Week 1 | Stanmore Hospital | Rehabilitation | 3 week intensive treatment |
Hi Everyone,
I am here in Stanmore, just coming to the end of week 1.
It has been an excellent week so far and I really feel that I have learnt a lot so far and achieved so much. So proud of myself for what I have done so far and it makes me so excited to know that the future could be a lot brighter for me.
So here is a quick run down of what has happened this week:
Monday - I got to the Rehab Centre at 9.30am where I was admitted on to the Females ward and shown to my bed. It is a ward of 11 beds in the female side, all normal hospital orthopaedic beds (I now want one) and you get a small cupboard and draws for all your things. There is 3 shared bathrooms where you can shower and so on.
So after settling in we went for our welcome meeting and our schedule run down. I was one of three that was admitted this week. The weeks alternate a lot and there are new people coming every week.
After lunch I got to meet my Occupational Therapist (OT) and my Physiotherapist (PT). Both are lovely and make me feel so comfortable. To get up and back from the gym to the wards some of us use the porters, as lovely as the hospital is, the layout is bonkers. Its super hilly and bumpy, how you are supposed to push yourself around in a wheelchair in that place is beyond me!
So I was portered back to the ward where we had an evening class on pain management.
As I was up at 6am I was so tired all day, I had lots of naps in between sessions and found it so hard to focus on day one. I went to sleep as soon as my mum and dad left from their visit. As usual, I found myself waking up at 1am and not being able to sleep again until 4am.
Tuesday - Lights go on at 7am and breakfast is served at 7.30am. You can have your meals in your bed or go to the conservatory area where everyone eats together. I was feeling super lousy and just had some toast at my bed whilst I got ready.
I was portered up to the gym at 8.30am and began my first stretch class at 9am.
These stretches would be super easy to those with normal muscle tones and range of movement, however I found simple foot pumps and holding my arms out super super hard! Really tired me out.
After Stretch I had my session with my OT where we spoke about my life, what I enjoy, what I find difficult and what I want from life. After that I had my first Physio session where we looked at some good exercising to start engaging the muscles I will need to start using when walking. I found it really difficult but understood what muscles I needed to start engaging pretty quickly.
The main focus of the session was to look at the way I stand up and sit down, as I always rush this movement and end up throwing myself around. I picked up the transition really quickly and even though I was rather shaky at first I soon learnt what muscles I needed to use and how to safely make the transition.
Wednesday - I was super tired this morning and really didn't feel well at all. My POTs was really affecting me at the moment and I had a blackout moment in Stretch Class, I found it so hard to shift, one of the girls who is on my ward helped me get my circulation going again in my legs and I drunk lots of water. It made me feel a bit better and I was just about able to cope with my OT session, where we focused on how to manage my POTs and my posture. We looked at how I can manage that and how long I can sit for. My baseline was 20 seconds before I started to get achy and feel pain coming on. When I got back to the ward I was really sick and had to go to sleep, I felt so bad I messed my coping skills session and had lunch an hour late. The sleep helped and I was able to go to the sports session later that afternoon, where I played Ping Pong (table tennis) with the girls on my ward. Straight after that I had Physio session, where we practiced some new exercises and I had a go at weight baring to step. I now use a walking frame instead of my crutches as they are more supportive. I have to use my wheelchair at all times now and only walk when I am practicing my 'good' walking.
This helps me to focus on walking properly and saving my muscles from strain and over working myself.
Thursday - I slept really well last night, but same again when I woke up; I felt really sick and tired, plus my POTs was really bad. I managed to do stretch class though which I was super proud of. After that I had a Physio and OT session, where we looked at setting goals for the weekend. I was really positive with my goals and I can't wait to get home and start putting them into practice. After that I had a postural management class, this was really good and helped a lot as focusing on my posture, was one of my weekend goals. I also ordered myself a wobble cushion from Amazon to use at home.
In Physio that day we looked at my walking and how many 'correct' steps I could do. I managed to do 4 whole 'good' steps, partly weight baring and using my frame!! I am ssooooooo Happy!!!!
In the afternoon I had water based exercise, which is basically just an hour in the pool practising movements in the water. I was really apprehensive about this as it is the first time back in the water after I put my hips out jumping in on holiday. I was unable to use my legs in the water, then my hip and knee really started hurting. My knee dislocated so I just sat in the water wheelchair.
When we finished this I was super tired, as if I had just pumped out at the gym. My right leg ended up in a flare up.
Friday - I managed a full nights sleep! Yay! We done DIY stretch on the ward this morning, I was really hurting and swollen all over. We then had a talk about what affects your sleep. I was then picked up and went home. We went into Mums house where I saw Nico and Gran. Mum then took me home and left me at 4pm. I done my nails and worked on my posture.
At 5pm I had a 30 minute nap, then had a shower and changed, ready for when Bradley got home.
We had a chat about what needs to change at home and how he can help me. I think certain things are difficult to swallow, however we worked around how we can manage at home.
I am in a lot more pain, my right leg is unbearable and I think I will find it difficult to sleep tonight.
