I gingerly asked my physio whether I could wear heels.
He asked me to go ahead.
Apparently, I am in the 'all wrong doings' phase. In this stage, the patients are encouraged to test out the limits and see how much the back can cope with. In case of severe pain, help is always at hand. By now, the physios know what works for me. Like, I am never given ultrasound these days. I am only given IFT and Diathermy. And a lot of hamstring stretches.
Yippee!! Just the thought of being in heels gladdens my heart :)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Movie Marathon
Last Thursday, we bunked office and went off to Forum.
The original idea was to check out Forum Courtyard which is housing some big brands like Mango, Aldo etc. Thanks to my broken back, I can't even be looking at shoes with heels. So, I bought a beige pump from Aldo.
Splurging over, we got tickets to 'Aisha'. Just after the interval, I could feel some pain and stiffness in my back. I realized that I should have taken a short walk during the interval instead of sitting tight. There was still some 4 hours to kill after 'Aisha' was over. We decided that we would accomodate another movie. We settled down to 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai'. I did not repeat my earlier mistake. During the interval, I walked down to the front of the screen and took a little walk. About 5 minutes into the walk, the speakers started blaring advertisements so I hurried back to my seat. There was virtually no discomfort after this second movie.
I must remember to gift something special to my physio who made this new life possible for me.
The original idea was to check out Forum Courtyard which is housing some big brands like Mango, Aldo etc. Thanks to my broken back, I can't even be looking at shoes with heels. So, I bought a beige pump from Aldo.
Splurging over, we got tickets to 'Aisha'. Just after the interval, I could feel some pain and stiffness in my back. I realized that I should have taken a short walk during the interval instead of sitting tight. There was still some 4 hours to kill after 'Aisha' was over. We decided that we would accomodate another movie. We settled down to 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai'. I did not repeat my earlier mistake. During the interval, I walked down to the front of the screen and took a little walk. About 5 minutes into the walk, the speakers started blaring advertisements so I hurried back to my seat. There was virtually no discomfort after this second movie.
I must remember to gift something special to my physio who made this new life possible for me.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Perils of the Road
Surviving the commute from home to office has been one of my biggest challenges since starting the rehab. My physio had initially advised me against travelling long distances and sitting for long. However, since I had spent a full month just lolling in bed as per advice of an eminent orthopaedic, I could not afford any more paid leaves from office.
For the months of June and July, we employed a driver. His activities can constitute a complete post :) He was a damn good driver and I had verbally trained him to go slow and avoid the countless craters and unlevelled manholes plagueing the streets of Kolkata. We got rid of him this month and since then, hubby has been driving me around everywhere. The commute these days is full of action what with hubby and me exchanging heated profanities with each other.
Today was the first day, I rode in a different car other than our Chevrolet Spark. N took us to Haka in City Centre. He did reasonably well juggling the numerous potholes and bumpers-that-were and stretches-only-dug-and-not-fixed. However, I could not scream at him when he missed a rough patch. Instead, I hung on to the holder and lifted myself up when I anticipated that the car could go down at a considerable depth. I had a little ache in my right hand as a result of this. But my back was saved.
This is a great revelation and I am going to use this on my daily road voyage with hubby. Maybe then, the unsavoury word fest within the car will be put to rest.
For the months of June and July, we employed a driver. His activities can constitute a complete post :) He was a damn good driver and I had verbally trained him to go slow and avoid the countless craters and unlevelled manholes plagueing the streets of Kolkata. We got rid of him this month and since then, hubby has been driving me around everywhere. The commute these days is full of action what with hubby and me exchanging heated profanities with each other.
Today was the first day, I rode in a different car other than our Chevrolet Spark. N took us to Haka in City Centre. He did reasonably well juggling the numerous potholes and bumpers-that-were and stretches-only-dug-and-not-fixed. However, I could not scream at him when he missed a rough patch. Instead, I hung on to the holder and lifted myself up when I anticipated that the car could go down at a considerable depth. I had a little ache in my right hand as a result of this. But my back was saved.
This is a great revelation and I am going to use this on my daily road voyage with hubby. Maybe then, the unsavoury word fest within the car will be put to rest.
Monday, August 9, 2010
First Late Night@Office
I spent my first late night at the office since the accident last Friday.
