Accident update

Here sit I 2 1/2 months since the accident. Let me ramble a bit. So many things I took for granted. Ability to put on my own shoes & socks. Pick up a bar of soap that falls in the bathtub. Walking and buttoning up a shirt at the same time. Sitting up in bed. Taking a shower by myself. Thousands of things every day. I note these things as I again become able to do them ! Yesterday, I went upstairs in our house for the first time since the accident. (OH, that's where I used to live ! ) I live and sleep in a guest bedroom on the main floor. I'm on crutches for at least a few more weeks. Slowly adding more weight to my left leg. Too much too early worries the doctors that I might shear my sacrum and require surgery for plates and pins. I think I'll be good and avoid that ! I'm doing physical therapy now. PT says that after an accident like mine, PT is like a part time job. She has me doing 3 hours of exercises per day. Not my favorite thing, but I do them. When she tells me not to push it, I sometimes ignore her. :)

With the crutches, I can walk fairly normal. Sometimes I really feel like I can walk unaided, but I resist the urge. I can now walk stairs but not too many. Stamina is low. At Costco I take the motorized carts. I walked at Wal-Mart and was tired when I got back to the car. I have taken advantage and got a disabled sticker for parking. Shar has been a real trooper. So have my friends and ward members. The hospital wanted to send me to a nursing home for a few weeks because they knew I'd need extra help. I told them I had friends who would help. They said "everyone SAYS that they'll help" Mine do help. Not much now that I cannot do by myself. But Shar still helps a bunch. Looking back, I was in worse shape than I thought I was at the time. But I'm feeling fine, no pain. (discomfort, yes. Particularly after PT exercises) Doctor appointment Dec 11th and I'm hoping then to ditch the crutches. I need to mention how stiff one becomes with this type injury. Can't bend to the right or left; forward or backward. The first shower after 2 weeks feels GREAT. Warm water flowing over your back. Hummm But you cannot reach most of your body to wash or dry yourself. Thank goodness for a hand held shower, a shower seat and a Shar. I'm past that now, except the shower seat. I'm not going to risk a fall when I try and turn around without putting full body weight on the left leg. In fact, today was my first, totally unaided shower. (I still let Shar get my clothes out for me.)