OM, I’ve been going to PT in Cedar City Utah three weeks. Sadly, I am nowhere near 100% fixed.
She likes fresh water from my glass
My life is typically planned for in six month increments, though the last two years messed up that balance of work and play, first loosing my best friend then my job. Breaking both wrists mid-August put a snag in my life. I should be on the road and gone somewhere instead of sitting in the Cedar City Utah KOA watching the leaves drop in a chilly north wind. (Sorry I couldn’t share the phone video of the leaves being blown about.)
Thank goodness for electricity providing heat, whatever it’s costing. Some afternoons are sun warmed enough to have windows and the door open. But nights have been cold.
I’m walking my two blocks to PT three times a week. Movement and stretching increase in tiny amounts. I mostly ache all the time from 1-3 on the pain scale. I’m up to lifting about 3/4 of a gallon, six pounds, using a handle and with both hands. Living alone kind of means everything I do is PT. Just give a thought to using your hands and wrists all day long. I’m getting better every day. Yet still not much motion backwards or side to side. Am I expecting too much? Look forward to a re-evaluation.
Caramel Apple juice cocktail
Besides some necessary grocery shopping, PT is about all I do here. I haven’t moved the truck in a month, but have started it’.
I did visit a local novelty which I will try to post about soon.
A Flagstaff friend attended the sheep parade for the Cedar City Livestock & Heritage Festival. I didn’t go as I’m not a lover of crowds, or dust, or sheep poop.
Pulled into KOA for a couple nights
Daytime temperatures in the mid 60° is nice. A few nights below freezing prompted me to buy a second room heater. Now that nights are in the high 30s it feels like a heatwave. Did I really just write that, the person who HATES being cold?
Getting cold is unhealthy for me with my poor circulation. It’s stressful, which is never healthy. Even poor Sierra went through stress the two weeks I spent in the hospital. Her normally beautiful long fluffy fur became matted. Thank goodness Jen is a cat whisperer with the right tools. I am amazed at how cooperative Sierra was when Jen basically shaved part of her back. She doesn’t want her photo taken now from the back.
After three weeks doing PT in Cedar City and only 30% improvement in motion there is concern that I need more aggressive (not torturous) PT. My Dr. says I’m behind schedule on mobility. Also tells me I can’t rely on only continuing on my own. It’s not easy to stretch one bum hand with another bum hand. So, I’m adding another week to Cedar City before I head further south to I’m not really sure where.
Update on the calendars: Just like last year, the first shipment had a printer glitch on 1-2 photos, every calendar. So Shutterfly sent a second shipment that included quality control. I have most of your calendars in addressed envelopes. Now I need to get to the post office and that might be a week or two away. Thanks for your patience.
No rush on the calendar, Gaelyn…won’t need it until Jan 1st. Here’s hoping you are able to find PT in warmer environs.
Thanks. I’m working on getting someplace warmer.
Boy, can I relate to your comment about living alone and every thing you do being PT.I feel each day is new chance to improve.
The page comment block wouldn’t load so piggybacking on Doris comment.
Can somewhat understand being handicapped as I spent 10-days last month using a walker due to inflammation in my right knee. Better now, but still an issue for a person who usually does about 20+ miles of trail a week, plus another 20-miles of urban dog walking.
Campers are not designed for freezing temps. They can be quite comfortable if the propane furnace is used and there is no wind.
One of the coldest nights I ever endured was in my camper in Klamath Falls in early June. I had spent the past week in Bend, Oregon sleeping without covers because of the hot days and warm nights. Drove down to Klamath Falls and the first night a cold front moved in with strong winds and snow flurries. I didn’t trust the propane system so wouldn’t use it over night. It got so cold by morning it was warmer in the fridge than in the camper. I had ice on my mustache. All this while geothermal steam was escaping everywhere in town up through the storm drains or cracks in the surface roads. Pretty bizarre, steam and snow, and not being in Yellowstone.
The body will respond to careful use. A little more added every day will work wonders, but for sure your not going to be doing routines on the parallel bars anytime soon or ever. I push myself everyday and still have a fair amount of pain, but am now up to nearly 2-miles a day walking Buddy and we’re both much happier. Hiking involving vertical is still a ways off. Shooting for the annual first day of winter hike.
Hang in their Kid, you’ll make it.
I am feeling really done with this handicap shit. Even knowing there are others much worse. Propane furnaces are extremely consumptive and if it worked and I used it would go through 5 gals daily.
That kind of Gas consumption has not been my experience, Gaelyn. I wonder if you had a system leak. My campers were only 8-ft. and 8-1/2-ft. so smaller than yours and I usually only used the heat at night after a system leak test after every road run. I lost two friends who were sailing in Canada to a propane leak. Nothing to take a chance on.
Another quite senior friend sailed all the way from Chile to Portland with a propane leak without incident. We took him out to dinner one night and when he returned to the boat he lit the stove to heat water for tea and blew the boat apart. He survived relatively unscathed, though, the cabin and deck were blown off the hull. He didn’t even get knocked over.
Without using the furnace propane lasts a long time. Besides the fan motor needs replacing. Do have to be careful with propane. On a boat a leak sinks into the bilge. How scary.
Yes, sinks into the bilge and builds up, that is why gas and carbon dioxide monitors should be mounted at least 6″ below any sleeping level even in an RV or home.
I’m trying.
Gaelyn, as with the tortoise and hare, slow going wins the race. I can sympathize with you . I am currently restricted to NO BLTs and that is not the kind one eats. No Bending, No Lifting, and No Twisting! And NO DRIVING to boot!. I have these restrictions until Dec 10th. for a total of 7 weeks. Then I guess it will be PT after that. I wish I could offer you some exercises that would make your healing faster, but I am positive PT staff know what they are doing and you are getting extra PT with what you have been doing in your tiny house. I wish you were in warmer weather so you didn’t have to worry about being cold. Like you, I hate being cold!
Sierra is probably happy to be rid of the matted hair. Our 19 year old Baby Girl gets that way often and hates to be brushed. She doesn’t groom herself as she used to do, but I guess that is a sign of her old age. She is so thin, although she eats normally. She gets shaved for the summer, but do not want to do it during the winter even though she is an indoor cat. Sierra must give you some companionship.
Enjoying your blog and hearing about your progress. Slow and steady there my friend. Before you know it, use of your hands and wrists will be better.
Thank you for the support and confidence. I know I’m not the only one dealing with issues like this and am sorry you are one of them. Sure hope you have adequate help. I keep telling myself, it’s not forever.
It’s good to hear from you, even though I’m sorry to hear the recovery is going slowly. A good friend had a serious fall when she was in her 90s, and broke her arm, but recovered well after getting lots of PT. Hope you can get to a warmer area soon.
Thanks. I will keep working with PT wherever I end up.
I’m so sorry for your situation.
I had to shave Annabelle, as well. Only when she changes over from her seasonal coat.
All the best.
Thanks. I didn’t have the matting problem before.
Gosh, you are living every single person’s nightmare, I can only imagine your frustration. Slow and steady wins the race. Seems there are a bunch of folks rooting for you, myself included. Don’t worry about the calendars, whenever you get to it is fine with me.
Thanks for the support. Usually I live everybody’s dream. It is frustrating.
Hi Gaelyn, so sorry that you are feeling so down ,and no wonder with all the pain and problems you are having to coping with. As we get older these falls seem to take longer to heal. However, I would say that you are looking on the positive side of things, in other words accepting the facts just mentioned and your outlook on life is always looking to the future, so yes ,hang in there we are all thinking of you even if those of us live so far away and can’t help.
Thanks for the moral support, I’m trying to be positive.