29 July 2005
I went to my usual physio session at Epworth this morning. I almost forgot to take the bag of ‘goodies’ from Brunetti with me. Just as well I put it on the top of my handbag so it’s harder to forget that way. I learnt this from my colleagues at the ATO. When I first started working there, I notice that people usually do their grocery shopping at lunch time and leave their grocery in the fridge. I didn’t do that for a while because I was always worried that I might forget to take them home. Someone told me that if you leave your car key with your grocery then you won’t forget because when you go to the car you will realise that your car key is with your grocery.
The taxi driver really knows the short cut to get there so I got to Epworth earlier than I expected. Gavin wasn’t there so when I saw Tracy I gave her the bag of goodies and told her that’s for her and Gavin since she’s always helping me with my exercises when Gavin is with another patient. When I turned around, I saw Gavin coming in and I told him that I just handed Tracy with a bag of sweets for both of them. He set up a mirror for me to start with my walking practice. He said he wanted me to do my usual warm up and then he wants to do some tests on me. I asked him what sort of tests and he told me it’s been a while since he timed me on my walking and he wants to do that every 3 months or so. He asked me if I want to be on TV. Apparently they are making an ad and needs some physio patients. I declined.
The room was getting a bit crowded because it’s almost 11 a.m. and the porters have parked a few patients in wheelchairs in the same room. When I was doing my dorsiflexion exercises against the wall, I noticed that the guy who was treated by Gavin was sitting in a wheelchair. He must just have finished his session and waiting to be collected by a porter. I noticed that he had some kind of bandage around his head and a neck brace. He looked a little bit more alert than Wednesday. I was concentrating on my exercises but couldn’t help noticing that he was making this noise from his nose. I don’t know if he wanted to blow his nose or what but the next minute I noticed he lifted up his right hand and was trying to touch his nose. I don’t think he is hemiplegic because although his hand was very wobbly, he was able to move it. I really wish I didn’t look at what he’s doing at all because what happened next was really disgusting. He picked his nose and scooped this big lump of ‘thingo’ out. It’s about the size of a pea. He didn’t have any tissue so he just let it ‘sit’ on the tip of his index finger. I didn’t know whether to ask for help for him or not but in the end I thought I should just mind my own business because I might embarrass him. If I were in that situation I think the last thing I want is knowing someone actually saw what I just did. The porter finally came to pick him up and gave him some tissue so the crisis was over.
Gary came in with his electric wheelchair when I was still doing my dorsiflexion exercises against the wall. I was hoping that I don’t have to face him so I don’t have to talk to him. Unfortunately, the other room was a bit crowded so he parked in front of me. I only said hello to him just to be polite but being a chatter box he just had to ask how my exercise was going. I rather endure the uncomfortable silence than to start on a contrived conversation. Fortunately, Gavin came back and told him he’d tape my foot. He said he can’t do the test today because some workmen have blocked the front door and it’s better to do the test next time. He asked me again if I want to be on TV. He asked around if people have been on TV before. I didn’t want to tell him that actually I have been on TV before. This was a few years ago when I was actively involved in the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce. I had to do an interview in Mandarin on someone and it was brocasted on channel 32 community television. Most people probably don’t even know about this channel. I didn’t feel like telling him about it because it’s a bit like a character from ‘Lost’ (a drama series on Channel 7) said to the people who survived the crash on the island that everyone gets a new start on this island and nobody needs to worry about their past. There is no need for me to tell people what I used to do because all it matters now is how do I get better. I’m glad that Gavin is not the sort of person who remembers all the details and nosy aboout everything because on the MECRS discharge report it mentioned something about modelling. I don’t know where they got that information from because I haven’t done any modelling since my university days and I was a bit sick and tired having to explain to people who pick up on this in the report.
