Hi! My name is Ceej. I like to write stuff!
As the title of this blog suggests, I am very much alive.
I’m still life-ing along and still don’t have very much to blog about that isn’t just ordinary, everyday life stuff.
The medical stuff continues
The NDIS stuff continues
Some other stuff has been added to the current stuff and that means I have more stuff on my plate.
It’s getting sorted and I’m doing OK.
The blogs will return.
I’m just not ready yet
Ceej
As we catapult ourselves into the middle of August, I thought it might be time to give a wee bit of a life update
Recovery from surgery is going well. Turns out I don’t need to go back to Box Hill Hospital for a check up till sometime next April . This is good as it gives me time to work on myself and get more stable on my feet
I can do things like shower (almost entirely independently) and I have started to walk small, unaided walks to the bathroom and toilet. I can manage about 10 or so steps on my own without a walking aid… although, that is more like a shuffle than actual steps. For the most part I still use Christopher ( my walker) for around the house and Bert and Ernie ( my crutches) for when I go outside. I do have a walking stick but its old and I want to get a new one. ( But I can use that quite well inside)
Work is going through a lull at the moment. This is actually a good thing as it gives us all a chance to breathe and prepare for Christmas. We’re employing more people and, at present, TM’s and TSL’s are being moved like chess pieces on a board to ensure the right person is in the right place for the foreseeable future.
Sadly, this means I am losing my boss to greener pastures ( Metaphorically. She’s not leaving the company. She’s just taking on another role) and so as of Monday, my team will be looked after by a new person. So we’ll see how everything works out
In other news, I am trying to convince myself that I need to start using my rowing machine more often. I used to love that thing. And I still do… It’s just that trying to get on it at the moment makes my hip really sore and uncomfortable. I mean, I know once I’m on the thing, I’m fine, but yeah, the actual getting on the thing.. That’s another matter entirely. That said, It’s still early days and I am working on it.
I am still doing my rehab exercises, my physiotherapy, my hydrotherapy and everything else I need to – but sadly, I’m not running marathons just yet.
Hubby and I just keep on keeping on . We have our routine and it’s working well.
This week I plan to follow up on a few NDIS related things and find out what’s supposedly happening with the NDIS funded bathroom I am expecting to receive – I’ve not spoken to my Provider for months and so this week I am planning to follow up with them and see what’s going on
Other than that, the sun is out and the weather is nice .
Have a great weekend
Ceej
PS: The banner image was created with AI. I think it’s kinda cute 😀
It’s been a hot minute huh?
Yeah, I know. I know.
The truth is, I simply have nothing to say.
So, bare with my while I just do life for a while. I’m OK and it’s all good.. I just don’t have the brain spoons to write anything
I will be back soon
I promise
Ceej
June.
How the hell is it June already? Where has the year gone?
This year has gone so fast and I haven’t even started yet.
So, It’s been just over 3 months since I had the hip replacement surgery. While I’m not where I want to be, I am certainly a long way from where I was. I can get in and out of the shower (mostly) unaided, in and out of bed (mostly) unaided and I walk around the house with the walker pretty well.
I use my crutches for getting in and out of the house and car and as of yesterday I was able to use them to walk my very first short distance after my return to the Chiropractor to get an adjustment done.
It’s been a mix of
That have kept me going. It’s exhausting, tiring and sometimes I wish I didn’t have to keep doing it – but I also know that if I don’t, I’ll never get better and will end up worse as a result.
All this moving about has resulted in roughly 11.7kgs lost (25.79lbs for my American friends) which is also an incentive to keep going .
Work has been insane. Not to the point of drowning but constant. That’s all I’m going to say on that.
From a creative standpoint, I am a loss as to which direction I want this blog to go. Writing about my week – when it’s basically the same thing, day in day out is boring to write about and given that I’m paying for this platform, I really want to start using it for something.
Halfway through the year and I still haven’t been able to jump off the starting block
Ceej
Well, hello!
Yes I know. It’s been weeks since my last update but honestly, there’s been a lot going on.
