The past month has been quite unpredictable. I’ve continued with some DIY projects alongside part-time work. Staying true to my commitment to pace myself, I’ve noticed I’m doing less DIY each session before needing a break. Interestingly, my pain flare-ups have shifted—no longer centered around my right shoulder blade, they now occur slightly lower and more to the side.
The most challenging issue lately has been my foot. The neuropathy intensifies when my leg is elevated, whether sitting in an armchair with the leg rest up or lying in bed. This might sound dramatic, but at least once or twice a week, I genuinely wonder if amputating the toes on my right foot might bring some relief. Sometimes, I even consider removing the entire foot. Applying half a lidocaine patch at night helps, though some nights it only dulls the sensation. Wearing a neuropathy compression sock also provides some comfort. As a result, falling asleep often takes a long time. Fortunately, once I’m asleep, the neuropathy rarely wakes me—my bladder tends to do that instead.
Physio follow-up
The physiotherapists on the neuro rehab team rotate every six months, and by the time of my follow-up last week, Harriet had already moved on. The new physio is Jess. We reviewed my progress over the past few weeks—neck and trunk exercises have generally been manageable, but sit-to-stand movements often remain difficult. I haven’t attempted tandem stands much lately because of how I’ve been feeling.
On the morning of my appointment, I had a fall. Thankfully, serious falls are still quite rare. This time, I was getting out of my power chair after walking the dog. Standing up felt fine—no pain or wobbliness—but suddenly my legs gave way, and I collapsed back against the bike shed. Luckily, I was close enough for it to catch me before I hit the ground. I’m certain that without it, I would have fallen completely.
Back at the physio appointment, I explained how the exercises were going. Jess recommended adding some side-to-side neck stretches, aiming to bring my ear toward my shoulder. At first, I could feel the tension, but the movements are gradually becoming easier each day. The tandem stand remained a challenge, and I found myself gripping the worktop for support again. Jess suggested lightly resting one finger from each hand on the worktop. This way, I can still rely mostly on my legs for balance but avoid the sudden fear of falling that makes me grab the surface tightly. It seems to be helping, though it remains the exercise I feel least confident about. We’ve scheduled another appointment for early November, after my next consultation with Mr. Mundil.
Pacing myself … hmm, well!
There are, of course, days when I really don’t do myself any favors. Take last Friday, for example. I spent the morning juggling various tasks at my desk. Why did I ever think moving my company’s Microsoft tenant—just two users—from one reseller to another would be straightforward? 🤦♂️ But that’s a story for another time.
By the afternoon, the weather was decent, so I decided to make the most of it. Ruth had been asking me to set up the strimmer so she could tackle the lawn. It’s been quite a while since the gardener last came, and when you can’t see the dog in the grass, you know it’s time to act! I grabbed the strimmer from the shed, checked it over, and got it ready. Then I thought about how stressed and tired Ruth has been lately, so I figured I’d get started to help out.
That’s when my whole “pacing myself” plan completely fell apart. Two runs with the strimmer, some raking, and two passes with the mower later, I was utterly wiped out. 😔 Remember when I said I was learning to pace myself? Yeah, scratch that. And before my daughters, mother, and sister start calling to scold me, don’t worry—Ruth already gave me a thorough earful! 😉 Let’s just say I got about as much sympathy as I deserved.
On the bright side, the hot tub proved to be the perfect therapy spa. Not only was it incredibly relaxing, but it also doubled as the most chilled “home office” imaginable. After an hour in there, I felt physically better and managed to clear a ton of emails! 😀 Looks like it’s time to research waterproof laptop cases so I can use more than just my phone in there. 😜