098 A DETERMINED EFFORT

After the Friday failure, I got even more determined to do better the next time.  I spent the weekend trying to sit as upright as possible, for longer periods of time.  The idea being to clear my head and get it used to being upright again after so many weeks in bed.  It got so that late Sunday night I could sit upright for just over 2 hours at a time, but let me tell you, the effort wore me out.  By the time I would lie down again, I was sweating and tired, and feeling like I just did a two-hour gym workout.

Monday came, and I was sitting up and dressed by 5:30 AM, just waiting for Physio to arrive, so I could make my next attempt at walking.  I was determined to do better today.  I knew I would.  I forgot that I had to be hooked up to my IV anti-biotics, so I had to lie down again for those to empty into me.  That half hour came and went, and they disconnected me from my PICC line again.

Breakfast came, and I ate my warm bread, sitting up and waiting.  Breakfast always comes around 8:00 AM and the Physio’s always come in around 9:00 AM.  It came and went, so did 10:00 AM and still no Physio.  I was getting more disappointed that I wouldn’t get a chance to walk today.  Finally, at 11:30 AM they arrived.  But it wasn’t my usual two, so I had to explain the whole story again.

Finally, it was time, I was going to walk.  The walker was moved into position and I had forgotten Friday’s training on how to stand up.  Who would have thought one would need to be taught to stand?  Anyway, I got the retraining down and finally it was time.  I pushed up from the bed ad grabbed the handles of the walker, and I was upright.

Knees were weak, and I was shaky.  Then the waves of dizziness and nausea washed over me again, only this time I was able to fight through it and remain upright.  Now the moment of truth, I was going to walk.  Physio suggested I try walking in place first and it turned out to be good advice.  I took one step, here we go.  I took a second step and then a third.  Four, five and six and I was done.

SIX STEPS, STANDING IN PLACE

 I was shaking and sweating like I had run somewhere, the dizziness was getting worse, and I fell backwards onto the bed.  My head cleared much quicker this time and I didn’t puke so that was progress.  But it was still very disappointing.  Both Physios complimented me and told me that it was a great effort on my part.  One of them told me that some people don’t get that much done on their second try after being bed ridden that long.  It was still a blow, but I got over it quickly and was determined to do better tomorrow.

The next day, I went through the usual rigmarole in getting ready and then it was time, I took a few steps standing in place to get the feel and then off I went.  I walked across the room to the door and back again.  A grand total of 10 steps.  It wasn’t much, but it was a start.  I was pleased with myself after the effort of the past two tries.

The next day they loaded me in my wheelchair and rolled me down the hall of the newly renovated second half of the ward.  Into the physio gym we went.  It was so new that the parallel bars were still wrapped in brown paper and packing material.  They spent 10 minutes unwrapping it and I would become the first ever person to use them.  Up I went and down to the end, a quick turn to the left and back to the beginning.  Another turn to the left, and here comes the dizziness and nausea again.  I sat down in the wheelchair and they gave me a basin into which I promptly puked.

I sat there for 30 minutes with my head between my knees, until the dizziness passed, and they rolled me back to my room.  I was very thankful to get back in bed, but I made the accomplishment of getting in 20 steps.  That’s double the total from yesterday.  Things are looking up.  Well, I spent a lot of time looking down until my head cleared.  It would not be the last time this happened, but the last for awhile.