A bit about wheelchairs and me

Good morning all, there was no post from me yesterday because I forgot, I got up at 4.30am and worked out then I went back to the bed for a bit after getting up an hour or so later I had breakfast then went out to do so things for mum.

I had to pay mum's laybys and go to the chemist and then to Woolies and the building society to bank some money then back to the car, by the time I got back to the car I felt like crying from the pain.

The same thing happened on Friday when I went shopping by the time I got home I was in tears and it took so long for me to get the shopping done and I didn't do much but going from one store to another took a bloody long time. So I have booked a wheelchair for this Friday and Jessica is coming with me to push me around, I couldn't get a scooter so the wheelchair will do and me not having to walk everywhere will help my ankle. The more I stay off the ankle the quicker it will heal and I will be able to get around ok again.

Today is the first day of another school term and after I took Leo to school I went out to the day care Kathy-Lee is working at to pick up Summer as I have her today while her mum is at work then we had to go back and drop of Leo's medication at his school and now we are home and Summer is eating a sandwich and watching Paw Patrol.

Did you know that the first record of a wheelchair was around the 5-6^th Century BC or BCE if you like in China but generally the first wheelchair came about back in 1595 when one was built for King Phillip 11. Although it was an elaborate chair having both armrests and leg rests, the design still had shortcomings since it did not feature an efficient propulsion mechanism and thus, requires assistance to propel it. This makes the design more of a modern day highchair or portable throne for the wealthy rather than a modern day wheelchair for the disabled.

In 1655 a fellow by the name of Stephan Farffler a 22 year old paraplegic watchmaker, built the world's first self-propelling chair on a three wheel chassis using a system of cranks and cogwheels.. However, the device had an appearance of a hand bike more than a wheelchair since the design included hand cranks mounted at the front wheel.

The invalid carriage or Bath Chair brought the technology into more common use from around 1760.

In 1887, wheelchairs ("rolling chairs") were introduced to Atlantic City so invalid tourists could rent them to enjoy the boardwalk. Soon, many healthy tourists also rented the decorated "rolling chairs" and servants to push them as a show of decadence and treatment they could never experience at home.

In 1933 Harry Jennings and his disabled friend Herbert Everest, both mechanical engineers, invented the first lightweight, steel, collapsible wheelchair. Everest had previously broken his back in a mining accident, they saw the business potential of the invention and went on to become the first mass-market manufacturers of wheelchairs. Their "x-brace" design is still in common use, albeit with updated materials and other improvements.

So now you know.

Me and walking and no weight loss

Good morning, no Friday post this week as I just had no time in the morning and when I got home I was in so much pain from being on my feet all morning I just wanted to cry so I sat and did nothing but rested my leg.

While I was shopping I had a light bulb moment about my weight, more to the point why I am not losing weight as I thought I would. While on the cruise I said I wanted to loss up to 30 kilos by the end of the year but have not lost anything as yet although I have not gained any either. Anyway yesterday while I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other and often sliding my right foot as it was too painful to lift it, I thought this is the reason I can't lose weight, I cannot walk.

So I told Tim last night that was my thinking and he said nothing just looked at me with a look that said “so” and I said more and he said nothing but then this morning he said to me that he thinks the exercises I am doing each morning are doing nothing and that I should start walking up and down the driveway and I said I cannot walk and I wondered what part of not walking does he not understand. I don't want to walk up and down the driveway that would involve walking past the neighbours who would want me to stop and talk and I do not want that.

If I could walk I would go for a walk but I can't, I cannot walk from the lounge room to the toilet without a great deal of pain and sometimes not without my cane. I am doing the best I can but nothing I do is good enough........

How I am feeling

Yesterday while at the doctors the nurse asked me how my mood was lately, I said so so, as in up and down but truth be told it is more down then up, mum will be able to relate to this. I can't help thinking it was only a couple of years ago I could go for walks and do more strenuous exercises, now I cannot do either.

