As much as I try to avoid admitting it, it is true that these times were incredibly, incredulously and almost intolerably frustrating. So many “near-discharge” moments were beginning to make me feel like Tantalus from greek mythology, who could feel the fruit (in my case, my discharge and normal life) within the reach of his palm but as he reached out to grab it, it was taken away from him.
We didn’t let this frustration get the better of us and we got back to the very thing we had shifted to Mumbai for, Neuro-rehab Therapy!! 🙂 As soon as it was safe and we had recuperated from the attack of the chicken, we became regulars in the therapy hall once again.
Therapy, we, or at least I, decided, was now going to be at full capacity to make up for the time we had lost and to make the most of the situation at hand. The chicken pox after all, had done… almost overnight… what we had been working towards for so long. For it was after the chicken attack, that I started walking on my own and with considerable improvement in my balance, strength and co-ordination. I guess you can say that improvement is forged in fire, after all – If you are willing to brave the flames ;).My therapy sessions were increased and my therapists as well as I worked extra hard to make the most out of my unaided walking. In fact, we even reached a point in my therapy where I used to climb the entire length of the hospital building by stairs (that’s 16 floors)… Kind of a fitness-freak exercise, isn’t it? At least that’s how I perceived it.
We started using the arm robotics at full throttle due to reduced episodes of seizure and improved responses of my brain towards therapy. And the best part is that my hand too was showing good results now. I was slowly being able to achieve movements that were not possible earlier due to the spasticity that arises due to brain injuries. Slowly but steadily with the assistance of therapies, the spasticity was declining, and we were making some real progress with recovery. Even though this recovery was particularly slow-footed. It had been 6 months and I was barely able to walk and move my hand to some extent. For someone used to living in the fast lane it’s not easy moving so slow – six months to make some fingers move! But even a horse learns to move slowly when the need arises- being compromising and adjusting is not an option. More and more lessons were being learnt through this hospital stay of ours. At this rate, I could end up writing a book of my Life Lessons… writing is fun after all :-).
As we were doing all forms of therapy available and due to all the efforts put in by my therapists and family, the doctors once again thought that I was getting fit enough and started the fabled “discharge” talks, yet again! It almost was beginning to feel like a mythical creature… one I thought I might not be getting to see anytime soon. So, would I finally get discharge this time or would I get yet another inexplicably frustrating hurdle in my path?? Stick around to find out in the next log…
Slow and steady with a clear and determined mindset, wins in the end!