F U C D

POST # 23
"Foot up, crutch down, foot up, crutch down." FUCD. Since last Wednesday this has now become my new safety mantra. Wednesday was my transition day. Up to that point I had the use of crutches, a wheelchair, a walker, a toilet seat extension with handles, and finally a shower chair. But all of this equipment has now gone back to the hospital, and the crutches that I have are courtesy of my friends from Calgary, Bob and Susan.
The FUCD part of the story has to do with going up and down stairs. It may seem like a logical sequence, but so far each time I am faced with this new little challenge, I have to stop and think about which goes first. To do it the other way around can only mean pain in the long run, so up to this point I have been successful. The most difficult steps so far were the four steps to board the Greyhound from Grand Forks to Creston. The first step is a little plastic one that is placed on the ground in front of the bus entry, and from there it is one big step up, followed by 3 smaller ones. Only when I exited the bus in Creston, did I notice that there were handrails to use. The rails made going down the steps much easier indeed. Once back on level ground, it is just a matter of concentrating on each step forward, as well as not being in a rush. So far I have had a few close calls, and it usually results from a lack of just THINKING, before acting. Like just a few moments ago. I hobbled over to the kitchen to get a paper towel and when I grabbed for the towel, the whole roll fell out of the dispenser which caused me to lose my balance and almost fall over. I got lucky and arrested the fall in time, but it just helps to prove to me that I have to really concentrate anytime I am standing up or moving from one place to the next.
So let's see, what's been happening since my last blog? Well I guess the biggest change is that I have now completed my housesit in Grand Forks, as the owners Bev and Brian and their daughter Ellie arrived home last Tuesday. We had the opportunity to have a visit for a couple of hours and then they drove me to town where I spent my last night in "the Forks" at my friend Dorothy's house. On Wednesday, Dorothy drove me around town to get a few things done, like another trip to the pharmacy to get some additional pain killers, and we also had the time to do a drive around town which I really enjoyed.
Before long it was time to go, and after a final goodbye to Dorothy, I hopped up the stairs of the bus and headed out for the four and a half hour ride to Creston, where my friend Luanne was waiting to collect me and drive me back home to her farm about 40kms or so north of Creston.
And it is here at the farm I have been ever since. We arrived in the dark and the next morning I was treated to the most spectacular view looking west across Kootenay Lake with a backdrop of snowcapped mountains. This will be my last rural retreat for a while, as once I leave here, it's back to the concrete and glass jungle of Vancouver for about a week, which I imagine will be an assault on my senses, with the extra noise, extra light, and extra smog, as well as the concentration of people. But Vancouver will only being a stopping over point and it will offer me the chance to catch up with friends during my stay.
My time here at the farm has been very relaxing and Luanne and I always have plenty of things to talk about so the time just flies right on by. I certainly hope to make another trip out here in the future, when I once again have two working legs, so that I can help out with some of the farm chores. The farm also comes complete with Mr. Tugwell Boots the dog, and Sam the cat, which help to add to the warmth of the place.
I am writing this blog on the day before I normally post, as tomorrow will be a very early start and what with me spending over 14 hours tomorrow on the bus, by the time I arrive in Vancouver, I don't think I will be feeling very creative. So the plan is to write today, and then just turn on the computer just before leaving tomorrow morning (April 21st) so that I can hit the "post" key, so that the blog will appear on the appointed date.
Tomorrow my niece Laura will turn 39 which makes me see that I am getting older, faster than I expected, and also tomorrow, my dear friend, Dr. Phillip Law would have turned exactly 100, but unfortunately he only made it to 98. But hey, 98 is a good run in anyone's books and Phil packed a hell of a lot of living into his 98 years. He continues to be an inspiration to me.
The last thing to note for this blog, is that as of yesterday, I only took my pain medication once during the entire day, as opposed to four times. This is a great leap forward, and I can now see the day very soon, when I can throw the rest of the pills away and let my system get back to something resembling normal. Slowly but surely the healing process continues, and I feel that I am now over the worst of things. My focus going forward is to make sure of just one thing, and that is, DON'T STEP DOWN ON YOUR RIGHT FOOT, PAUL. And of course, FUCD, foot up, crutch down.
So now it's on to face the city for a while.

Until next time,
all the best from

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer