14 October 2005
I didn’t update my diary yesterday because I was busy doing grocery shopping on the internet. Tim thinks we should have a disaster plan for a flu pandemic. He thinks we should stock up on storeable groceries enough for a month so if it does happen, the best thing we can do is to just stay at home and don’t go anywhere that has any chance of people contact (like in a store). It’s pretty scary to think about such an event may happen in our lifetime but with all the news on this avian flu virus, it looks like it’s almost inevitable and it’s probably just a matter of time. I already made a mistake by not acting quick enough when Tim thought we should get some Tamiflu just in case if there is an outbreak of avian flu. Tamiflu is an anti-viral medicine. A month or so ago, Tim had to take Lillian to the GP to get a certificate that says she doesn’t have conjuctivitis (in order to go to childcare)and got some prescriptions for Tamiflu as well. Since I wasn’t there, he could only get the prescriptions for Lillian and himself but not for me. He then took it to the chemist but had to wait for a while to get the ones for Lillian. I got the prescription a bit later but I sat on it for a while thinking it’s a bit waste of money because it’s quite expensive. When Tim took it to the chemist for me last week, it’s already too late. Due to the recent outbreak of avian flu in Indonesia, all the pharmacies have run out of stock so I have to wait till the next batch of stock comes in. I guess the lesson for me is if there is something to be done, do it straight away, don’t sit on it. That’s why I was maddly ordering the grocery online yesterday.
It’s actually very hard to think what to stock up on in the case you cannot go out for a month and in the worst case scenario, no electricity, water or gas. Tim said we are ok with water because we have a water tank in the backyard. In terms of gas, we can probably cook on the gas BBQ. It’s pretty scary to think of all the possibilities and plan for an ‘apocalypse’.
On a brighter note, I had personal training yesterday and Rosemary walked me home after that. I think not only she is a good upper limb ‘therapist’, she is also a good counsellor. I found that she is someone I can talk to when I have some issues and she is always for sensitive and understanding. I remember that I used to feel very self concious when someone stared at me and told her about that and she was very empathetic. I guess one good thing that came out of my ‘drama’ is that I have gained a good friend.
I had physio at Epworth this morning. Today is Gavin’s last day before he goes on long service leave. I actually have a lot of questions for him but I’m not sure if I would get a chance to ask him all of them. When I walked in the rehabilition centre, I saw Gavin putting a patient on a bike. He was in his Hawaii shirt. Looks like he is ready for his holiday already.
I set up a mirror and started doing some walking practice. I noticed that Nick, another patient of Gavin’s was sitting in his wheelchair. He is actually looking a lot better than when I saw him on Monday. He seemed to be more alert today. Gavin came over and got him up from the wheelchair and tried to help him to walk. He is actually walking quite well now with Gavin’s assistance. I wonder if tramatic brain injury is less severe than having hemiplegia because I was at MECRS for 10 weeks and I only started to walk just before I came home. I don’t think Nick has been here for that long but he is able to walk with some assistance. I can’t help but started to wonder if my progress was slowed down by inadequate physio treatment.
When I was in the taxi, I noticed that when people on the street walk, I can actually see the soles of their shoes from behind. I don’t think I have much plantar flexion like that when I walk so I thought I could try to practice that. When I tried to do that, to my surprise, I almost lost my balance. I don’t know if Gavin has noticed that. He set me up to do some shoulder exercises first on a physio bed. I told him I have a strange question to ask him. One I was a bit embarrassed to ask him earlier. He was probably a bit curious what sort of strange question could that be. I asked him if his other patients have problem with the weights when they go to gyms. I told him that at the Melbourne Uni gym, the minimum weight is 5 kg but I found there are a few things I can’t do – like the chest press and the leg curls for hamstrings. At first, I thought maybe because I’m so weak and unfit so I can’t lift the minimum weight. To my surprise, he said a lot of them started like that and that’s why he and Chris, an exercise physiologist, do gym visits all the time just to check the equipments and work out a way to modify the gym programs for patients. He mentioned about doing a gym visit with me a while ago but I kept putting it off because I haven’t actually joined the Melbourne Uni gym. I only go there for personal trainings. I asked him about the personal trainer he recommended as well. I told him I would like to try out this person before I decide whether I’ll swap my personal trainer. I remember a few years ago, I signed up a short course in tennis when we were still at Trinity College. The coach was always yelling at us and was very abusive, too. I improved very rapidly mainly due to the fear of being yelled at. I only found out later that he’s deaf. He had a hearing aid but it’s hidden well so I didn’t notice until towards the end of the course. I don’t think I want a personal trainer yelling at me in front of everyone in a gym. I need someone who would push me hard but not abusive. Gavin said he can organise that in a few weeks.
