Stroke Recovery Center, Palm Springs, CA
I know, I know, you are all wondering HOW I am doing. How do I do it? What AM I doing?
For all of those enquiring minds, here's the scoop; for the others, run while you still can.
I still get up early, 6 AM at the latest. That means this tired old body is ready for rest just when the other folks at the Coral Sands are getting going, but it also means that I can wobble around in the morn, sight unseen. I might even take off my shirt and go into the pool, a thing I would never inflict upon witnesses. I hear you, but apparently vanity is the last to go, way way after stomach muscles.
I can also be there waiting like a panting dog when Ms Ruby cracks open her doors to let out the fellow canines. I can assure her that I am in no hurry to get going to the Center. I can wait.
Ruby's my saint of a driver. She and her VW, "Dinah", take me the 2.3 miles and pick me up after. So far I have never called a cab (though I did foolishly try to walk back once). I think I'll wear out my welcome first. Don't I always?
Once there I am watched over by two ladies and sometimes a trainer. I usually start on the bike, a machine, fully balanced, on the floor. I foot pedal for 15 minutes then arm peddle for 10 minutes more. I am up to a resistance level of 10. The ladies seem to think that's good, but I think they would tell me it's good even if it were bad. The perfect overseers.
I also do stomach crunches on a machine that lets me do it sitting up, strapped in and never reclining. Instead. I crunch forward. A miracle find of a machine. I can exercise the flab without lying back and up which caused my head to spin so badly once that I am afraid to try it again. So far I've done 50 crunches a day, and no tilt-a-whirl effect.
There are parallel bars to practice heal to toe walking (in case an officer of the law ever wants to drunk test me). There are pulleys to pull, calf muscles to stretch, a machine to build up my legs with reclined squats, another press to exercise them differently and one to jiggle my Chi. I even saw a "personal trainer" this week who gave me a series of leg and eye exercises to do at home to lessen the wobbles. I am getting into this.
I just may have the nerve to get on a real bicycle soon. (Do they make adult training wheels?)
Someday I may even restart my pleas to Brian to get me a motorcycle.
I have to do that quickly, while he still feels sorry for me and before I get too much older. Do they have a cut off age for the license?
Even if he balks (and I have a funny feeling he will), I know in my heart that I am already better (even though I still walk like a drunk). Much better than I was 7 months ago
As Brian wrote when he sent the picture of Lucy and me in the hospital wheelchair, "Amazing how far you've come!"
He wasn't referring to the 2,500 mile flight, was he?
- - - David
3 comments:
i'm inspired-wonderful of you to share this (maybe a scooter? those vespas are cute!!)
You have come sooo far - there was a short time you couldn't even be put in a wheel chair to be pushed around.
I have to admit I didn't even KNOW when Brian mentioned the two of you were coming to brunch back in the winter. I hadn't realized how recent this all has been. For what it's worth I've already publicly stated that it's a good thing B found you first or I just might go for it! You're a sweetheart and so pleased Brian chose to add you to my life (oh p.s. Brian I still love you too)
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