After waiting for approximately 3 years we finally had some work done under Québec's P.A.D program. We had spent a fair bit in extras in order to accommodate a person in a wheelchair making it virtually barrier free. Some items such as electric door openers for the building, a remote door for my condo and a few other modifications were left to be covered by P.A.D.
One of the modifications was to raise my toilet and replace the flimsy support arms I had with proper devices. The pictures at the top give you a before and after view.
As I may have mentioned previously when you have MS and your mobility is affected you become accustomed to your environment you adjust to them. If something is moved it usually requires another period of adaptation which can range from a few days to several weeks until you feel comfortable with the changes. On Friday I misjudged my transfer from the new toilet seat and landed with my butt on the edge of my wheelchair, while I was sitting on the edge of the chair it was impossible for me to reposition myself, basically hanging on to prevent a fall with both hands.
I do not have enough strength in my arms to lift my body weight "yes I can hear you now a diet would certainly help" the best analogy to describe my predicament would be if you were to imagine hanging off the edge of a cliff and did not have the strength to pull yourself up. You know that eventually you will have to let go thereby falling, I held on for 45 minutes and as soon as my wife opened the door returning from work I slipped to the point of no return and landed on the bathroom floor.
I wasn't hurt anywhere in particular yet my body ached everywhere. My arms probably hurt the most due to holding on for so long and my left leg hurt as it decided to go into spasms for more most of the time I was holding on. Once on the floor all I wanted to do was rest for a while to catch my breath and then attempt to use my bath electric lift chair in order to raise me so I could transfer to my wheelchair. That would've been possible if I had any remaining strength in my arms I did not and my wife certainly could not pick me up so we mutually decided that 911 was our best alternative. Turns out they were very busy and since I wasn't bleeding profusely not at all actually and it wasn't a heart attack or anything serious which it wasn't they referred to it as "humanitarian aid" the only thing they forgot to mention is that humanitarian aid may mean lying on ceramic tile for two hours until they decide your call cannot be answered so they transfer it to the fire hall.
Sure enough four firemen came with the huge fire truck of course spoke to my wife and I for a few moments assessing the situation. Then two of them lifted me and deposited me in my wheelchair wondering why it had taken so long for them to receive the call as they were not busy that evening and would've come much earlier. We both thanked them and they left, I took some painkillers and went to bed.
Saturday was a write off as I spent most of it in bed taking painkillers and sleeping most of the day I tell you every part of my body felt as if it had gone through a meat grinder.
Sunday morning I decided to take a shower which was a dumb move since I hadn't recovered completely from the previous episode, my leg still hurt and my arms were weak. You guessed it fall number two, I slipped and landed on the shower floor for certain I thought I had broken a limb but no just more bruising. I sat in my shower and after a few minutes decided to take a shower there and then, once I was done I transferred onto my electric lift chair raising it to the height of my wheelchair for a lateral transfer.
It was at that time I decided my next purchase would be an electric operated lift. A device used for patient transfers from the bed to the wheelchair or wherever else the patient needs to be moved to. It certainly wasn't in my plan to get this so early yet realistically things are not going to get better are they?
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