage slugging around in the snow let alone sleeping in a different and probably uncomfortable bed. The cold seems like a terrible idea too.

Work around the house is improving, and I am getting up and down the basement stairs better than I have in a decade, but  I am still not able to go down with my arms full of laundry. I need to hang on to the rails with both hands.

I am still going to the pool for an arthritis group class, and I always have a better and more mobile day after my class. It makes me believe there is hope for me yet!

What next? I'm really not sure at the moment but I know I must keep moving.

What is on your Fall Bucket List?

September 21st was the first day of Fall and I was having dreams of crisp weather with me on the porch in a nice cuddly sweater. I live in Winnipeg Canada and guess what? It snowed! It only lasted for a couple hours but it sure was a wake-up call that Winter is just around the corner and we need to enjoy Fall while we can.

I love making plans and goal setting because it encourages me to get more done and to do new, different and interesting things. Since I love all sorts of activities it is not a surprise that the Fall bucket lists that are all over the internet absolutely get my imagination racing.

I needed to make a list of the things that I want to try this Fall.

Why would I need a list? When I look at my own list I can remember to try it and I can prioritize my fun and adventures. A list acts as a reminder of all the fun ideas that caught my eye and it also helps me watch for those opportunities when they present themselves. Perhaps I might even need to budget for it. Once I have made that list I start to see coupons, adds and stories about the different fall experiences.  I can make notes of where I can go to do these things or how to do them at home if I don't already know how. It lets me get all those fun materials, ingredients and resources together too.  I might even be able to convince some friends or family to join me!

I must admit I love checking things off lists.

I use the various lists I have found on Pinterest to make my own.  You can find lists for couples, young families or teenagers. There are personal achievement-based lists. There are silly lists. I see lots of bucket list items that appeal to me, but for some of them I do realize that particular ship has sailed. Hike the Trans Canada Trail is SOOO appealing to me but I am barely managing a hike through Wal-Mart these days. Practicality needs to be a part of my plan. A Fall trip to stay in a Bed and Breakfast in Vermont sounds awesome, as does Octoberfest in Germany but  it is certainly not in my budget for this year or next year. Besides all my vacation time was used up as part of my work absence for the Hip Replacement Surgery and recovery. 

Why these Seasonal Lists useful tools for Recreation Professionals?

Recreation Therapists must plan their month long in advance. We have to try and catch the interests and needs of the individual but we also try and carry out many programs as groups  Seasonal Bucket lists are almost like a shopping list of popular ideas. Now that doesn't mean that we are going to set up a tub for 90-year-olds to go bobbing for apples but perhaps seeing that item on a list might make us think of doing a reminiscence activity. Perhaps we can find some vintage pictures of bobbing for apples or other Party activities. Perhaps we will arrange to have some school children have a party with us. 
These lists are especially good for my Girl Guide unit too. So many of these items are perfect for the girls' outings or activities. We are all about fun and these projects are just what the girls need to make plans, show leadership and allow them to choose what is of interest to them!

My Top 25 Bucket List Ideas

• I plan on going for a drive in the country
• Taking fall pictures in the country
• Visit a corn maze with Girl Guides 
• Harvest herbs
• Plant bulbs for spring flowers
• Sow wildflower seeds
• Decorate the house with mums  and Fall touches.
• Crochet an orange scarf
• Make scarecrow crafts
• Buy Fall candles
• Make a Thanksgiving centrepiece
• Go to a paint night with my daughters
• Sell Chocolate Mint Cookes with my Girl Guide Unit
• Leathercraft leaf project
• Give myself a fall coloured manicure
• Buy new shirts for fall
• Pumpkin pies
• Pumpkin dip
• Leaf shaped cookies
• Crockpot apple cider
• Hot chocolate by the fireplace at the lake
• Make smores
• Apple crisp
• Cook some banana, pumpkin and carrot cake loaves for sharing
• Purchase a pumpkin spice "something or others" at a coffee shop

I will try and report back about some of these items and we will see how many of these I actually manage to do! Maybe I will take advantage of other fun opportunities that we come across. List are a great framework but spontienaty is where some so the excitement comes from.

