On the weekends my carers work from 730 - 11 AM and then 7 PM to 9:30 PM, so unless I have organised something with friends I have eight hours by myself during the days. On Saturday I hadn't organised anything. I had a snack before Miriam left and thought that it would tide me over till Larissa arrived at 6 PM. When Larissa arrived she was surprised at the amount of crumbs on the floor until she saw the Twisties packet on my lap. Then she was surprised at the furniture arrangement.
Darrel had left an open packet of chips on the middle of the coffee table, to get to them I had to push the couch out of the way up against the windows and manoeuvre the chair close enough to the table that I could grab them. This took a few attempts and I moved the coffee table in the process. The next test was getting the chips to my mouth. I had about 50% success rate so there were quite a few on the floor for me to drive over...
Fortunately there was no lasting damage to the furniture or the carpet:-)
I am Julie Brice, Chip Hunter.
Sunday, 24 February 2013
And now I'm tired…
This morning I got back on the Motomed bike and cranked up the saints "know your product". During my half hour on the leg bike I managed to pedal 2 km. All by myself. Without any help from the machine or any breaks :-) So I will attribute this new personal-best in part to the saints awesome album.
I also managed 6 km on the arm bike while listening to rancid "Life won’t wait", an apt title.
This comes on top of a day with no hillbilly heroin (endone) yesterday - the first of such days I've had in quite a while as my shoulder pain has been bad.
I have a feeling it's going to be a good week :-)
I also managed 6 km on the arm bike while listening to rancid "Life won’t wait", an apt title.
This comes on top of a day with no hillbilly heroin (endone) yesterday - the first of such days I've had in quite a while as my shoulder pain has been bad.
I have a feeling it's going to be a good week :-)
Thursday, 21 February 2013
Drainage systems
This blog contains stories about wee and catheters and maybe somewhat distasteful. Read at your own risk...
Unfortunately I cannot transfer in and out of my chair, nor can I self catheterise as I do not have enough hand function which resulted in my agreeing to a SPC (Suprapubic catheter - Basically a tube stuck through my abdominal wall into my bladder).
I use a valve at the end of the catheter when I need to pee and have a system setup in my chair that it drains through the footplate. The chair also allows me to elevate my feet so that wee can discharge straight into a toilet bowl. So yes boys I now prefer toilet seats to be left up!
The system works really well provided there is enough room for me to manoeuvre the wheelchair. It doesn't work for standard sized toilets as I can't get through the door, nor will it work if there are steps on the way to the bathroom.
So, if I am out and about and need to use the facilities and there is no wheelchair friendly bathroom then I shall retaliate by peeing in the car park or on the lawn. If I come to visit and you don't like your neighbours I can irrigate their nature strip:-)
You have been warned…
Unfortunately I cannot transfer in and out of my chair, nor can I self catheterise as I do not have enough hand function which resulted in my agreeing to a SPC (Suprapubic catheter - Basically a tube stuck through my abdominal wall into my bladder).
I use a valve at the end of the catheter when I need to pee and have a system setup in my chair that it drains through the footplate. The chair also allows me to elevate my feet so that wee can discharge straight into a toilet bowl. So yes boys I now prefer toilet seats to be left up!
The system works really well provided there is enough room for me to manoeuvre the wheelchair. It doesn't work for standard sized toilets as I can't get through the door, nor will it work if there are steps on the way to the bathroom.
So, if I am out and about and need to use the facilities and there is no wheelchair friendly bathroom then I shall retaliate by peeing in the car park or on the lawn. If I come to visit and you don't like your neighbours I can irrigate their nature strip:-)
You have been warned…
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Are we there yet?
Any errors or spelling mistakes in this blog are the fault of voice to text :-)
I promised myself last night that I was not allowed to start watching Justified season three until I had done a blog, so this may be short and sweet as I need to see what happens next! The blog ends suddenly again as there is a flaw in this site or more probably a flaw in my understanding of it.
