I was ready to start blogging this morning when son arrived, man with additional bedside commode arrived, then daughter arrived. Commode man left first. Son left next taking prescriptions to pharmacy, and daughter hung in to help me take a shower. The two things i really can't do alone are empty the bedside commode and get upstairs and into the shower. Commode emptying is simply a carrying, dumping and rinsing process, but imagine spilling that all over yourself and wheelchair. I'm clumsy to start with, so I am reserving that task for hired help or my son and daughter. I have hired help in morning for another seven days, then I need to schedule son and daughter. (Bless them!!) Additional bedside commode however means that once I am ready to get up and moving in the morning, I can simply use the downstairs bathroom with a commode with side rails already on the toilet. Don't have to move the one from beside the becd to the toilet to begin living my day.
The shower is a different kind of challenge. This is an old two story house. Bathroom with shower is on second floor. (Downstairs has what is euphemistically known as a half bath). So, with one leg, how do you get to the second floor. Well, I had that experience a bit more than a year ago with the last surgery, so it was time to bounce myself up the stairs again on my butt. A little different with less than a full appendage than with the leg in a cast. The real challenge though was the shoe on the left foot slipping on the steps. When I got to the top and checked the shoe I have been wearing I realized that it has a pretty darn flat bottom. I bought new New Balance running shoes before the surgery - was saving them until I got the prosthetic, but we took them out of the closet and decided that was what I needed to wear to gain traction on the stairs and simply on the floors. Shower, of course, felt wonderful. Much more effective than a sponge bath in a bucket near the kitchen sink. And bumping down stairs was so much easier than bumping up. For a start, I don't have to lift my weight up each of those steps with my arms. For a second, I had more traction with the new shoe. Just like in the olden days, full bath scheduled for once a week for the duration. After that will be able to walk up and down the stairs and will address the new challenge - still only have one leg in shower. What are the logisitcs around the shower, the prosthesis, etc. Will figure that out later.
Been on two outings since I've been home. This is the end of school year, so saw 7th and 8th graders at Sacred Heart Elementary School do Fiddler on the Roof on Thursday evening. Grandaughter, Ali, had role of Golde in Fiddler and did a just fine job. on Friday, saw 5th graders at Waldorf School do a rendition of the ancient Greek story of Persphone and Hades and Demeter. Grandson Liam had role of Hermes and he made a fine messenger between the gods. Then the 5th graders served a Greek dinner they prepared.
Friend of daughter's, Andrew, asked if I was observing folks working at not looking at my amputated leg. Answer is yes. At first I thought that I would want to hide it, but that ain't so. I figure folks can look or try not to look. In either instance, it is a learning for them and I am not bothered by this. Daisy, by the way, goes out well wrapped. Ace bandages surround the bottom of Daisy, and then she is covered by whatever pants/slacks I am wearing. It's just that there is no lower leg and foot attached to Daisy - and that does have folks checking. Little kids are best because they just look. No big deal.
Granddaughter, Ali, swears she can feel the electrical impulses coming from the bottom of Daisy - those impulses that are looking for the rest of the leg. I think she is right because when she puts her hands below the limb, I can feel the impulses being interrupted. Weird, huh?
Challenges of being at home revolve around being housebound and in a wheelchair. Whole kitchen experience would be easier if counters and stove were six inches lower and island was a foot further from the counter. I find myself going around the island extra times to be in the right position in the chair to do whatever it is I'm gonna do: get something from refrigerator, put a pot on the stove, put something in the dishwasher, rinse out something, etc. And if I were building a house for someone permanently wheelchair bound, the bathroom would certainly be different.
Son just returned with drugs. We are going to do some research to see what he has to do to get his two year RN degree. Hopefully, about a years worth of stuff.
Hate bumping up stairs
Showering is a grand gift
Bump down, no problem
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