I have been living in a hotel for three weeks while our bathroom is remodeled. It will have a stall shower, higher toilet, new sink and vanity, a lot more light and even an exhaust fan. Unfortunately the hotel is costing more than we planned and also the stay for my Mom at the adult family home. I am hoping we can all come home Saturday. In the last 12 or 13 weeks I have spent 3 or 4 days at home, so in some ways it doesn’t feel I have been home at all. However, since my fall and broken hip on February 24th, I have been able to walk again after 8 weeks of rehab and 2 weeks of out patient physical therapy.
Last week in therapy they started me walking with a cane and on Tuesday Michael wanted be to bring a cane for the next day. My good friend Carol has been so great at taking me to therapy and breakfast club plus we stopped at Walgreen’s to check out canes. Now I always thought if I ever had to use a cane, I would get an elegant, cool one – not this time. However, I will be on the look out for a cool one from now on until I find the one that hits me. Even so, the one I chose is good looking and sturdy, plus I can always bling it up a bit. So now I am using the cane to walk around the hotel room – Michael wants me to get used to it and use the wheely walker for long trips or going into the grocery store. it feels so good to be less encumbered, I even find myself walking without the cane in my room. I still walk like Walter Brennan without a cane or walker – but it feels a little less than before – or is that wishful thinking. I want to feel more confident with the cane before I go out in public with it – the walker makes me feel a little more secure at this point.
The other surprising thing is finding myself doing something I haven’t done for a long time – I was drying myself off and didn’t realize I had my foot on the toilet to dry my leg – it was as if my body took over and knows what she can and cannot do. It felt so good! I think I am more adventurous now instead of being timid when it comes to moving. I can now turn over on my side and I even sleep on the right side – the repaired side. I am also sleeping better the past few days, I don’t toss and turn and change positions so much. I am sure Eddie will appreciate that since I kept waking him up when I had to move.
I am also more flexible and loose than I was – not hard to do since Ihave been very tight for quite awhile. I want to find a very beginning Tai Chi class that also teaches the mind, body and spirit connection – it will be gentle but help me to loosen up all my tight muscles and tendons so I am more flexible. I want to go back to my deep tissue massage as well as start back with my chiropractor – she helped open me as well and I miss not working with her. And of course, it is long past time to do something about my weight – I want to wear my clothes again and take some weight and stress off my joints. Since I didn’t have much in the way of sugar for 8 weeks, it is a good time to let go of sugar and sweets. I realize I have mostly gained belly fat – not easy to admit – though I see it in other places as well. I had decided when I turned 60 that the last third of my life would be different – at 65 I see a lot of changes I have made in the last five years. Always more to work on and not always comfortable, but I am determined to be the best I can be.
Tags: Physical therapy, Tai Chi, Walter Brennan
Gift of RA 
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