Update:
I started Monday morning with a doctor’s visit to my physiatrist. It mainly entailed me letting her know what
had been going on in my life over the last couple of months. One of the nice benefits to all the exercise
and weight loss that I’ve been doing for the last couple of months is that my
blood pressure is down significantly—now in the normal range. Nice!
Done without medications—I’m just healthier by my lifestyle changes and
eating healthier foods.
One of the things I asked for is a prescription for antiperspirant for
my residual leg. With the summer warmth
and a tight silicone liner on my leg all day, my leg gets drenched with
sweat. Not only is it uncomfortable, and
a bit of a hassle cleaning up, there is a greater chance for my skin to develop
issues. A hot, moist environment can
cause my skin to break down. If it goes
too far, I won’t be able to wear my prosthesis until it heals. So far this summer, I’ve managed to change my
liner twice a day or strip everything off and let it air dry for 15-20 minutes
a couple of times a day. So I’ll fill
the prescription and see how it works for me.
I also asked for some additional Physical Therapy. I’ve got walking on hard, flat surfaces down
pretty well. Now I want some pointers
for “off-road adventures.” I’ve done
some walking in the yard, but uneven terrain is a whole new level of effort and
skill compared to walking on hard and flat surfaces. I want some professional advice and pointers
before I possibly develop some bad habits.
Image developing a poor golf swing and then needing to “unlearn” what
you’ve been doing so that you can do it the correct way. So I have a PT appointment later this week
for some evaluation and help.
I also asked if I could increase the distance that I have been walking. This time, I asked if I could before I just
went and did it. I asked to double my
distance. My doctor agreed for me to
increase my distance by 25% each week until I’ve doubled it. That still won’t be too great of distance;
but it is progress—so I’ll take it.
Right now I can walk the length of my block and back home. So my goal is to walk around the block. Once that goes well, I’ll ask for greater
distance again. The restrictions are to
protect my good foot from too much of a strain.
So I get to walk a bit more each week and then have to do close
inspections for any sores or breakdowns on my good foot.
I have to say that I am grateful for being able to ride my bike. It allows me to go a distance and accomplish
some goals that aren’t so limited. It
takes the pressure off of me stretching the limits that the doctors have
prescribed for me. I think without the
bicycle I would be chaffing under the restrictions. But as I was reminded, regaining my life with
a prosthesis “is a process.” By this time
next year, or five years from now, most of my restrictions will hopefully be
removed and I will be free to push the limits.
For now—“slow and steady until I’m ready.” And I will say that although I am riding my
bike about 8-10 miles a day, walking up and down my street is still tough work
for me. I never appreciated how much
work it takes just to walk before my amputation. Currently my muscle tone is much greater and I
can go the distance, but I’m breathing harder when I am done. I usually go up and down the front stairs and
my ramp a few times too adding to energy that I am extending (going down a ramp
is harder than going up by the way).
At my retinal specialist’s appointment, I had lots of pictures taken of
my eyes to evaluate their health. Flash! Flash! Flash!
(about 20 in each eye) That really blinds you for a while! I still have quite a bit of swelling in the
right eye which causes blurry vision. In
the sunshine, I get a terrible glare and white haze. I found that wearing polarized sunglasses
really helps remove the haze. I was told
that once the swelling is reduced the haze should disappear and my vision will
be clear again. So I continue to get
monthly eye injections to treat the swelling.
My left eye has responded already, and the right eye is better but definitely
has a long way to go. After the photos
and injection, my eyes are worthless for reading or working on a computer for
at least 24 hours. Usually when I get
the injection, my eye is so numb that all I feel is pressure when the doctor
does the procedure. For some reason this
time it hurt. It always feels a bit like
a Sci-Fi movie alien abduction when the doctor pokes a needle into my eye! So this week he injected the right eye, next
week I get the left eye done again. Then
it is 4-6 weeks until my next round of photos and injections.
On Wednesday I did my exercises and bike ride in the morning and then
by the afternoon I could see well enough that I worked at my office until
dinner. I took time to go for my walk
and then relaxed (a little TV and folding laundry) before bedtime.
Thought for the Day:
Here’s a prayer that I found this morning. Sounds like a good way to start the day:
“Good morning, God! Thank you for another day of living. I pray that I
will live it to the fullest; work my hardest; love others with a godly love;
and allow you to flow through my being and out into my world to draw people to
you. May I be a blessing to you today. I love you.” [Os Hillman, Today God is First (TGIF) daily
on-line devotional, 7/16/2014].
I don’t know what you and I will face today; but if we face it like it’s
expressed in the prayer, we’ll do alright.
Just getting up this morning was a blessing. I was reminded last night how close I came to
having my life ended last Thanksgiving morning.
We all only have a finite number of days left on this earth before our
time is up. So every day that we have is
a blessing and an opportunity to make a difference in our lives. I don’t want to just be alive—I want to
live! I don’t want to be stuck in a
meaningless routine of existence without purpose and without
accomplishment. So I am going to seek to
apply myself to get the most out of the day ahead. I’m going to challenge myself to go a little
farther a little faster while enjoying life a little more than before. Right now I am working hard to get my body in
good physical condition so that I might reclaim the life that I lost. I won’t be able to do everything—but I am
going to work hard to get back as much as I am able! I also don’t feel guilty for taking the time
I need to rest and be refreshed physically, mentally, and spiritually each day.
Since my hospitalization and amputation, I am much more sensitive to
the struggles that others are going through and how difficult life can be at
times. I am working at demonstrating
that loving concern more clearly to others.
It certainly is affecting my prayer life and my outlook on peoples’
lives and the struggles that they go through.
I recognize that the very best thing that I can do is to allow God’s
goodness, love, strength, and power to flow through me as I interact with
people. I need His wisdom as I talk with
others so that I strengthen and encourage them.
What a wonderful opportunity that I have to reflect God’s love to others
through my contact with them. I become
the hands and feet of God. I am the
closest thing that most people will have as an encounter with God today. What message are they going to get by how I
treat them and interact with them? My
hope is that people will be drawn closer to God by my how I treat them. And most of all, I want my life to be
pleasing to God today. I want my actions, my decisions, even my
thoughts and attitudes to be honoring to Him.
That’s my goal and my prayer for the day.
What about you? What are you
hoping to accomplish today?
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