3:55 PM Just back from the driving test down to the shops across Ipswich Rd and back passed phew. Now allowed to take the electric chair outside the hospital precinct. Some further fine tuning needed to the chair to improve comfort hopefully these will be done tomorrow morning. Maybe I will be game to try 3rd and 4th gear. Another physio session on the tilt table it felt great Julie.

 

Hi everyone Val arrived bright and early saturday morning and we packed a lot into the few hours that we had left. A spot of shopping, talon clipping and painting (manicure)we would have been well ahead of schedule if the wheelchair brakes hadn't locked at Target. After about half an hour and a few phone calls to the hospital Val fixed them just as two nurses arrived. I think Target was glad to have an obstacle removed from their aisles. Despite my best intentions I have not been card boxing daily but still managed to play ordinate against Larrissa on the weekend. Our June scrabble fest was very enjoyable despite Sam and Con kicking Larrissa and my collective arses at the Norman hotel on Sunday. I believe the Norman does quite well out of SIU patients families and friends, as we se plenty of them there. Rexbionics www.rexbionics.com.nz had computer problems on Tuesday so I haven't ordered my techno trousers yet and have been concentrating on physio and OT instead. I tried the tilt table machine in the gym for the first time this week and was allowed to go up to within ten degrees of vertical. It felt great and I wanted more, it is the first time I have been vertical since 6 March. Miss Margie arrived on Tuesday to be amazed by my driving skills. Substitute Carmen came across the road with Margie Norm and I so I could have a massage at the Chinese acupuncture/massage shop. I managed a three point turn in the small lift at the car park, and maneuvered into the massage cubicle without demolishing too much of the furniture. It was a great massage, and I will be back for more. Despite all this great driving I am still on my L plates. I have another driving test this afternoon hope to upgrade to my Ps. On Wednesday I wore my new dress (thanks Margie) to lunch at the GOMA with Margie Celeste and Julie(evil Tracey)it was a great lunch and time flew by. We were lucky we didn't miss our appointment at the WalkOn/Sporting Wheelies gym. The facilities look good and we have a mountain of paperwork to fill in. I am looking forward to getting into the exercise program there in addition to the physio here. It has been nearly three weeks since I have seen Darryl so I am looking forward to catching up with him this weekend. So hopefully the glorious weather will continue. Love to all Julie

14/06/12

Hello, We decided an update was in order. Ron is here typing while I am being electrocuted by the Circulation Booster. It is only set on 35 today, Margie and Jen had a "competition" last Saturday and they decided to call it a draw at 70 :) Margie spent Sunday morning wondering why her calves were so sore. Jen brought up delicious macaroons from Adriano Zumbo which were polished off with great gusto. I fear I am getting rather fat in hospital, having no access to stomach muscles doesn't help! Kylie managed to convince me that the cortisone injections were a good idea and I underwent the procedure last Friday. I was expecting this to be scheduled for the afternoon so Norm could hold my hand, but they came to get me in the morning. The poor nurse encountered hysterical tears on my behalf and a request to get Doctor Yan ASAP and some pain killers/sedatives ASAP. They didn't kick in for awhile so nurse Lila accompanied me to radiology. The injections themselves hurt plenty but were not as bad as I feared (maybe it was the other drugs :)). As I was emotionally exhausted, I slept for the rest of the afternoon, waking up enough to consume a toasted sandwich and some chocolate. On Saturday Magie, Norm and I checked out Sing Sing, the local restaurant. The whole steamed Coral Trout with ginger and shallots was nearly as good as Dynasty's, and they have Karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights so I'll definitely be back. On Sunday I had my first outing in a taxi to see the apartment Norm and Val have rented at Kangeroo Point. It is very nice, I just wish there was some way I could get out of the wheel chair and onto the couch. Val arrived on Sunday night and on Monday we went for another adventure, this time to Southbank and the GOMA. It was a lovely day despite the weather, with some interesting art and great coffee. Margie and I intend to visit the restaurant next Wednesday for lunch. On Wednesday Ron arrived to some serious scrabble. Martin Waterworth gave me a hiding, if only I had known milnebs was a word, unfortunately I tried nimbles instead. Numbles and nombles may have also gotten me the game. Alastair Richards kindly set up zyzzyva card box for me with some homework. I now know most of otarine plus blank and will program some new quizzes in soon. Suggestions anyone... Today I practised sitting and balancing by myself and with limited assistance at physio. I have certainly lost flexibility in my hamstrings, as my head will no longer reach my knees. :( I have been given my limited learners permit on the electric wheelchair today. The permit extends to the ward and surrounds only. I am not allowed to take the chair out into public areas yet. I was slightly concerned that the privilege would be revoked after my OT, Christine, caught me trying the higher speeds in the corridor. After a few words I was allowed to continue on the lower setting. She is away tomorrow so we should be safe to try that again :) I also had the opportunity to try the Viva2 arm and leg bike, see www.motomed.com for details. Looking forward to the weekend with Larissa, Val and possibly Sam and Con, and some serious scrabble action, perhaps the Norman Hotel will allow us to play there :) Hope you are all well and have a lovely weekend xxxx Ps. Thanks also to all those who have sent cards, etc. your thoughts and good wishes are always appreciated.

