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.