SAINT LUKES - New Project 2

I am been to transferred from Bradford Royal to the head and stroke reabilatation  unit by stretcher and outpatient ambulance service by Colin and Ray two of the most comical people you could want to meet cannot walk at all every time I have to be moved it is stretcher or wheelchair for the first time I am beginning to realise how ill I have been and still am I cannot walk at all every time I have to be moved it is by stretcher or wheelchair I am informed  by an occupational therapist that I will be measured for my own wheelchair due to the fact I may could never walk again the highlight of day are the meals due to all my teeth been extracted on intensive at Bradford Royal have been placed on what they call a soft diet this means I can only have cereal and fruit juice to my disappointment no toast previously at home I have always enjoyed two slices of toast for my breakfast at home I manage to sneak the occasional slice of toast if there is a new nurse on the ward or student nurse the meals are even worse they consist of three scoops of food while  puree baked beans and peas that's what going by the colour they all taste the same like over boiled cabbage or dish water the accompaniment either shepherd’s pie or cheese omelette did not taste bad the one draw back if you drop the omelette on floor it would bounce back once again I eat the occasional proper meal to me in error and I get served with a meal  I am having intense physio therapy five days a week the pain is so severe I accuse the physio therapist of trying to break my legs but the physio is only trying  to get my legs to bend and straighten again I also accuse the staff of making

videos of my sessions with the physio the and laughing at them later physio as come up a little rhyme to make myself  understand what the outcome the pain will hopefully be a good thing it goes like this "NO PAIN NO GAIN" this was a major advancement in my road to recovery I can now see the pain is only so acute that it will be of benefit in the future one day in physio while I was doing some sit to stand exercises using a exercise bar for support to pull up I decided on after standing up to see what would happen while I was stood up if I let go of the exercise bar to my amazement I remained upright the physio  shouted stop right there! I thought I was in for a right good telling off instead the physio returned with a walking frame a bit like the one pictured on the left and asked myself if I would like to try walking back to the ward with the walking frame for support I will walk backwards in front of you in case you stumble I can catch you and my assistant will push the wheel chair behind you in case you need to sit down we

set off to walk the small distance back to the ward the precautions were not needed I am given strict instructions not to attempt to walk anywhere without the supervision of a nurse or member of staff my legs are still very weak I told this is only the start of the process of walking I need to increase my strength and confidence in using the walking frame I hear voices all the time saying you are going back to prison but cannot see why or what for the lang syne these are continuous 24 hours a day 7 days a week no matter where I am or what I  am seeing images of fighting and hurting father keiron the parish whom used to come in and visit me during my stay at saint Luke's as well as local business owners in the Wibsey and my neighbours and friends genuinely look to be hurting these people the images are so vivid and live like these images are contributing to my  frustration I can see in the window of the building opposite I can see my great niece and great nephew fighting  this is making me laugh because they are wearing the same clothes as in the photograph I have on my dresser next to my bed I have also taken to talking to the television nothing strange about that you might say but television talks back I have some quite good conversations just myself and the television we discuss subjects like travel and holidays I can also communicate with the nurses on the nursing station and they can also talk back I now know all this is being caused by my mind and brain playing tricks due to my illness but it seemed to be very real and distressing after several sessions of walking back from physio and building up my confidence of using the frame and my legs been strong enough I was given permission to walk with my walking frame unaccompanied providing If I was sensible and to rested when I felt tired this is great news I can now use the toilet across the corridor this is to be my next project the physio came to my room and said I will give legs today I am going to take you in the wheelchair to your next project I should have known that we were attempting something new we went to the end of the corridor and turned left in front of myself was a set of  three steps up a small landing and a set of three steps going down my physio pushed me to the bottom of the steps and told me to grab the rails one on the wall and one on the steps and when you feel confident start your  accent up the steps this went quite well to my amazement I have made it to the landing were I was instructed to take a short break by the physio after a short I was asked try coming down now I went to the top of the descending steps and sat on the step I am absolutely terrified of the task i n front of me all I can remember is the physio saying you cannot stop there all day and other words of encouragement after about five minutes I find the courage to step out and come down the steps I got into my wheelchair and the physio pushed me back to the side ward after concentrating on the mock steps for several sessions of physio therapy I manage to master the mock steps with ease one day on my return there was two nutritionists waiting to see me I was asked would I like a  slice of bread an jam a strange request I thought but I say yes the therapist went on to explain whilst you eat the jam and bread we will hold your throat to check if you are chewing and swallowing correctly I  pass with flying colours FANTASTC NEWS ! I am informed by the therapists I can have toast for breakfast and anything with a (S) on the meal menu hurrah no more tasteless meals good bye blobs hello proper food at last a major step forward in my recovery I was asked by the ward sister if I would like to try making my own breakfast in the mock kitchen situated between wards 5 & 6 and physio therapy and is designed to allow patients to be assessed and learn new skills my task was to make toast and a hot drink this was found a very difficult task I needed help to handle the boiled kettle as most of the water ended up on the work top due to my shaking hands I still to this day I cannot make a hot drink even to home I have to have carers to make me a drink and make meals I managed to make toast and butter quite well the physio brought me a stool and said I will  pass you the pots if you try and wash up

