Learning to walk

Saturday morning soon came round and after breakfast, two nurses came in and said that I can take a shower. It was finally time to get out of bed. I was really looking forward to a shower as bed baths are just not the same. I was expecting to be a little weak on my feet and unsteady but I wasn't at all prepared for what the day had in store.


Getting to a point where my legs were dangling from the bed was not easy in itself, and it felt pretty damn sore to sit upright. Dell dragged the chair across so I had something to step onto first before getting to the floor. I couldn't even lift my legs by myself and I was looking at these two little Thai nurses and thinking to myself, "you are not going to be able to support me". This worried me and I'm sure hindered the process subconsciously. I did manage to get my feet on the floor, but through sheer exhaustion I passed out for a few seconds and these two little nurses got me back on the bed to lay down. I was told to rest and they said we'd try again in the afternoon when I felt up to it. I was so disappointed that I couldn't do it. I'm a great believer in "you ca do anything if you put your mind to it", so I felt very defeated and it really got me down.

I slept and tried to eat something for lunch. I wasn't keen on the hospital food so Dell suggested he goes out to find a shop that sold fizzy pop. I agreed I needed something high in sugar to give me the energy I needed. I must have drank a bottle and a half before the nurses returned. I was feeling more positive and concentrated on the reward of a shower, if I was to achieve it.

So we started again and the first stage was to get my feet onto the chair. I managed this with Dells strength to hold me upright at a not so sore point. I was then able to slide my bum off the bed so my feet were tiptoe on the floor. I was so near, yet it felt so far. One last try enabled me to get stood up, with the two nurses and Dell holding me upright. My legs felt like jelly and I was feeling dizzy. I knew I needed to take things very slowly if I was to get there and to get to this point must have taken me 15 minutes. I wasn't confident I would make it to the shower, but I did try. I was able to get half way before I felt I needed to go back. I did say I'd like to get into bed on the other side, so that I had to walk round to the other side first. Getting back into bed wasn't too difficult, just having to be careful to not sit directly upright. The nurses said it wasn't a problem that I couldn't get to the shower and that we can try again the following day. So, another bed bath it was.

I felt a little better knowing I had done better than the morning effort, and told myself "slowly, slowly, catchy monkey". :-D Saturday disappeared as quick as it arrived, exhausted but I managed to do some very mild leg exercises to keep blood flowing. I didn't want to wake in the morning and not get to the shower. My evening drugs arrived.... and sleep.