I added a Facebook page yesterday for Retaining Mobility and sent an invite to everyone on my friends list so I hope you all accept it. I have been looking at the ways to promote some of that stuff. If you pay them 5 bucks a day they will advertise your website. If you pay them 7 dollars a day, they will make sure everyone gets your update post on your page. I know they are out to make money but for what I am trying to do, it would start adding up in a hurry. I might still try it at some point for a week or so and see if I actually gain much. (Sponsors Welcome).
Nothing new that is too crazy to report. I guess I didn’t add an update after work the other day like I should have though. This is a little personal and maybe a too much information but I had to poop at work the other day. I absolutely hate doing this anywhere other than my house. I have never really understood why as it is not really the hygienic side that bothers me. I realized why the other day though. I didn’t use the bathroom that I normally do when I have to use one at work. I actually used one of the new ones.
When I transfer to the toilet at home, I transfer off my chair to the left. The ones at work I have to transfer to the right. Now I now that doesn’t seem like a big deal to most people, but it isn’t very easy for me. By not really being able to use my legs that much, and my shoulders being kind of weak as well, you kind of find what works for you. It is kind of hard to explain, but basically I learned how and where to be able to brace myself to transfer to the left or right. Now a toilet seat is kind of slick, especially if your pants are still pulled up. Therefore at my house, I have it down really well. When I go out somewhere though, the different size toilets and/or seats makes transferring very different. That is part of what changing the direction that you transfer from difficult. I kind of know what to expect and sort of how to balance when I transfer to the toilet at home. When I use the one at work, I have to be extra careful or I could end up slipping to much and ending up in the floor or something. That obviously would be a bad thing since I wouldn’t be able to get back in my chair without help (and that is not even including how embarrassed I would be!).
So back to the new one I used the other day. Compared to the other one I used at work, this one is slightly shorter. I don’t think it is by much, maybe a quarter to a half an inch. It also didn’t have hand rails on it (they are getting added now though), which seem in the way on the other one but I guess I do use them to stabilize myself more that I realized. When I go to wipe, I guess I also use either the wall or handrail or chair to stabilize myself, otherwise I can still slip. I then have to basically shimmy my pants and boxers back up, one side at a time, basically alternating weight on one hip to the other. This is where the bathroom itself really comes into play. I usually lean on my chair on the open side to lean and pull them up on the opposite side. Depending on where I am what I have to use to lean against the other side. I sometimes have to use my head and neck to balance me or my arm on my elbow, it all just depends. I have about slipped off the toilet a few times when I have to use one other than my house to do this. I then have to lean back once I finally get them pulled back up to be able to button my pants, as sitting down is not very conducive to this.
I then get to go through the fun procedure of transferring back to my chair. I have an air cushion on my seat to help prevent hip pain and pressure sores. It works really well for that purpose, however, it is extremely difficult for me to transfer side to side on as it likes to catch on me and you don’t really slide on it. Most days I can put my hand in specific places to be able to transfer to it when I am transferring back to the right but I haven’t mastered transferring to it the other way yet.
I plan on adding a video of how awkward transferring is for me at some point but haven’t recorded it yet. I will also add another post detailing how I transfer in and out of bed as it is completely different. Thanks for reading!