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Today is thursday January 10th and it is day number four for me on this new adventure. For the past three days I have been getting adjusted to my new quarters. And let me say that it has been quite an adjustment. After just a couple of hours of laying down I found heavy pain in my lower back and my stomach. On day two I was prescribed nexium for my stomach and pain medicine for my back. I spent the first two days curled up in the fetal position staring at the ceiling, I couldn't even focus on television.
On day three life got a little easier. The pain had started to go away and I got my first of many many full body massages. I get an hour massage every monday, wednesday, friday. I am looking forward to everyone of these. I also exercise on the ZLS (verticle tredmill) monday-friday for about an hour a day. This is nice because it helps break up the day and keeps my body together by doing some physical activity.
The food is ok. Basically a lot of Stoffer's lean cuisine and fruit and veggies and mashed potatoes. Everything is made some place and then reheated here so the eggs don't really taste like eggs but I manage. The food might not be that great but there's a lot of it. I have trouble eating everything. Yesterday for breakfast I was required to eat, 2 bowls of cherios 3 pieces of turkey bacon, a hard boiled egg, orange juice, milk, and a banana. I would have been fine with a bowl of cereal.
After exercising I come back to my room and take a laying down shower. This is how it works. I lay on my bed and a baby pool is inflated around me and then I am given a shower head to spray and wash myself. When I'm done I lay a towel on myself and the nurses come in with a shop-vac and suck up all my water from my bed. I then put another towel over me and the nurses give me some privacy and then come back to deflate my tub. It's a little bit of a process but it feels really good to be clean.
I have stretches that I have to do every day, twice a day. Basically these take about 45 minutes to do each time but they will be well worth it when I get out of bed later on.
Going to th bathroom wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be either, luckily for me I'm a guy and you all know we have it easy. And using a bed pan kinda makes me feel like a baby all over again. Sometimes all I feel like I do is eat sleep and shit all day.
Okay that's it for now, time to go exercise
6 comments:
Dear Dominic,
I am so blown awy and super impressed with what you are doing for the space program. You are showing such courage, perserverence and stamina maybe more than you knew you had and can use those qualities to create whatever you wnat in your life. I am proud to know you and grateful to you! I will be cheering you on and look forward to reading your progress! Love, Marilyn Wise
HI Uncle Dommer, I know this is the Mama in me, I just want to make sure you are okay. The pain thing in your lower back worried me. I hope it is better. Do you need anything? I wish I could make you cookies, I feel useless not being able to bake. :) Anyway, Antonio, Gina and I (hoping Mike can come too) will come next week and take you on in a game of Candy Land. We will bring our play dough kitchen too. We love you and we are thinking of you. We have a special candle by Mother Mary just for you. Good luck. Let me know if there is anything I can bring. Oh, I can teach you to knit too. Baby kisses to Uncle Dommer. XOXO
Love, Antonio, Angelina and Antoinette
dom,
what's up you crazy horizontal bastard? in a way we're connected, because if i hadn't spent too much time in the horizontal (or mostly) position last time i was in thailand, i wouldn't be in the multi-linear conundrum i am now in. i haven't read your blog yet, and i'm not saying that i will. but i will. let me know how it's going and if you start to feel crazy, just think of the next US election and by comparison you're not in bad shape.
-del in thailand
Dom-
Good stuff!! Sorry I don't have any creative words of wisdom or inspiration, but we know I'm not much for words...but enough about me. come state facendo in voi il tentativo di imparare l'italiano? Ho pensato mettendo le frasi della coppia di una lingua straniera che in voi la nota vi darà qualcosa fare per per un po'fino a che non calcoliate verso l'esterno che cosa ho scritto. eventualmente questo tutte le marche senso, ho usato appena i pesci de Babele per tradurlo dall'inglese.
Ed
Hey Dom! I love the Mr. Peanut look! Only you could pull this off with style! What an amazing journey. It's a very cool thing you're doing.
Dom,
When you first told me about this "adventure", I think I was drunk, so I wasn't sure what you were talking about, and probably thought you were a bit nuts too. I can't sit still for three minutes, let alone lay down for three months!
I have since learned you have a tremendous amount of mental and emotional strength, and of course are wise beyond your years. Through your experience you have shared with me (and all of those reading this blog) things beyond my wildest imagination. I mean, really, who would think to mount a treadmill vertically to the wall! I am so very proud of you!
Love,
Shannon
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