ALERT THE MEDIA
21 June 2003
I HAVE SHOWERED!!!!!!
Amazing how much better I feel after 2 weeks of sponge baths. Now that I've been doing
my "exercise" for a few days (removing the arm from the restraints, letting it
"hang" and circling it around a few times), the next step was removing the waist
band and getting into the shower. Today was The Day.
I knew it was going to be a better day. Last night I really crashed. The time at the
office had done me in more than I realized. I almost didn't want to do a journal entry
(but when has that stopped me?). Other than getting up to eat dinner and write the journal
entry, I didn't move out of the recliner, my leg elevated on a tall pillow.
The first thing that happened when I got up this mornin was that my knee bent!
This is not to say that the fluid is all gone. There is still a lot of puffiness, but the
knee definitely bends more than it has in 2 weeks.
When I got up, I was aware that I felt more alive than I have since it all happened.
Maybe yesterday wasn't as bad for me as I thought--or maybe it was not moving last
night and keeping my knee elevated for many hours.
After Walt went off to work, I decided that today was the day to try a real shower. I
was by now used to takin the arm out of the restraint, but removing the band around my
body and getting it back on was going to be a new experience.
At first it felt very weird and...well...naked. But the water felt so good and I
was able to shampoo one-handed. I didn't push it. This was not a thorough shower, but all
the important parts were cleaned and I got out as quickly as possible when the shoulder
began to ache a bit.
It was awkward putting the immobilizer back on again--and it felt very good to have it
in place again when I finally got it all secure. But what a wonderful, marvelous feeling
when it was all done with. The arm even felt a tad stronger after the shower--perhaps my
imagination, but this was the longest it had been out and it may have triggered some
muscle reaction. I know when I first tried to type two-handed it was awkward and the hand
felt weak, but I'm almost up to normal speed now, two handed and I think that the finger
exercise is also doing me some good (though I don't stick with it for a long time, because
of the awkward position which begins to hurt after awhile).
When I was all dressed again, I even managed to get dinner together--nothing exciting,
but it did involve browning chicken breasts and putting stuff in the crock pot. First meal
I've cooked in 2 weeks.
This afternoon I went to work, but only for 2 hours (honest, Shelagh!) It was easier
since Dr. G was out of town, so his wife and I had a relaxing time trying to make sense of
the mess (we didn't make a dent). I am apparently going to be working next week and at the
end of it will begin training my replacement.
I did feel pretty good, though. Dr. G called while I was there, with a report on how
his trip is going (he's doing publicity for his upcoming book). He's having fantastic (and
exciting) things happening--this could actually become a popular book! But the thing that
made me feel good was that he told me I had been the biggest help to him in putting it
together, not only with typing, but with research and a lot of other things. I'm so
pathetic--that bit of praise made my day.
Tonight I'm reviewing "ShowBoat" following which I'm going to check out all
the town festivities concerning the release of Harry Potter--I'm hoping to have a fun
report for tomorrow's journal entry.
I'm still sore, but I feel like I've made some sort of a turn today. Showering was such
a biggie.