What does an amputee do with himself? Up until 2 am (August 14) the last two weeks have been quite uneventful! (More about that later!) My daily routine consists of a shower and other personal hygiene activities (hint: shave, floss and brush teeth, etc) In a previous post, I talked about my pre-amputation showering time. I am NOT nearly that fast today, but my showers are getting more routine, and more efficient. I was constantly reminded while in the rehab hospital (and you occupational therapist can confirm) that the bathroom is a common place for falls and subsequent injuries to occur. I still take my time and concentrate on every step–undressing (placing dirty clothes where they will not be a trip hazard), transferring to shower (assuring a smooth, safe transition from my wheel chair to the shower, and staying safe while in there), drying (assuring I am dry enough to be safe in my transfer back to my wheel chair–no water on the floor around my feet). You see, I DO NOT want to rush things too much, Slow and steady wins the race!! My dressing routine is slightly more complex, for now. I put my stump shrinker on first. Once it is in place, I dress for the day. My days are varied, but I do go to physical therapy (PT) twice a week. I work on increasing the strength and flexibility of my residual limb and hip. Remember the reference to puppy training here, well it is all paying off!. This is so critical in preparing for the prosthesis. I work hard to keep my right hip flexible. It would be too easy to just let my hip tighten up. If that were to happen, my prosthesis success would be diminished. And all you that have been following me know that I am determined to succeed and be the best patient my doctors, physical therapist and prosthetist have ever had!! In PT, I am also working on aerobics. It sounds difficult in a wheel chair, but I do it on a stationary bike-like devise. I pedal with my hands. 10 to 12 minutes will raise my heart rate and cause me to start a good sweat! Some days I will transfer from my wheel chair to sit at various weight machines and do circuits to strengthen my shoulders, arms and chest. Each day is a little different. Starting next week, I will start doing some of my PT in the pool! All this work is in preparation for the future prosthesis. A good solid building has a very solid foundation!! On most days, I will go with my wife, Shari, to run her errands. On many of those trips we will run into patients and friends. I enjoy seeing the look of relief in their eyes when they see me for the first time. I am getting more accustomed to the hugs too–from both men and women! I occasionally stop in the office to see my team. They appear happy to see me (maybe its the knowledge that payday is just around the corner –just kidding). The main reason I go is to reassure them, and the patients they are with at the time, that soon all will be back to normal! Evenings, of late, have been very nice. Now that we are all in our routine, we enjoy our quiet time. Shari is tired, to be sure. After all, she occasionally pushes my wheel chair, she lifts it into and out of the back of our vehicle whenever we are out. She is a great wife and helper. She has a caring spirit about her. Some days her patience is worn thin, but isn’t that true of all of us? The quiet evenings are good for us to share with each other and to encourage each other. My life changed on July 4, 2014. In some ways it has changed for the better!!
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 21:39:33 +0000
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