While I was doing my shoulder exercises,Gavin introduced me to Ruth, another physio who will be treating me in his absence. I have seen her around before but didn’t know who she was. She seemed quite nice. I commented to Gavin that I guess I’ll have to resume learning to run after he returns. He said he hopes I should be able to run by the time he comes back because Ruth and Chris will be teaching me how to run in his absence.
After my shoulder exercises, Gavin set up a trampoline for me to practice running. While I was practising on the trampoline, he was treating Gary, the patient who is quadriplegic. I wasn’t really listening to their conversation until Gary mentioned that he’s been taking Tamiflu. I almost fell off of the trampoline when I heard this. I barged in and asked him what on earth is he doing that for. He said it’s to prevent flu. I thought he meant avian flu so I told him that you cannot prevent it by taking it now. You have to wait till you’re getting the symptoms and then take it. He said his parter has a flu for weeks and is very sick so his doctor prescribed Tamiflu so he can take it to prevent from getting one. He then went on and said you can’t get them in the pharmacies now but he’s got repeats. I cannot believe what I just heard. His irresponsible and idiotic doctor will probably get us all killed!!! From my understanding, Tamiflu is the only affective antiviral for avian flu. If Gary starts taking it now, there is greater risk that the flu virus can build up resistance to it and when there is really an outbreak of avian flu, there may be nothing that can save anyone. It makes me so angry when people abuse antibiotics this way. If everyone is like this, I think we are really doomed.
I had a massage session with Judy in the afternoon. I normally see her on Thursdays but yesterday was a holy day in the Jewish calendar so she moved me to today. I complained to her about Gary taking Tamiflu and she said she wouldn’t take the antiviral even if there is an outbreak. I didn’t understand why. She said he hasn’t been sick for over twenty years and it’s because she never takes medicine and she eats very well. I think if everyone is like her, we wouldn’t have to worry about the possible flu pandemic.
It’s actually very hard to think what to stock up on in the case you cannot go out for a month and in the worst case scenario, no electricity, water or gas. Tim said we are ok with water because we have a water tank in the backyard. In terms of gas, we can probably cook on the gas BBQ. It’s pretty scary to think of all the possibilities and plan for an ‘apocalypse’.
On a brighter note, I had personal training yesterday and Rosemary walked me home after that. I think not only she is a good upper limb ‘therapist’, she is also a good counsellor. I found that she is someone I can talk to when I have some issues and she is always for sensitive and understanding. I remember that I used to feel very self concious when someone stared at me and told her about that and she was very empathetic. I guess one good thing that came out of my ‘drama’ is that I have gained a good friend.
I had physio at Epworth this morning. Today is Gavin’s last day before he goes on long service leave. I actually have a lot of questions for him but I’m not sure if I would get a chance to ask him all of them. When I walked in the rehabilition centre, I saw Gavin putting a patient on a bike. He was in his Hawaii shirt. Looks like he is ready for his holiday already.
