When I was in the re-hab center things seemed so bleak, I could sit up and swing my legs off the bed and sit there but that seemed to be about it. Using the slide board to transfer from the bed to a wheelchair the first time trapped my bad leg from a car/motorcycle accident decades ago and my hip yanked out leading to me screaming at the top of my lungs, they said they heard me all the way down in the gym I was so loud, but it hurt. Even with the pain I worked and they helped me so much now taking time to watch my bed leg and making sure it did not accidently slide the wrong way and trap itself again. I made it to the wheelchair and down to the gym where we worked out in many types of exercises and stretches but the progress just seemed to never really come. I did get to the point where I could sit in the wheelchair and it was such a hassle to get out of the chair back into bed and back again, I would stay in my wheelchair and just wait in the gym till my next session and while there I began interacting with other patients, so many people with problems leaving them unable to move much less walk. Some had been in accidents, one lady could only move her right arm at first, others had strokes, older folks that had fallen and even recent amputees. One that stands out in my mind was an old lady I met when my laundry had run out and they were washing it for me so I had to wear a gown and they put one on backwards then wheeled me down to the gym and as I came to the work table for occupational therapy this older lady takes one look at me and asks why she didnt get a cape like I had. We all busted out laughing from that one. Mark (not his real name) was a big fella like me who had a stroke and they had to move him with a machine from a wheelchair to the workout table. He could not move much on his left side, face was contorted and his speech was slurred and they were trying to get him to hit a beach ball with his good hand and knock it back but he would lose focus and begin calling for water, they gave him 4 cups and knew it wasnt thirst he was stuck in a loop in his mind and needed a distraction. I had been watching from the weight machine and had finished my workout when the physical therapist for him asked if I would help keep him occupied. So I began talking to him, like me he had been an engineer before his stroke and he used to play football in high school. By then I had him hitting the beach ball back to me and we would go back and forth till they thought he was tiring and they picked him up in this machine called a Sara Lift, (https://youtube/watch?v=wkKADjwPUKA) sort of an electrically powered hydraulic chair/lift that they would strap you into tightly and you had hand holds and a foot base and it would pick you from a sitting position to a standing one but you had to push off with your legs hard. I watched Mark do it and I knew if he could then one day I could, I just had to work at it. I worked with my therapist and began taking the challenge of their physical activities for me, you might not think it is hard to do but trust me when you lose all your strength from a coma even lifting your bum out of the chair even an inch is a major task.Oh they loved to make me do the wheelchair pushups over and over and over....My main problem was the sara lift hurt my left hip when they first tried using it on me. I think being in such a weakened state my hip joint was not properly supported and it was like a crowbar was wrenching my hip apart when they tried standing me up. But I kept on with it and decided to take a pain shot before they came to lift me and worked through the pain. Soon they were able to remove the foot rests and I took my first steps, i was crying when this happened as I didnt believe it could be done. Time and work and yes a whole lot of pain brought me closer and closer to my goal of getting around on my own with a walker. The nurse station was right outside my room and they could tell when i was getting ready for a session with the walker because i would basically put Ben Gay on my knees, shoulders, elbows and ankles and I stunk to high heaven. They didnt give up on me and I had a good bunch of nurses and doctors there that helped and counselors that helped me with my faith as well bolstering my beliefs. In the past I probably would never have received the care I required and now because of changes in health care law, Obamacare mainly and what it did to medicare SouthWest Regional is closed and 130 people lost their jobs, but worse than that this region lost a priceless resource that helped many a passed over helpless person such as myself and we need to fight to bring these resources back for the people..... Thanks to them I am walking a little now with my cane and it is enough to let me be safely on my own home able to take care of myself and have a somewhat normal life. Oh, you might smile from the unusual kind of halting gait I have but at least I am up out of the wheelchair now. Thanks for listening and letting me share this....God Bless
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 09:14:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015