Also the pain in my left arm is terrible and the same can be so for the pain in my right thigh, the right thigh is all the time and at times makes driving difficult, then there is the tremor which is in both arms and my right leg. The shaking of my arms make doing many things difficult, like sending texts often I hit send in the middle of a word or hit the wrong letter and trying to fix the error is a task and a half.

Also this year I had bursitis in my right hip making moving and walking extremely painful and now I have it in my right ankle making moving, walking and standing extremely painful. I am so over all the pain and not being able to move.

Yes I still get up and exercise each morning but truth be told sometimes I wonder why I try, all in all life is so hard and painful at the moment.

I don't know what I would do without Kathy-Lee who is such a big help, often I just want to go to bed and cry.

What did I do to deserve all this pain and hassle.  

Off to the doctors I did hobble and this is what I was told

How is everyone this cold and wet Wednesday afternoon, I have had a productive day somewhat this morning I went to the podiatrist and had my toenails cut, while I went I left Blain home alone as he didn't want to go and I was tired of arguing the point with him, I was only gone an hour.

I was planning on going with Tim to pick Dave and grew from the ship but as I had to watch Blain while his mum had other things on I couldn't go.

Then this afternoon I had to go to the doctors for what is called a care plan review, this is where they check your blood pressure, talk about what medication you are taking as how my diabetes is going and my sleep apnoea and your get a referral for blood tests.

While I was there I asked about the results of the ultrasound it showed that I have tendonitis, which for those who do not know is an inflammation of a tendon, the tendon in question is my achillies tendon, tendons are bands of strong connective tissue that attach muscle to bone

It is usually a type of overuse injury; the tendon is repeatedly strained until tiny tears form. The symptoms of tendonitis can include, pain,swelling, stiffness and restricted mobility of the affected joint, muscle weakness and the skin over the area can feel warm to touch

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between bone and soft tissue (muscles, tendons and skin). A bursa (plural bursae) reduces friction and assists joint movement.

When you overuse or injure a joint, a nearby bursa can become irritated or inflamed. The bursa fills with excess fluid, causing significant pain and restricting movement.

The symptoms of bursitis may include, localised pain, swelling, increased pain at night, pain that becomes worse on movement, stiffness.

It is caused by injury, repeated pressure and overuse are common causes of bursitis. Some conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and diabetes, can also contribute to its development.

An infection can also cause bursitis. This may occur if a joint is injured and bacteria get into the bursa.

Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms as much as possible while the healing process takes place.

Treatment options may include pain-relieving medications, cold packs, gentle mobilising exercises and rest. Anti-inflammatory medications or injections of corticosteroids may be used in cases of severe pain, although my doctor isn't keen on giving me an injection.

If the bursitis was triggered by a particular form of overuse, it‘s important to avoid that activity, or modify how you perform that activity.

So I have been told to rest the ankle as much as possible and that it will most likely take between 8-12 weeks to heal.

Did you know Monday

Hello Monday, this morning at around 2am my mobile phone rang, it was Jessica she wanted to speak to her dad, turns out she hit a roo and had some damage to her front bumper bar, he told her to go home and not worry about it and said he would go over this morning to check it out. Now when he got up and I mentioned that he said he would go over he said no he didn't say he would go over he said she could come over here and he would look a the car.

Anyway he has now gone to work and hasn't checked out her car because I expect they are sill asleep as it would have been around 3am before she got home and into bed. I think she was just rattled a bit by the accident and needed reassurance.

The new dishwasher has arrived but it isn't installed yet Tim will install it tomorrow morning, well that is what he said.

Anyway being that it is Monday, it is did you know Monday, so did you know.

That the dishwasher dates back to the 19^th century with the first patent being in the USA in 1850 by Joel Houghton, then in 1865 another patent was granted to L A Alexander which was similar but neither device was practical or widely accepted.

In 1887 the first reliable hand-powered dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane with the help of George Butters in Josephine's tool shed and was unveiled at the 1893 World's Fair.