I set up a mirror and started doing some walking practice. I noticed that Nick, another patient of Gavin’s was sitting in his wheelchair. He is actually looking a lot better than when I saw him on Monday. He seemed to be more alert today. Gavin came over and got him up from the wheelchair and tried to help him to walk. He is actually walking quite well now with Gavin’s assistance. I wonder if tramatic brain injury is less severe than having hemiplegia because I was at MECRS for 10 weeks and I only started to walk just before I came home. I don’t think Nick has been here for that long but he is able to walk with some assistance. I can’t help but started to wonder if my progress was slowed down by inadequate physio treatment.
When I was in the taxi, I noticed that when people on the street walk, I can actually see the soles of their shoes from behind. I don’t think I have much plantar flexion like that when I walk so I thought I could try to practice that. When I tried to do that, to my surprise, I almost lost my balance. I don’t know if Gavin has noticed that. He set me up to do some shoulder exercises first on a physio bed. I told him I have a strange question to ask him. One I was a bit embarrassed to ask him earlier. He was probably a bit curious what sort of strange question could that be. I asked him if his other patients have problem with the weights when they go to gyms. I told him that at the Melbourne Uni gym, the minimum weight is 5 kg but I found there are a few things I can’t do – like the chest press and the leg curls for hamstrings. At first, I thought maybe because I’m so weak and unfit so I can’t lift the minimum weight. To my surprise, he said a lot of them started like that and that’s why he and Chris, an exercise physiologist, do gym visits all the time just to check the equipments and work out a way to modify the gym programs for patients. He mentioned about doing a gym visit with me a while ago but I kept putting it off because I haven’t actually joined the Melbourne Uni gym. I only go there for personal trainings. I asked him about the personal trainer he recommended as well. I told him I would like to try out this person before I decide whether I’ll swap my personal trainer. I remember a few years ago, I signed up a short course in tennis when we were still at Trinity College. The coach was always yelling at us and was very abusive, too. I improved very rapidly mainly due to the fear of being yelled at. I only found out later that he’s deaf. He had a hearing aid but it’s hidden well so I didn’t notice until towards the end of the course. I don’t think I want a personal trainer yelling at me in front of everyone in a gym. I need someone who would push me hard but not abusive. Gavin said he can organise that in a few weeks.
While I was doing my shoulder exercises,Gavin introduced me to Ruth, another physio who will be treating me in his absence. I have seen her around before but didn’t know who she was. She seemed quite nice. I commented to Gavin that I guess I’ll have to resume learning to run after he returns. He said he hopes I should be able to run by the time he comes back because Ruth and Chris will be teaching me how to run in his absence.
After my shoulder exercises, Gavin set up a trampoline for me to practice running. While I was practising on the trampoline, he was treating Gary, the patient who is quadriplegic. I wasn’t really listening to their conversation until Gary mentioned that he’s been taking Tamiflu. I almost fell off of the trampoline when I heard this. I barged in and asked him what on earth is he doing that for. He said it’s to prevent flu. I thought he meant avian flu so I told him that you cannot prevent it by taking it now. You have to wait till you’re getting the symptoms and then take it. He said his parter has a flu for weeks and is very sick so his doctor prescribed Tamiflu so he can take it to prevent from getting one. He then went on and said you can’t get them in the pharmacies now but he’s got repeats. I cannot believe what I just heard. His irresponsible and idiotic doctor will probably get us all killed!!! From my understanding, Tamiflu is the only affective antiviral for avian flu. If Gary starts taking it now, there is greater risk that the flu virus can build up resistance to it and when there is really an outbreak of avian flu, there may be nothing that can save anyone. It makes me so angry when people abuse antibiotics this way. If everyone is like this, I think we are really doomed.
I had a massage session with Judy in the afternoon. I normally see her on Thursdays but yesterday was a holy day in the Jewish calendar so she moved me to today. I complained to her about Gary taking Tamiflu and she said she wouldn’t take the antiviral even if there is an outbreak. I didn’t understand why. She said he hasn’t been sick for over twenty years and it’s because she never takes medicine and she eats very well. I think if everyone is like her, we wouldn’t have to worry about the possible flu pandemic.
posted by Teresa Liu at 1:21 AM
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