Monday, July 11, 2011

A tad embarassing ...

Ann, who is my newest and now my main Macmillan nurse, came to visit us last week to introduce herself , which was rather timely if you have read the post 'Farcical'.
She took down copious notes on my health history, from all my hospital stays (no my darling sisters, I did not tell her about falling down the stairs at 2 years old),  to my discovering my cancer last year and then more details pertaining to pain management, side effects, physical capabilities etc.

Annes' visit was also rather timely because the night before I had been seriously looking at those sketchers shape ups shoes (cheap version of the MBT shoes - Masai Barefoot Technology). I found a pair on Amazon which  a.) looked nice and b.) did not require me to re-mortgage the flat.




You may ask why I would want a pair as I am unable to play out due to having no immune sytem? Well, it is simple really, I lost 5 1/2 stone last year (no sorry, it is my blog & I refuse to convert that to new money) so, although I do have a little fat, it does not necessarily sit in the right places. To be blunt, I need a jolly good iron, if I show you my arm muscles, you will be more impressed about the bat wing flapping around underneath! The same is true for my bum - though I definately will not offer to show it to you! - In a nutshell ( I can hear you shouting please, you know) I have minimal muscle tone.

Anyone who knows me will appreciate that I do not really get too bothered about how I look, so you are probably still asking why? This is the build up to the title of the post - when sitting in the bath it is rather painful going from a sitting position to a lying down one and vice versa as my coccyx is no longer protected, so the bones crunch against our lovely cast iron bath.
I thought I could wear the shoes in the garden and maybe around the flat so that I can improve muscle tone and improve my bathing experience. Being the grown-up that I am (most of the time), I thought I should ask one of the many health experts I speak to each week - Ann said no before I had finished!
I like Ann, she had warned us that she is quite direct - which I do prefer I have to say.
My disappointment however, did not go unnoticed, she pointed out that one of my side effects was feeling dizzy. So to buy shoes which change the way you balance yourself when walking or running could be rather daft. As she left, Ann said she would arrange for me to see the physio to start working on muscle tone and she would also drop something off to help me in the bath.

True to her word, Ann did drop by the next day. She brought me a large very soft foam cushoin to use on the kitchen chairs and my sofa, but she also brought me an O ring cushion for the bath. ( I was quite surprised she didn't go back to her car for a zimmer frame!)

Ann rang me earlier today to see how I was coping with my new regime for pain management and to find out how I got on with the cushions, I told her that the O ring was very dangerous! It was fine to sit on, but when I went to a lying position so that I could rinse my hair (I do rinse in clean water at the end), I have to put my finger in my right ear (had an op a couple of months ago & now get pain if water gets in it) so I am only holding onto the bath with my left hand. (Still with me?) Because I don't weigh very much, as I went to lie down my bum shot up thanks to the buoyancy of the O ring! And I got dunked!

She has possibly stopped laughing by now.

3 comments:

  1. awwwwwwww .....
    ....... I havent yet though!

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  2. Do you know Stef - I was thinking of a large adult sponge shaped for your body for the bath. You poor thing, the scene is playing out in my mind as I type! Love you lots xxxx

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