Baby Steps

Many of you already know I've been in the hospital. I checked in with swollen arms and sore muscles, thinking I was in for a 1-3 day stay and a muscle biopsy. I kept thinking I was just about to turn the corner and things were going to improve. Turns out that, per the adage, things got worse before they got better. I ended up in the ICU for almost 2 weeks. The doctors drained fluid from around my heart, then fluid from around each of my lungs. They did quite a few other things too, but my oxygen and carbon dioxide were out of whack and I don't remember a good portion of my time there, just fragments. I know I was hallucinating. I went into irregular heart rhythms. I had afeeding tube. I was on a breathing machine. Things got ugly and part of me is relieved that I don't remember it.

When I was moved out of the ICU to a regular room physical therapy began seeing me. We realized I couldn't stand up without someone helping me up. Once I was standing I could stand with a walker for just a handful of seconds. When I tried taking steps I could only take 5-10. My time off my feet combined with the muscle issues I had, resulting in so much weakness that even texting on my phone was too exhausting.

Late this past Thursday afternoon I was discharged from the hospital and moved to a physical therapy rehab facility. Friday they evaluated my abilities and I was able to complete one 45 minute session of actual physical therapy. Here the day is structured so you're awoken around 5:45 or 6a to get on the scale and take some early medicines. Breakfast comes between 7 and 7:30a and therapies start as early as 8a. Not the best schedule for a night owl like me! It's worth it though. I've walked a little further every day and I know my arms are much stronger as well. In the ICU my arms were barely strong enough to feed myself or lift my cell phone, now I'm able to push myself in the wheelchair a bit and lift my laptop. Today I walked 400' with a walker and then 90' unassisted (no walker, no rails). I also walked up 4 little stairs, down 2 regular stairs and a small step, then turned around and went up the regular step side and down the small step side, then, for good measure, did the small step side one more time. I did use the rails a lot on the stairs.

So the news is I'm weak but getting stronger. They're hoping to send me home on July 3rd. Then I'll be adjusting to life at home with the physical restrictions I have. I'm excited to see how much progress I'll make by the 3rd. Everything happens in baby steps, but when you take enough baby steps you can really get somewhere.