Tuning It In and Turning It Up

So sorry if I worried anyone with my last post. I was a bit frustrated but things are looking up! Been in the the acute rehab in Livermore now since Friday and I have it pretty dialed in now. My mother and I have been taking a lot of matters into our own hands and it has been helping my recovery.

I got up in my own wheelchair yesterday for over two hours and felt really good. I'm almost transferring all by myself although it takes about 10 baby scoots to get where I want to go. When I sit up I'm so straight again, it feels amazing! I am relearning my balance again. The nausia has completely gone away. I still get a bit dizzy but it's getting less and less. I wheeled outside with my mom and I gotta say the front entrance of the hospital looks a lot more inviting then the basement entrance! And now that I have wheeled around the facility, it isn't as dilapidated as my first impression led me to believe. Was having a lot of issues with one nurse in particular but after a few complaints to the head nurse she has been taken off my schedule. And I am now allowed to pee anytime I want! As far as my pressure sore goes... My mom and I decided to take off the hospital dressings and rewrap it the way I know works. The nurses have not been happy with me about that but since we have been rewrapping it, the sore has decreased in size quite a bit and is pretty close to being all healed up! So it took a few days and a bit of grief but things are back on track! You really just have to be your own advocate.

The physical and occupational therapists have been very helpful and knowledgable. My spine has to stay very straight while healing so I'm not able to lift, bend, or twist at all. So I am learning all new ways of doing all the little everyday tasks like dressing. Today we go into the fake kitchen to learn the do's and don't's in there. It's been challenging to retrain myself and is slow going. The restrictions on my movement will be in place for about 3 months. So looks like I will be needing lots of help once I come home since almost every normal task incorporates lifting, bending or twisting. Still not sure when they will release me to travel back up the hill but my best guess is in about 7-10 days. I will keep everyone posted as soon as I know something more.

Lots of people have been dropping by which has been really good in keeping my spirits up. And I have been receiving all kinds of super kind grind (aka food) which I have been thoroughly enjoying and has been keeping me strong. The doctors are saying the incision is healing faster than normal! Thanks again everyone for all the awesome support, love and nutrition.

Funny side story... My mom brought me some east coast pizza (my favorite.) I can't stand microwaved pizza becasue it turns it into rubber. So yesterday morning she walks into my room with a big bag. I asked her what it was and she said it was a toaster oven to heat up my pizza! I was laughing and touched that she would go that far just to heat up my pizza. So she set it up in my bathroom and just as she finished the nurse came in and asked what was going on. Well I guess having small appliances in your hospital room is not okay because it caused quite a commotion all thru the unit! We were reprimanded by quite a few people and the hospital manager even paid us a visit to educate us on the serious fire dangers of small appliances. We promised to take it out of the room and that we would behave but once they all left my mom plugged it back in and toasted up the best piece of pizza I ever ate! We are such rebels!

So that is about it.... till next time. Thanks again to everyone for everything. I can't say it enough. It all means so much to me!

xoxoxox


My location is: 1111 E Stanley Blvd, Livermore, CA 94550. In room 301. Land line is: 925.373.4060 that will connect you to the nurse station and they can send you to the room. My cell works too. They keep me pretty busy so don't be upset if I don't get back right awayl

If you would like to monetarily help I have set up a link to PayPal where you can donate. (You don't need to have a PayPal account) Donations for healthy meals instead of flowers/gifts would be appreciated since hospital food sucks! Here is the link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=L5AP83PXC47FN