I think Gary is just very bad news for me because Gavin had to go with him across the road to the hospital. Gavin told Tracy to get me practising walking up and down the stairs while he is away. We did a few laps of the stairs and then the trampoline. She then set up the boxes in the walking rails for me to practise jumping. I don’t know if she ever get bored because she always stands there watching me when she’s been instructed by Gavin to help me with my practice. I got a little bit bored after I don’t know how many jumps. She said I could sit down and have a rest if I wanted to so
I did. Gavin and Gary came back just when I sat down. Gavin looked at me and asked me ‘what are you doing?’ I told him I’m just having a rest. He looked at Tracy and asked her ‘What’s going on? Why aren’t you cracking the whip?’ Gary jumped in and said ‘it must be a female thing. Just sitting around and chat.’ I felt like saying to him that he is the biggest chatterbox I’ve seen.
I went back to the jumping practice when I had enough rest. Gavin came out from the staff room holding the goodies from Brunetti and said he just realised where Brunetti is about a month ago when another patient brought in something from there. He said he didn’t know where Brunetti was and people laughed at him. Gary asked him if he’s been to Florentino before. I can’t remember what he said but Gary was just going on and on about how expensive that place is. He also mentioned Lynch’s – another expensive restaurant. I felt like telling him those places are not fashionable anymore. I think they were very popular in the 90’s but have gone downhill a bit since. It brought back a lot of memory. When I was working in chartered accounting firms, these were the sort of restaurants we took our clients to and that’s something I don’t miss. The reason I got out of chartered accounting and financial planning is because I’m sick and tired being materialistic. I don’t want to be inspired by designer label clothes, prestigious cars and facy restaurants anymore and I found my colleagues at the tax office have much simpler life and are much happier.
In the afternoon, I went to Barcly Squares to do my weekly grocery shopping. When i went to the green grocers, someone looked at my foot (with ankle brace on) and asked me what happened to me. I told him I had a bit of accident thinking he'll just let me go but he asked me what kind of accident, road accident or push bike. I was a bit annoyed and told him it's neither. I told him it was a skiing accident. I can't believe he actually asked me whether it's water skiing or snow skiing. I told him it was snow skiing. This is the first time I was able to lie to someone about what happened to me. I don't know whether he remembered seeing me limping before the snow season started because I have been shopping there for a few months.
The taxi driver really knows the short cut to get there so I got to Epworth earlier than I expected. Gavin wasn’t there so when I saw Tracy I gave her the bag of goodies and told her that’s for her and Gavin since she’s always helping me with my exercises when Gavin is with another patient. When I turned around, I saw Gavin coming in and I told him that I just handed Tracy with a bag of sweets for both of them. He set up a mirror for me to start with my walking practice. He said he wanted me to do my usual warm up and then he wants to do some tests on me. I asked him what sort of tests and he told me it’s been a while since he timed me on my walking and he wants to do that every 3 months or so. He asked me if I want to be on TV. Apparently they are making an ad and needs some physio patients. I declined.
The room was getting a bit crowded because it’s almost 11 a.m. and the porters have parked a few patients in wheelchairs in the same room. When I was doing my dorsiflexion exercises against the wall, I noticed that the guy who was treated by Gavin was sitting in a wheelchair. He must just have finished his session and waiting to be collected by a porter. I noticed that he had some kind of bandage around his head and a neck brace. He looked a little bit more alert than Wednesday. I was concentrating on my exercises but couldn’t help noticing that he was making this noise from his nose. I don’t know if he wanted to blow his nose or what but the next minute I noticed he lifted up his right hand and was trying to touch his nose. I don’t think he is hemiplegic because although his hand was very wobbly, he was able to move it. I really wish I didn’t look at what he’s doing at all because what happened next was really disgusting. He picked his nose and scooped this big lump of ‘thingo’ out. It’s about the size of a pea. He didn’t have any tissue so he just let it ‘sit’ on the tip of his index finger. I didn’t know whether to ask for help for him or not but in the end I thought I should just mind my own business because I might embarrass him. If I were in that situation I think the last thing I want is knowing someone actually saw what I just did. The porter finally came to pick him up and gave him some tissue so the crisis was over.