The apartment is starting to look a lot more like home. Kylie and Ron have hung up most of my pictures, Shaun and Ron's outdoor setting has been delivered, I have a TV in my bedroom, and a working fridge for wine on the balcony. A pantry has been organised and should be delivered in a few weeks and the sound system has been installed. There is only one area that still needs to be tidied up and then I have to get onto a dreaded task – organising my tax from last year.
It was lovely to catch up with Margie and Ralph last week but we didn't bother to try my pool experiment. We wouldn't have had time in between long lunches anyway :-) I've realised there is no way to avoid a fixed hoist so that is another task to add to the list...
I've been playing a fair bit of Scrabble lately including a tournament that was held at the aeroclub on 10 February. I came third but still managed to lose 16 points from my rating. Surely the Scrabble study should pay off soon… Another tournament was organised for this weekend but has been cancelled due to lack of interest.
I've rearranged some of my carer hours to give me more time for exercise and have been back on the motomed bike this week. I achieved a new personal-best today – 1.05 km of active leg exercise (ie me actually riding the equivalent of this distance rather than the machine just pedalling it for me). I think I can thank the new sound system and ”Rage against the machine" for extra motivation to pedal the machine:-) Tracey Armstrong will be helping me with the project walk at home program 3 times a week as of next week. I will also be starting hydrotherapy with NQ Community health in a few weeks.
I met up with a local boy who had attended project walk in the states last week. He had a great deal of praise for that program but thought that the Sydney branch was worth a try as well so I am no further along in the decision-making process.
I promised myself last night that I was not allowed to start watching Justified season three until I had done a blog, so this may be short and sweet as I need to see what happens next! The blog ends suddenly again as there is a flaw in this site or more probably a flaw in my understanding of it.
The apartment is starting to look a lot more like home. Kylie and Ron have hung up most of my pictures, Shaun and Ron's outdoor setting has been delivered, I have a TV in my bedroom, and a working fridge for wine on the balcony. A pantry has been organised and should be delivered in a few weeks and the sound system has been installed. There is only one area that still needs to be tidied up and then I have to get onto a dreaded task – organising my tax from last year.
It was lovely to catch up with Margie and Ralph last week but we didn't bother to try my pool experiment. We wouldn't have had time in between long lunches anyway :-) I've realised there is no way to avoid a fixed hoist so that is another task to add to the list...
I've been playing a fair bit of Scrabble lately including a tournament that was held at the aeroclub on 10 February. I came third but still managed to lose 16 points from my rating. Surely the Scrabble study should pay off soon… Another tournament was organised for this weekend but has been cancelled due to lack of interest.
I've rearranged some of my carer hours to give me more time for exercise and have been back on the motomed bike this week. I achieved a new personal-best today – 1.05 km of active leg exercise (ie me actually riding the equivalent of this distance rather than the machine just pedalling it for me). I think I can thank the new sound system and ”Rage against the machine" for extra motivation to pedal the machine:-) Tracey Armstrong will be helping me with the project walk at home program 3 times a week as of next week. I will also be starting hydrotherapy with NQ Community health in a few weeks.
I met up with a local boy who had attended project walk in the states last week. He had a great deal of praise for that program but thought that the Sydney branch was worth a try as well so I am no further along in the decision-making process.
Monday, 4 February 2013
Moving
As usual this blog is brought to you by voice to text...
