My assigned physiotherapist was a big size Caucasian woman, C. So smart of them to pass me to a strong person! Think she was from Scotland. No jobs there meh?
At the beginning, C treated me with caution. She always let me sit a while after getting out of bed. I thought it was some sitting balance exercise, but it didn't feel right as she wasn't doing anything with me. Just letting me stone. Finally, it piqued my curiosity enough to ask. Turned out that I should not stand immediately from a lying position. Chey! I can what... tried before. Can stop it already.
Everyday, C came to my bed, helped me into my TLSO, put my gadgets away and off we went to the gym. I did sitting balance exercise - leaning to all sides while in a sitting position, and getting back into neutral position. That exercise was... very challenging with a TLSO on. Try leaning with your back stiff and straight! And I was exercising my abs, an area that I have long deemed as untrainable. C remarked I would be going back with nice abs - I certainly hope so!
I have been wondering what that cage-like thing was.
The therapy assistant was S, a Malay woman who was about the same build as C, but shorter. With her help, I did sit-to-stand exercise. She stabilized the high walking frame while C pushed me from my bum. Another movement I have not made in years - difficult!
C was sweating more than I. Who was having the real workout?
An elderly patient kept falling asleep while on the standing frame.
The gym has a few pedal exercisers.
I could chope C's time to see me if either of us had other commitments. I would love to slack, but I must remember that the stay was NOT free.
If C was really not free, a TA would come and do bed exercise with me. Cheated ley, bed exercise was part of the daily routine in No Use Hospital lor. Lugi ah lugi ah!
Occupational Therapy
My occupational therapist was an Indian man from India, K. So... Indians not only in IT, now in healthcare too?
Most of the time, I just did some arm exercises in bed with him. Occasionally, we went to the gym for daily activities training. The gym has a mock bedroom. Tried transferring from the wheelchair to bed and vice versa using a transfer board.
Tried to roll in bed, but was unsuccessful despite the mattress being firmer than the hospital bed. Didn't expect this to become so difficult already. K asked me to try using the ladder thing at the side to help me. Much better. So I would have to consider installing some aid.
Grilles on the open side of the bed to prevent me from falling off? U kiddin' me? No need lah! Adults still roll off the bed meh?
Do they?
It could be used for helping me to sit up from lying too, but I deemed it unnecessary because that was going to happen only once a day.
How about a powered chair for greater independence and to relieve my caretaker's burden? I could go to work in it.
Eh? What for?
- Expensive! A few grand.
- I can't go out unaccompanied. Can't unlock the door = end of story.
- Nowhere that I would like to go on my own. As if anybody would allow me anyway. What kind of independence is that if I still needed to have somebody running after me? And the caretaker will be so poor thing lor, got to run after me.
- Can't be collapsed and doesn't fit in a regular cab boot. I'm not going to become dependent on London cabs when a regular cab is already so hard to get.
- Have to take bus/MRT. When was the last time I took either? *ponders*
- That thing is damn fat lor. Can't fit into a shop aisle or go round tight corners.
- And damn heavy too. Will take a weight-lifter to tilt the chair to get over kerbs. An even bigger burden should the battery go flat.
Dressing. Difficulty +++ when trying with layer 2. Totally in-indicative of how I would fare in real life. K introduced the dressing stick.
K let me try out the reacher to reach for stuff.
K let me try out a firm seat cushion to improve my posture in the wheelchair. I love that! Astoundingly helpful! I don't hate sitting in the wheelchair while in my TLSO so much now. I want one! Father got his carpenter friend to make a simple one out of a wooden board with some cushion and covered with leather. Way cheaper than those overkill pressure-relief sold commercially that cost $350 and up!
Commode chair... think I will get one since my toilet is too small. Got to give the more comfortable one with huge wheels a pass. Too bulky and I wouldn't be able to wheel myself around anyway.
Feeding. Problem.
On the 16th, K arranged a session over lunch. He brought a suspension frame to my bed, sat me out and suspended my elbows. The table was heightened. Now the spoon can reach my mouth without spilling the contents! Even soup!
But I couldn't possibly put that big-ass suspension frame in my HDB, right? K laughed and said that was only for evaluation - he had something else in mind for me.
K managed to get a trial unit of the aid before my discharge. It was the Ergorest Forearm Rest, something that he saw at a recent conference.
