Bounty Chocolate Bar; a Real Taste of Paradise
Well I got back ok from week 1 of rehab. Things started extremely shakily, with me becoming overwhelmed; poor Ross left with a migraine starting. Was an uneventful journey with me very apprehensive about the coming weeks. It seemed my fears were confirmed on seeing just 3 half hour sessions of physio marked in for the week. As I remarked to Ross, hardly the promised intensive physio! As I do 20-30 minutes daily in a standing frame, 30 minutes minimum electrical stimulation of muscles daily and an hour of physio each week when at home you can understand my concern. I was persuaded to stay and tell them how I felt at a meeting that afternoon. I learned that the daily sessions with Occupational Therapists will work on my independence and weak right arm and hand, no bad thing. Speech and Language will work on my poor speech 2 or 3 times a week. Have you heard of the soft pallette? It is at the back of your throat, mine works really slowly and poorly. It should block off the nose when talking (eating/drinking in large portions bypasses it too and goes up my nose so I take small bites or sips!) so when I speak it is very nasal and sounds get confused. The other problem is that my tongue moves so slowly. All my muscles except those used in blinking were paralysed for at least 2 months so hardly surprising, they must all be built up again. Physio I was told will be daily 45 minute sessions in future, with 20 - 30 minutes in the standing frame extra daily.
So, if all materializes it will be worth it. The actual ward is very bleak, with just the necessary furniture and a communal TV, very boring. Even the nurse call bells are just primitive bells you shake to make a noise! Add on imposed bedtimes, people not understanding me, horrible puree food (so dull, last year at rehab l was scarred for the rest of my life by getting mashed potato twice a day for months, I now see it in my nightmares!), the loss of independence being in a manual wheelchair I can't push and the other nasty aspects of a hospital ward and you had 1 very frightened Diane. Last Sunday though Ross announced he would take my electric wheelchair. I can't begin to tell you how much difference it makes; I am extremely grateful that he did that, I know how heavy it is. Still had independence with that and they just about still have door frames! The boredom factor was alright, the other patients are mostly friendly and make an effort to talk to me. I told them my life story, via a lightwriter in part (A VERY expensive device I was loaned and it has a keyboard with screen back and front to type text. Rather amusingly I learnt they only gave me that after a day of seeing me too quick on my alphabet board!); in return got their fascinating stories. There was the very nice nurse who assumed I was deaf (at the time I wore a large pair of headphones attached to my MP3 player and even sillier she closely examined my alphabet board which contains the unsubtle phrase "I am not deaf or stupid"!!!); an inevitability I've found, frustrating but honestly how can you not have a quiet chuckle (in case that word is peculiar to English means to laugh) to yourself? I also read an hysterical book my sister bought for my birthday to relieve boredom; I laughed so hard several staff want a copy, it contains such delight as a man claiming to own the ridiculous sniffer hamster (like the dogs who sniff out drugs). Has me giggling now remembering extracts. Great if you're feeling glum. So was all really bearable, nothing much yet by way of results but I'll try this.
Staff at rehab on the whole understand when I try to talk. I say it then resort to an aid if not understood. Anyone with a speech problem will understand, confidence is all and this has boosted mine immeasurably. For the first time in ages Ross and I carried out a somewhat stilted conversation (I can only get out 1 or 2 words per breath) with just a smattering of board etc; felt so good. Transfer to the toilet is rotator each time, the extra must be strengthening my legs. My eating was tested for the first time in a year and I can officially eat soft food, guilt-free! Chew and swallow were assessed as fine and coped well with moist soft food. I had a bounty, chocolate covered moist coconut that tasted fantastic. They've started trying braces for my foot, casting it. I need it at 90 degrees to my ankle to stand easily rather than the present woeful 170 at rest which improves on standing. The botox injections plus this cast worn regularly should do the necessary.
To test out if rehab is worth it, apart from the other things, I asked the physio as independent transfer seems so far off. She is very certain that in time I will. As Ross says. this is only my first week so I can't expect miracles.
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