I sat on the stool and the physio lifted the stool in to place this seemed to go quite well I have passed the test but will need a lot of help if I am able to live independently its over 10 year now but I still have carers coming in to help prepare hot drinks and meals after several more weeks of strengthening my legs by walking up and down between the wards I am informed that next week you will be starting on home  visits this is an opportunity for an occupational therapist a chance to assess what adaptions may be needed to allow the patient to be safe getting into and around there home and outside the day of my first trip out of hospital for eight months I am wheeled in my chair by the physio therapist whilst the occupational carried my walking frame which I will need to transfer leaving my chair with reception when we reach the doorway to get in to the waiting taxi I was given assistance to transfer myself from my walking frame in to the taxi using my frame the trip home was quite emotional and I have to admit I had a little cry during the journey home the first in nearly eight months there is a grab rail on the outside door frame from when my from when my father was a life I used this enter the house it is suggested by the occupational therapist that a  second rail is placed on the other side of the door for a little extra support to get in to the house I grab my walking frame and made my way in to the front room and was asked by the occupational therapist if I would like to sit for a few minutes before I attempt the steps I sat in my new high seat chair after a short rest in the chair I was asked if I would like to attempt to go upstairs now I used my walking frame to get up from the chair and make my way to the bottom of the steps and grabbed the two rails installed when  my father was alive and gripped the two rails while the other  therapist took my walking frame upstairs and I when instructed I commenced my climb up the stairs by  using existing rails with the other one step therapist behind  went easier than I expected the other therapist one step behind me at the top of the stairs with my walking frame and asked me to sit on the bed in mums bedroom before attempting to go back down stairs after a 10 minute rest on mums bed I was asked by  therapist occupational  therapist asked  if  I would like to make my way to the top of the stairs I used my walking frame to get to the steps and held the two rails whilst the other therapist took walking frame down stairs the therapist came back up the stairs and said when your ready you can start your decent down the stairs I will be in front of you in case support is needed and the other therapist will behind you the first three steps went quite well were the existing rails had been all ready placed for my father when he had is stroke I manged the first three steps but I came to section were there as no rail to reach out for I froze it was just like my first attempt on the mock steps insaint lukes I could not move backwards up the steps or move forwards down the steps the occupational therapist said let go of one rail and put all your in to my arm after what seemed like 10 minutes and a barrel of encouragement from both therapists I finally pluck up enough courage to let go  of one of the rails in put all my weight in to the therapists arm whilst I could reach out and get hold of rail on the main staircase my decent continued quite well after the little hi-cup at the top of the stair case all the banisters and grab rails have been installed for my next visit including ones in the shower and a new bath board the grab rail as been installed on the front door which was a great idea for helping  myself with getting in and out of the house and the new banister rails to help me get up and down stairs after quite a few visits with a therapist practising getting in out of the house using the steps to go up and down stairs and practising with the rails and  the shower board I was allowed to get a unsupervised shower I am i am informed that if I any problems getting in or out of the shower or using the shower and the shower board to just call out I will be sat in your mums bedroom and I will come and assist you in fact I was informed by my mother they were downstairs drinking tea and chatting after several weeks of going forwards and backwards to home to insure that I am safely using the adaptions on the doors and staircase and I am physically strong enough to go home I have completed my rehabilitation I am discharged in to the care of a community physio therapist and a community occupational therapist once a week to help myself with exercise and general living skills I also have a wonderful care company serenity care whom come in four times day to attend to our needs so we can live interdependently

There is a wonderful end to my story

 Paul a volunteer at saint Luke's and good friend who as now died kept asking me if Cathy could and come and visit me I mistakenly thought Paul meant his wife who is also called Cathy at this period in time I kept refusing as I am not up to strangers visiting but as I later found out it was in fact a lady whom volunteered on F5 with Paul we finally met up at a exercise class called health wise in Wibsey Bradford England and are now happily married and living in Halifax England