I asked K how I should be transferred into and out of a cab. It should be tougher than before with the TLSO and less flexibility. So K asked Father to join in for the next therapy session. Before I left my bed, he put a transfer belt (which looked like a sumo wrestler's loin cloth) on me. He led us to the back of the building, where a Comfort cab sat! This has to be the most impressive piece of equipment they have there! He demonstrated the transfer and how it was safer with a transfer belt. Hmm ok.
But a transfer belt is a hassle to put on! Not to mention ugly as well. :(
But Father was sold. He bought one when he went to buy my commode chair. And bibs too O_O
On one of the last few days, the wheelchair vendor brought a trial powered wheelchair. It's a lightweight model, looks almost like my wheelchair, but with a battery pack. It's actually collapsible to fit in a car boot. The vendor demonstrated it, but... takes so much longer to dismantle the battery and fold up the chair.
I had a go at it. Easy to control. I said I would think about it. But actually still no intention to buy lah.
What Happens Next?
Discharge plans, discharge plans. Where could I go for therapy after discharge? There are a few options. There might be transportation services for venues further from my home. Closer to home, here was one of the options.
The outpatients use a separate gym. I requested to visit it.
The outpatient gym was on the second storey. It was air-conditioned too, but all the doors were left wide open, probably to facilitate movement, which unfortunately also facilitated the exodus of cool air. Shut windows + wide open doors + no fan was a recipe for a heatstroke-inducing room.
Why wasn't anybody complaining? The patients were too old and already demotivated in all aspects? Or they did but nobody cared? How about the therapists? I wouldn't even want to work there!
The prospects of working out in still air, wrapped up in my TLSO was frightening. Moreover, there was no Arjo walker. And the place looked kind of lonely with just a few elderly patients.
Next!
Took Their Savings Hospital was a potential candidate but they probably do not take cases that require frequent therapy, like mine. And not sure if they have the Arjo walker. Aww.
Go back to No Use Hospital? Far ley. But they have the Arjo walker for sure. Shall enquire on my next appointment.
Some People Died, with 2 centres, both not near my place. Sure will rack up a huge taxi bill. And not sure if they have the Arjo walker. Sighhh. But I decided to state it as my preference. Grab a slot somewhere first, No Use Hospital takes time!
The Song Bird
A patient who was often in the gym at the same time as me, was a woman who actually looked quite young, maybe 50+. She loved to sing while exercising, boasting to her PT that she sings very well. She filled her PT in on her resume, which included singing in the NDP and having trained under the renowned Liu Jia Ming laoshi, before proceeding to demonstrate her prowess. Her PT praised her and she believed it.
Was there anything wrong with her?? I mean, sometimes old folks like to share what they have been up to when they were younger, but she really looked too young for that!
Or she's one of those who never seems to age. 不老神话. Blessed.
Clever Old Folks
It's not uncommon for old folks to excuse themselves from exercise by saying that they needed to relieve themselves. What one old man did was to pee on himself (and the equipment) in the gym. C suspected he was aware of what he did as that wasn't the first time he pee-ed himself at the most strategic time. Best.
Holistic Treatment
The patient diagonally left of me had an acupuncturist visit her every morning. How come so special ley? Can I have that service too?
No Money, No Talk
While I was taking a break from my sit-to-stand exercise, C, S and I chatted as usual. C asked me where I got my TLSO made, how long I waited for it, how much and how I paid for it. Well, by the in-house vendor, immediately after the surgery, $700 in cold hard moolah. So super rushed that I felt as if the TLSO was stuffed down my throat and everybody seemed to assume that I will have $700 sitting around!
C commented that I was fortunate to be able to afford the TLSO so that my rehabilitation could begin ASAP. She told me of amputees whose surgeries have passed for 2 months, but the application for financial help just started, which was going to take another 1 to 2 months. Only when they get the grant, they can make the prosthesis, which will take another month to be ready.
So an underprivileged patient can go without a leg for 1/2 year. Unable to stand, he/she could only settle for bed exercises. I already know firsthand how much could deteriorate in a week, what more 26 weeks?
Aghasted. Couldn't the application for financial help have begun before the surgery? Sure, it might create unnecessary work should the patient not require any help in the end, but isn't it better to be play safe to get the patient his/her prosthesis first? Not to mention the savings on extra medical intervention from inactivity!
It's true. 没钱，能死，不能病.
No comments:
Post a Comment