Rehab

The ambulance journey to Lincoln was not the best, I wasn't sure if the driver was aware that I had just had spinal surgery but he seemed to hit every rut and pot hole on the road.  Although the sun was shining and it was nice to be out in the open after four weeks in a hospital with no air and clinical smell.  I chatted to the assistant who sat with me through the journey, and dozed the best I could.

It was a Friday when we left Sheffield, I text Mark as we got to Lincoln and felt like I was home once we passed his place of work.  On arrival in Lincoln, I was wheeled to the Ashby Suite and given a bed, lunch was on its way for me and I was given a Zimmer frame immediately as I needed to use the bathroom.  Physio observed how I was moving and from that she could determine what work we needed to do.

I had the weekend to settle in to my new ward; Jean was across from me, she had been in since January; Gill was in the bed next to me and was from Louth, very close to me and shortly after, a lady called Caroline arrived and was the fourth of our little group.  We all got on well, chatted, and laughed and it felt comfortable. 

Physio started on the Monday and I still had little to no use in the left leg so I had to start building some muscles up.  I was given exercises, a slide sheet and off I went.  I exercised every day on my bed, even if I woke during the night I would try and pull my left leg towards me and make it move.  Gradually, things started to change and I could move my leg from side to side and up towards my chest.  To me this was a major achievement and I was ecstatic.  I was using the Zimmer frame to get me to the bathroom, and they gave me a wheel chair to use so I could get out and about.  This was particularly good news for when Mark came to visit.  He came every lunch hour and every evening after work, I saw much more of him.  Mum and dad were able to visit more often too being just a few miles down the road, and I also saw more of Laura.  Things were looking up!  Visiting time I was always up and ready to go out in the wheelchair.  Mark used to take me to get a coffee from the machine and we would sit outside in the late summer sun.  Even though it was October, it was really warm and the simple pleasure of being outside was good enough for me.  We did laps of the hospital and I learnt to manoeuvre myself really well with the wheel chair.

I didn’t always want to use the wheel chair though and when it came to having our dinner or tea in the dining room I would often use the frame to walk me down there.  Of course, it took longer but I figured that getting down there in the wheel chair wasn’t going to get me walking any faster.

I also became more independent with everything else.  I was able to get into the shower on my own, slightly unsteady on my legs as I transferred myself from my wheel chair onto the bath seat but I did it.  I also refused to have help when I needed my curtain pulling round me, which was often a source of amusement as I tangled muself up in it trying to close it!  The nurses offered to help but if this was rehab then I had to learn to do everything myself as they weren’t going to be there at home for me.  It took longer and was clumsy  but to me it was one step closer to normality. 

I had a regular routine; showered every day, made sure everything was in easy reach of the shower, dried and did my hair and make up (just enough to make me feel like me!) and dressed. 

The days were filled with talking, eating, exercising and sleeping.  I was able to self medicate so I got familiar with what tablets to take and when; initially there were so many I couldn’t keep up, gradually, I became expert and remembered to take them at the right times. 

My pain was well controlled and all I could feel was the sites of the chest drains which still had dressings and the wound from the surgery.  The dressings were changed regularly but the second chest drain site was taking longer to recover and was messy, it felt sore too, possibly because the stitches had been left in longer than necessary?  The ribs felt incredibly sore and tender but I guess gradually over time that would ease.  Whenever I went into the bathroom I had a look to see if the missing rib had made a difference to the waistline, sadly not visible yet!!!

Days in Lincoln went quite quickly and it was a more spacious ward therefore felt better.  We had fun and laughed, and being able to get out in the wheelchair made a huge difference. 

The more times I saw Mark, the more I would get upset at leaving time and have a little cry once he had gone.  I had been in hospital for five weeks and I desperately wanted home.  I just had to convince them that I was strong enough to walk and I would be able to cope.

My ray of light came when I spoke to physio who said there was a possibility that as I was making such good progress, I may be able to go home the following week.  I was so excited, but at the same time, didn’t want to build my hopes up that I would be able to leave, after all, I had been in hospital for such a long time, I had begun to give up hope!

Just a few to keep me going....!