30/05/12

Hi folks, it has been a busy week since the last blog, The biggest news is that I have had flickers of movement in my left thumb, which is very positive!  Much of my OT sessions have been spent learning to use a computer with an overly large mouse ball or stylus.  We have been doing this with my right hand with the arm in slings to remove the effect of gravity.  It takes me about half an hour to type my first name.  The sessions have not been long enough to complete "Julie Brice"!  But we will get there.  I might have done better if I hadn't been so distracted by another patient and OT learning to play Othello.  I just couldn't help myself giving advice on strategy -:)

On Tuesday I was fitted for a power chair which will replace my other new wheelchair.  Tomorrow I get to drive the thing - BEWARE -:). Once the power chair is properly finalized we will fit and cut the medical grade sheepskin that Kylie sent to me last week.  (Thanks again, Ky.)

Norm and I continued our forays out of the hospital last week.  These included a trip to the Public Cafe where I was able to drink coffee without assistance as the new chair is so high, and a trip to the hospital car park to inspect the Aramax roof which I designed a few years ago.  The roof appears fine but I was far more focused on the ground when Norm left me parked with my back facing a set of stairs.  The rational part of my brain trusts the brakes on the wheelchairs, it's just the irrational part keeps screaming "you're going to fall down the stairs and die!!"

Norm has been feeding the bush turkey ('Ned' or 'Christmas', whoever you are talking to).  The turkey comes peering through the glass doors to see if he is around to feed him more grapes.  Norm has been letting him get a little too close on occasion: the turkey managed to draw Norm's blood over the weekend.  Despite being in a hospital there were no bandaids to be found :-)

It was lovely to see Darrel on the weekend, he brought down Moreton Bay bugs which we ate on the verandah with salad on Saturday.  On Sunday Norm Darrel and I ventured out to the local pub for lunch, the Norman.  The Norman is a short 15 minute roll from the hospital and boasts of being Brisbane's worst vegetarian restaurant.  I had the S&P calamari and a diet coke.  The doctors have said I am allowed the odd glass of wine but I have decided not to have any until I can pick the glass up myself - now there's an incentive! 

While Norm drove Darrel to the airport I had a game of scrabble with Martin, with him picking up my tiles.  I copped a thrashing so sacked Martin and got Norm to select better tiles for me for the second and third games.  Val has also been picking great tiles for me this week in a game against Quentin, who is back from France.

Wednesday afternoon is normally free for me (which means more scrabble) but I lost most of the afternoon today getting an MRI done on my shoulders.  Hopefully they will figure what is causing the pain and give me a magic pill to fix it, rather than a dirty great cortisone injection!

 

I am looking forward to seeing Darrel and Ky this weekend.  We may attempt a trip to Kangaroo Point in a taxi, depending on my power drive skills (yet to be learned).  Next Tuesday is the big meeting with family, doctors, physios, OT's etc etc so I get to have a long weekend with everyone which will be lovely.  I will update you again after the meeting.

xx