I had a good sleep on Monday night because I took Ativan, and so on Tuesday I felt better. I still could not be off my feet for more that 2 minutes or I’d get unbearable pain in my leg and back. The only essential thing needing doing is to water the gardens. So, first thing yesterday morning I very s-l-o-w-l-e-y moved my new chairs to places around the yard so that I could move from chair to chair and do the watering from a sitting position. It worked. And in the late afternoon, Kevin came by to pick up Sheba and he took her for a long forest walk.
Peter came by about my doing the watering for him and Ali while they are away, but he saw how much trouble I’m having with locomotion, so he’s asked Nancy to do the watering until I am better. That took a big concern off my mind because it would be very, very painful. I cannot bear to walk or stand for more than 2 minutes. The pain becomes intense, and they have no chairs for me to use in their yard.
I feel far better in my head. I was afraid of living forever with as much pain as I was having on Monday. I thought about moving and about hiring a gardener. But I did speak to Ursula who has had sciatic problems, and she gave me hope. She believes I’ll heal and be back to normal, if not forever, for a while. She also said I’ll get better at adapting to sciatic attacks.
On the chaise, I felt comfortable and there was almost no pain. Thank God I have a safe place and resting position. Over several ventures outdoors, I got all the gardens watered. It took much of the day and long, long rests on the chaise or in bed between waterings.
This morning, I feel better than yesterday, but walking and standing are still a challenge. I move very slowly and am still bent over. Thankfully, I finally see Jennifer today. She’s the person whose advice I want to follow. Somehow, I’ll do watering again today, but most of the time I expect to chill on the chaise and read.
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Surprise: Paula called and is coming to visit on Saturday. She’ll be arriving at 9:30 in the morning, so we can go directly to the famers’ market before coming to Pinecone Park and then we’ll improvise. She’s staying until Monday, so we’ll have a really lovely visit together. I’m excited that she’s coming, and by then, I should be moving around better.
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Snap! And just like that, I have an appointment with CAYA (Communications Assistance for Youth and Adults). I meet with Rheanne and her student apprentice On Friday morning, July 28. Kris discovered this program and is coming to our July meeting. We are both overjoyed.
Here’s how CAYA defines itself: “CAYA is a province-wide service program that supports adults aged 19 years and older who require an augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) system due to a severe communication disability, i.e. speech that is not functional for daily communication. The goal of CAYA is to ensure that eligible individuals have access to the communication tools and professional support to enable them to create an adult life to the best of their abilities.”
My problem is with incoming calls. When I answer an incoming call, I can’t say anything. I keep trying as the caller says, Hello …. Hello…. Then they often hang up. And they cannot leave a message. I decided to stop answering calls, but many callers didn’t leave a message. I know from my clinic work that doctors will not leave a message on an answering machine.
My friends know to communicate with my by email. With many, I call them on video chat programs. I really like keeping our relationships close through video chats with my closest long-distance friends. We set up a date and time in advance.
The calls that come tend to be from the bank or where I have my investments, the dentist, my various clinics (HIV, asthma, pacemaker) or government agencies. They are calls I do not want to miss. And when friends do call, the same thing happens. It’s very hard for me to get started with speech. This is the problem for which I’m seeking assistance from CAYA.
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