Pugwash's peg-leg

[Peter Gutterman]

A bit at a time.

Last Friday's physio included successful exploration on how to cope with pavement camber and slopes/ramps.
Rounded the session off using just one crutch.

At one point I remarked it almost felt like 'walking'; Mel, my guide then removed the crutch.
For the first time I took 3 short, tentative steps.

A eurica moment to be savoured.

just enough to open the flood gate of potential (like, I didn't become a heap on the floor!)

Each of those brief faltering steps were full of future promise.

I feel blessed and hope my words share the same with others who may have their own struggles to overcome.


EDIT
Plucked myself into a few moments of activity...

for the first time, using both stair rails I've just climbed my stairs easily and without incident (13 steps including the corner at the top).

Turned around and climbed back down.

A lot less effort than the same journey on my backside,

Another box ticked

Recalling the earlier posts following this arduous physical/emotional drama/trauma, I cannot adequately express my joy at reading this latest post. Good work, sir!
Please tell Mel I have become a fan!

 

[pugwash]

Thanks everyone for your kind replies.

Physio, tody; TOO MUCH INFORMATION!

We concentrated on walking with one crutch.
Initially it felt very insecure and wobbly.
Mel put a lot of her energy into instilling in me the confidence to trust the prosthetic
and transfer my weight to it at that point in my stride pattern.
I was repeatedly encouraged to RELAX.

Eventually it all came together and I achieved a comfortable gait.
But not before I'd RELAXED to the point when something had to give !!!!!!!!!

There comes a point when one can relax a little bit too much when exerting your body.

You can imagine how mortified I felt, in front of a gym full of interested observers.
Just when you think you're doing really well, it turns into a dreadful experience!

Ah well, there's always a next time.

It happens.

 

[Peter Voogt]

Thanks everyone for your kind replies.

Physio, tody; TOO MUCH INFORMATION!

We concentrated on walking with one crutch.
Initially it felt very insecure and wobbly.
Mel put a lot of her energy into instilling in me the confidence to trust the prosthetic
and transfer my weight to it at that point in my stride pattern.
I was repeatedly encouraged to RELAX.

Eventually it all came together and I achieved a comfortable gait.
But not before I'd RELAXED to the point when something had to give !!!!!!!!!

There comes a point when one can relax a little bit too much when exerting your body.

You can imagine how mortified I felt, in front of a gym full of interested observers.
Just when you think you're doing really well, it turns into a dreadful experience!

Ah well, there's always a next time.

Your post from Sunday and this one shows a lot of progress, Pugwash. With the main items: Relax, confidence and comfortable.
‘Step-by-Step’ up to more.
Regards, Peter

 

[Namabiiru]

Thanks everyone for your kind replies.

Physio, tody; TOO MUCH INFORMATION!

We concentrated on walking with one crutch.
Initially it felt very insecure and wobbly.
Mel put a lot of her energy into instilling in me the confidence to trust the prosthetic
and transfer my weight to it at that point in my stride pattern.
I was repeatedly encouraged to RELAX.

Eventually it all came together and I achieved a comfortable gait.
But not before I'd RELAXED to the point when something had to give !!!!!!!!!

There comes a point when one can relax a little bit too much when exerting your body.

You can imagine how mortified I felt, in front of a gym full of interested observers.
Just when you think you're doing really well, it turns into a dreadful experience!

Ah well, there's always a next time.

Did you count the number of steps forward compared to the one step back? I’ll bet it’s a pretty significant ratio. And remember: From our mistakes, we learn. I suspect it was nothing the observers had not seen many times before, so keep that confidence and determination!

 

[Roger Pellett]

If what I’m thinking happened, happened. Remember, most of us are old geezers, so we understand all too well.

Roger

 

[RussF]

If what I’m thinking happened, happened. Remember, most of are old geezers, so we understand all too well.

Roger

I'm pretty sure I'm thinking the same thing. I would have quickly looked in shock at the therapist and said, "Mel!" I'm sorry Pug, I'm sure you were mortified at the time, but that's just too funny! We've all been there amigo.

 

[Namabiiru]

Took a bit for me to pick up on the part “not to be read aloud”. I expect you and Mel will get some good chuckles out of that story in months to comes.

 

[pugwash]

Another week on...

My journey continues, with several sobering issues.

