Well that's me off my bike for a while

[Ganymede]

Progress is very slow.

I've taken a few more falls which haven't helped matters much. My oh has caught me twice in the last 4 days alone, which whilst useful does not do much for my confidence, but neither does falling.
The latest fall was yesterday. Totally stupid. I was sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing/massaging my back after having just some one of my sitting up exercises (I can still only manage 12 mins 30 seconds at a time) when he brought up a tray with our evening meal on it. He knelt on the bed right next to me to place the tray down to the side where it would normally go, but this meant kneeling on the bed on the same side as the side I have lost all the strength from and I couldn't brace myself to stop myself falling off the bed as the mattress went down with his weight. There is just nothing there in the way of control in my leg or side and next thing I'm on the floor having landed on my bad side. It will take several days to settle down again fully after each fall. The problem is that it is so stupid that it reduces me to tears just because of how pathetic it is. My knees and shins are a network of multicoloured bruises and my 92 year old grandfather is more mobile than I am!

I'm still recording my physio walks on strava, just for motivation more than anything else. I have only failed to get out twice a day one which was on Saturday. I'm still measuring distance in hours per kilometre rather than kilometres per hour and living from one 2 hour alarm reminder to the next for the pain meds. Not ideal but it really is the only way I'm getting by at the moment.

I'm also now back to the 10-11 hours a day at home alone routine now my oh has returned to work, so back to continuing to live in my bed... I will happily trade places with anyone who wants to moan about going back to work after the hols... Any offers? Nah, didn't think so...

Oh and there is now a bird feeder attached to the roof window in my bedroom. The highlight of the day is watching the birds work out the angle to grab the sunflower seeds at! Visitors so far are blue tits, great tits, coal tits, robins, a female blackbird and a nuthatch. The roof is too steep for squirrels luckily.

I see my consultant again in a little over 2 weeks. I can't see that there will have been much more improvement and currently we are not even sure that we will be able to get me there without still needing a private ambulance with a stretcher. If I sound a little down, I guess it is because I am.

That bird feeder is a great idea! Sorry it's still so hard though. Did you try the Red Cross or anyone for extra help in the day? I am certain that you ought to be eligible for some NHS or council help, which is usually delivered via a local charity - my Dad for example is eligible for 3 hours of help but if he wants more he can pay for it.

 

[summerdays]

Oh dear, it's those little things that we all take for granted that seem to mock us when we are ill. Such a simple thing of balancing on a bed, till someone shifts the balance just by leaning against it. Do you have to do stomach exercises? Not that I'm clued up about this, but just wondering which sets of muscles you can keep from loosing their strength to help support the back ones.

I like the idea of the bird feeder by the window. I've just got boring sparrows at mine at the moment - but they need topping up.

 

[Scoosh]

[very gently @SNSSO]

The most inspiring people on CC ? SNSSO and Steve Abraham !

Those suffering the most pain on CC ? Probably the same duo !

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just been reading the addicted to codeine thread and sitting there thinking, codeine, morphine, paracetamol, diazepam and pregabalin.... Hummmm and I'm still in a lot of pain, but luckily not too badly affected by constipation! Not sure the diazepam is helping much, but at least I am now 3 weeks post op and can use the heat therapy mat again and massage (gently) my preferred cream into the scar and wound area.
Just done another of the (forced) sitting exercises. 2nd one today excluding the 5 mins it takes my oh to get me changed, dressed and ready to do my walk in the morning. This one hurt a lot more than the first one this morning... Still must keep trying but I am not extending them at all, but too stubborn to drop them back to 10 minutes.

Did you try the Red Cross or anyone for extra help in the day? I am certain that you ought to be eligible for some NHS or council help,

Sadly we don't seem to be eligible for anything either due to it not having been around long enough (only 2 months so far), not yet predicted to last more than another 9 months, my oh earning too much, or because I haven't worked since Feb 2011.

