New developments

Wednesday, April 21, 2010.

Things seem to be moving forward. I had my fourth plasmapheresis treatment today and I will have my fifth one tomorrow. Friday they will take out my catheter and I will be ready to move to the next phase of my recovery; going to inpatient rehabilitation at the Drake Center.

Alex arrived last night. Adrienne and I are glad to see him, we’re touched by his willingness to come back to Ohio and help out during the next few weeks. His willingness to come back is a great blessing to me.

The last two days have been very exciting for me. Working with the physical therapy and occupational therapy departments at the hospital, I have attempted to do things that I haven’t been able to do for weeks like putting on a pair of shorts or sitting on the toilet. I have been able to get in and out of bed.

A month ago, I was doing all of those things on my own. As scary as it is that think about how fast I declined, it is even scarier to think about how hard it will be to climb back up again. As long as I kept my mind occupied, it was easy to lie in bed. But now comes a part of my recovery where I’m going to actually have to physically work to make gains. The road ahead appears to be very steep, very rocky and fraught with potholes.

I got a glimpse of how challenging this is going to be today. Transferring to the commode from my chair, I became scared. I felt nauseated and I could feel my heart beat faster. It hurt to sit up and I forgot to use the rails to support myself. While moving back to my wheelchair, the board I was using for the transition shifted and I was afraid I was going to fall. The occupational therapist was right there and she had me tethered.

In my copy of Courage to Change I’ve written some definitions of the word fear:

Face Everything and Recover,
Fake Evidence Appearing Real,
and the newest one, Future Events Are Not Real.

I write this blog to help me process these things. It is helpful to be reminded that I am not alone, there is a power greater than me that will see me through today.

It is now Friday morning. The last few days have been crazy.I am very grateful to the staff here at University Hospital. I feel they have got me started on the right path. I don’t know when I will be able to write again. Please wish me well and continue to hold Adrienne and me in your prayers/thoughts.