DC Comics are Real
When I got back down to the rehab floor after the washout surgery, I had a new leash in tow. I still was sporting my IV, for all the different antibiotics and blood thinners until my levels balanced, and since I am determined to do things the most difficult way possible; it was taking forever.
This leash was or had become a huge, we will just say obstacle, very fast. Since the blood thinner was a constant drip, the pole went everywhere with me.
This created quite an obstacle during therapy, without needing to increase the difficulty, it automatically happened. Going for a walk, what I now call a walk, would require an extra person; one to continue spotting me, and one to drag my pal, while simultaneously ensuring I didn't get tied up. After the walk, trying to get back to my wheelchair was always a game of Tetris.
One particular eventful walk, the same shenanigans escalated to a new level. It was a Saturday so a different therapy crew than my day to day. We had recruited two different therapists to assist with my "pal." We successfully completed an extra long walk or shuffle. I'm going to call it a walk. By the end I was exhausted. The wheelchair never looked so good. We squared up to the chair to begin the exciting game of Tetris. Problem, we had all forgotten we had removed the armrest on the right side, my still dead side. They assisted me ever so gently to the chair, but somehow we missed the center, which pulled the still tangled IV tubing, which in turn pulled the IV pole over, tripping one therapist, who for the sake of the story we will call Superman. He bumped me just enough that my actual therapist for the day, Wonder Woman, seriously weighed 100 pounds soaking wet, dodged the falling pole, somehow held onto me so I didn't fall, but "sat gently on the floor," as it was documented in the notes. At the same time Wonder Woman sat me on the floor, Superman took flight, He jumped over the pole and tubing, me and Wonder Woman, never touching any of us.
I was fine still laughing from what I just witnessed. I was very worried about Wonder Woman, she got slammed by the pole and me. Superman rolled to his feet and ran over more worried about me. These are two genuine professionals, who I respect very much. I sat there laughing, as they picked up my pal. IV pole. Miraculously, everything was still intact.
Sadly there were no cameras visible, because it would have been another You Tube hit, not as good as the naked disco ball, but still a good one. A few days later I was back in the gym, working with my regular trainer, Wonder Woman waved, said hi and asked how I felt. Joking I answered, "My lawyer told me not to talk to you." My day to day therapist, had read the incident report, started laughing and almost dropped me. Wonder Woman caught off guard had no come back. She too was laughing and couldn't talk. Maybe twenty minutes passed, I had moved onto the next exercise, when she walked passed; stopped turned around, slugged me in the arm, and continued on her way. My therapist again started to laugh, and again almost dropped me. Not much work got done for the remainder of the session.
I know the last few posts have all been focused on laughter, and trying to find joy, even in our darkest hours. This is what got me through the last few weeks at the hospital. Everyday was the same routine, and the food was really starting to be more work than it was enjoyment. On top of every four hours having blood drawn, or given more medications; my attitude was not what it needed, and the miracles and tender mercies that were happening daily, were harder and harder to spot.
My fallback and go to became humor and sarcasm. Thankfully I was blessed with nurses and therapists that could keep me on my toes.
I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father, who I know has a terrible sense of humor, I just wish he would direct some of the sarcasm and jokes in a different direction. No not really...
-Nate Taylor
This leash was or had become a huge, we will just say obstacle, very fast. Since the blood thinner was a constant drip, the pole went everywhere with me.
This created quite an obstacle during therapy, without needing to increase the difficulty, it automatically happened. Going for a walk, what I now call a walk, would require an extra person; one to continue spotting me, and one to drag my pal, while simultaneously ensuring I didn't get tied up. After the walk, trying to get back to my wheelchair was always a game of Tetris.
One particular eventful walk, the same shenanigans escalated to a new level. It was a Saturday so a different therapy crew than my day to day. We had recruited two different therapists to assist with my "pal." We successfully completed an extra long walk or shuffle. I'm going to call it a walk. By the end I was exhausted. The wheelchair never looked so good. We squared up to the chair to begin the exciting game of Tetris. Problem, we had all forgotten we had removed the armrest on the right side, my still dead side. They assisted me ever so gently to the chair, but somehow we missed the center, which pulled the still tangled IV tubing, which in turn pulled the IV pole over, tripping one therapist, who for the sake of the story we will call Superman. He bumped me just enough that my actual therapist for the day, Wonder Woman, seriously weighed 100 pounds soaking wet, dodged the falling pole, somehow held onto me so I didn't fall, but "sat gently on the floor," as it was documented in the notes. At the same time Wonder Woman sat me on the floor, Superman took flight, He jumped over the pole and tubing, me and Wonder Woman, never touching any of us.
I was fine still laughing from what I just witnessed. I was very worried about Wonder Woman, she got slammed by the pole and me. Superman rolled to his feet and ran over more worried about me. These are two genuine professionals, who I respect very much. I sat there laughing, as they picked up my pal. IV pole. Miraculously, everything was still intact.
Sadly there were no cameras visible, because it would have been another You Tube hit, not as good as the naked disco ball, but still a good one. A few days later I was back in the gym, working with my regular trainer, Wonder Woman waved, said hi and asked how I felt. Joking I answered, "My lawyer told me not to talk to you." My day to day therapist, had read the incident report, started laughing and almost dropped me. Wonder Woman caught off guard had no come back. She too was laughing and couldn't talk. Maybe twenty minutes passed, I had moved onto the next exercise, when she walked passed; stopped turned around, slugged me in the arm, and continued on her way. My therapist again started to laugh, and again almost dropped me. Not much work got done for the remainder of the session.
I know the last few posts have all been focused on laughter, and trying to find joy, even in our darkest hours. This is what got me through the last few weeks at the hospital. Everyday was the same routine, and the food was really starting to be more work than it was enjoyment. On top of every four hours having blood drawn, or given more medications; my attitude was not what it needed, and the miracles and tender mercies that were happening daily, were harder and harder to spot.
My fallback and go to became humor and sarcasm. Thankfully I was blessed with nurses and therapists that could keep me on my toes.
I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father, who I know has a terrible sense of humor, I just wish he would direct some of the sarcasm and jokes in a different direction. No not really...
-Nate Taylor
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