Gary came in with his electric wheelchair when I was still doing my dorsiflexion exercises against the wall. I was hoping that I don’t have to face him so I don’t have to talk to him. Unfortunately, the other room was a bit crowded so he parked in front of me. I only said hello to him just to be polite but being a chatter box he just had to ask how my exercise was going. I rather endure the uncomfortable silence than to start on a contrived conversation. Fortunately, Gavin came back and told him he’d tape my foot. He said he can’t do the test today because some workmen have blocked the front door and it’s better to do the test next time. He asked me again if I want to be on TV. He asked around if people have been on TV before. I didn’t want to tell him that actually I have been on TV before. This was a few years ago when I was actively involved in the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce. I had to do an interview in Mandarin on someone and it was brocasted on channel 32 community television. Most people probably don’t even know about this channel. I didn’t feel like telling him about it because it’s a bit like a character from ‘Lost’ (a drama series on Channel 7) said to the people who survived the crash on the island that everyone gets a new start on this island and nobody needs to worry about their past. There is no need for me to tell people what I used to do because all it matters now is how do I get better. I’m glad that Gavin is not the sort of person who remembers all the details and nosy aboout everything because on the MECRS discharge report it mentioned something about modelling. I don’t know where they got that information from because I haven’t done any modelling since my university days and I was a bit sick and tired having to explain to people who pick up on this in the report.
I think Gary is just very bad news for me because Gavin had to go with him across the road to the hospital. Gavin told Tracy to get me practising walking up and down the stairs while he is away. We did a few laps of the stairs and then the trampoline. She then set up the boxes in the walking rails for me to practise jumping. I don’t know if she ever get bored because she always stands there watching me when she’s been instructed by Gavin to help me with my practice. I got a little bit bored after I don’t know how many jumps. She said I could sit down and have a rest if I wanted to so
I did. Gavin and Gary came back just when I sat down. Gavin looked at me and asked me ‘what are you doing?’ I told him I’m just having a rest. He looked at Tracy and asked her ‘What’s going on? Why aren’t you cracking the whip?’ Gary jumped in and said ‘it must be a female thing. Just sitting around and chat.’ I felt like saying to him that he is the biggest chatterbox I’ve seen.
I went back to the jumping practice when I had enough rest. Gavin came out from the staff room holding the goodies from Brunetti and said he just realised where Brunetti is about a month ago when another patient brought in something from there. He said he didn’t know where Brunetti was and people laughed at him. Gary asked him if he’s been to Florentino before. I can’t remember what he said but Gary was just going on and on about how expensive that place is. He also mentioned Lynch’s – another expensive restaurant. I felt like telling him those places are not fashionable anymore. I think they were very popular in the 90’s but have gone downhill a bit since. It brought back a lot of memory. When I was working in chartered accounting firms, these were the sort of restaurants we took our clients to and that’s something I don’t miss. The reason I got out of chartered accounting and financial planning is because I’m sick and tired being materialistic. I don’t want to be inspired by designer label clothes, prestigious cars and facy restaurants anymore and I found my colleagues at the tax office have much simpler life and are much happier.
In the afternoon, I went to Barcly Squares to do my weekly grocery shopping. When i went to the green grocers, someone looked at my foot (with ankle brace on) and asked me what happened to me. I told him I had a bit of accident thinking he'll just let me go but he asked me what kind of accident, road accident or push bike. I was a bit annoyed and told him it's neither. I told him it was a skiing accident. I can't believe he actually asked me whether it's water skiing or snow skiing. I told him it was snow skiing. This is the first time I was able to lie to someone about what happened to me. I don't know whether he remembered seeing me limping before the snow season started because I have been shopping there for a few months.
posted by Teresa Liu at 1:49 AM
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