My recovery from surgery is going well. Day by day there are little improvements. I’m finding I can move a lot easier which is good. Don’t get me wrong, I still have months and months to go and yes, it does get very frustrating sometimes …. But I’m getting there.
The drama with the NDIS continues – with my Change of situation being only temporarily approved due to the fact that the Home Mods need to be reviewed by a certain department . I’m still waiting for the forms to be signed or filled in or whatever, but no one is getting back to me *Sigh*
Today I will be following up with my Support Coordinator to see what’s happening with everything
Last weekend I caught up with my sister N and her hubby J. We’ve not seen each other for almost a decade so it was lovely to have lunch and do a bit of book shopping with her for a few hours. They came down from country Victoria to watch the football that weekend so decided to catch up with me as well, which was great!
May is month of birthdays in my family so every week one of us is turning a year older. Throw in Mothers day and you’ve got yourself a busy month!
Work is flat out busy. That’s all there is to say about that
That’s all I have as an update for now
I promise not to leave it so long between updates next time
Ceej
For what it’s worth, I hope everyone is enjoying their day and eating their weight in chocolate Easter eggs.
Me personally? I devoured a Cadbury Crunchie Easter egg yesterday so I have reached my Easter quota for the year.
The long weekend has been good so far- starting with a visit to my Dad’s place on Good Friday. The Hubby had been tasked with cleaning out both Dad’s and his elderly neighbours guttering and seeing as the weather was nice, we went around and he cleaned them out.
We also caught up with other family – My Aunt and my Step Sister Paula .
Being Good Friday ( and following the tradition of no meat being eaten on the day) Fish n Chips was on the menu for lunch. It was an afternoon enjoyed by all
Yesterday ( Easter Saturday) was a quiet one but again, the weather was lovely so Hubby took advantage of that and got some housework done
Today (Easter Sunday) we went out and did the weekly shop . Which was enjoyable . We also went to the local Cafe for breakfast.
Just a short blog today.
Thanks for reading
Ceej
As the AI Generated image suggests, I am tired.
As I write today’s entry, I am still recovering from surgery and am also dealing with an ear infection in my left ear. *Ugh*
I had a whole spiel about how yesterday I managed two rounds of exercise and a Hydro Pool session but …. All I will tell you is that all went well and I inherited a red pool noodle in the process.
With Daylight Savings officially over for another year ( read six months) Hubby and I found ourselves awake at 5:30am this morning with no hope of going back to sleep.
Please accept my most humble apologies for how short today’s blog is . I simply do not have the energy to write much today
I shall endeavour to write more on the next one
Thanks for reading
Ceej
It was a Wednesday when I finally was allowed to go home.
That morning Hubby arrived at just after 8am . I wanted to have one last breakfast and a shower before I left PJC – so I did
After I got dressed and ready, Hubby packed the last of my things in the car and then we waited for my team to come and bid me farewell and give me my discharge paperwork
By around 10 am we were in the car and headed to our first stop – the chemist. I had bunch of scripts to pick up. ( And by I, I mean Hubby went and collected them all for me)
Then, as it was getting close to lunch time, we went and got a couple of breakfast focaccias.
I tried to stay awake. I really did however, shortly after lunch I hit a wall and needed to go down for a nap.
Hubby had errands to run and decided to take the opportunity to go do things whilst I slept.
Sadly, not long after he left, I needed to pee and so … I found myself going to the toilet for the first time since surgery on my own. Given my overly tired, fully medicated state I was extremely overwhelmed and ended up sitting on the bed sobbing my eyes out completely freaked out by everything.
Thankfully Hubby returned not long after this and all was blithe and bonny.
It’s been about a week and a half since I’ve been home and things are improving a little more each day.
I can shower now. I was given a stool on loan ( I have decided to keep it So, I will be sorting that out ASAP ) and I use it to sit on every morning.
Going to the toilet is still a struggle but not as much as it once was ( it’s due to my surgery wound not being healed properly just yet and where it’s located on my right leg)
Getting dressed is still a slow process but again, I am getting there.