Do you have plans for any Fall projects or adventures?

It has Been a Difficult Summer

I am not totally sure why I haven't posted. I think I just got overwhelmed and rather depressed post surgery and through the recovery.

I had a set back in my recovery from the hip replacement a day or so after my last post.
It would be considered a soft tissue injury but basically I had a lot of swelling in my leg and probably tore internal stitches but I really didn't do anything to over-stretch or move in an inappropriate way. I had a huge lump form below the incision with a lot of swelling followed by massive bruising. Worst was my leg hurt a lot and really just would not work. My hamstring and my glute were both involved so it was a huge step backward with me back on bed rest and using a walker. I never did get back to the hip rehab programs but instead when to a physiotherapist for the muscle problems.

My knee is still a huge problem and I talked to the surgeon about that. I qualify for a knee replacement and could have been placed on a waiting list, but he suggested we again try all the other methods for pain control that I have done in the past, but that with the hip realigned I might have some better success and treatments might last a little longer. He suggested that the surgery and recovery are much harder for a knee replacement and it would be a good idea to not rush from one surgery on top of another and give lots of time to fully recuperate.
My back is pretty sore too. I guess I have been compensating when I walk for so long (for one reason or another)r that suddenly having the hip fixed forces everything else to change yet again.

Summer has been pretty boring for the most part. I tried to do bits of activities but did not last very long.  I did not get out to the lake until basically the last weekend in July and it turned into a pretty hard to manage weekend but I do love being at the lake.

I am supposed to be returning to work this coming week and I am not sure how I feel about it. In some ways I am delighted because I do love my job and miss the residents and my coworkers and all the fun we have. At the same time I want to be physically able to do a good job and not be in pain myself. For the next month I will be returning with shorter work days and with some movement restrictions such as not standing for more than half an hour and not lifting or pushing items over 10 pounds.

I keep thinking "What the heck happened to summer?" however I have been enjoying a beautiful early fall at the lake and doing the odd crafty thing during the past couple of weeks.  I have signed up for Arthritis water therapy classes at the public pool for the fall and Girl Guides starts up next week.

Life continues.

My Hip Replacement Surgery

The surgery was 19 days ago and I have had a chance to relax and reflect on the experience. I am home and my new hip is amazing and working very well. The pain is so much less than before the surgery and I am feeling better all the time.

I was pretty tense beforehand.. let's call it panicked.
I  had bad, life-threatening experiences in the hospital as a kid.
It was also very much on my mind that my hip surgery was occurring at 10 years to the day from when I was admitted to the hospital, hemorrhaging and with a pulmonary embolism in my lungs - and my life changed forever.

I kept thinking I can still change my mind - this is an elective procedure. The fact is that  I can not imagine living the rest of my life in the kind of pain and disability that I have been experiencing. I have fought too hard to regain my independence to have it slowly disappear on me once again.

They try to have patients well prepared for hip surgery. Patients have gone to these Regional health authority hip and knee clinic orientation meeting, met with appropriate therapists from the center and have an appointment with their surgeon. We received a 50 something page booklet to read that should answer most questions.

The week before surgery patients went to the hospital where they are having your surgery and have meetings with the anesthesiologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and a nurse. Blood pressure is checked and they do one last x-ray of the knee or hip. You get another booklet outlining what time you personally need to be at the hospital when you are last allowed to eat or take medications, a map of the place and a list of what you should or should not pack for your stay. There is a caregiver pamphlet with where to park and what the person accompanying the patient needs to do.

I have a LOT of allergies and because of past experience, I was concerned about that aspect of the surgery and was not feeling as prepared as we could be.  It did indeed turn into a problem with me trying to convince people of the severity of the reactions I can have to medication. Fortunately, the pain management nurse at the hospital actually contacted my allergists' office and got a written report about what medications I can have. I can say without a doubt that woman made a huge difference in the safe and successful management of my care.
There were still a lot of problems with pain management and even greater problems with finding a way to send me home with something for pain relief.

