I am not currently in a position to recommend corned beef sandwiches. At all. Thursday night I slept very poorly, and then at 5am the diarrhoea started. Forunately I am now just steady enough on my feet (and with my walker) that I could consistently make it to the bathroom on time. Equally fortuately I managed not to throw up, but there were a couple of close-run moments, and I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth.
Cue 48 hours isolation and rest, which came at a rather opportune moment, particularly for my right leg.
I had noticed that the right side of my right foot was asleep, including the smaller toes, and that I had the sensation of phantom pressure under the foot, on my right calf and under my right buttock. It consistently felt like there was something in my shoe, I was wearing a tight sock, and I had sat on something
As I have been learning to walk again, I've had to concentrate hard on my right foot. I've mentioned that my balance is very poor; one of the contributing factors was that, when I leaned to the right, I would automatically use my big toe and the ball of my foot to correct my balance, since I couldn't feel the right side of the foot. With concentration, knowing they weren't actually missing, I could activate my foot and ankle, rather than the big toe, and be much more stable. Over a few days, sensation returned to my foot, and it's now very close to normal, though still weaker than the left.
On Thursday the assistant physio had me walking quite a long way with a quad-stock (I am due to graduate from the walker soon), and work in the gym, where we did a classic parallel bars learn-to-walk montage, complete with palsied grimaces.
When exercising, I've been getting very tired in the right leg, but not really feeling tired in any particular place. No more! Sensation returned to my right glute. Sadly it was the sensation of "Hey! I've been working too hard. Give me a break!" and it's quite painful... but it's sensation that was formerly absent and if the phantom object that I was sitting on has been replaced with a sore butt, I'll take it.
One of the odder consequences to the restoration of leg sensation is that my right leg now feels much stronger, while I've steadily been adapting to a weaker leg. I'm therefore more capable, but less steady - at least for a while.
In most apparent setbacks there is an abundance of silver linings.
Cue 48 hours isolation and rest, which came at a rather opportune moment, particularly for my right leg.
I had noticed that the right side of my right foot was asleep, including the smaller toes, and that I had the sensation of phantom pressure under the foot, on my right calf and under my right buttock. It consistently felt like there was something in my shoe, I was wearing a tight sock, and I had sat on something
As I have been learning to walk again, I've had to concentrate hard on my right foot. I've mentioned that my balance is very poor; one of the contributing factors was that, when I leaned to the right, I would automatically use my big toe and the ball of my foot to correct my balance, since I couldn't feel the right side of the foot. With concentration, knowing they weren't actually missing, I could activate my foot and ankle, rather than the big toe, and be much more stable. Over a few days, sensation returned to my foot, and it's now very close to normal, though still weaker than the left.
On Thursday the assistant physio had me walking quite a long way with a quad-stock (I am due to graduate from the walker soon), and work in the gym, where we did a classic parallel bars learn-to-walk montage, complete with palsied grimaces.
When exercising, I've been getting very tired in the right leg, but not really feeling tired in any particular place. No more! Sensation returned to my right glute. Sadly it was the sensation of "Hey! I've been working too hard. Give me a break!" and it's quite painful... but it's sensation that was formerly absent and if the phantom object that I was sitting on has been replaced with a sore butt, I'll take it.
One of the odder consequences to the restoration of leg sensation is that my right leg now feels much stronger, while I've steadily been adapting to a weaker leg. I'm therefore more capable, but less steady - at least for a while.
In most apparent setbacks there is an abundance of silver linings.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please say what you're thinking, be excellent to each other, assume the best in other people, and just don't be a dick!