Day 10

January 10th. Sorry for the late post, Luke and I had a 4 hour nap this afternoon/early evening! Changes in medications are knocking us both around. This morning I did most of my usual gym workout, but in the manual chair for the first time! It felt like a completely different workout because I'm so used to being supported by a big electric chair! My occupational therapist, Kate, started measuring me up and scripting my own wheelchair today, so if it's all processed hopefully I will have it in about 6 weeks, not sure exactly on the time frame. The most exciting part of physio today was the few minutes before our sessions started... I'll tell you why in a minute!

Meet Patricia. Formally known as Margaret Patricia Rose Bloom! Her father wanted her to be named Margaret and her mother wanted Patricia, and she was born on the day of Princess Margaret Rose's christening. Patricia has a son Guy, who is father to Isabella, a 2-almost-12 year old, and is expecting on Valentines Day. Patricia also has a daughter Victoria, who is mother to Ben, 25, and Chloe, 23, and another daughter Joanna, who is mother to Claire, 24, and David, 22. Isabella affectionately calls Patricia Gam-mamma! Patricia's husband, known to Isabella as Dam-pa, passed away Easter time last year. She described to me as beginning to get her life back on track and going well, taking friends to appointments and such when it came to August 13th. Joanna was due to come around, because it couldnt be the Tuesday, Patricia had to see the dentist and Wednesday she had to get her glasses checked. As we all usually do, Patricia stood up a bit too quickly in a rush to get to the bathroom, and slipped in her bedroom, breaking her neck. Patricia spent 3 weeks in Flinders Hospital until on September 3rd she came out to Hampstead. Patricia and I have physio at the same time, so I've been lucky enough to see her start walking again! We always say hello and one day Patricia showed me that she'd started knitting again! As it was her left side that was paralyzed holding the knitting needles was a tab difficult but she managed it! Each day Patricia told me she had finished another row or two on the scarf she had started.

A couple days ago Patricia said she'd help me to knit as well, and today as we greeted each other she said, 'I've got your knitting for you!' Patricia had cast on 15 stitches for me. Now I'm not going to lie, I extremely doubted I could do it. But I wasn't about to give up before starting! I have attempted knitting before so I had some idea of the technique. As I tried to hold the needles I was getting instantly frustrated, but I stopped myself, I can do this. I slipped the needle in the first stitch and felt like I'd already won. Wrapping the wool around took a while but I did it, and slipped the needle around... and there you go I had done a stitch! I was concentrating so much I missed most people saying hello because I was too busy knitting! Next stitch done, and another, and another. I even managed to pick up a couple stitches that slipped! Soon enough I had 3 stitches to go, then 2, then I was on the last one... And I did it! I finished my first row! I finished a row of knitting!  You couldn't contain Patricia's and my excitement! I did it! We are going to start going to physio a few minutes early and I will probably catch up tomorrow to do another row!

A few words pf wisdom from Patricia as we were talking, she finds no other way than to be positive. In the opinion of her daughter,  Joanna, sleep is an essential part of recovery. It's happened, the only thing to do is deal with it. And lastly,  the saddest words in the world are 'if only', our vision is 20/20 in hindsight.