"Potty about timing myself..."
| It’s now mid way through January 91. In the first year
of the accident, I used to pee in a bottle. I first used to go in the room
or if anybody was there, mother would help me outside, then I progressed
back to the kitchen which was about twenty yards away. . I then walked to
the corner of the street holding on to mother, then around the three
greens with aunt Lorna, then to Brendan’s the news agents. It’s all been a
very slow job, but I never once complained about doing the physio
exercises..............I was gradually walking further and further and
spent most of early January doing walks, or floor exercises if it was too
wet............of course I wouldn’t go out if it was windy.......as I
thought that I would get blown over (!) I also bought a sit up bench and had light dumbells for fitness......I was admitted to Rookwood on the 14th January 1991. I was potty about timing myself walking and exercising. I used to walk for hours until I came to a standstill with inflamed tendons......I used to mark my diary as though I were a school teacher, or mad professor and give myself stars and make silly comments like ‘very good’ ‘keep it up’ ‘not bad’ etc.........I used to go walking with and without the stick........on this one occasion I had two stars (!). When I was in a wheel chair, I used to go to the toilet in a bottle. I would sit in the chair and hang on 'til the very last moment. It has a been a very slow job, the improvement is so slow that close family do not notice the improvements, but someone who sees me every couple of months does notice and tells me, and this gives me great encouragement and makes me train all the harder.........it has all been a slow job...............but as I would say, NO PAIN, NO GAIN
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The remaining extracts have been taken from Andrew’s diary in a manner as to
reflect the efforts he has put in over the years, the humour he has managed to
sustain and the natural healing ideas that he has come across and put into to
practice.
This web site is not the place to publish the whole of Andrew’s document, but a
full version may well be published one day, enabling many to read and share in
many of the special moments which came together in his long struggle against
very nasty odds.
| ‘At this stage I could not go out on
my own and was still in my wheelchair, using a stick for very short
distances........I was putting on weight which was to be expected as I
wasn’t getting about much......I was smoking, but I had to be watched
constantly. I had a day’s physiotherapy at Rookwood Hospital on the 4th October 1989. It was decided that I needed to come to occupational therapy as well as physiotherapy everyday. The Christmas party was at Rookward and Linda took me and mam.....the nurses were very pleased to see me........(mmmmmm!? .....Ed) Coming up to 1990 I continued with the therapy and my own exercises with light dumbells ..........sit ups and general fitness. My mother wanted me to go to a faith healer, so went along open minded. The faith healer and the reflexologist were husband and wife ( Nigel and Pat). He sat me down on a chair in the room, stuck his hand son my knee and went into a sort of trance. I felt a pulling sensation, then he put his hands on my head......and I felt (all) the heat from his hands. I was feeling more confident about the future. We continued going for about six months,people usually only go a few times...........but as long as it was doing me some good, we kept going. |
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