So yesterday saw a follow-up interview with my doctor, who had performed the surgery to reconstruct my arm and shoulder. The appointment was slated for 1430hrs and I arrived a few minutes before the appointed hour. The weather on the way over had been very warm as I was possibly a little overdressed. I was wearing a cardigan under my Columbia jacket. I was positively sweating by the time I got off the bus and walked the couple of hundred feet to the ICU building entrance. I stripped off the cardigan as soon as I got inside the building.
A coffee would have been nice, but I had but a couple of minutes to make it upstairs for 1430hrs. The actual appointment took all of 15 minutes, but there were the X-Rays beforehand and then of course... the waiting. It was actually all of 1643hrs by the time I got to see my doctor. It is safe to say that the 'rehab' clinic of the OGH is a retardedly busy place. So much so that for literally all of my waiting time there (other than the 15 minute wait for the X-Rays...), I had to stand as there were no free chairs in the waiting room. That should give some sort of idea of how popular this place is.
Dr. Pollock was pleased with my progress and I actually made him laugh when I related how I had rode the bike into work, all that week when the weather was so fair. I admitted that I probably shouldn't have, but that I pretty much had to, for the sake of my own peace of mind. It had been my own bench test to gauge my progress, and to assure myself that I could or would be able to still ride.
He issued me a change of orders as far as my physio went. Up until now I have been doing all 'passive' physiotherapy. Which means I've basically been working on my range of motion with the left arm and shoulder. All these exercises have been 'assissted', meaning my arm has been moved by means other than it's own musculature. Well... all that's gonna change. This is going to be the "owee" part of the physio. I will finally get to work on re-building my atrophied muscles, as well as continuing to expand my range of motion. As I have a physio session slated for this very evening after work, I will be putting this new regimen to work right away.
It was dark outside by the time I returned to the hospital lobby and grabbed a medium double-double. It was just after 1700hrs. Calling my Honey up, I discovered she was in traffic out in Orleans, making her way home. She offered to double back and pick me up, but the logistics would be horrific. It was just as easy for me to take the Loser Cruiser back home. I did not put the cardigan back on, but rather left it stowed in my backpack, as I was still feeling warm. Bad move on my part. I had no way of knowing how the temperature outside had plummeted since the sun went down... I walked to the bus stop, sipping my Timmie's, in time to see my bus (the 106 Hurdman) sailing away. No worries. After consulting the bus schedule at the stop, I noticed that the next one was to be there at 1709hrs.
Actually, it was more like 1715hrs by the time it appeared. I was well happy to get inside, as I was really starting to feel the cold. We arrived at Hurdman and I came to the realization that this was not a good place to get caught waiting for a bus. Certainly not when I was now underdressed for the weather. The volume of bus traffic through this hub is phenomenal. You really don't want to nap here, either. The busses stop, wait a second, then tear off again. If you snooze, you lose! All the busses heading East to Orleans were impossibly full. Packed to the gunnels, they were. Truly a tangible sign of how the population out there has simply exploded over the last few years. Finally, at 1745hrs I got to board the 94 Millenium which would take me home.
Before long I had regained some warmth and was busy solving yet another crossword puzzle. I made a mental note to upgrade the hat, gloves and other sundry severe weather items I normally stow and carry along in my backpack, the moment I was done having supper.
It's encouraging to have finally reached this stage, although my enthusiasm is somewhat dampened by the knowledge that this will be a particularily long and difficult part of the whole rehab process. Still, my good doctor has done all that he could. It now falls to me to influence the outcome of my treatment. My eventual recovery will only be as good as I make it. This will truly be a case of: "you get out of it exactly what you put into it". All things considered, there is no reason to suppose that I won't come out the other end in very good form.
For the moment, I remain the eternal optimist...
A coffee would have been nice, but I had but a couple of minutes to make it upstairs for 1430hrs. The actual appointment took all of 15 minutes, but there were the X-Rays beforehand and then of course... the waiting. It was actually all of 1643hrs by the time I got to see my doctor. It is safe to say that the 'rehab' clinic of the OGH is a retardedly busy place. So much so that for literally all of my waiting time there (other than the 15 minute wait for the X-Rays...), I had to stand as there were no free chairs in the waiting room. That should give some sort of idea of how popular this place is.
Dr. Pollock was pleased with my progress and I actually made him laugh when I related how I had rode the bike into work, all that week when the weather was so fair. I admitted that I probably shouldn't have, but that I pretty much had to, for the sake of my own peace of mind. It had been my own bench test to gauge my progress, and to assure myself that I could or would be able to still ride.
He issued me a change of orders as far as my physio went. Up until now I have been doing all 'passive' physiotherapy. Which means I've basically been working on my range of motion with the left arm and shoulder. All these exercises have been 'assissted', meaning my arm has been moved by means other than it's own musculature. Well... all that's gonna change. This is going to be the "owee" part of the physio. I will finally get to work on re-building my atrophied muscles, as well as continuing to expand my range of motion. As I have a physio session slated for this very evening after work, I will be putting this new regimen to work right away.
It was dark outside by the time I returned to the hospital lobby and grabbed a medium double-double. It was just after 1700hrs. Calling my Honey up, I discovered she was in traffic out in Orleans, making her way home. She offered to double back and pick me up, but the logistics would be horrific. It was just as easy for me to take the Loser Cruiser back home. I did not put the cardigan back on, but rather left it stowed in my backpack, as I was still feeling warm. Bad move on my part. I had no way of knowing how the temperature outside had plummeted since the sun went down... I walked to the bus stop, sipping my Timmie's, in time to see my bus (the 106 Hurdman) sailing away. No worries. After consulting the bus schedule at the stop, I noticed that the next one was to be there at 1709hrs.
Actually, it was more like 1715hrs by the time it appeared. I was well happy to get inside, as I was really starting to feel the cold. We arrived at Hurdman and I came to the realization that this was not a good place to get caught waiting for a bus. Certainly not when I was now underdressed for the weather. The volume of bus traffic through this hub is phenomenal. You really don't want to nap here, either. The busses stop, wait a second, then tear off again. If you snooze, you lose! All the busses heading East to Orleans were impossibly full. Packed to the gunnels, they were. Truly a tangible sign of how the population out there has simply exploded over the last few years. Finally, at 1745hrs I got to board the 94 Millenium which would take me home.
Before long I had regained some warmth and was busy solving yet another crossword puzzle. I made a mental note to upgrade the hat, gloves and other sundry severe weather items I normally stow and carry along in my backpack, the moment I was done having supper.
It's encouraging to have finally reached this stage, although my enthusiasm is somewhat dampened by the knowledge that this will be a particularily long and difficult part of the whole rehab process. Still, my good doctor has done all that he could. It now falls to me to influence the outcome of my treatment. My eventual recovery will only be as good as I make it. This will truly be a case of: "you get out of it exactly what you put into it". All things considered, there is no reason to suppose that I won't come out the other end in very good form.
For the moment, I remain the eternal optimist...
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