Lilacs and early summer flowers are not my friends. I have severe allergy-induced asthma,  I have wound up at the doctor or in the emergency at least 5 times during that last two weeks of May  This is a bad time for surgery. I wound up having three asthma attacks while in the hospital and one of them was probably the scariest close call I can remember. I am sure that besides the seasonal allergies I was reacting to some of the sanitation chemicals used to clean in the hospital and I suspect just the effect of the surgery on a body as well as the effects of the pain medication on breathing added up to a horrible mix of conditions.

The days blurred together with pain, narcotics, sponge baths and nurses coming in and out. Meals were ummm nourishing. The staff was all very kind and nice to me.

My family were there for me and kept me company and helped in any way they could.

I got along well with my roommate who had a knee replacement and I feel lucky to have shared this experience with her and shared her company.

Physiotherapists came each day to make sure I was starting to move a bit and getting me standing as soon as possible. They have to make sure you can get in and out of bed safely, stand up and use a bathroom and if needed make sure you can safely go up the number of stairs required so you can get into your home upon discharge.

My hospital bed.

The Walker.

My poor leg.

I just have to share the view from my second-floor hospital window. Talk about patriotic!

It was actually very soothing and meditative to lie in bed and watch the flag moving in the breeze.

My recovery now continues at home. I am doing the hospital based exercises and trying to move around the best I can.  Next, I will be starting a brand new post-surgery rehab program at a facility called the Reh-Fit Center.

My goal is to be Leading a Healthy Life!

Gearing up for Change

I find change hard. I always have. I usually can talk myself into believing it is for the best and there are new adventures around the corner but it is not easy.
I am a bit of a "hanger on" person. I hang on to my habits, I like my routine. I still have a lot of my old childhood treasures. I keep a lot of resource materials like about 20 years of Guider Magazine and files of cooking articles, and how to do web design because I might come back to it someday. I treasure my friends too and believe I am a loyal friend.

The last time my life was totally turned upside down it was a sudden change. In a 2 day period, I was worried for my life and in a week I was thinking my life was not worth living. But it got better, I got back to much of my life from before but never again would I see my world in quite the same way. I lost friends, I lost some dreams of what I wanted to do with my life. I lost a ton of confidence in myself and what I could aspire to do and was devastated by my inability to be the wife and mother I used to be.

When it happened I was weeks away from a large Girl Guide camp where I was one of the key planning people. From my hospital bed, I was trying to use my confused and traumatized brain to think of where the plans and papers were so that it could be handed on to someone else to complete and trying to remember all that I had left undone.

Change, this time, has not been sudden. It has been insidious.  My right knee had been sore 10 years ago and was a problem when doing rehab for the brain injury but did not really mess with my everyday world. Walking with a bad gait due to a weak left side has resulted in a  lot of wear and tear on my "good" side and I have been having increasing problems with knees and back and hips. It has been a slow decline.  Two years ago I had a fall at work and hurt my lower back and hip quite badly. I healed from the fall but the arthritis in my right hip rapidly became very severe.

The past two years have been difficult. Creams, pain medications, cortisone shots and physiotherapy have helped but not been enough to control the pain or let me do all that I want and need to do.

I was placed on a waitlist for a hip replacement and I will be having surgery in a few months. There is a lot to do to get ready for this surgery. I have had several education sessions that are mandatory, I have to see a dietician, occupational therapist and a physiotherapist. I need to make some changes to our house and maybe even our vehicle. I have to have any dental work done ahead of time. I needed an EKG and blood work plus a pre-op physical with my family doctor. I have informed my work supervisor that I will need an extended sick leave.

I really need to step up my game and get exercising to make my muscles as strong as possible. Any weight I can lose will be a help so I am trying to diet. None of this is easy.

This time I am getting ready for the Change.  This time I am getting my ducks in order ahead of time. I have stepped down from most of my volunteer obligations and handed the reigns to others. Someone else is already in charge of the big, upcoming Girl Guide events and camps. It makes me sad. I have loved my time with the art group, youth program and seniors programs I have been involved with as a volunteer.

I hate letting go of my current life but I have to trust that this time Change is going to lead to a life with less pain, more mobility, better health and that there are some wonderful new adventures to come.