I was given some work around 5:30pm in the evening because the boss had to leave. I sat in office till 10:45pm! I did experience some amount of back pain and a little stiffness. But the good thing was that this pain did not spillover onto the next day.
I would not like to tax my healing back very frequently.
But this rare late night in office fixing high visibility issue did boost my confidence a lot :)
I was given some work around 5:30pm in the evening because the boss had to leave. I sat in office till 10:45pm! I did experience some amount of back pain and a little stiffness. But the good thing was that this pain did not spillover onto the next day.
I would not like to tax my healing back very frequently.
But this rare late night in office fixing high visibility issue did boost my confidence a lot :)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Things I Miss
I have been meaning to write this post for quite some time now.
It is an understatement that life has been vastly different ever since I broke my back. Still, there are things that I find I can live without. Like heels. The devilish red pointy one gives me blues at time though. There are, however the following things that I find hard to come to terms with.
1. Splashing cold water on my face the first thing in the morning. Gurgling after lunch.
The reason why I am unable to do both is my inability to bend forward. If I try to do any of the above (and I have tried), I end up wetting the front of my dress.
2. Picking up stuff from the floor/below knee level. I hate having to call somebody to pick up my stuff for me. So, most of the time, I use my feet as a mini-crane and get my hands on the desired object.
3. Having to depend on someone to drive me around to my destination. My greatest objection against American city life was the sketchy public transport. But with my weak back and the numerous potholes dotting the Kolkata roads, hubby has to take me around everywhere - office, physio chamber etc. I am basically under house arrest when the car goes for servicing. It is particularly hard for me because just about a year back, I used to travel in public buses - standing inside the bus, wearing a sari and carrying a laptop. Now, I can do none of the three.
4. Thinking twice before taking stairs.
5. Not being able to use a bucket and a mug for taking bath. In bathrooms where the shower cannot mix hot and cold water, hubby has to get tepid water for me in a bucket on a plastic table and I dip the mug in the bucket and take my bath. My physio has strictly instructed me not to take a bath in cold water.
I hope, in time, I will be better equipped to deal with the restrictions that my back injury brought with it.
It is an understatement that life has been vastly different ever since I broke my back. Still, there are things that I find I can live without. Like heels. The devilish red pointy one gives me blues at time though. There are, however the following things that I find hard to come to terms with.
1. Splashing cold water on my face the first thing in the morning. Gurgling after lunch.
The reason why I am unable to do both is my inability to bend forward. If I try to do any of the above (and I have tried), I end up wetting the front of my dress.
2. Picking up stuff from the floor/below knee level. I hate having to call somebody to pick up my stuff for me. So, most of the time, I use my feet as a mini-crane and get my hands on the desired object.
3. Having to depend on someone to drive me around to my destination. My greatest objection against American city life was the sketchy public transport. But with my weak back and the numerous potholes dotting the Kolkata roads, hubby has to take me around everywhere - office, physio chamber etc. I am basically under house arrest when the car goes for servicing. It is particularly hard for me because just about a year back, I used to travel in public buses - standing inside the bus, wearing a sari and carrying a laptop. Now, I can do none of the three.
4. Thinking twice before taking stairs.
5. Not being able to use a bucket and a mug for taking bath. In bathrooms where the shower cannot mix hot and cold water, hubby has to get tepid water for me in a bucket on a plastic table and I dip the mug in the bucket and take my bath. My physio has strictly instructed me not to take a bath in cold water.
I hope, in time, I will be better equipped to deal with the restrictions that my back injury brought with it.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Exercises
My physio has asked me to do a set of back stretches twice a day and has also encouraged me to take 20 minute brisk walks. Unfortunately, with my office schedule, I manage to do neither. As a result, I developed a nagging pain in the left part of the small of the back. My physio quickly located the cause to be my habitual inactivity and the subconscious reflex of trying to 'protect' my back. So, yesterday's physio session was all about exercises.
I started off on toe curls - both upward and downward. I then did hamstring streches. This was followed by side leg lifts. I was then led to the 'theraband' area where an elastic band was tied to my waist while I moved back a few steps and held the position. I had to do this walking backwards and sideways. Then the head physio put me on my back on two medicine balls and rolled them. I felt really insecure. I have never liked having my feet up from terra firma. I hate lifts and absolutely dread airplanes. Naturally, while the balls rolled below my back, I had a feeling that I was about to fall in between them on the floor. Needless to say, no such thing happened.