By now I'm happy to say how indepted I am with the ambulance crews who have been doing a fine job of transporting me to my hospital appointments.
This week I was picked up from home and was delighted to immediately get involved in welcome conversation.
On returning home, five hours later, I automatically looked for my door key, only to realise I had no recollection of having had them passed to me earlier.
You can imagine how shocked me and the return crew were to find my door left wide open with the key still in the lock!

Anyway, the physio session went well, involving one crutch walking up and down slopes and negotiating a slalom course around a row of cones, without issue.

However, the last visits have included the involvement of another physio, a young and keen lady.
Her main contribution being pointing out how I was gripping the crutch in my left hand and how more efficient it would be to rotate my forearm by 90 degrees, in spite of me comment the new position felt 'uncomfortable'.
And so the session proceeded to the end.

It wasn't until I woke the next morning with a dislocated elbow. OUCH!
I then remembered the fall I had in 1977, when I fractured the end of the radius in that joint and have spent a lifetime coping with the elbows limitations and occasional spontaneous dislocation.

How easy it is to forget why one adopts strategies to cope with such things; then oops! there it goes again!

My remaining knee has similar issues since surgery in 1970, which means I can't lock the leg straight, often being commented upon by the physio.

Fortunately no real harm done, but several 'wake up' moments to be remembered and discussed.

The following day I was misdelivered a small parcel which should have gone next door (neighbours who don't talk to me).
By mid-day this was bugging me, as I have no means to contact them.
So I put on my prosthetic leg, plus crutches, climbed out of my door and made my way painfully down my sloping drive (with a still dislocated elbow).
To my astonishment the young lady, who's parcel it was, had just come outside; so I passed it to her over the fence, which thankfully halved my expected journey.

She had the good grace to politely say thank you.
But I got a bewildered stare when I proudly said this was my first 'trip' outside unaccompanied in eleven months.
Returning up my drive and climbing up the steps was a real effort and I was glad my wheelchair was there to receive me.

Once more, thank you to my forum friends for allowing me to share my travails.
It means so much to me.

 

[RussF]

You are a model of courage and strength Pug! Bravo to you for taking your first solo venture outside. That's one small step for Pug, one giant leap for Pug's recovery. Does you elbow tend to relocate itself or do you have to have it manipulated (ouch)?

 

[pugwash]

You are a model of courage and strength Pug! Bravo to you for taking your first solo venture outside. That's one small step for Pug, one giant leap for Pug's recovery. Does you elbow tend to relocate itself or do you have to have it manipulated (ouch)?

Thank you, Russ.
Yes, the elbow finds its way back after about a day, when all of a sudden it's painless and 'mended'.

 

[Peter Gutterman]

Thanks for the update. Sounds more forward than retrograde in the aggregate I'm pleased to observe!
Sometimes it's hard to stay positive. Thanks for modeling that!

 

[dockattner]

Bold move to venture outside on your own. Courage takes many forms, but it is recognizable when it happens.

 

[pugwash]

Thanks for the update. Sounds more forward than retrograde in the aggregate I'm pleased to observe!
Sometimes it's hard to stay positive. Thanks for modeling that!

Thanks again, Peter.

At some point I've mentioned this many pages ago...

In the film 'Lawrence of Arabia', the protagonist explains (I paraphrase), ''It's not the pain that's important, it's not minding the pain'.

Reading his published letters...

He once stopped (on his Brough) to assist an RTA.
He tried to start a car by the crank handle.
It kicked back and broke his right arm.
After retarding the ignition he started it with his left.
He got a bystander to kick up the Brough and rode it back to camp with his R arm dangling, changing gear with his foot.
The MO was out so he sat and waited for over an hour before he was attended to.
At no point did he give the slightest indication he was in pain.

I don't pretend to be in that league, but after having my leg crushed to pulp and waiting 2 hours in the middle of the road, before the medvac 'copter arrived; at which point I was thankfully administered Ketamine.

It's not the kind of grit I'd wish upon anyone... but it can be done.

EDIT:-

As for my progress... the biggest setback was the accident.
The glitches since seem small beer by comparison.

There have been many challenges to overcome throughout my life, few of which I've avoided. A bit of ducking and diving turns such challenges into adventures.
There is some truth in the 'No Pain, No Gain' outlook.
Sometimes you get little choice but to go forward.

I see the future as my biggest challenge of all.
Mentally I've never been stronger, which amazes even me.

I recon the physio re-hab sessions are coming to the point where there will be little left to do. I'll miss them, it's been rewarding and fun.

Until next time...