Pool Time for Me

I have to do all I can in the next 4 months to get myself in as good shape as possible before this hip surgery.

I have done so much over the past few years to try and keep moving and I think I did pretty well but the past year has frankly been very painful. It is hard to move and my leg does not physically move properly anymore. I have become less active and less mobile every month.

The hip and knee surgery orientation program I attended and now the surgeon stressed that exercise is essential to get the hip and leg muscles as healthy as possible. There is a list of exercises, a video of exactly what exercises they want you to do daily plus the suggestion that walking in water was very beneficial. There were also suggestions that losing weight makes a huge difference both now, during the actual surgery and for recovery.

I have been going to a Wednesday water Tai Chi program sessions for the past year and really love it. That is more stretching and balance time and not really a calorie burner. I am now committing to go to the pool at least 3 times a week but trying my best to go 4 times counting the Tai Chi class. I even paid up and got a city pass for 3 months of unlimited access to the city facilities.

I must admit I have not been at all good about the video set of exercises because it hurts a lot and I really don't care for the start-stop style of the video. Tomorrow I start!

As far as the weight goes. sighhhh. I was a heavy 10-year-old and a very heavy adult. I think I was 11 when I was put on my first diet. I have gained and lost so much weight, tried so many diets and received a lot of support but it is still a big issue. I lost a lot of weight, though not enough, when I got sick 9 years ago and thank goodness I have not gained all that weight back but I did gain back way too much.

What I am going to do for the next 4 months is try and keep my calorie count under control and try to have a lower carb diet and increase the protein. I plan to use the SPARK People online app to count calories and for support. They do a detailed report each day of the nutrition and calories you eat that day. I am surprised to see how far off I am with things like magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium.  We do eat pretty high-quality nutritious meals but it is obvious that on a low-calorie diet you sure have to be very diligent to get the macro and micronutrients to stay at a healthy level.

Who knows, by the end of the summer I might be in less pain, moving better, thinner and with a new wardrobe! 

Then we will see about my knees.

Nice Video about Hip Replacement

I like this one. I am pretty fond of these drawn animated educational videos.

Arthritis and Me

I have had a sore knee for a long time.

When I was doing rehab after my brain injury they asked me to do exercises such as sit to stands and squats and I had a horrible time because of pain, not just neuro issues. That would be when we finally got an x-ray of my knee and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

I have spent a long time walking with a bad gait and frankly it never did get quite normal. My knees and hip have taken a real beating. I tend to stand with all my weight on my "good right side".  I tend to twist a little on my hip as I walk and I kind of thud down on that right leg because I don't totally trust that my left leg will support me even though there is no good reason to think it won't now. I am a heavy person and have been since I was a child. My father had bad arthritis. The result of all these risk factors is that  I now have arthritis in both knees and my right hip as well as a bit in my lower back.

I have done a lot to keep the arthritis under control over the years but it just keeps getting worse.  I tried using a knee brace about 6 years ago and that was not all that helpful. I found it very uncomfortable and they are harder to fit properly on a heavier leg. I tended to be moving both legs kind of funny when I walked and it just was a bad treatment for me at the time.

I have been going to exercise classes and I find the water programs for people with arthritis to be especially helpful.

I do try and pace myself and sit and rest my leg when I need to be that isn't always easy. One of the issues that the arthritis help sites talk about is severe fatigue. I would say that is one of my issues continuing from the brain injury too. This makes it doubly harder for me to willingly exercise a lot or work on loosing weight - both of which would ultimately help with the same fatigue and the joint issues.

The past year or two my hip pain in particular has gotten really bad. I had a fall at work just over 2 years ago and it was like someone turned on a pain switch. My hip really didn't bother me much until that point.  I suddenly had a lot of inflammation and pulled muscles that eventually settled down with time and physiotherapy but the pain never totally went away. The arthritis in my hip has progressed rapidly over the past year and now the pain is constant and severe.

I have had cortisone injections in my knees and right hip over the past 18 months. The first hip one felt like a miracle but at about 7 months it wore off. The second one only lasted about 4 months and the last time it only took the edge off.

