Four sessions of therapy today and then I'm done with inpatient rehab. I go home tomorrow morning!!
Both of my therapists had scheduled vacation days for today so yesterday was my last day with both of them, and they made me pay for it. I was going up and down stairs, walking on uneven surfaces outside, walking backwards, riding an exercise bike and arm bike, doing wheelchair pushups, the works. I'm pretty sore and tired today but shouldn't be doing too much exercise in therapy. I think we'll be doing mostly transfers in and out of the wheelchair, work in the kitchen and laundry, and getting clothes out of closets and draws with crutches. I'm going to need to do all of the strength and speed assessments again too so that we can get starting and ending results.
I should be starting outpatient therapy up in Lafayette on Monday, probably going 2-3 times per week.
Eric
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
New Toys
I received my insurance supplied crutches and wheel chair today. My therapist took one look at them and gave them back to the company that was dropping them off. She then called a different company and they dropped off a new set of crutches, wheel chair and a chair for the shower around 3:30. She took a look at the wheel chair and sent that back also but approved the crutches and shower chair. They are bringing over a new wheel chair tomorrow morning, this one will have wheelie bars!
We tried out the new crutches during our afternoon session. I walked around outside for a while and then we went back inside to try walking without crutches, in the parallel bars just in case. I was swaying back and forth as I walked so she said I wasn't strong enough to do that full time. We then worked on walking with a single crutch since RHI doesn't have a cane tall enough for me. I did pretty well with that, walking about 400' at a time.
This morning with OT we did the weekly assessment of my grip. When I arrived here, my grip was 25% of what it should be for someone of my age. Now it's up to 45%. They are going to do it again on Friday so they starting working on my hands quite a bit today because they would really like to have me over 50% by the time I leave here Saturday morning.
Eric
We tried out the new crutches during our afternoon session. I walked around outside for a while and then we went back inside to try walking without crutches, in the parallel bars just in case. I was swaying back and forth as I walked so she said I wasn't strong enough to do that full time. We then worked on walking with a single crutch since RHI doesn't have a cane tall enough for me. I did pretty well with that, walking about 400' at a time.
This morning with OT we did the weekly assessment of my grip. When I arrived here, my grip was 25% of what it should be for someone of my age. Now it's up to 45%. They are going to do it again on Friday so they starting working on my hands quite a bit today because they would really like to have me over 50% by the time I leave here Saturday morning.
Eric
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Updates
Sorry for the long time in between posts. Not a whole lot new happening, trying to get stronger.
Starting on Saturday I've started walking up and down a flight of stairs with the crutches under one arm and the other hand on a railing to simulate going up to our second floor where the bedrooms and shower are at home.
I've been walking 200' at a time with the crutches but start getting tired around the 150' mark and my knees start buckling. This weakness caused my discharge date to be pushed back today. Up until the doctors got together with the therapists around lunchtime, they were thinking tomorrow was a possibility but Friday was more realistic. I also learned that insurance won't pay for therapy on the day of discharge. I'm not happy with it but agree with my doctor's conclusion that waiting until Saturday is the right move. This will then leave a week and a half at home before going back in for more chemo.
This morning, they got me going early so that I could do my first OT session of the day in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. I made scrambled eggs only to come back to my breakfast tray full of more scrambled eggs. I made sure I didn't order any eggs for tomorrow. I'm finding what I'm sure most of you will think is obvious, walking and standing is one thing - doing it with a hot pan and breakable dishes is a completely new challenge.
A bit of news that really put a smile on my face today, I'm going to get a handicap sign for at least a year, as if I needed more confirmation. Who wants to ride with me to Smokehouse or the golf course?
Jeff, I'm steadily working through the Tower of Power cd's you sent, the nursing staff is loving them. I can't believe I didn't already own the entire What is Hip collection, I haven't heard half of theses songs. I have Howard Johnson and Gravity in the cue next, I'm starting to think the music choices are making me more friends than my charming personality.
Eric
Starting on Saturday I've started walking up and down a flight of stairs with the crutches under one arm and the other hand on a railing to simulate going up to our second floor where the bedrooms and shower are at home.
I've been walking 200' at a time with the crutches but start getting tired around the 150' mark and my knees start buckling. This weakness caused my discharge date to be pushed back today. Up until the doctors got together with the therapists around lunchtime, they were thinking tomorrow was a possibility but Friday was more realistic. I also learned that insurance won't pay for therapy on the day of discharge. I'm not happy with it but agree with my doctor's conclusion that waiting until Saturday is the right move. This will then leave a week and a half at home before going back in for more chemo.
This morning, they got me going early so that I could do my first OT session of the day in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. I made scrambled eggs only to come back to my breakfast tray full of more scrambled eggs. I made sure I didn't order any eggs for tomorrow. I'm finding what I'm sure most of you will think is obvious, walking and standing is one thing - doing it with a hot pan and breakable dishes is a completely new challenge.
A bit of news that really put a smile on my face today, I'm going to get a handicap sign for at least a year, as if I needed more confirmation. Who wants to ride with me to Smokehouse or the golf course?
Jeff, I'm steadily working through the Tower of Power cd's you sent, the nursing staff is loving them. I can't believe I didn't already own the entire What is Hip collection, I haven't heard half of theses songs. I have Howard Johnson and Gravity in the cue next, I'm starting to think the music choices are making me more friends than my charming personality.
Eric
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