Me, A&E and The Commode
The view from my hospital bed at 5 am.
Last week, I unfortunately fell 7ft from a rope swing in the forest which resulted in my spending a night in A&E and a week in bed unable to walk more than a few paces.
Fortunately, I am now able to walk and roll over more easily, so I can now practice what I preach and begin some gentle mobilisation.
I’ve been reflecting and here are some thoughts:
1. Accidents happen.
2. I cannot fly and my body does not bounce.
3. Paramedics are brilliant individuals who remain incredibly calm and pragmatic in very difficult circumstances.
4. Knowing how to do a body scan is life affirming.
5. A&E is a very noisy environment.
6. NHS staff are doing the best they can with the tools they have and I felt I was in very safe and capable hands.
7. It is impossible to do a wee when lying horizontal in pain on a bed pan in a noisy environment with loads of people around.
8. I don’t think I actually knew what a Commode was until I needed to use one.
9. The name Commode evokes something rather more exotic than what it actually is.
10. Knowing how to bear weight into my feet, flex and rotate at the hips, use my legs to lift my pelvis and generally move my body with care meant that I actually could sit myself up and get onto the commode, by which time I was desperate for a wee but had to block my ears and talk to my bladder and pelvis to be able to finally go (phew😅)!
11. All the foot and balance work, bridging, pelvic lists, bent knee fallouts and hip flexion proved to be the perfect preparation for this moment.
12. There is nothing glamorous or instagram worthy here but it made me realise that basic movement skills are essential. If I didn’t know how to shift my weight, flex my hips, get into the right position, I would have really been really suffering and a lot worse off.
13. You can actually do a lot of micro movement whilst lying in a bed.
14. Healing time means rest which is not always easy to do when it isn’t by choice. Mental frustration and self criticism is the hard part to turn off.
15. Falling makes you feel like a complete idiot.
16. In a very short space of time I went from feeling strong, independent and healthy, to very weak, dependant and feeble.
17. I am so grateful that I can now walk and roll over in bed.
18. Knowing how to regulate my nervous system was a great help in reinforcing to myself and to the people around me that although I was injured I was okay.
19. Panicking is never helpful.
20. It’s easy to take for granted the basic movements we perform daily, like squatting to go to the loo.
21. It was a great relief and milestone to be able to walk to and use an actual toilet again!
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