A Day of Breakthroughs
This post merely looks at the things I started to achieve 2 days after my surgery. I have to admit I was beginning to lose hope and become impatient with having little independence, but on Friday the 15th I started very quickly to accomplish many things
Seizure Aftermath
4 am I'd just had my seizure and felt nothing but lost. I couldn't call any of my family to talk to until at least 6 am so all I could do was fall asleep and try and forget about what had just happened. From then on the nurses kept a particular eye on me. From their side my health was an issue, I had low blood pressure from the operation, I hadn't been eating and therefore had no energy and then I'd just had a seizure.
Later that morning they sent in a nurse who specialised in cardiac arrests. Obviously, you can tell I freaked out at that point but she informed me that I had nothing to worry about and so I could only believe what she had said. I then obviously called my parents, I think I woke them up at 6 am and they pretty much came straight over and gave me the biggest hugs.
Catheter Removal and an Annoying Appearance
Before mum and dad arrived I had my catheter removed (the special device that had been draining my urine.) My favourite nurse came in to give me the news and told me that it would be slightly uncomfortable and then quickly pulled it out. We then used the amazing wipes again only to find that mother nature had paid me a visit. I was expecting it to be totally honest. I usually take a contraceptive pill but due to the fact that I had a high risk of blood clotting from the operation, the nurses advised me against it. All was fine though because I got to wear the really attractive knickers again which was the best feeling ever. I hadn't been able to wear any in two days because of the lovely tube that had been sitting in between my legs sorting out the toilet situation. So it was one of those weird appreciations in life definitely not something I thought I would be thankful for at the time.
My First Hydrotherapy Session Around 11 am only 7 hours since my seizure I was assisted into my swimwear and wheeled down the corridor to the swimming pool. A nice sized square pool stood out of the ground with steps curving around one side and a hoist on the other. I had my first shower that day and it was beautiful. I then sat down in the chair got strapped in and began to be hoisted into the pool. It was a very surreal feeling as the water surrounded me and I started to feel lighter. I spent the next 30 minutes doing various exercises to start building up the strength in my muscles and also to get the joints moving in the socket.
Learning to Walk Again
I can remember how terrified I was to walk those first few steps without any frame or crutch. Safely holding onto the hands of my physiotherapist she helped me to overcome that fear and by the end of the session, I didn't want to leave. That wasn't the end of my physio that day I had another session later in the afternoon that focussed on my walking out of water. This was a lot more difficult. My body felt so heavy which my tiny arms were not cut out for. We only walked about 10 metres but that was an amazing achievement considering the circumstances.
Appreciating the Positives
The day had undoubtedly turned itself around. Not even 24 hours after my seizure I was walking I even managed to sit and have lunch on the chair next to my bed whilst watching love island and diving into a bowl of plain rice, bacon and a cucumber and tomato salad. One of the biggest achievements for me that day was being able to go to the toilet by myself. It may seem stupid but this was such a massive milestone as it started to give me back some independence that I had lost.
Life really isn't about all of the big achievements it's also about the small things. Since being in hospital I have learnt not to take things for granted no matter how little they may be because you don't realise how important those things are until they are taken away from.
