Tamara's SCI Blog

Getting back to therapy

February 17th, 2010

Today was my first therapy after the new year, and my muscles are very tired. They have been putting me on a standing table, and have me stand up for about 20 minutes, and then they throw a ball at me so I can try to catch it and drove back to them. I am kind of able to catch it with both hands, and then roll it off my arms back to them. One time when I went to throw it back, I had a small muscle spasm and pushed it back into my own face. They are also trying to help me strengthen my abdominal muscles so I can help set myself up. It’s been a lot of work, but also I am already starting to see myself getting stronger. During the holiday I was able to get a couple acupuncture sessions in, and that really hurts. The doctor get my legs and arms jumping, and I have about five needles stuck in one arm and electricity running through them. The doctor seemed really impressed with my nerve responses that I have in my legs, she said the other paralyzed patients she seen don’t nearly have as much response. On Saturday the 20th they are going to try to do another lumbar puncture stem cell transfusion. So I’m hoping it will work this time.

Things are so different here, we cannot buy butter, bleach, or cheese at the regular market you have to go to a bigger market. Judy was going to make steaks the other night, and we thought we thought was garlic cloves, reread the whole package and couldn’t see any writing telling us what was in English. After Judy had season the steak and had diced up the chicken, and put all the “garlic “on the meat our translator came in, and she told us it was fresh Lilly Bulbs and when we looked at the front of the package in bright red letters in English what it was. In anybody wants to know yes you can cook with Lily and it doesn’t taste bad. Yesterday we were at the market, and I noticed a little worried about two or three years old wearing what looked like snow pants, but when he turned around I noticed is whole but was exposed kind of like chaps, and then Judy noticed when he sat down is whole front was exposed. A little while later we saw another little boy that was about three or four years old wearing the same kind of pants, so we’re assuming those pants must be for potty training. My aunt said the other day when she was walking to the store she saw a mom holding a little boy with his back against her and her arm underneath his legs and he was peeing away from her, but she didn’t notice his pants being pulled down, so she thinks maybe he was wearing those type of pants.

We are in a poorer city, so they are not used to seeing foreigners so we always get stared at when you go to the store, and they are even more fascinated by my wheelchair. When you try to cross the street you have to be careful as they will not stop for pedestrians or bicyclists, but cars are afraid of my wheelchair. So I have an easy time getting across the street, but Judy and my aunt have to run for dear life.

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