Boiling potatoes will not coo any faster by turning up the heat, the water can only boil at 100°c, turning up the heat will only make the water evaporate as the water turns to steam at this temperature.

Out with the old and in with the new, well on Monday it will be in with the new

Hello all, it is a nice somewhat cold Sunday morning here in Newie, I had a sleep in this morning I didn't get up till 8ish but still did my morning exercises, Tim is at work, he took the car so too bad if I wanted to go out at all today not that I have any plans to go out.

On Thursday evening Tim removed the old dishwasher and took it up the top of the driveway we have out second annually kerbside collection of bulk waste. Well when he was struggling to get it out he said in a tone that pissed me off, “ I wish you could help and not just sit on you ass” I told him if I was able to help him I would.

The new dishwasher will be delivered on Monday sometime, he was pleased that the new dishwasher cost $200 less then the old one, we bought the new one from the same place we got the old one from as well.

Although on Friday while I was out shopping Kathy-Lee came over and vacuumed out and did the washing up for me, however, when she pulled the plug out of the sink water flooded under the sink because when he disconnected the old dishwasher he forgot to plug the hole from the pipe that lead to the dishwasher that now had no hose connected to it. So Kathy had to mop up the water and plugged the hold with a rag, Tim has now plugged the hole with blu tack. I told Kathy-Lee not to worry about it if it wasn't her who flooded under the sink it would have been me when I washed up and she was more able to clean up the water then I would have been able to do.

My Week

Hello everyone out in blog land, yes it is me little ole Jo-Anne, I am not dead nor have I been sick, however, I have been somewhat busy this last week and yes one day saw me in a great deal of pain.

So let us have a look at my last few days, Saturday saw Tim off work and both of us going to the shops and over to my parents place for a bit and Saturday afternoon me go over to Jessica's to take her cough syrup and a few things from Coles as she was sick. When I arrived Kelli was there she came down to get Leo and take him back to hers so Jessica could have a night to try and recover, well when it came time for them to head back to hers he didn't want to go so he ended up being here Saturday night.

Sunday saw Tim off again and going for a motorbike ride with Michael who on Friday night bought himself a motorbike and Kathy drove Leo back to his mums place.

Monday saw Tim and I drive my brother and his family along with some of their friends to Sydney they have gone on a cruise around the South Pacific Islands, at the moment I am not dog sitting my sister Sandra is there but if she decides to go home I am willing to go over and stay with the dogs.

Tuesday saw me going to Charlestown Square to help mum with her Christmas toy layby, now I had pain in my right ankle/ achilles tendon and had trouble walking but while helping her I felt/ heard a pop from my ankle followed by extreme pain so much pain I cried out in pain and my sister Sandy heard my cry out and came running to see what was wrong. Now some people might thing I would pack in the shopping and come home and rest or go straight to see a doctor but no not me I continued to help mum, sliding my right foot across the ground as I could not put and weight on the ankle/foot. When I did get home I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting with me feet up and doing nothing.

So Wednesday saw me off to the doctors to see what he had to say, I was able to walk a bit better yesterday and the pain level was back to the normal everyday level of pain I have in the right ankle and the doctor didn't even look at the ankle he just said I need an ultrasound to see what is happening and to go back and see him when I have had it. So I came home and rang around and the earliest I could get in to have it done was Tuesday morning. I didn't exercise yesterday, I slept in and rested the ankle.

That brings us to today, yes I got up at 4.30am and did an hour of exercise although I had to pack it in after an hour as my ankle was hurting.

The weather here has been bloody cold of a morning and afternoon but not too bad during the day, although on Monday when Tim and I were coming back from Sydney, Tim had the drivers side window down and I was bloody cold I had the heater on and Tim was complaining he was hot which he said was why he had the window down, I told him to shut off his vents so the hot air wasn't blowing on him but no he still kept the bloody window down.