My family doctor, as well as the sports medicine specialist that I have been seeing, told me I needed to get on the waiting list for joint replacements. It is a long wait around here to see an orthopedic surgeon, never mind the long wait for the actual surgery.  I saw the surgeon last week and despite the fact that I am considered a higher surgical risk we are going ahead with the hip surgery.

My plan is to get myself in the best shape I possibly can before this surgery.  I am still focusing on  leading a healthy life.

The Christmas Season

I love Christmas and all the excitement that goes with it. I also get very stressed and tend to overshoot with my expectations.  I am not sure that is really a bad thing, more just who I am.
This year I still want to do everything but I am not moving my best due to arthritis and I am quite slowed down so I need to take it a bit easier physically. I think the answer is in pacing myself!

I like to be creative, I like pretty things, I like to make others happy, I love to celebrate.
I have lots of traditions to keep and new ideas to try things out. We tend to add things slowly over the holiday season and so there is always something new to see at our house.

One of my Girl Guide Leader friends posted 100 days of Gratitude on Facebook over the summer and fall. I know that it is hard to post so frequently so even though I thought about joining her I did not jump at the opportunity but the idea of posting daily has stuck with me.

I decided to post a Holiday Season Daily Post here on Leading a Healthy Life. I hope to share a bit about our family traditions, and share a few nice pictures and maybe give a few ideas for family and friends and maybe programs ideas for groups. My energy isn't great and we are having lots of non Christmassy challenges in our lives right now but that seems like all the more reason to embrace happy activities!

Please join me is celebrating this Holiday Season!

Jasper Dreaming of Santa on Christmas Eve 2015

Seating Problems

I feel like Goldilocks - I want to complain about seating.

I have a very sore right hip and leg right now. I can't get comfortable.  The couch is too soft, the reclining chair is too hard the other chair is too low.  I am putting a pillow under my behind on the upright recliner and I have a small rolled up toss blanket behind my back to make things tolerable.

A few years ago. when I had so many issues with my left side. I was having a different set of seating issues. How do I sit down? How do I get up? How do I keep the chair from tipping over?  The chairs needed to be very stable because I was not stable and tending to loose my balance. They needed strong arms for me to push off on. If I sat on the couch I needed to be in the right side corner so that I could  have that arm to help me up because my left arm was not strong enough to get me anywhere.  I wanted the chair  or couch to be on the left side of the TV or where ever the action was because I was seeing better out of my right eye and frankly was recognizing movement better with my right eye due to some lingering left side neglect. I found that I would go to group events and I constantly got given a seat all the way to the right of a long table. I found not only did I not see the people on my left side properly.. I found I had trouble hearing properly from that left ear too. In particular I had trouble discerning whose voice was whose. I tried to turn my head to correct and that just made me dizzy and nauseated.

I find the same thing happens with my stroke friends and other people I know. Seating is undervalued.  Individuals have their own interests and needs and it takes a little effort to accommodate them but the seating can make all the difference to a persons enjoyment and comfort and I would even say their quality of life. 

People like to be near their friends, People like to sit away from people they don't care for. Some individuals like to sit close so they can get a view or where the best lighting it and others like to sit close enough to hear the best they can.  Music systems with their amplification might seem great for people with hearing loss but their hearing aids might react badly to the louder sound range and those individuals not only want to be far away from the amps, they want to be out of the room!

What chair feels good? Is this wheel chair easy to move? Can we get a comfortable cushion for the wheel chair seat? (they are unbelievably expensive) 

How about a bed that is at the right height to get in and out of with comfort and maybe a grab bar to help the process?  Clothes they will not get caught up when you are trying to slide in and out might be helpful.

My former physiotherapist spent a few of our appointments teaching me how to drive a scooter. It was kind of embarrassing and fun all at the same time. She ran ahead of me in the hospital hallway yelling.. "Beginner driver! Get out of the way!" I was not talented at going Rabbit speed or Turtle speed which were the two options on the scooters. She said I better work on recovering fast and walking again because I was not a safe driver. Considering my vision issues at the time it was brave of her to take me out in the public!
The fact is the scooters and powered wheel chairs have a lot of different options, and for some people they can provide so much independence and freedom. Potential users do need an opportunity to learn how to use them properly and safely and the vehicles do need to be physically a good "fit".

