Tales of my father

Actually a photo of dad. I was cleaning up some stuff and found some old photos. No idea when this was taken or how old he was. I do not know what the vehicle was. Dad was born June 26, 1942. He grew up poor on a farm in Alberta. Photos would have been a luxury and very few exist.

Truck on a Stump

On my way from one place to another I passed through Neilburg, Saskatchewan where I caught sight of this old truck.   

All that's left of Bob's Corner Gas & Cafe is the sign, an old gas pump and a truck on a stump. 

Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Going downstairs is much scarier than going upstairs

I managed going downstairs, well, only eight stairs, yesterday. I was damn nervous.

I did it and proved I can do it. I had a little video taken and wanted to post it but I cannot get it to work.

In the meantime I have done a flight of stairs going up twice more.

That was scary

Last Thursday I was out at physio and while I was there I received an email that the elevator was out. I live on the second floor. After physio I needed to do something because I could not go home until I knew it was fixed, using the stairs might be insurmountable. So I went to a local watering hole, sat in the lounge, and had a late lunch. After some time I got an email that the elevator was back in service. I was concerned I might have had to get a hotel for the night if the elevator was not fixed. I could probably make it up two flights of stairs to get to my home but it would be a hell of a struggle.

Today being Saturday I thought I need to try the stairs. I did it months ago in rehab up five stairs. I have not done it since. 

I walked with crutches to the stairwell. Up eight stairs, hit the landing, up the next eight to the next floor. Easier than I thought. I took the elevator back to my floor. I need to try going down some stairs next. I am a little too nervous to try that right now. 

Elevator Friday - Near Lamont, Alberta

Thank you to Dale Redekopp.

How about an update?

As I mentioned I am transitioning to using crutches from the walker. Last Thursday I managed one thousand two hundred feet over the course of the day. I beat my personal best by four hundred feet.

Last Friday I had a physio appointment, a quick trip to the grocery store, and after that a trip to the podiatrist. For all that I used the walker. I have someone that drives me to my appointments. I did not have my usual therapist and this one manoeuvred my legs, hips, and knees into some different positions. Then onto the exercise bike.

I had not been in a grocery store for over a year. I have someone shopping for me. It is good to get out and do some mundane things.

I have suffered from ingrown toenails on my two big toes since childhood. I remember three separate times when I was in elementary school going to a doctor, having my toe frozen, and cutters jammed into my toe, cutting, then pulling out a chunk of nail. Then spending time soaking my foot is salt water and walking gingerly until it healed. I have had ingrown toenails where the toe got so sensitive a bit of air blown across would cause pain. Over the years I have largely kept the problem at bay. 

During my hospital stay no one trims your nails. When I was just beginning to relearn how to walk I was having issues with my toes. I asked nurses to clip the corners and they would not do it. They were not allowed. I could not do it. Due to my injuries I could not bend enough to touch my toes. I finally found out you could book the hospital podiatrist or the foot care nurse who took the foot care course. I booked both. The reason I booked both is either of them might not be around for weeks at a time. At different times I experienced their handiwork. Both were butchers.

I am currently having a bit of swelling in my feet which causes a bit of a problem in my toes. Sometimes I do not have full sensation in my toes but I knew I had nails that were starting to get ingrown. I was waiting in the patient room on the exam table and getting pain in my legs due to the backrest being at an odd angle and the table was hard as a rock. When he started to address my toe issue I yelped a few times as it was worse than I thought. Immediate relief when he was done. All four corners of the nails needed to be clipped.

When I got home I was in pain and needed medication. Having a therapist manipulate me, a lot of walking, and getting my feet done on an unforgiving table was too much. I gave myself time to recover Saturday and will get back at the crutches Sunday.

Elevator Friday - Pennant, Saskatchewan

Courtesy Dale Redekopp.

The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.

One year. 

One year since the accident.

This anniversary is a little depressing in that I have a ways to go to recover. However I remind myself to get my head out of my ass and be grateful I am alive.

I have been doing some work on the stationary bike and that is going better. The only drawback is that I am suffering pain later in my knees and left hip. Getting everything to loosen up has taken some work. Every bit of progression involves pain. It is what it is.

I can bend my knees at a ninety degree angle and I might not get much more range than that. My goal is to see if I can get on the motorcycle this May. It likely will not happen but never say die.

Thank you all for the comments during the prior months.

Elevator Friday - Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan

Courtesy of Dale Redekopp.

Elevator Friday - Near Camrose, Alberta

Rural bus shelter from Dale Redekopp.

2:30am thoughts

Cannot sleep. I want to though.

Hurt my left shoulder a week ago. Walking with crutches is hard and I aggravated it. It has bothered me to some degree since the accident. Legs and knees started hurting again. I gave up.

I put physiotherapy on hold for a week. I did not do much. It has been cold outside and I did not feel like doing much. It has all been a bit depressing. 

Today I got off my ass and did some walking in the hall with the crutches. My left leg still fights me when I walk. I have little sensation in the outer left thigh from nerve damage. The muscle is always tight. I walked and took breaks in between and set a new distance record. Keep walking. It is the only way I am going to get anywhere. 

Not much in the way of scenery

I have walked this hallway many many times with the walker. Today I did the full length of the hallway and back with crutches for the first time. With a bit of tromping around my unit added in I figure I did a total of two hundred feet for the day. My goal was to get using crutches before the end of January.

Elevator Friday - Spiritwood, Saskatchewan

Thank you to Dale Redekopp. 

My favourite western

Full movie. 

Too soon

I have not used the crutches for about a week. I have not done a lot of anything for about a week. Somehow I hurt myself and I have been taking it easy dealing with some knee and leg pain. The pain was bad enough that I had to resort to taking a few of my prescription painkillers. Things have got better yesterday and I am slowly ramping up the exercise. There are times during my recovery where your body tells you to take a break. I might have done too much too soon.

Today is another day. Back at it.

Elevator Friday - On a farm near Vegreville, Alberta

As always, thank you Dale Redekopp.

Tried these today

Bought some crutches. I managed to walk about five feet with them. That was damn hard.

The sockening

January 5 I was able to put on socks for the first time since the accident on February 16, 2024. January 12 I was able to do it for the second time.

I did not bother trying to do it for myself for a week. After I did it the first time I got really apprehensive that I might not be able to do it again. Yesterday I got up the nerve to try it and it was kind of easy. Strange the things you get hung up on.

Another reason I left it was that I am still wearing compression stockings with no toe. Health care is trying to arrange compression socks. The stockings are a pain to get socks over them. Last week I gave myself a break from wearing them. I did the same yesterday.

I was told I might have to wear them for the rest of my life. I am hoping eventually I do not have to do it.

About a month ago I bought a sock aid, a device to help you put on your socks. I have not used it. I bought it to remind me to keep working away and get to the point where I no longer needed an assist. I did not want to accept things, I want to get back as much as possible to where I was before the accident.

Yesterday with multiple trips over the course of the day walking the halls and the underground parkade I managed to walk with the walker just over a mile for the first time in many months. The endeavour was spaced out over ten hours. I will pay for pushing it as it was about one thousand feet more than what I have done. I will spend the next few days recovering from the stiffness and the aches. I had to know if I could do it.

Elevator Friday - Get a drink in Smoky Lake, Alberta

Water station from Dale Redekopp.

Sunday small victory

For the first time since February 16, 2024 (the date of the accident) I managed to put on a pair of socks. Granted they were loose socks and it was a struggle bending and hurt but I did it. 

Moving a grain elevator

Elevator Friday - Menaik, Alberta

Moved onto a farm many years ago.

Thank you Dale Redekopp.