The physio made me do front bend stretches while he thumped my back from top to bottom. We did this two times.
The final exercise had me standing on a pneumatic cushion and playing catch with another of the physio guys. The cushion ensured that I had no stability on my feet and I was wary that the ball would hit me in the eye and push off my contacts. Again, my fears were unfounded.
I was given Diatherm and a little bit of IFT on my sore area.
Then, finally, I went home.
I started off on toe curls - both upward and downward. I then did hamstring streches. This was followed by side leg lifts. I was then led to the 'theraband' area where an elastic band was tied to my waist while I moved back a few steps and held the position. I had to do this walking backwards and sideways. Then the head physio put me on my back on two medicine balls and rolled them. I felt really insecure. I have never liked having my feet up from terra firma. I hate lifts and absolutely dread airplanes. Naturally, while the balls rolled below my back, I had a feeling that I was about to fall in between them on the floor. Needless to say, no such thing happened.
The physio made me do front bend stretches while he thumped my back from top to bottom. We did this two times.
The final exercise had me standing on a pneumatic cushion and playing catch with another of the physio guys. The cushion ensured that I had no stability on my feet and I was wary that the ball would hit me in the eye and push off my contacts. Again, my fears were unfounded.
I was given Diatherm and a little bit of IFT on my sore area.
Then, finally, I went home.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Cause and Effect
I am in a real nasty mood today. Therefore, today's post will be all bitching.
I never mentioned the person responsible for my injury.
Today, I plan to 'expose' the guy.
He was(is?) my friend. We used to be colleagues at the company where I started my career.
Incidentally, he was in USA at the same time I was.
We planned a trip. It might have all ended well were it not for one single moment of carelessness on his part.
I might have forgiven him had he sustained any injury at the time of the 'incident'. However, he just walked away from the whole episode without a scratch on him. And I stand maimed for life.
When the ambulance was taking me away to the nearest hospital, he was busy calling his car insurance.
He should have escorted me back to my apartment. Instead he took an earlier flight stating office emergency.
I will never forget that day at the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I was strapped onto a wheelchair. With a broken back. All alone in an alien country.
I could not stop my tears from streaming down.
However, I was not aware of the long term damage done to my back. I just thought of my back injury as one broken bone which would heal in due course of time. Little did I know that spinal compression fractures literally change the entire dynamics of the spine. It messes up discs, nerves and muscles. I have had to retrain myself to deal with my back on a day-to-day basis.
And all this while, the 'cause' has been living his life - buying cars, recording music et all. He does call from time to time. Just routine calls. To let him know if I need any help. I am sure he has brushed off the guilt long time back. His calls are just a way of showing magnanimity.
The 'effect' is still trying to make sense of why God made her live that fateful afternoon.
I never mentioned the person responsible for my injury.
Today, I plan to 'expose' the guy.
He was(is?) my friend. We used to be colleagues at the company where I started my career.
Incidentally, he was in USA at the same time I was.
We planned a trip. It might have all ended well were it not for one single moment of carelessness on his part.
I might have forgiven him had he sustained any injury at the time of the 'incident'. However, he just walked away from the whole episode without a scratch on him. And I stand maimed for life.
When the ambulance was taking me away to the nearest hospital, he was busy calling his car insurance.
He should have escorted me back to my apartment. Instead he took an earlier flight stating office emergency.
I will never forget that day at the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I was strapped onto a wheelchair. With a broken back. All alone in an alien country.
I could not stop my tears from streaming down.
However, I was not aware of the long term damage done to my back. I just thought of my back injury as one broken bone which would heal in due course of time. Little did I know that spinal compression fractures literally change the entire dynamics of the spine. It messes up discs, nerves and muscles. I have had to retrain myself to deal with my back on a day-to-day basis.
And all this while, the 'cause' has been living his life - buying cars, recording music et all. He does call from time to time. Just routine calls. To let him know if I need any help. I am sure he has brushed off the guilt long time back. His calls are just a way of showing magnanimity.
The 'effect' is still trying to make sense of why God made her live that fateful afternoon.
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