Tag: Physiotherapy

Gratitude List – October 22, 2011

I have decided to rename my weekly recap to “Gratitude List” with a date as, this was the original purpose of the posts. I shall post this every Saturday.

Right on top of the list is that I am able now to resume normal blogging activities. I even posted my LBC post yesterday and have left comments on all the blogs that I regularly visit.

Last Saturday I took my first unassisted shower. Before that, Ranjan kept a careful eye on my to see that I can navigate the bathroom, the shower enclave and do not slip. That was, for me a highly liberating experience. Saturday also saw Zainab and Homiyar visit which was highly motivating for me as the latter is a seasoned physiotherapist who gave me some invaluable advise for free!

From last Sunday, I have been able to carry out all my exercises without any assistance. This means that my muscles are now strong enough to do so without some support which used to be given to me by Ranjan. This was possible thanks to a couple of tips that Homiyar had given on Saturday.

Monday saw my sister arriving from Chennai to spend three days with me. She brought a lot of goodies for me and our father and the latter was thrilled. Unfortunately, I have to stay away from at least some of them lest I put on weight which is strictly taboo for now for me. Monday also saw our good friend Sanjay landing up to cheer me up which was very nice of him considering his very many preoccupations.

Tuesday and Wednesday saw Padmini and Shanta go out shopping and getting some badly needed replenishments for me.

Wednesday saw Padmini, Shanta and Arvind depart for Chennai. Shanta and Arvind deserve all my gratitude for having carried a big burden during my surgery and immediate post op recovery. That they and Padmini were able to wind up that great time together was a bonus. I am also grateful that they felt that I am fit enough to be left to fend for myself.

Wednesday also saw the new domestic arrangements come into effect with Mangal spending nights with us to help me navigate the morning tea/coffee/breakfast routine.

Thursday saw me making a determined effort to get back to spending as much time at the computer as I was doing pre op. I was able to.

Friday had me write my first post op LBC post and also leave comments on all the blogs that I visit regularly.

All in all, a satisfactory week and much to be grateful for. The only negative is the departure of the Chennai gang which has left me with the empty nest syndrom.

Someone Needs To Work On Me.

Ursula, in her comments on my blog Balding And Spam, had this interesting thought at the end. “On a side note: Someone needs to start working on you, Ramana.”

In my book, a good thought deserves careful consideration and in this case a responsible response as well. So, here is my response after careful deliberation.

There are two types of work that needs to be done on me. Let me get the easier one out of the way first, work on my body.

I have had teams of surgeons, anesthetists, interns, nurses, and other specialists, work on two vital pieces of my body, my hips, on four occasions. On the last, they almost bid me final good bye, and I think that it was meant to be that I have a long distance betrothal in the future, that I did not oblige them.

Subsequently, I had an Orthopedist and and a Neurosurgeon work on my ulnar palsy for three months, just earlier this year.

On all five occasions, their efforts were supplemented by teams of physiotherapists who took perverse delight in working on me by putting me through impossible exercises. That they were inevitably very attractive young ladies, made the experience somewhat tolerable. My bald head did not influence their insistence on my following their orders.

Now, my GP is working on my weight reduction program with a vengeance.

Apart from all these worthies, I also have a choice to make from three excellent masseurs to work on my body every fortnight or so and that I survive them, is a measure of my body’s resilience.

To top it all, whenever my brain gets fried, I also regularly take what is known here as head massage from my barber on call at short notice.

So, a lot of people have worked on my body before and some continue to do so at regular intervals Ursula.

Let me now come to the second aspect of working on me. Parents, many teachers, my late mother in law, many well meaning friends and relatives, two spiritual teachers and most importantly, many bosses while I was in employment, have all tried very hard to work on my brain, without any success whatsoever.

Ursula, if you want to try, you will have to get into a very long queue of such well wishers. None of them are willing to give up despite my assuring them, that there is no brain to work on. Quite why they are not willing to believe me is beyond me.

Do you think that it could be my bald head?