10,095 steps!!!!!

Holy crap!

I've done 10,000 steps today 

Community physio came today :

I went on my stationary bike 

We walked to the precinct and back with ONE CRUTCH 

PamC came over 

We went to the cafe in the park for lunch then had cake at Ceanos at the Quaya

STC carpasses

Round trip to the Quays to give out STC carpasses 

Now home watching TV sat in my chair very very tired. 

What a day 🤗

1. I can use the stationary bike, low resistance, build up the time, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 

2. To start walking outside with just one crutch - small distances at first but out and about, not just the walkway. 

#SlowlyCarefullyGently 

Epic step count!

Okay, I did have to have a little nap this afternoon but holy smokes my step count today is 8,984!!!

I'm also down to comfortably managing to only have pain meds 3 times a day. My round trip to the Quays this evening was about 30mins after I took my 2nd load of meds today 🤗 I thought I could manage with just two lots but then realised I was flagging and sore and wanted to get the car passes. No need to be martyred about it 

Also it looks like my km/hr speed is nearly 3km/hr when I'm not tired and/or in pain so that's brilliant xx

I did gloat about this on Facebook and added pics and videos

Here's the text and as you can see I've managed to squeeze in a few more steps since posting xx

'This last week has felt normal.  

Went to The MAST last Tuesday to watch films of the oceans with Karyn and Shaz, went round to Jenny Penney's for lunch on Wednesday, went up to the track Thursday to give out a car pass to an STC club mate, met Katherine for lunch at Solent on Friday, was away for the weekend with friends in Dorset for Jenny A's birthday then yesterday up to Annabel's for supper 

Regular, normal stuff. 

I'm definitely feeling a lot more able to do a lot more stuff 🥰🥳 

Todays step count = 8,810 💥 IKR!! Epic!! Although I did have to have a nap this afternoon (Lisa and I walked nearly 3k this morning 😮) xx 

And check out the little videos of me walking. What a difference 10 weeks makes 

From barely able to wiggle a toe, to barely being able to walk 6 steps to now strutting about all nearly human like / hardly robotic at all. 

I feel able to see that I'll be okay soon. 

It's a good feeling to be able to have xx'

 #SlowlyCarefullyGently

Corners being turned!

Amazing

1. Not only am I walking about in the flat with ONE crutch, I'm also less robotic when I walk about the flat with NO crutch!

2. Last night - Sunday 24th September, 10weeks and 1 day after my accident I was able to sleep a bit on my LEFT SIDE

3. I had a shower this morning Monday 25th September and I stepped in the shower with my right leg but then lifted my left leg over the bath as opposed to dragging it over the bath

I am now feeling epic!!!!

I'm back to work 10am on Wednesday 11th October 

Physically I'm getting there

I now need to work on my mental side and getting my brain / mind back in gear 

Plus making sure I keep up with the exercises and explore adding more to restart OF&H xx

Celebrating mini wins

I need to keep celebrating all my mini wins so I keep feeling positive as I see myself constantly moving forwards - albeit not as impressively as when I went from a walker to crutches or managed steps for the first time

So what little wins am I celebrating this week

Monday 11/9 - walking 16 seconds with no crutches in my flat

Tuesday 12/9 - first time walking 1km without stopping. Yes I then had to sit and rest on a bench in Hillier's gardens for about 15mins before we headed to the nursery space to buy plants but 1km!!! Non stop!!!!

Wednesday 13/9 - did skittles. So did bowling with just one crutch. 

Friday 15/9 - well - where do I start?? 

Walked all the way up and down the whole of the walkway with just one crutch!!! Yes I had to have a nap and yes I had to take additional pain killers but crikey - one crutch!!!!

Saturday and my step count - it ended up being 5473!!!!

But today I'm celebrating two quite major things.

1. Shower

I stepped into my shower - I didn't sit on the bath board and carefully swing my legs over the bath

No, today i stepped into the shower backwards as has to lead with my right leg. Then clinging onto the hand rail I dragged my left leg over the bath.

