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.