We also can try and work on exercises to help us in recovery and in maintain  our strength so we can get out of those chairs. Yes.. that is what I have to do again- I have to work on getting my back and hip stronger according to my current physiotherapist.

I will work hard at getting stronger again  but I might just need to purchase a different comfy chair.

After the Fall

I had a fall in December and hurt my back as well as my stronger  hip and leg. I kind of looked like the guy in the caution sign.. twisted at the hip and landing on my own leg and bottom.  I have not missed any work but  I was on modified duties for some time and I have been taking it very easy at home. I also have done a lot of physiotherapy and my recovery has been much slower than expected.  I only have one more appointment covered by insurance and I am nowhere near the place I was before my fall. Dealing with insurance and all the non-recovery parts of this has been a bad experience. The fact that I have issues with my other, weaker, side, including a bad arthritic knee has really interfered with the course of my recovery, my exercises, and so on. Theoretically I can put in an appeal to have an extension of insurance for the physiotherapy but the process seems very intimidating and stressful and I am not confident that I will be successful.


I can not believe what a hard time I have been having with this. I have been in a lot of pain and really feeling limited in how I move, how much I move and how fast I move.  I have been taking lots of pain medications that upsets my tummy.  I am doing better now, lots better in fact, but not enough to sleeping well or enjoying activities.  One simple example is when we went to a movie in the theatre not long ago and I found it too painful to keep seated in the theatre chair, and too hard to get up and down out if it. Walking back to the car after sitting for the show was a challenge too. At home I am once again avoiding the stairs to my basement and asking family members to do my laundry and fetch items from the storage areas for me.

Fortunately my job actually has a lot of flexibility in the actual duties. There are a few physical aspects that can not be helped, but I have spent more time doing activities like reading out loud, sitting doing nail polish and playing board games. I have been avoiding things like games where I would need to do any bending or lifting. My co-workers have been very nice about it all but they were more than ready for me to get off modified duties and for work life to get back to normal. I have been really glad that I work so few hours so that I had time to recovery in between the days I work and now I think I am handling things pretty smoothly,

Anyway a big part of why I haven't been blogging much is because the main thing I have wanted to talk about is how miserable I have been feeling and that gets boring very quickly even to me. I have to remind myself that this is far from the worst challenges I have faced and I just need to persevere once again.

I have been waiting around for most of the winter for things to be all better and now it is almost summer so it is time to suck it up and just do Stuff.  .. Now to figure out just what that Stuff might be!

So Many Little Changes

I have not written for such a long time and it has been good for me to take a break from blogging. I am still working at my small part-time job and I am gradually getting used to working. It seems to have changed a lot of the little aspects of my life.

Clothing.. I need more of them. I had a jeans, sweater and t-shirt wardrobe. Now I need dress pants or active wear clothing. I need cooler dressier shirts that are good for moving in a warm building. I personally need shoes that give really good support.

Sleeping... I need to get up at 7 in the morning and I have to be well rested. I go to bed .. start thinking and then have trouble falling asleep. Lately I am back to using meditation at night to try and keep me level.

Remembering... I try so hard to remember names and other information. I think I am doing better but it is still not easy for me when the pressure is on.

Meals... I need to pack a lunch and eat in a lunch room and that still feels weird.

Co-workers... really new to me and it is fun to have co-workers to chat with who are doing similar jobs. In my last working life I had a boss and no one working with me or under me.

Swipe cards.. I have to swipe in and out at work to track my work time... that is new to me too. I live in fear of breaking or loosing the thing.

Housework.. Not one of my priorities at the moment, but we will catch up eventually.

Fitness... This has two sides to it. My endurance has shown a huge improvement. My legs and hips are building muscles. The flip side is my knee and shoulder joints are getting worse fast. Arthritis is winning and I am back to visiting my doctor.

Paychecks... Direct deposit is good. I set up an account for my earnings and the amount is going up slowly. I don't work a lot so progress is not spectacular.

 

I know that none of this stuff is too exciting or too important- just part of my days now.