My apologies for the lack of news lately I have been busy moving and unpacking. That's right, I have finally moved into the Dalgety!!! We moved out of Clark Street over the Australia day weekend ~ by we I mean that Kylie and Val did an amazing job organising removalists and furniture deliveries as well as unpacking and helping to organise the kitchen etc. Shaun and Ron were also fantastic helping with the unpacking and organising and Shaun helped Darrel assemble the bed. Ironically we all get to do more of this in the near future as Shaun and Ron are moving into my Flinders Street apartment and I am becoming caretaker of their outdoor setting:-)
My physio plans have fallen by the wayside over the last two weeks. The first obstacle was a blister on my leg the size of a 50 cent piece that became infected. It has cleared up now but looks like it will leave a lovely scar. The second obstacle has been unpacking and trying to understand some of the new technology that Ron has installed for me:-) The new voice controlled TV is communicating with the washing machine, I think they are planning to elope. The OT is coming back tomorrow to try and get things to talk to my phone, the door installer is also coming back so that we can enter new pins to open the door. I love what you can do with the new technology but it sure can drive you crazy until you are used to it:-) Still on the to do list are TVs for the bedrooms and Sonos Music system
I finally got stuck into one of the hardest unpacking jobs Yesterday - The culling of the clothes and shoes:-(On the plus side if I achieve my goal of walking again in five years I get to buy new stuff :-) there are 2 1/2 packing boxes of clothes and shoes in various states of repair that will go to the salvos in a fortnight so if you think I've thrown out anything you might like you should come and have a look :-)
Last weekend I achieved some more firsts - rolling to the motor boat club to listen to Jeff Johnson and band and wearing a pair of jeans for the first time since the accident. The first achievement was fun (even more so when you count buying a new shirt on the way). The second not so much so as the jeans were decidedly tight when sitting up which was exacerbated by a lovely lunch at Gyo. All this while poor Darrel was slaving away over a hot fishing line to catch me some Sashimi grade tuna:-) And Spanish mackerel and Trevalley and Cobia...
I have still managed to find time to play scrabble amongst all of this :-) Our club is having a tournament this Sunday so I have stuck the three letter words list up in the bathroom with good intentions but I keep getting distracted by series one of Justified:-) That show is seriously addictive.
I am expecting my first visitors next week, Margie and Ralph are flying down from Cairns. I am secretly planning to enlist them in an experiment involving the mobile hoist and the swimming pool:-) If it works it should save me about eight grand(The cost of a fixed hoist) - Fingers crossed!
I am pleased to report that the wax pot which is located one block away did a great job on my fingernails, toenails, eyebrows and eyelashes. I think I have found my new beautician :)
Val is here for a game of Scrabble so I will sign off now. There will be a housewarming once I have my paintings up, will keep you all posted,
love from me
I finally got stuck into one of the hardest unpacking jobs Yesterday - The culling of the clothes and shoes:-(On the plus side if I achieve my goal of walking again in five years I get to buy new stuff :-) there are 2 1/2 packing boxes of clothes and shoes in various states of repair that will go to the salvos in a fortnight so if you think I've thrown out anything you might like you should come and have a look :-)
Last weekend I achieved some more firsts - rolling to the motor boat club to listen to Jeff Johnson and band and wearing a pair of jeans for the first time since the accident. The first achievement was fun (even more so when you count buying a new shirt on the way). The second not so much so as the jeans were decidedly tight when sitting up which was exacerbated by a lovely lunch at Gyo. All this while poor Darrel was slaving away over a hot fishing line to catch me some Sashimi grade tuna:-) And Spanish mackerel and Trevalley and Cobia...
I have still managed to find time to play scrabble amongst all of this :-) Our club is having a tournament this Sunday so I have stuck the three letter words list up in the bathroom with good intentions but I keep getting distracted by series one of Justified:-) That show is seriously addictive.
I am expecting my first visitors next week, Margie and Ralph are flying down from Cairns. I am secretly planning to enlist them in an experiment involving the mobile hoist and the swimming pool:-) If it works it should save me about eight grand(The cost of a fixed hoist) - Fingers crossed!
I am pleased to report that the wax pot which is located one block away did a great job on my fingernails, toenails, eyebrows and eyelashes. I think I have found my new beautician :)
Val is here for a game of Scrabble so I will sign off now. There will be a housewarming once I have my paintings up, will keep you all posted,
love from me
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