That was not fun

I am not sure if physiotherapy is helping me or hurting me lately.

About a week ago I hurt myself. My body told me it had enough. For close to the last week I have had pain practically all over. I have tried to get some exercise in but I get a little bit done and I have to quit due to the pain. I have had to take painkillers to make it through the week.

I made a friend in the hospital and we kept in touch. He got a leg amputated due to diabetes and is staring retirement in the face and is wondering what to do with his life. When in the hospital I suggested he get a motorcycle and he got hooked on the idea of getting a Can Am Spyder. Stable and easy to ride if you have one leg. He wanted to go to the motorcycle show as he is hooked on the idea so I went with him on April 12. I used my walker due to all the walking I would have to do. All the walking I did that day I must have ended up being over a mile. The entrance was on one side and of course the show was on the opposite end. Handicapped parking was a bit of a walk as well. My body started experiencing pain that evening. I did prove to myself I can get on a Can Am Ryker with ease.

I went to two physiotherapy appointments this past week even though I was in pain. That may or may not have been a good move. I have been known to be stupidly stubborn. I did too much and the pain was damn unpleasant.

Whatever happened it is subsiding and hopefully I can get back to trying to get better. 

Elevator Friday - near Skiff, Alberta

Thank you Dale Redekopp.

Bought two of these last Monday

I have been thinking I should be able to try using these.

I thought if I can do crutches I should be able to use these. Today I gave it a shot. Using both I managed to ungainly walk about two hundred feet. It is scary and I was sweating from the effort. I have yet to fall.

No guts no glory.

Time for an update

A few weeks ago my long term disability insurer wanted medical update on me. I got an email asking me to set up an appointment for a phone call and I had a missed call. I phoned back and got her voicemail saying she would be on vacation for a week and back on March 31. I said phone me any time and left it at that. I do not hear from them in months and then I am the last call of the day before heading out the door for time off. They can chase me.

When I finally did a call I got asked for a medical update. I asked with who and what kind. I also got asked about a possible return to work. As boring as it is being home and walking the halls I am nowhere close to being able to return. Turns out they wanted me to see my original surgeon. I phoned his office fully expecting it to take weeks before getting an appointment. I got one five days later on April 9.

My last operation on my legs was February 26, 2024. I have had follow up appointments on May 15, 2024, June 26, 2024, July 30, 2024, September 11, 2024, and December 4, 2024. I am getting full value from the Canadian health system. I was at one of the many buildings at the University of Alberta Hospital area. Arrive, go to the second floor, check in, down to the basement for multiple x-rays on both legs, back to the second floor to meet the doctor to review, then home.

They are efficient. Any time I have been there I have arrived about thirty minutes early and the process gets started with minimal waiting. I took a cab there and used a walker. I use crutches now but for the longer distances I needed the walker. Prior appointments I needed help getting on the x-ray table. I can do it with no problem now. I can even twist myself into the various positions so the can get different x-rays of the doctor’s work. With all the walking and movement I was not used to doing I was in pain and had to take some painkillers when I got home. 

The verdict is I am looking at about a two year recovery from the date of the accident. Possibly longer. He is confident that I will eventually be able to walk independently. There is less bone in my left femur but it is well supported by the metal. My left leg is a bit weaker than the right. This should get better in time. The doctor was even good enough to fill out my paperwork to claim a disability credit on my tax return.

I am feeling good overall and looking forward to getting better. Progress will be slow but there will be progress. 

Spotted today at my doctor’s office

Elevator Friday - Formerly Valentine, Alberta

The UGG grain elevator that used to be in Valentine is now on a farm north of Ryley, Alberta. Valentine doesn’t exist anymore. Contributed by Dale Redekopp.

Progress . . .

Got a little more flexible and a little stronger. 

Doing two hundred stairs in a day just over a week ago was perhaps dumb. At the time I felt so damn good and. I did not hurt the next few days but my body was damn tired out. I felt some muscle strain but very little pain. I did not have much energy for days. At the moment my legs are in some pain.

I was doing stairs with holding the railing with one hand and using a crutch in the other. Then a couple of days ago tried and succeeded using both crutches to get up stairs. Yesterday I tried something a little different, I can just make it up four steps with one hand on the railing and no support on my other hand. Today I used one crutch (just one) for the first time in my right hand and managed to walk (badly) ten feet. Every time I do something a little new I am ravenous and exhausted later.

Toying with the idea of putting things on hiatus for a while. Exercising has been wearing me out lately.

Elevator Friday - on a farm near Grande Prairie, Alberta

Thank you Dale Redekopp.

Hallways and stairs

I largely spend my days walking the halls on crutches and going up stairs on crutches. Stairs seem to be really helping my legs. Last Friday I did one hundred sixty-eight stairs. I took Saturday off and gave myself a rest. Today I increased my stair count to two hundred eight. Not bad. 

Elevator Friday - near Rosemary, Alberta

Thank you Dale Redekopp.

Not bad

I live in an apartment style condo on the second floor. Lately I have been walking to the stairwell, up sixteen stairs to the next floor, down the hall, take the elevator down to my floor and down the hall back to my place. All on crutches. A few times I did two flights of stairs instead of one. Today was my personal best, one hundred twenty-eight stairs and about one thousand feet of walking on crutches. We will see how I feel in the morning.

Cpt Mo makes an appearance

 

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.