Do you have to do stomach exercises?

at the moment I am between physiotherapists. The guy who was coming out had left/changed jobs and I am waiting for the new person to contact me and make an appointment. Christmas and New Year get in the way and slow things down considerably. All I have is what I was told post op (3 weeks ago) walking twice a day and to work on sitting up in a hard supportive chair, several times a day. I would love to get a third walk in but the stairs scare me. Horrible but truthful. Come the 20th there may be a solution to that if I can s find somewhere comfortable enough to lie during the day in my landlady's house which we have for a month (along with her dog). But for the moment... Sitting up as in sit ups, I have been told are the worst thing I can do for my back (by pretty much everyone at the hospital from nursing staff, physio staff to my consultant). The biggest issue is that I simply can't brace myself with that leg at all. I'm not sure how to explain, but if you sit in your chair and lean forward as though to run your back, now lean 45 degrees to the right, that control from that moment on is gone. I can't do that movement. The moment it starts I'm on the floor because there is no ability to control those muscles - it is as if they don't exist at all, both in the backside/buttocks or the leg itself.

Time for something to eat I think....

 

[summerdays]

Just been reading the addicted to codeine thread and sitting there thinking, codeine, morphine, paracetamol, diazepam and pregabalin.... Hummmm and I'm still in a lot of pain, but luckily not too badly affected by constipation! Not sure the diazepam is helping much, but at least I am now 3 weeks post op and can use the heat therapy mat again and massage (gently) my preferred cream into the scar and wound area.
Just done another of the (forced) sitting exercises. 2nd one today excluding the 5 mins it takes my oh to get me changed, dressed and ready to do my walk in the morning. This one hurt a lot more than the first one this morning... Still must keep trying but I am not extending them at all, but too stubborn to drop them back to 10 minutes.


Sadly we don't seem to be eligible for anything either due to it not having been around long enough (only 2 months so far), not yet predicted to last more than another 9 months, my oh earning too much, or because I haven't worked since Feb 2011.

at the moment I am between physiotherapists. The guy who was coming out had left/changed jobs and I am waiting for the new person to contact me and make an appointment. Christmas and New Year get in the way and slow things down considerably. All I have is what I was told post op (3 weeks ago) walking twice a day and to work on sitting up in a hard supportive chair, several times a day. I would love to get a third walk in but the stairs scare me. Horrible but truthful. Come the 20th there may be a solution to that if I can s find somewhere comfortable enough to lie during the day in my landlady's house which we have for a month (along with her dog). But for the moment... Sitting up as in sit ups, I have been told are the worst thing I can do for my back (by pretty much everyone at the hospital from nursing staff, physio staff to my consultant). The biggest issue is that I simply can't brace myself with that leg at all. I'm not sure how to explain, but if you sit in your chair and lean forward as though to run your back, now lean 45 degrees to the right, that control from that moment on is gone. I can't do that movement. The moment it starts I'm on the floor because there is no ability to control those muscles - it is as if they don't exist at all, both in the backside/buttocks or the leg itself.

Time for something to eat I think....

I wasn't thinking sit ups, I will my full set (well they are apparently there just not in fully maintained/toned etc), can't do sit ups. I meant something where you were leaving your back still but getting the tummy muscles to work, whilst lying down. More because I've told in the past I have weak stomach muscles so that it doesn't help my back to support me as much as it should.

I went out and topped up the fat balls but discovered that the base of the nut feeder (pottery), has a big crack running through the point of the retaining screw so I figure they will have to do with the few nuts there are there till I get my OH to glue it.

Are you able to use your camera and long lens to photograph the birds at the feeder or is that too difficult?

Does he leave you food by the bedside when he goes to work?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Somehow I don't think the angle is worth it!



The view from my position in bed! It does not get any sunshine at all and the window needs cleaning!

 

[summerdays]

I think you have a pretty good excuse not to clean it.... me ... I'm trying to sum up the enthusiasm to clean the bathroom ceiling (bit mouldy) and take down the baubles off the tree outside!