I do exercise daily so there is that. My rehabilitation takes a step up a notch as of this weekend when I hit the pool and start Hydrotherapy
Being home has been nice. I was worried at first. Mainly because I thought I wouldn’t be able to shower – but since I have that sorted, I am pretty much OK.
Things I currently not allowed to do
Those I need to wait a little bit longer for. They will come 😀
Once again, huge thanks to everyone at PJC for their support, care and understanding.
Only onwards and upwards from here!
Thanks for reading
Ceej
Good morning !
Happy Sunday!
For today’s blog I decided I’d use a pic of myself in my bed at Peter James Rehab.
A) Because I think it’s a nice picture and
B) It’s the only pic I’ve currently got that shows the awesome shoulder/neck pillow that my Hubby bought me
By my second week, not only did I have my wheelchair and walker with me – but also my little desk on wheels to put my stuff on, my gym equipment, my revitive machine and more nighties than you could poke a stick at!
Things were going well. Slowly but well.
Due to developing a pressure sore on my right heel, my mattress had been swapped out to an special air mattress that vibrated slightly as you lay on it which was really comfortable.
During that week, I’d had my dressing removed, saw the podiatrist and had arranged a stint in the Hydro Pool.
My walking was getting better and for the first time in years I had legs and feet
(IYKYK)
By now, Hubby was woking half days – so my Support Workers were with me from 8:30am till 2pm then Hubby came from 2pm -5pm to keep me company.
Hubby and I played “The menu game” every afternoon where he would read out the menu for the next day and I would pick what I wanted to eat. It was always two days in advance so, you know, of course I could never remember what I ordered… which meant I was surprised every day when my food came!
Mary-Anne (who was with me during week 1) got to go home on Friday of my second week ( something she was quite relieved about) I do hope she’s doing OK.
Young Master Peter ended up being transferred back to Box Hill Hospital as he’d become very unwell whilst at PJC and a few days after he left, we were told by his Brother and Sister that while in the Emergency Department he’d suffered a stroke and that they were now considering Palliative Care for him. Still, they came to personally thank us for being nice to him and for making him smile. That was lovely of them and I really do hope that Peter received the best care possible for as long as they were able.
It wasn’t long before those beds were taken over by new occupants and while I won’t go into too much detail, there was one in particular who, after much complaining, got to go home early. Not to put to finer point on it but i think everyone was glad to see the back of them. I know I certainly was!
Anyway, on days when when the weather was nice, I’d get into the wheelchair and my support worker and myself would go down to the cafe and grab a snack before going outside to get some air.
One thing that stood out about PJC was that even though It was part of the Public Health system, the amount of people who drove cars that screamed ” I’ve got more $$ than sense” was ridiculous. Some of them even had no idea how to park a car – often taking up more than one parking space!
It was very telling to be honest and I did feel very sorry for a lot of the elderly folks in the Rehab ward as a result. If they can afford a big expensive F- off car… could they not afford Private Health for their loved one?
I can’t imagine how it feels for the staff to have orders and demands barked at them – families demanding Private Health treatment despite being in a Public Health facility . It must be horrible!
I ended up getting my Hydro session which i thoroughly enjoyed! As a result I have arranged to continue doing so from April 5th. Cannot wait! I think it will really help with my recovery!
That’s all for this blog. There will be a final blog about this experience in afew days
In the meantime, thanks for reading 😀
Ceej
By 5pm Friday the 28th February I found myself in East Ward, bed 12 of the Peter James Rehabilitation Hospital in Burwood East.
Before I begin I just want to give a huge shout out to all the Staff at PJC (Especially my crew ” Mamma Mia” “Van Helsing” and ” Strawbs” as well as Tahlia, Debbie, Ken, Kylie and a heartfelt Namaste to my favourite orderly Will) who gave 110% every day to look after not only myself but everyone in the Rehabilitation ward at the Hospital.
