Since mid-January Kristen has been doing all of the updates; however, it feels good to finally do one on my own now. On Friday they moved me to the rehab unit here at the Owen Sound Regional Hospital. The idea is to begin a more intensive and specialized physio program that will get me back up on my feet and ready to go back home.
We started the rehab process when I was on the 6th floor in the hospital in Owen Sound. I went from trying to sit up in bed once a day, to getting out of bed and using my legs. Initially, I couldn't see that I was making any progress, but by the time I was walking with a cane I was pretty impressed with myself.
February 17th
March 2nd
March 7th
Over the course of the past two weeks, I have gone from using a walker with two people spotting me, to using a walker with wheels, to a cane, and can even take a few unassisted steps now, usually in my room or with a spotter. I've lost a lot of muscle mass, especially in my quadriceps, but as they said in the six million dollar man "We can rebuild him".
The upgrade to rehab has, to my mind, been significant in promoting healing and recovery. I've only spent two days here, but most of the time this floor is calm and quiet, even during the day when things are at their busiest. This is a huge advantage in getting the rest you need when you need it. The food seems to be better too. Since Friday I've had chicken with rice and vegetables, a nice chicken stew, and pork roast and scalloped potatoes. Lots of protein.
The biggest difference-maker is the encouragement to move as much as possible. Here I am able to walk to the cafeteria for meals and have more space to move around my room. I'm excited for my first physio session today, and am looking forward to having multiple sessions each week day.
The change in atmosphere, coupled with a slow and steady recovery from the drug reaction, has got me feeling more like myself again. It's been nice to chat with some people on the phone this morning and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with people once I'm back at home.
In order to accommodate my return home, Kristen, her dad, her sister, and a large crew of family and friends, have orchestrated a renovation of our workout room and pantry into a main floor master bedroom with an accessible ensuite. One week in and they've already ripped everything out, insulated, done the electrical, and a good chunk of the plumbing. The drywall is up and taped, and it looks like they should be able to start painting by the middle of the week.
There have been so many people who have helped out with this project in so many ways. Friends and family who helped clear out the rooms before starting, clean up the mess after the first demo day, those who prepared food for volunteers and dropped off coffee and snacks, and helped reorganize the house to accommodate everything that was previously stored in these rooms. We've been shown so much kindness by local trades people and businesses who have worked hard to get materials here quickly and rearrange schedules to get this project done as soon as possible. We are so lucky to have all of these people come together to make it possible for me to come home sooner rather than later.