 

[Katherine]

Well done to you.
It's hard being on your own when you're so stuck!
You can come and do some cutting and sticking in year one (they're doing instructions for how to make a cup of hot chocolate, a lot of sticky tables to wipe too) and I'll go back to bed!

 

[coffeejo]

Just catching up. *hugs*

 

[Fubar]

Yeah me too - hoping things are improving @SatNavSaysStraightOn ...??

 

[fossyant]

 

[ColinJ]

Somehow I don't think the angle is worth it!

View attachment 76071

The view from my position in bed! It does not get any sunshine at all and the window needs cleaning!

How about putting up a full length mirror angled such that you get a reflected view of the window, any bird activity, and any available sunlight?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Just been reading the addicted to codeine thread and sitting there thinking, codeine, morphine, paracetamol, diazepam and pregabalin.... Hummmm and I'm still in a lot of pain, but luckily not too badly affected by constipation! Not sure the diazepam is helping much, but at least I am now 3 weeks post op and can use the heat therapy mat again and massage (gently) my preferred cream into the scar and wound area.
Just done another of the (forced) sitting exercises. 2nd one today excluding the 5 mins it takes my oh to get me changed, dressed and ready to do my walk in the morning. This one hurt a lot more than the first one this morning... Still must keep trying but I am not extending them at all, but too stubborn to drop them back to 10 minutes.


Sadly we don't seem to be eligible for anything either due to it not having been around long enough (only 2 months so far), not yet predicted to last more than another 9 months, my oh earning too much, or because I haven't worked since Feb 2011.

at the moment I am between physiotherapists. The guy who was coming out had left/changed jobs and I am waiting for the new person to contact me and make an appointment. Christmas and New Year get in the way and slow things down considerably. All I have is what I was told post op (3 weeks ago) walking twice a day and to work on sitting up in a hard supportive chair, several times a day. I would love to get a third walk in but the stairs scare me. Horrible but truthful. Come the 20th there may be a solution to that if I can s find somewhere comfortable enough to lie during the day in my landlady's house which we have for a month (along with her dog). But for the moment... Sitting up as in sit ups, I have been told are the worst thing I can do for my back (by pretty much everyone at the hospital from nursing staff, physio staff to my consultant). The biggest issue is that I simply can't brace myself with that leg at all. I'm not sure how to explain, but if you sit in your chair and lean forward as though to run your back, now lean 45 degrees to the right, that control from that moment on is gone. I can't do that movement. The moment it starts I'm on the floor because there is no ability to control those muscles - it is as if they don't exist at all, both in the backside/buttocks or the leg itself.

Time for something to eat I think....

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

[QUOTE 3477440, member: 9609"]how are you gettin on ?[/QUOTE]
Much the same. Some days are better than others, some nights are long and hard.

Just accepted defeat and booked the private ambulance for next week to get me to the consultant's appointment a week today. I still can only sit up for very short periods of time (5-7 minutes at a time) and nowhere near long enough to actually get to hospital. I was hoping to have made more progress than that but there we go.

We move into our landlady's house on Tuesday which may make life easier or harder, we are not yet sure on how that is going to work out. The main issue being where I can lie down during the day whilst dog sitting for their Irish wolf hound. Stuart is taking the morning off work to help deal with that one. The house is better suited to me being able to look after myself with there being a kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor, not to mention loads of space. It's called xyz Manor House for a reason! It will be good to have an open fire, aga and huge kitchen as well as plenty of space to walk around, assuming we can suss the bed situation! That's a job for those how can walk along at the weekend! On the bright side, we are getting a new kitchen out of it for our property which will assist us as well in the long run, but I am apprehensive about the chaos and timing because I can well see me needing tosleep in our home at night (next door) whilst Stuart dog sits... We shall see.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

How about putting up a full length mirror angled such that you get a reflected view of the window, any bird activity, and any available sunlight?

Err, one stunningly bad photo, the 2 bird feeders are top right though the 2nd one is not that visible. As you can see space is an issue and sadly there is no light that can be reflected from anywhere...