Upon my arrival I was stressed out, sleep deprived, pissed off and on the verge of a complete break down due to having the equivalent of one hour of sleep the night before due to complete mayhem in my ward at Box Hill hospital the night before.
Having said that, the two folks from the Patient Transport Unit who took me to PJC were lovely and happily informed me my new hip was made from the same stuff that the stretcher they had me on was made from – so it was bound to last me for many, many years.
With that piece of information tucked away to be used as ‘bragging rights’ for later on, I began my stint in the Rehabilitation wing.
Despite being built in 1985 ( If my memory serves me correctly) East ward looks like something straight out of the 1950’s. Crisp white Hospital linen that had the life starched out of it and every bed had its own blue wrap around curtains for privacy. A light switch, a nurse call button, a TV and a landline phone – the only devices on hand ( Of course, everyone had their mobiles but man, it felt like I’d stepped back in time) Naturally the Wi-Fi was shit.. so, Hubby bought in our little pre paid dongle to cover me for my stay.
Over the days that followed, I had all my gear bought in to help me get around the ward. My manual wheelchair, my walker and the gutter frame that was given to me by Vanessa – the in house OT so when I was ready, I could walk. The nurses would often comment on my stuff saying it was much fancier than what they had on offer ( That was true. It was) I must admit I did feel a little bad but at the end of the day, I had to do what was best for me to help me get by.
Another thing that happened was that my Support Workers were allowed to be with me for half a day to help me get showered and dressed. This took a load off the day shift nurses it freed them up to assist other patients. My Husband was also doing his share with helping me throughout the day. He was very hands on with everything – wanting to know how everything worked so he could assist me better.
I have to say, my Hubby was my rock throughout this entire ordeal. He was there for me every single day. Never left my side. I had a couple of really bad nights while in PCJ and when I woke at 6:30am the next morning, there he was, sitting there quietly waiting for me to wake up. I am majorly proud of him and honestly, he’s just been amazing. Even when I’ve wanted to just throw in the towel he’s been there with unwavering support and plenty of tissues to wipe away my tears.
Anyway, my first week consisted of going to the rehab gym and learning how to put one foot in front of the other ( at time of writing, I am still learning how to do that. It’s a very slow process) and coming to terms with the new way of walking. I can’t remember if I said this in my other blog but I actually grew a couple of inches taller thanks to the operation so yeah, not only did I have to come to terms with a new way of walking but being a bit taller is also on the cards!
Gabby, my physiotherapist, was great and she certainly put your girl through her paces. She was always encouraging me or pulling me up if i did something wrong. By the end of my first week I could transfer from my bed to the chair beside it and from that to my wheelchair and visa versa. So, in recovery terms that was huge.
Around my 2nd or 3rd day, my Support Worker Miss S noticed how both my legs were swollen. The Dr was called ( A lovely Irish Dr called Hugh) and it was decided that I needed to swap out some of the meds I was on. Turns out it was all fluid and thanks to a change in medication, I was able to lose around 3kgs-4kgs (roughly 8.8 pounds) in fluid. I never needed to urinate so much in my life but it really did help!
I had 3 other people with me in my ward during my first week. We got along rather well. There was Marry-Anne who was recovering from a knee reconstruction, Peter ( sadly I didn’t find out why he was there. Although, he did tell us that he had 2 brain tumours in the past. I will write more about him in my next blog) and another lady whose name I can’t remember. She had, had a stroke and at that stage wasn’t doing very well.
Before I end this blog, I just want to say people give hospital food a bad wrap and I am here to tell you the meals I had were rather lovely . All of the vegetables ( I was particularly fond of the potato mash) I could eat. Breakfast was at 8am sharp. Lunch was at 12pm and dinner was at 5pm. Like clockwork. Each meal was like a 3 course on its own. I grew attached to their cordial ( weird I know) and no, I did not go mad for the jelly cups. They just didn’t appeal to me. At all.
There will be more to this blog – a part 3 – in a few days.
In the meantime, thanks for reading
Ceej
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