It would be premature to wish I understood the icons on this app too insert some bursting arcs of triumph here. I also understand overestimating the consequences of one good day after a host of days filled the clouds of struggle. But it is Spring, darn it, and this is the peak day of the cherry blossoms, the temperature is above seventy, and you can skip down a couple paragraphs if you are busy to the bottom line.

NEW RHYMES: It was a quiet morning in wing 1F, starting with first medication just after 04:00. Those may have contributed to a strangely vivid dream that combined the features of the Woodbine nursing staff, a McDonald’s prize contest, and some mild despair at waking, again, in confinement at the Golden Arches in a traffic circle.

That disorientation faded with the delivery of a breakfast not up to restaurant warmth or culinary standards, and the growing realization that the dream reflected the fact that I have been bedridden in institutional care for almost three months with irregular sleep. And further, that the time for this was about over.

NEXT STEPS: Fridays at Woodbine seem to reflect a certain peace, with changes in treatments wrapped up on Thursday and Fridays devoted to executing the plan and getting to the weekend. I took the relative calm of morning- interrupted by vitals checks and medication deliveries for me and the two new arrivals in suite 138- to apply lessons learned from the disastrous treatment day of Wednesday.

To that end, I decided to execute something like the gentle yoga routine I talked about yesterday. I leveraged myself up to a seated position and saw a challenge that must be addressed in any next steps, which is the connection to the Foley catheter. A gentle tug to a private part reminded me of that, and the route of the drain hose to the other side of the bed. I reclined slightly and maneuvered the hose to a route that saved a few inches and enabled full upright seating.

Once upright, I maneuvered to a position with the bed fully raised in which I could bend fully forward to perform the gentle downward motion between my knees to a comfortable full extension a dozen times. Then slow extension to fully reaching up and performing the gentle extension and “car washing” circular movements I described yesterday. With the equivalent of a gentle yoga routine complete, I reclined again.

I could have rested and reviewed email, but thought a set of leg exercises would be useful. Nothing wild or writhing but focused rhythmic motions of both legs, buttocks and knee lifts to a degree that permitted full relaxation. Returning to the iPad, activity came up in the suite supporting movement of the other patients to restrooms or other function and the arrival of Mohammed for the promised afternoon exercise. I waved off the inbound lunch tray in order to accommodate the movement of equipment and personnel to get things ready to walk.

At the point a moderate bleeding episode was noticed from a small abrasion on the right arm suffered in the repeated change from horizontal to seated position. Such bleeding has been noted several times since the blood thinners were started, but Woodbine facility rules required a stop to remedy. A pause for lunch was declared by Therapy.

Upon their return, the personal walked was positioned and I rose without assistance, adjusted the walker’s path and allowed the parade formation to assemble with a wheelchairs astern in case I collapsed in the exercise. No assistance was required and the parade advanced with a certain vigor toward the nursing station at the corridor junction some 50 steps down the hall.

Therapy declared a pause at the station, which was all a bustle with lunch. I sat in the wheelchair for a few minutes as the rest of the routine was outlined. We would rise assume formation and return to the entry to suite138 where there would be a practice drill to assume a seated position on the commode in the restroom, demonstrating competence on the handrails WITHOUT disrobing for full use of the john, only to show ability to perform the basic function of orienting, getting seated and rising again safely.

We did so, with the walker maneuvered in as I stood unassisted, waiting. When it was positioned, I demonstrated the drill and rose to my feet to maneuver out of the restroom and walk back to my bed, where I assumed the seating position, awaiting assistance to avoid fouling the Foley tube and awaited further instructions.

Mohammed seemed satisfied that I had demonstrated the ability to rise from horizontal to standing position and walk from room to room with a walker and return with a short stop to demonstrate the ability to use the restroom before returning to chair or bed. Or lunch, which was cooling. “See you on Monday,” he said. “Don’t try any of this without having a nurse keep an eye on you.”

I agreed to no unsupervised walking and would request removal of the Foley urinalysis system at the earliest opportunity. With that step, this week has demonstrated a dramatic step in the recovery process:

I CAN RISE FROM BED UNASSISTED, WALK TO THE BATHROOM WITH WALKER AND USE EQUIPMENT, VISIT OTHER ROOMS, and with WHEELCHAIR, MOUNT A SEDAN or SUV for other medical needs in the city.

There are further steps required with Foley device removal and extended rang and strength required with exercise. But not a bed week, considering how it started!

V/R,
JR