My GP has advised that now - if comfortable - I can move around with only 1 crutch - in my right arm! I have found that I can manage with only my moon boot for support, but am only confident to do this around the house.
Tomorrow I can move back to the freedom of my own home - where I have DSTV and am not beholden to anyone! There have been times where I have had ti bite my tongue because my Dad is so violently a racialist in his behavior! He rants at the TV about how bad the blacks are at everything - including speech,but he omits to accept thar a singer can - at her own agency - be called "Sharday" (Sade) instead of how he thinks it should be pronounced! He is like many old British - really set in his ways and dont you DARE to go against the way he thinks! Suddenly he is a fully qualified orthopaedic surgeon and has ben offering "helpful" advice on how I should treat my recovery!
That brings to mind how my ex behaved! When I was in a coma, she was THE BEST neurosurgeon, then when I was recovering, she was a fully trained psycologist - and physiotherapist, and going through divorce, she knew more about the law than did lawyers or judges. I freely admit though that when I was in my coma, she was the best wife I could have hoped for, but after she insisted on divorce, she fell from grace rather fast! I also think now that she is onto her third marriage, so has more life experience than I do! Whether this will be of any use when she passes through the vail is anyones guess!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Light at the end of the tunnel
My GP today suggested that I would be able to use just my right hand crutch together with the moon boot, to walk. This is again a HUGE step forward as handling 2 crutches - and my car keys - was a bit tiresome. I can easily manage the one crutch. Luckily he recommended that I still retain the use of my right hand crutch, opposite to my injured foot! That way I can still keep pressure off of my heel, but still reserve the right to one of my Weapons of Mass Destruction, to maintain my balance!
As it is, I can walk for short distances without using my crutches, and this is - I believe - a good thing! Once I no longer need the moon boot, I definitely will need to be able to walk without crutches or moon boots!
Handling one crutch is far easier than handling 2 crutches, especially as my left hand crutch is so bulky - designed for me specifically since I cannot straighten my left arm!
So, I query, "Is this light at the end of the tunnel, or is it the headlight of an oncoming express train?" - time will tell!
Since I was maybe 2 or 3, I have been able to rely on my legs to get me around. At nearly 52, it rather grates to have to rely on 2 tubes of aluminium to get me around! I loathed being in hospital where I was confined, by circumstance, to the hospital bed! Then the only way I could get around to start with was in a wheelchair, and even once I started walking again, I had to push my wheelchair in front of me, hanging onto that for stability! Boy have I improved since then!
The only bright point about my hospital bed when I emerged from my coma was that from that, I could look out over the valley and see the spires of the Temple in Parktown. I distinctly imagined - before I walked - that I had gone downstairs, climbed over the wall, into the Temple Grounds. Practically this was not possible, but I felt a huge sense of love from Heavenly Father - kind of "Welcome home!"
As it is, I can walk for short distances without using my crutches, and this is - I believe - a good thing! Once I no longer need the moon boot, I definitely will need to be able to walk without crutches or moon boots!
Handling one crutch is far easier than handling 2 crutches, especially as my left hand crutch is so bulky - designed for me specifically since I cannot straighten my left arm!
So, I query, "Is this light at the end of the tunnel, or is it the headlight of an oncoming express train?" - time will tell!
Since I was maybe 2 or 3, I have been able to rely on my legs to get me around. At nearly 52, it rather grates to have to rely on 2 tubes of aluminium to get me around! I loathed being in hospital where I was confined, by circumstance, to the hospital bed! Then the only way I could get around to start with was in a wheelchair, and even once I started walking again, I had to push my wheelchair in front of me, hanging onto that for stability! Boy have I improved since then!
The only bright point about my hospital bed when I emerged from my coma was that from that, I could look out over the valley and see the spires of the Temple in Parktown. I distinctly imagined - before I walked - that I had gone downstairs, climbed over the wall, into the Temple Grounds. Practically this was not possible, but I felt a huge sense of love from Heavenly Father - kind of "Welcome home!"
Monday, July 16, 2012
Efficency
Eskom, the ONLY provider of power in the whole of SA, should be more on-the-ball than they are! There is huge outcry for the impoverished to get power supplied - that they cannot afford to pay for - but when the Church pays for connection - a week later, nothing has been done!
We had to hold our branch conference without power - that we had paid for! Surely in even the Third World, if someone pays the deposit, he should be first on the list of those who get connected? I went there with my Branch President, who is black, so it was not a colour thing where Mhlungu's pay then wait forever for connection.
Luckily we did not actually need power as the conference did not need power to get lights on (there was plenty of sunlight streaming through the windows. Even I - with a strained vocal chords - can project my voice to the back of the room.
What does need doing is that the uneven ground needs to be smoothed over. I arrived after 2 other cars, but as I have physical keys to the property, I got out to open the gate. On my way back to the car, the uneven ground conspired with my still healing heel, and I fell over. Luckily I landed - on my back - in soft sand and thick weeds. The most damage I suffered was dirt on the palms of my hands - easily fixed at the wash basins inside!
What stunned me the most was not that I fell, but that Physical Facilities have done NOTHING further at the branch than they had achieved, the week before last! My understanding is that funds for our chapel WERE advanced, but have already been spent on other units! When are we going to get what we were provided for?
We had to hold our branch conference without power - that we had paid for! Surely in even the Third World, if someone pays the deposit, he should be first on the list of those who get connected? I went there with my Branch President, who is black, so it was not a colour thing where Mhlungu's pay then wait forever for connection.
