End Of 2010 Thoughts
Jan. 1st, 2011 01:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeshyrI've been meaning to write some end of year stuff because this year has been such an unbelievable one for me... The one-sentence description of this year is "I am healthier now than I thought I would ever be in my life!"
How's that for a year!
This year I have advanced from...
... from no daily sitting out of bed to 2-3 hours daily out of bed. I can sit up longer if I push but then the next day I pay for it.
... from not able to walk around the house at all (not even to the bathroom) to being able to walk around the house at will and even walk outside very briefly.
... from needing to use (mostly) female urinal and (sometimes) commode beside bed, to being able to always use commode beside bed, and now to being able to walk to the toilet whenever needed.
... from needing to be washed by a carer while lying in bed to being able to shower and wash my hair by myself, needing just a shower chair to sit down in.
... from spending all my time in a hospital bed in the lounge to having a regular bedroom and using my hospital bed as a "day bed". See blog entry 'Bedrooms!'
... from being predominantly horizontal while lying in bed to mostly sitting at around a 40 degree angle when in bed during the day.
... from having to be taken via stretcher ambulance to vital hospital appointments to being able to go by myself (using my powerchair and wheelchair taxi) or being driven by somebody willing to push my manual chair around when we get there.
... from doing physiotherapy lying in bed for less than 5 minutes a day to being able to do a 30 minute exercise routine involving sitting and even some standing, and being able to slowly swim 200m in my local pool. Actually I am doing a bit less physio now I am able to walk around the house as I am using up some amount of energy with the walking around, but I'm still increasing the amount of energy I have.
... from having difficulty balancing with both feet together on the floor to being able to balance on one leg until I start to get dizzy (ie: I lose balance because my blood pressure gets low, not because my balance is crappy).
... from having no social outings to being able to go out for coffee and even for a few hours to a party. I was able to attend Quiric's baby shower, attend Renee's Midsummer party for the first time in either 8 or 9 years (we lost count!) and will be attending Thorfy and Seedy's new year BBQ tomorrow. And I spent Christmas at my parents' place with my family - it wiped me out tremendously, but I stayed as long as all the other guests!
There are, of course, a whole bunch of other things that lead from these basic abilities. For one example, I can get myself a very simple meal now by grabbing something from the freezer and sitting on the kitchen floor while it microwaves. I can answer the door in person instead of using the remote control unlocking device if I so choose, which often has a gratifyingly startling effect on anybody who knows me and has come to visit!
I can also use my powerchair to visit the local shops and I go out to see my massage therapist and physio now instead of needing home visits. I've been to the library a bunch of times too which is brilliant, and am planning to go see a movie with my Mum soon.
So yes, basically 2010 has been so utterly unbelievably wonderful that it's beyond my WILDEST expectations and almost beyond belief even for me - and it's happening to me! If 2011 is even 10% as wonderful as this year has been, I will still feel blessed.
Here's to a healthy and happy 2011 for all of us.
Love,
r
How's that for a year!
This year I have advanced from...
... from no daily sitting out of bed to 2-3 hours daily out of bed. I can sit up longer if I push but then the next day I pay for it.
... from not able to walk around the house at all (not even to the bathroom) to being able to walk around the house at will and even walk outside very briefly.
... from needing to use (mostly) female urinal and (sometimes) commode beside bed, to being able to always use commode beside bed, and now to being able to walk to the toilet whenever needed.
... from needing to be washed by a carer while lying in bed to being able to shower and wash my hair by myself, needing just a shower chair to sit down in.
... from spending all my time in a hospital bed in the lounge to having a regular bedroom and using my hospital bed as a "day bed". See blog entry 'Bedrooms!'
... from being predominantly horizontal while lying in bed to mostly sitting at around a 40 degree angle when in bed during the day.
... from having to be taken via stretcher ambulance to vital hospital appointments to being able to go by myself (using my powerchair and wheelchair taxi) or being driven by somebody willing to push my manual chair around when we get there.
... from doing physiotherapy lying in bed for less than 5 minutes a day to being able to do a 30 minute exercise routine involving sitting and even some standing, and being able to slowly swim 200m in my local pool. Actually I am doing a bit less physio now I am able to walk around the house as I am using up some amount of energy with the walking around, but I'm still increasing the amount of energy I have.
... from having difficulty balancing with both feet together on the floor to being able to balance on one leg until I start to get dizzy (ie: I lose balance because my blood pressure gets low, not because my balance is crappy).
... from having no social outings to being able to go out for coffee and even for a few hours to a party. I was able to attend Quiric's baby shower, attend Renee's Midsummer party for the first time in either 8 or 9 years (we lost count!) and will be attending Thorfy and Seedy's new year BBQ tomorrow. And I spent Christmas at my parents' place with my family - it wiped me out tremendously, but I stayed as long as all the other guests!
There are, of course, a whole bunch of other things that lead from these basic abilities. For one example, I can get myself a very simple meal now by grabbing something from the freezer and sitting on the kitchen floor while it microwaves. I can answer the door in person instead of using the remote control unlocking device if I so choose, which often has a gratifyingly startling effect on anybody who knows me and has come to visit!
I can also use my powerchair to visit the local shops and I go out to see my massage therapist and physio now instead of needing home visits. I've been to the library a bunch of times too which is brilliant, and am planning to go see a movie with my Mum soon.
So yes, basically 2010 has been so utterly unbelievably wonderful that it's beyond my WILDEST expectations and almost beyond belief even for me - and it's happening to me! If 2011 is even 10% as wonderful as this year has been, I will still feel blessed.
Here's to a healthy and happy 2011 for all of us.
Love,
r
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Date: 2011-01-01 03:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 03:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 04:11 am (UTC)Happy New Year and I'm glad you've had a good one.
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Date: 2011-01-01 04:23 am (UTC)Love you
Date: 2011-01-01 04:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 06:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 07:35 am (UTC)Congratulation on all your hard work with physio :)
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Date: 2011-01-01 07:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 08:05 am (UTC)Happy New Year, dearest penguin! i love you!
*hugs*
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Date: 2011-01-01 08:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 11:20 am (UTC)So many of my friends are saying 2010 sucked and they are glad to see the back of it, it's nice to see that someone has had a good year. I remember talking to you early this year and seeing how ill you looked back in February I think it was. I know a few people now who have ME and are pinning their hopes on this whole XMRV thing coming out of Nevada.
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Date: 2011-01-01 04:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2011-01-01 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 12:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 07:41 am (UTC)Brilliant news
Date: 2011-01-02 10:33 am (UTC)I am so excited to hear your news. I haven't been following a lot lately so didn't realise that you've had this significant turn around.
It is SO heartening to hear, and I'm sure you're thrilled to be able to get back into living.
Best wishes and I hope you continue to get more and more improvement.
Tatyana xxx
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Date: 2011-01-02 11:35 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2011-01-12 12:19 pm (UTC)