Weekends at The Wolfson

Weekends at The Wolfson are hard, part of the rehabilitation process envolves patients being encouraged to go home where possible. We have 13 very steep stairs in our little terrace house. To me they are Everest. So here I stayed. Saturday saw us going to our dear friends Bert and Heidi's for a BBQ (oh, the joys of a house with a downstairs loo!) The first of the year for me as I have missed the early warm weather by my prolonged stay with the NHS. A wonderful sea bass and the most enormous prawns were the dish of the day. It is very strange going to places that I know so well from before the operation, places that I walked into without a thought that now I go back to in a wheelchair.I used to take it for granted that I could nip into the other room to see Sami playing, or pop into the garden to look at the BBQ. This is a long road to recovery and it starts with a stagger across the kitchen on a zimmer.
This morning I though I had an easy start to the week, with nothing till 11.15 am.I was enjoying the only decent meal of the day - even the NHS can cook toast,when a physio shattered my peace by telling me that my hydro therapy session had been missed off the time table and could I get there quickly. I cant to anything quickly! 20 minutes later and in I went.This week was easier than my last session when I got very upset that I could no longer swim, I can't walk, my left leg does not work, why did it come as a shock?!
Then it was gym exercises. Hard work with legs like lead from the pool but an improvement from last week.....this was closely followed by cant throw, cant catch group - (The PC term is Upper Limb group). We all sat around not throwing or catching very well, with the exception of one elderly chap who could not grasp that the whole point of the excercise was to use your bad limb, his left one worked perfectly well so why couldn't he use it?
The day was wrapped up by more physio. Still trying to move my ankle. Sadly at the moment everytime I try to move it, all the other muscles in my body seem to tense and strain....but my foot stays flat on the floor. I have nick named my foot the pork chop, this is what it feels like. Flat, immobile, pink and fleshy.
Can't bear to join the lines of wheelchairs in front of the tv in the lounge. Thank goodness for portable DVD players.
Shattered again but have to stay awake until the 10pm for the drug run.

Dashing for supper

Chuffed with the timings of her return leg in the 10metre zimmer dash, Dj Melly Mels physio has now given her the task of walking to supper from the television lounge every evening. I know its only 5metres or so but for somebody who has not walked more than 50 metres in the last 2 months that is some distance. She took that leap of faith from her wheelchair gripped onto her zimmer and away she went. As she entered the dining room it was fairly apparent that some of the older guests thought they had seen a miracle as they started to spit their food out in amazement as Mel walked in , head held high. I swear you could hear the murmerings of Hallelulujah praise the lord! It was a miracle.

Scramlette

Its been a busy morning in rehab. Occupational Therapy today was making breakfast. Scrambled eggs on toast. Easy you may think. Not when your left hand does not work very well and the OT insists on making me scramble the eggs with it, despite the fact I am right handed. Apparently I had the wrist action its just the grip that I now need to work on. After an age I eventually produced what was really a kind of omelette on toast. The most obvious and immediate benefit of making left handed scramlette is that I had little need for hospital lunch.

Pads wine tipple of the month

I hate all those supermarket bogofs and things that are half price etc etc...... You must run down to your local sainos and buy up in large quantities Muriel 1998 gran Reserva Rioja . This little beauty is 100% Temapranillo , spent 24 months in oak barrels and 36 months in bottle prior to release. They are selling it at £4.99 a bottle! When I was a kid and working for one of those posh wine merchants with royal warrants , we used to sell the crianza for £6.85 and that was back in the day! Hurry hurry hurry.

music for rehabs

We sat next to to the piano for supper tonight. Today was the first time I had taken a " Ping " meal in for Mel. I`m not sure why it had taken this long as she had signed the waiver for using the microwave on her first night. Still I think that she loved the banter with the kitchen staff to be honest with you. Everyday they would ask her the same question ..... would you like mashed potato with your pasta or creamed potato with your pasta, the answer was always the same..... would you?!! Anyway ....... we were in a stacking system for the use of the 1970`s microwave which gave us both the time to go and explore the rather modern stand up piano next to our table. Mel manouvered towards the keyboard while i had a look on top for some sheet music. Bitterly disappointed all I kind find was the lyrics to a few songs. The first being " when i find myself in times of trouble "............ oh well.

The 8 minute dash

Its been a great day today. My lovely wife Dj Melly Mel was given a brand new zimmer frame ( a sunrise 2001 ) and told to do a 10 m dash. Under starters orders she hit the corridors of the Wolfson and off she went. As various doors opened along her way,you could sense she was just another number in the ongoing nhs spread betting scandal that is about to hit the tabloids in the coming weeks. She hit the finnishing line in a little over 5 mins. The physios turned her round set off the hare blew the whistle and away she went..........surprisingly more doors opened for the return leg and i wonder why! She crossed the line a little over 3 mins . I think a lot of money moved hands today.