Luckily we did not actually need power as the conference did not need power to get lights on (there was plenty of sunlight streaming through the windows. Even I - with a strained vocal chords - can project my voice to the back of the room.
What does need doing is that the uneven ground needs to be smoothed over. I arrived after 2 other cars, but as I have physical keys to the property, I got out to open the gate. On my way back to the car, the uneven ground conspired with my still healing heel, and I fell over. Luckily I landed - on my back - in soft sand and thick weeds. The most damage I suffered was dirt on the palms of my hands - easily fixed at the wash basins inside!
What stunned me the most was not that I fell, but that Physical Facilities have done NOTHING further at the branch than they had achieved, the week before last! My understanding is that funds for our chapel WERE advanced, but have already been spent on other units! When are we going to get what we were provided for?
Friday, July 13, 2012
Lazy crazy days
With my foot encased in a moon boot, it is not so very hard to have lazy days! Movement is a huge thing to achieve and it is far easier to be a vegetable in front of the TV.
What bugs me most is that the folks are super scared by government pronouncements that everyone is using too much power and threats of imminent power outages is constantly on the TV. Strikes me as really strange that under the evil of an apartheid government we had no such problems - only under ANC rule has it become a problem.
Then the current cry is that your average school leaver is eminently qualified because he/she is black, to do anything! Amazing they want to be recognised as the super power because they have a university degree - in politial science. That of course qualifies then to do ANYTHING better than the former apartheid regeime!
I am all for advancement of anyone, based on their ability to do the job! Pushing an under qualified native just he was born black is no way to run a country - or a Church! I face some agonizing decisions as to letting the average member of my branch be advanced. True there are those who can fill callings, but they have disqualified themselves by falling foul of the rules of morality!
As a general rule, I love the members of my branch - and sense that they love me back, but I am genuinely concerned that their idea of morality is not the Churches take on morality - almost as if they are saying to Heavenly Father that His rules on morality are outdated, and He must get with the current programme! I admit that I have been spoilt by the way I was brought up. I come from a family that has always believed in a high standard of morality. That is what threw me most badly when my ex was cheating on me! My ideas of morality were not those of the woman I was married to, and it worries me that I may be prejudiced in a future marriage by old fashioned standards of morality.
What bugs me most is that the folks are super scared by government pronouncements that everyone is using too much power and threats of imminent power outages is constantly on the TV. Strikes me as really strange that under the evil of an apartheid government we had no such problems - only under ANC rule has it become a problem.
Then the current cry is that your average school leaver is eminently qualified because he/she is black, to do anything! Amazing they want to be recognised as the super power because they have a university degree - in politial science. That of course qualifies then to do ANYTHING better than the former apartheid regeime!
I am all for advancement of anyone, based on their ability to do the job! Pushing an under qualified native just he was born black is no way to run a country - or a Church! I face some agonizing decisions as to letting the average member of my branch be advanced. True there are those who can fill callings, but they have disqualified themselves by falling foul of the rules of morality!
As a general rule, I love the members of my branch - and sense that they love me back, but I am genuinely concerned that their idea of morality is not the Churches take on morality - almost as if they are saying to Heavenly Father that His rules on morality are outdated, and He must get with the current programme! I admit that I have been spoilt by the way I was brought up. I come from a family that has always believed in a high standard of morality. That is what threw me most badly when my ex was cheating on me! My ideas of morality were not those of the woman I was married to, and it worries me that I may be prejudiced in a future marriage by old fashioned standards of morality.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Moon Boot
On Tuesday I was graduated from a fibre cast to support my foot, to a brand new moon boot! As with most things new - unlike children - it came with an instruction manual - AND two surgical socks. I have the choice of wearing the socks - woven tubes more like it - or can use the boot without them!
It is SO much more comfortable to have a moon boot rather than the cast - that was definitely failing in it's job of giving my heel adequate support,
The moon boot is made in Scandinavia somewhere and it turns out that the self-same firm has made the running blades for Olympian runner - Oscar Pistorius. Does that mean that I am in the running for 2 jobs:-
Assistant coach to Bafana Bafana (courtesy of the titanium implants into my heel)
The SA Olympic squad of 2016?
I am actually retired on ill health grounds - and kind of too old to be an olympian, but these possibilities ARE out there!
What shocked me was the cost of the moon boot - R 1 900 - and that is not even for a matching pair! Designer shoes from someone like Prada are less than that, and having bought one Prada, you get a matching shoe for the other foot - free! I recently replaced my Nike running shoes, and the pair set me back by R 1 100 - and I thought THAT was expensive!
My moon boot does allow me to move around for fairly short distances, without having to resort to crutches. Having been unable to walk around without crutches for the last month has nearly driven me mad! I definitely feel way more for those who are unable to move without crutches, and I am so grateful that I can move around without having to resort to a wheel chair! I was brought up to be independant and having to rely on anything drives me crazy - more crazy than on any average day! I understand that the problem was as a result of the muscles in my heel that keep me upright were pulling me off balance the whole time - and that is why I could not handle down slopes, stairs or even running! My feet used to BC (before crash) be able to carry me up to 42.2 kilometers - official marathon distance (I once ran the Ford Marathon in Durban) With luck now my foot will plant on road surfaces properly. Only, if I desire to go 42.2 kilometers (26 miles) now, I can do so in the automatic, airconditioned, cruise controlled luxury of my Landrover Freelander!
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