Before it got to bad I did do my Physio exercises. Perhaps I aggravated it.
I am here in Stanmore, just coming to the end of week 1.
It has been an excellent week so far and I really feel that I have learnt a lot so far and achieved so much. So proud of myself for what I have done so far and it makes me so excited to know that the future could be a lot brighter for me.
So here is a quick run down of what has happened this week:
Monday - I got to the Rehab Centre at 9.30am where I was admitted on to the Females ward and shown to my bed. It is a ward of 11 beds in the female side, all normal hospital orthopaedic beds (I now want one) and you get a small cupboard and draws for all your things. There is 3 shared bathrooms where you can shower and so on.
So after settling in we went for our welcome meeting and our schedule run down. I was one of three that was admitted this week. The weeks alternate a lot and there are new people coming every week.
After lunch I got to meet my Occupational Therapist (OT) and my Physiotherapist (PT). Both are lovely and make me feel so comfortable. To get up and back from the gym to the wards some of us use the porters, as lovely as the hospital is, the layout is bonkers. Its super hilly and bumpy, how you are supposed to push yourself around in a wheelchair in that place is beyond me!
So I was portered back to the ward where we had an evening class on pain management.
As I was up at 6am I was so tired all day, I had lots of naps in between sessions and found it so hard to focus on day one. I went to sleep as soon as my mum and dad left from their visit. As usual, I found myself waking up at 1am and not being able to sleep again until 4am.
Tuesday - Lights go on at 7am and breakfast is served at 7.30am. You can have your meals in your bed or go to the conservatory area where everyone eats together. I was feeling super lousy and just had some toast at my bed whilst I got ready.
I was portered up to the gym at 8.30am and began my first stretch class at 9am.
These stretches would be super easy to those with normal muscle tones and range of movement, however I found simple foot pumps and holding my arms out super super hard! Really tired me out.
After Stretch I had my session with my OT where we spoke about my life, what I enjoy, what I find difficult and what I want from life. After that I had my first Physio session where we looked at some good exercising to start engaging the muscles I will need to start using when walking. I found it really difficult but understood what muscles I needed to start engaging pretty quickly.
The main focus of the session was to look at the way I stand up and sit down, as I always rush this movement and end up throwing myself around. I picked up the transition really quickly and even though I was rather shaky at first I soon learnt what muscles I needed to use and how to safely make the transition.
Wednesday - I was super tired this morning and really didn't feel well at all. My POTs was really affecting me at the moment and I had a blackout moment in Stretch Class, I found it so hard to shift, one of the girls who is on my ward helped me get my circulation going again in my legs and I drunk lots of water. It made me feel a bit better and I was just about able to cope with my OT session, where we focused on how to manage my POTs and my posture. We looked at how I can manage that and how long I can sit for. My baseline was 20 seconds before I started to get achy and feel pain coming on. When I got back to the ward I was really sick and had to go to sleep, I felt so bad I messed my coping skills session and had lunch an hour late. The sleep helped and I was able to go to the sports session later that afternoon, where I played Ping Pong (table tennis) with the girls on my ward. Straight after that I had Physio session, where we practiced some new exercises and I had a go at weight baring to step. I now use a walking frame instead of my crutches as they are more supportive. I have to use my wheelchair at all times now and only walk when I am practicing my 'good' walking.
This helps me to focus on walking properly and saving my muscles from strain and over working myself.
Thursday - I slept really well last night, but same again when I woke up; I felt really sick and tired, plus my POTs was really bad. I managed to do stretch class though which I was super proud of. After that I had a Physio and OT session, where we looked at setting goals for the weekend. I was really positive with my goals and I can't wait to get home and start putting them into practice. After that I had a postural management class, this was really good and helped a lot as focusing on my posture, was one of my weekend goals. I also ordered myself a wobble cushion from Amazon to use at home.
In Physio that day we looked at my walking and how many 'correct' steps I could do. I managed to do 4 whole 'good' steps, partly weight baring and using my frame!! I am ssooooooo Happy!!!!
In the afternoon I had water based exercise, which is basically just an hour in the pool practising movements in the water. I was really apprehensive about this as it is the first time back in the water after I put my hips out jumping in on holiday. I was unable to use my legs in the water, then my hip and knee really started hurting. My knee dislocated so I just sat in the water wheelchair.
When we finished this I was super tired, as if I had just pumped out at the gym. My right leg ended up in a flare up.
Friday - I managed a full nights sleep! Yay! We done DIY stretch on the ward this morning, I was really hurting and swollen all over. We then had a talk about what affects your sleep. I was then picked up and went home. We went into Mums house where I saw Nico and Gran. Mum then took me home and left me at 4pm. I done my nails and worked on my posture.
At 5pm I had a 30 minute nap, then had a shower and changed, ready for when Bradley got home.
We had a chat about what needs to change at home and how he can help me. I think certain things are difficult to swallow, however we worked around how we can manage at home.
I am in a lot more pain, my right leg is unbearable and I think I will find it difficult to sleep tonight.
Before it got to bad I did do my Physio exercises. Perhaps I aggravated it.
