Home for a week

I have been home for just over a week now and things are going well. I have either been busy doing things or just to exhausted to post out here. During the week I have been busy working, mostly during the day. However, if I don’t get enough time in during the day I spend an hour or so in the evenings to make up for any lost time. I am trying to get a full days work in so I am no longer being hit with sick time. My evenings have been spent mostly relaxing on the couch not doing much of anything. That seems to be about all I have the energy to do by the time evening hits. Seeing as though I am trying to do as much as I can during the day and early evening I guess that is understandable. I have been trying to help out in the kitchen as much as possible, but with my lack of balance and minimal strength in my hands there is not a lot that I can do, and I really only last about 15 to 20 minutes puttering around whether in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house. I don’t start physical therapy until the 18th so that is my motivation for doing all I can around the house. I don’t want to just sit around and become a lump and lose everything I gained back in the hospital.

During this last week at home I have become much more aware of things around the house that are not very “handicap friendly”. I guess I will start with the outside of the house. We have a slopped driveway that is a bit of a challenge to get up in a wheelchair. I learned today that turning around backwards and pushing with me feet and legs is the easiest way to get up with the least amount of effort. When I am using my walker it is not too bad, I just have to take it a bit slower and I do on a flat surface. About the only other thing I can think of on the outside of he house is getting from the outside to inside. We don’t have a ramp, so Tricia has to do a wheelie and the lift the backend of the chair to get me in the house. We have only had to do this twice seeing as though I use my walker at least 90 percent of the time. As far as inside the house there are a few things that I have really noticed to be a bit of a bother. One of the things I deal with almost every time I get up and move around is the difference in floor surfaces. We go from carpet to linoleum and back again. Since I use my walker so much of the time, and I have wheels on the front of the walker, the small bump to get up on the carpet can cause big issues if I am not paying attention. Another placed I find it a bit more difficult is at the bathroom sink. With the cabinet under the sink I cannot roll my wheelchair right up to the sink, I find it much easier to roll up sideways and lean over the side of the chair when I brush my teeth, or do anything else. I don’t stand when I brush because the sink is so low when I stand that I would fall over when I brush my teeth because of my lack of balance. Finally for this post, and really the only other big item I can think of, is the shower. As you can see in the picture at the top of this post, I don’t have a lot of room in the shower. First all, getting into the shower I must be very careful not to fall when I am stepping in, one because of the step up and second because there is not a lot of room for my size 13 feet. Then getting out I have all the same issues only now things are wet and that adds a whole new set of challenges. So far we have had no issues and all has gone well.

Tricia is rather worried that I am going to hurt myself doing all the things I am doing around the house, but I keep reminding her that I can’t just sit around and I have to do my best to do things for myself. I also remind her that I am not going to do anything that is going to hurt me and that I will ask for help when I need it, and I thank her for being concerned for me and wanting to take care of me. I am very lucky to have the family that I have. The kids have been very good at helping me when I ask, and at times even when I don’t ask. Then there is my awesome wife. She has been through so much in the last couple months, not to mention the past year that she is due for a good long nap. If it where up to her I think it would be a several day, if not week or even month long nap, and I can completely understand. She has just been awesome…I love you baby!