I then had shower but didn't sit down once.

I then stepped back over the bath onto the bath mat. 

2. Up to the University to see the Hub gang

Alex and I have pencilled in 10-4pm Wednesday 11th October as my first day back

It will be 12 weeks and 4 days since my accident if I do manage to go back on the 11th 🤞

#SlowlyCarefullyGently

#MovingForward 

Thinking about my daily step count exactly 9 weeks since my accident

Today I am celebrating the first time since the 14th July 2023 that my step count has exceeded 5400 steps in one day!!!!

14/7/23 = 14,222

15/7/23 = 4,455

16/7/23 = 82

On the 26/7/23 I changed my daily step goal. 

It had been 12,500 steps a day

It was now 500 

On the 6/8/23 it was changed to 750

On the 24/8/23 it was changed to 1000

On the 12/9/23 it was changed to 1250

On the 14/9/23 it was changed to 1500

Today, at 22:15 my current step total is 5,407

I am utterly and totally blown away with this!!! 

It's taken 9 weeks but today my step count is now (according to the NHS), more than the average daily step count for Brits (3000-4000). 

This is a big deal

I will celebrate by changing my step goal to 2,000 steps a day. 

 

One crutch in the flat!!!!!

Just seen the community physio

Not ready to do the stationary bike as she wants my pelvis to heal more 

Not ready for swimming yet but she did mention hydrotherapy 

However I am now ready to move to just one crutch in the flat (still 2 crutches when out and about)  and to add walking along my walkway with just one crutch to my exercise programme.

To work on:

I need to relax my left hand

I need to look up more as she said my eyes were pretty much fixed to the floor!

I need to build up to walking both up and down the walkway as my groin was sore by the end of the walk. It def felt that both sides of my pelvis knew we'd been working

Catherine pointed out that when using just one crutch I'm having to use my muscles loads more so they will be sore. We then had a chat about my pain meds - I'm now down to pain med 3 times a day as opposed to 4 times a day. 

She's next at mine 10am Friday 29/9/23

Lots of explore

1. Stationary bike

2. Going to one crutch outside of the flat

3. Exploring swimming 

4. Discussing work 

We'll be going for an extended walk outside so she can properly observe exactly where I am in my review wet / rehab. 

She pointed out I may feel as if my progress is slowing down but actually she can see that physically I'm strong and I have good balance so a large part of the next 2 weeks will be the mental side of recognising I'm able to manage with just one crutch. 

This is great news 

Accident time line?

It'll be 9 weeks tomorrow Saturday 16th September. 

NB - I've appointed a solicitor to help me with compensation (am feeling so epic that I've actually managed to make a decision) 

Physio Catherine suggested hydrotherapy so I need to investigate possible venues in Southampton for this 

Update!!!

I needed a nap after she’d gone as was quite tired and sore 

Getting crutches

24th July was a big deal as that was when I went from a Walker to crutches 

25th July 

And then we tried steps on the 26th July!!!

Snaps from SGH 15-19th July

Not sure why I can include a video but here are a few pics from my stay at Southampton General Hospital

In A&E early Sunday morning 

In F7 pink bay on Tuesday 18th July 

Off to RSH rehab unit 19th July 

Our NHS is fantastic ❤️

How’s my walking going?

I've been 'celebrating' this week as my walking speed tops 2km/hr 🥳

But then I think back to creeping painfully into the ambulance on the night of the accident

Of being unable to make my legs move (very weird situation)

Of not being able to scooch up or down in bed - the nurse tipped the bed back so I could slide head first 'up' the bed!

Of those first painful and painfully slow first 6-7steps with the walker on the Sunday to Monday and being able to very slowly walk half way round the bed (lift up the knee, kick out the foot, place down the foot - me trying to remember how to walk)

I've got to remember how far I've travelled