Today was tough, really tough. I didn't sleep again and started the day feeling a bit spent. I have a Urinary tract infection which is common amongst us spinal surgery folks and it has really knocked me out. Breakfast was one sausage and one piece of toast, a rather weird combination I thought and then I saw the prunes. Oh dear not a good start to this day.
I had my coffee and made my way to Physio. I did a lot for our time together and was feeling good about it when I found myself weak on the way back to my room and had to break often to actually make it there.
I crawled under the covers and let myself fall into a comfortable position. It didn't last. The tape still remaining on the bandages was ripping away at my blistered skin. Today was the day those staples were to come out. We did however have a problem, there was some leakage still at the site. An array of nurses, doctors and family members and there was opinions about wether it was time or not. I choose to call my neurosurgeon's office to leave a message. I said nobody can touch it until I am satisfied it is the right thing to do. I wanted it off desperately. The skin on my back is raw and sore from the tapping of the bandages. I wanted the bandages gone and those staples removed but not at the risk of infection. So we waited. Later in the day we got the go ahead to start carefully removing and to steri-strip the small area of concern.
It was an excruciating experience but Barry was a trooper and helled my hand. All out but one stitch and some steri tape. It does feel better but had to bandage and tape a small area again.
I met with a orthopaedic doctor today for a full assessment which includes arthritis in many areas and past injuries. It was an exhausting couple of hours but a great doctor who will be here for me while I'm working through Physio.
Then finally, let the adventures begin. We had decided the guys would go out on the Danforth tonight for a meal somewhere to give Barry some much needed respite time away from here. Mary and I with our limited options decided our only"adventure" could be KFC. Yes, there's a KFC within walking distance. We debated whether to just order pizza for delivery but in the end I decided I needed to get out. Even if it was just to KFC, it far outweighed staying in for me on this day. I had hardly seen the outside of my room to that point.
While I was busy inside my room a special delivery had happened outside of it. My custom built wheelchair had arrived. So our voyage was about to begin in my new hot pink wheel chair.
Mary, always the sister, was a little jealous of my new chair. She never liked it when we were kids and I got something new.
Off we went. It had rained buckets just an hour previous so there was water everywhere on streets. We turned onto a side walk without looking and found ourselves in thick chalk like mud. It glued instantly to the tires, rims etc. Mary pushed and it flicked and spattered. We were in a fine mess. We hadn't even crossed the street yet.
It took forever to get it clean enough to even go on and then into KFC. They were friendly and didn't seem to mind at all.
My wheelchair had a shower when we got home...My sister will do almost anything for me right now, so glad she's here.
And Sam and Barry had a nice night too but not the adventure we had!