Not Just a Girl in a Wheelchair

Chapter 7

The next morning I wake up early. The bedside clock says 5:30 a.m. I never used to get up this early. I have been in the hospital for about 2 and a half weeks now and it seems like I am getting up earlier and earlier. Mom is still asleep in the bed beside me. I try not to move and wake her but I have to pee.

Mom stirs and looks at me "How you doing this morning honey?" she askes me.

I smile and say, "Better mom. But I have to pee". Luckily I have regained bladder and bowel functions for the most part as well even though I have to take medications to help. Mom lifts me into the uncomfortable hospital wheelchair and wheels me to the bathroom, hoists me up into her arms as if I am hugging her, pulls down my bottoms and plops me onto the toilet.

I laugh "You're getting good at this" then a thought strikes me and I frown, "this must be hard on your back though!"

She smiles and says "I will be all the stronger for it." and sits on the side of the tub. While sitting there I think of the tub. They are going to teach Mom how to get me into the bath and bathe me in the tub this morning. Dad will learn how to get me into the tub for her at a later date, so she doesn't always have to do it, but she will bathe me for now until I can do it myself. It embarrassing but I keep reminding myself that if it bothers me that much then I need to learn to do everything myself as fast as I can.

This afternoon we are going to start on strengthening my arms so that one day I can transfer to the wheelchair myself. I can now open and close my hands almost normally. I can grip and push the wheels of the wheelchair but I tire easily. I can hold things but my hands but can't lift anything too heavy because I am still somewhat weak.

When I am done Mom hoists me up, fixes my clothes and picks me up and gently places me in the wheelchair. I wheel over to the bed and we wait for breakfast which should be here around 6 a.m.

Breakfast arrives and we watch TV while eating. Someone from the occupational/physiotherapy department is coming around 6:30 - 7 a.m. After eating I have to pee again. Mom helps me again and then she helps me get turned around and out of the bathroom and is about to transfer me to the bed when someone knocks on the door.

"Come in," Mom says.

A young woman comes in "Hi Liv, Anna, I am Nadia. I will be teaching you how to get Liv in and out of the tub today and how to help her bathe. I instantly like her. Help me bathe. I like that. She is one of my physiotherapists in the rehab center. There was already a bath chair with bench in the room when we were brought here yesterday so she takes it out and shows mom how to set it up in the tub with the bench on the side of the tub. I wheel in closer to watch.

"Ready Liv? I am going to do this the first time, get you into the bathe, pretend to bathe you than your Mom will practice a few times and we will see how much of it you can do yourself and she will just help you with what you need help with, okay?" she explains.

"Thanks, Nadia! I love that you want me to do as much as I can. I like that." I couldn't help but say that. It pleases me so much and I smile at them both and they smile back.

"Okay, here we go." She motions me forward and I roll all the way into the bathroom. She positions the wheelchair correctly and says "this time let me do all the work, just so your mom can see everything, then she will do it once or twice doing everything for you so she gets an idea because not every day is going to be the same and then after that, we will experiment a little and see what you can do on your own. Sound good?"

"Yes," Mom and I both say. Nadia stands up, hoists me up and onto the transfer board and with one arm around me lifts my legs over with the other, "when you have your own wheelchair, Anna, you won't be lifting her up and over so much as she will lift herself with her arms if she can and you will slide her over as the sides of the wheelchair will be much lower and a lot more accessible. Okay?"