3 Months on

I had a lovely week with Val last week although the weather prevented too many outings. On Friday afternoon I had the best physio session I have had to date. Unfortunately this was not with my regular physio and I don't want to offend anyone by requesting a change! We also tried the circulation booster on my feet but only cranked it up to 40. One of the nurses here has tried the machine on 80 and it made her legs jump off altogether so I don't think I'll try it that high. It was great to see Darrel on the weekend, he got pulled up by airport security for having three mud crabs in his hand luggage but they let him through when they were assured that the crabs were dead...very tasty they were too. Daz also charmed some of the other patients and nursing staff with crab and avocado biscuits, he is very popular in PAH:-) Yesterday we had the family meeting with the doctors, physio, OT, social worker and nurses. Doctor Polly Tsai gave a full description of my injuries and subsequent treatment and a preliminary estimate of my release date (20/11/12). After this I will proceed to transitional accommodation in Brisbane for 4 to 8 weeks before returning home to Townsville. During this time I will probably enroll in the Walk On program http://scia.org.au/walk-on . The assessment of my apartment by the Townsville OT rep indicates it is very unlikely that the existing access could be made suitable for wheelchairs. Norm is going to get Jon Larrazzabel from www.i4architecture.com.au to do up some sketches of an alternative access, this would be via a catwalk ,from the garage, across the roof of the rear building to my apartment building and a lift through the roof into my place. It should be really fun to see what response this elicits from the heritage building commission, Townsville City Council and the body corporate and any further response from the disability discrimination act enforcers:-) Realistically it is unlikely that I will be able to return to my apartment in the near future so Ky, Val and Darrel are looking at other options for me, including The Dalgeyy, Altitude, Mariners Peninsula etc. I wonder how much money the bank will lend me when I am on a disability pension? Some of the good news is that the MRI report was able to diagnose both shoulders with bursitis, the bad news is that the recommended treatment is a guided cortisone injection in each shoulder. I had so hoped for a magic pill instead! Will let you know how it goes. Some of you may be interested to know that my blog has been blocked in China (just like Facebook). Unfortunately I doubt this means I can sell it for billions of dollars! Instead I have decided to pursue a career in politics, as the new member for Dobell as I am inherently crooked (I cannot sit straight in the wheelchairs). I am sure either major party would be pleased to have me:-) I have decided to take out third party insurance for my future power chair given my progress in learning to drive it. It will be interesting to find out what premium I will be charged. Ky has figured out a way that I can use my kindle withou needing the use of my hands to turn the pages. This is great news as the new Charlaine Harris book is out so please don't expect any more logs in the near future:-). Love to you all, JB

PS. Ron has uploaded the following MRI pics...