16 March 2005
When I woke up this morning, Lillian was still asleep. She seemed to be really tired and didn't want to get up. Tim was getting a bit impatient by about 8 a.m. and finally decided to wake her up. He wanted to take her to childcare so he can go to work. I started with my exercise bike after they had left. I really had to hurry up this morning because I had an appointment with Gavin at 11 a.m.
My taxi arrived just before 10.30 a.m. and I was surprised that it was only 10.45 a.m. when I got to Epworth. Gavin asked me to start with my walking practice. I did a few laps and sat down for a bit of rest - I didn't want to exhaust myself too much because I don't know what he'll get me to do today but I know whatever it is, it won't be easy. When he came back, he asked me if I'm ready to go up the stairs or do I need to warm up with the stepping up on the box exercise. I told him that I don't think I need to warm up so we went for the stairs. He thought I was doing so much better. I told him that I have been practising at home but always with the rails just for balance. He thinks as long as I don't put a lot of weight on the rails it's ok. We did this a couple of times and then the other physio, Chris, who was helping out last week walked pass and Gavin told him to have a look at my progress. Gavin was clearly impressed with the progress. He thought there's a big improvement in my walking up and down the stairs and he told Chris that's perceptual spatial. I turned around and told him that if it's perceptual spatial, I probably had that problem even before my operation because I could never do parallel parking properly. Gavin said that's not perceptual spatial, it's a female thing! I don't think I agree with him on that. I know many women who can park very well.
The next exercise Gavin got me to do is to do jump start on a mini trampoline. I have done this last time as well. I told him that my left leg keeps wobbling. He said not to worry about my wobbling leg and just push on with the jump start exercise. He told me that it's good my leg wobbles when I'm doing this exercise - he said it means it's just at the right level. If it doesn't wobble, it means the exercise is too easy for me and I should always do exercises that are hard enough just to make my leg wobble. He then left me to do the exercise for 10 minutes or so. He said I could look at my watch and work for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds - that's very generous of him today! While I was doing my exercises on the mini trampoline, another patient who was doing exercises next to me said she used to hate doing the exercises I'm doing now. It turned out that she had a stroke last November. I was surprised to see how well she's recovered. She told me that she didn't want to live like a cripple so she worked very hard at it. I think it's good to come to Epworth because both the therapists and patients are a lot more positive.
I also asked him if there is anything can be done about my ankle inversion. I told him that it's really annoying that I can't walk barefeet and I also told him that we went to the beach last weekend but because of my ankle problem, I was the only person on the beach with shoes and AFO on and I couldn't even go for a swim or walk on the beach barefeet. He said I could still go but I just need to crawl. That's not very funny. I asked him if there is any exercises that I can do to stop the ankle from inverting. He showed me an ankle stretch but it doesn't fix the problem permanently. He said I'll probably have this problem for a while. He said there are other ways to fix it but he didn't tell me the details and from the look on his face I had a bad feeling... So I said to him "not surgically I hope". He nodded. My orthopaedics did mention this once when Tim and I asked about the ankle inversion. I don't quite believe that and I will ask the rehabilition specialist, John Olver, when I see him next month.
Gavin managed to put me on this Bobath course (as a guinea pig) at St Vincent's starting from this Sunday. He said it's mainly for upper limb. I've heard of the Bobath technique in treating neuro patients but I don't really know what it is. It will be interesting to find out what it is.
My taxi arrived just before 10.30 a.m. and I was surprised that it was only 10.45 a.m. when I got to Epworth. Gavin asked me to start with my walking practice. I did a few laps and sat down for a bit of rest - I didn't want to exhaust myself too much because I don't know what he'll get me to do today but I know whatever it is, it won't be easy. When he came back, he asked me if I'm ready to go up the stairs or do I need to warm up with the stepping up on the box exercise. I told him that I don't think I need to warm up so we went for the stairs. He thought I was doing so much better. I told him that I have been practising at home but always with the rails just for balance. He thinks as long as I don't put a lot of weight on the rails it's ok. We did this a couple of times and then the other physio, Chris, who was helping out last week walked pass and Gavin told him to have a look at my progress. Gavin was clearly impressed with the progress. He thought there's a big improvement in my walking up and down the stairs and he told Chris that's perceptual spatial. I turned around and told him that if it's perceptual spatial, I probably had that problem even before my operation because I could never do parallel parking properly. Gavin said that's not perceptual spatial, it's a female thing! I don't think I agree with him on that. I know many women who can park very well.
The next exercise Gavin got me to do is to do jump start on a mini trampoline. I have done this last time as well. I told him that my left leg keeps wobbling. He said not to worry about my wobbling leg and just push on with the jump start exercise. He told me that it's good my leg wobbles when I'm doing this exercise - he said it means it's just at the right level. If it doesn't wobble, it means the exercise is too easy for me and I should always do exercises that are hard enough just to make my leg wobble. He then left me to do the exercise for 10 minutes or so. He said I could look at my watch and work for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds - that's very generous of him today! While I was doing my exercises on the mini trampoline, another patient who was doing exercises next to me said she used to hate doing the exercises I'm doing now. It turned out that she had a stroke last November. I was surprised to see how well she's recovered. She told me that she didn't want to live like a cripple so she worked very hard at it. I think it's good to come to Epworth because both the therapists and patients are a lot more positive.
I also asked him if there is anything can be done about my ankle inversion. I told him that it's really annoying that I can't walk barefeet and I also told him that we went to the beach last weekend but because of my ankle problem, I was the only person on the beach with shoes and AFO on and I couldn't even go for a swim or walk on the beach barefeet. He said I could still go but I just need to crawl. That's not very funny. I asked him if there is any exercises that I can do to stop the ankle from inverting. He showed me an ankle stretch but it doesn't fix the problem permanently. He said I'll probably have this problem for a while. He said there are other ways to fix it but he didn't tell me the details and from the look on his face I had a bad feeling... So I said to him "not surgically I hope". He nodded. My orthopaedics did mention this once when Tim and I asked about the ankle inversion. I don't quite believe that and I will ask the rehabilition specialist, John Olver, when I see him next month.
Gavin managed to put me on this Bobath course (as a guinea pig) at St Vincent's starting from this Sunday. He said it's mainly for upper limb. I've heard of the Bobath technique in treating neuro patients but I don't really know what it is. It will be interesting to find out what it is.
posted by Teresa Liu at 7:40 PM
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