Hi. MELODY here. I am in a nursing home ok n Brooklyn. Got hit by a car last week. Using my Kindle. Fire. They put a metal rod in my hip. Too much pain. Did a bit of rehab but it continues Monday. I am alone. Alan not coping at all. He can take care of himself but not me. I am at Hahm Solomon .Rehab in Brooklyn NY. Got hit by a car in snow as torn last Saturday and was operated the following day. Been in this nursing home since last Thursday. Can use some good cheer. Didn't know where else to post. Thanks much.

Melody

room . Is. 619b

Heck of a way to spend the Holidays, wishing you a very speedy recovery.

I have Melody's permission to provide her address and name for anyone here who wishes to correspond with her during this trying, painful and lonely time, privately.

Just PM me and I will give you that info.

Dear Melody

So sorry to hear of your accident, especially at this time of year. I do hope you are getting good care in the nursing home and are able to recover soon.

I've adapted a little rhyme I came across recently to bring you a smile:


Wishing you good healing and wishing Alan is managing okay on his own without you.

bluesfan

Melody, I am sorry to read that.

I wish you all the best for a speedy recovery.

HI Mel, I've been gone for a while and just logged on today after months of not being on. I just read this and I was very sad to hear. I wish you a speedy recovery and I hope you are ok? You have always been such a positive and supportive friend to me and so many others.🙏❤️

Hi there. How odd. I was going to come on these message boards today and here you already wrote to me. Hope you are okay.

Alan is back to his old self. Eating me out of house and home. Turns out he did not have the flu. Dr. Fred says he had either a rotavirus or an enterovirus. It was going around. Thank god I know how to take care of him. I am finished with physical therapy but I use a walker and a cane. I can't walk right if I don't use these devices. I have muscle spasms but I asked and I was told "you are using muscles that you weren't using so your body has to learn all over again.

They had warned me of this when I was in the rehab facility. It's annoying but hey, I'm not dead. So I live with this metal rod and pin in my hip hoping it doesn't move or get infected. Scares the bejesus out of me but nothing I can do. I am very careful with everything that I do.

So here's my question. How come if I walk with a walker I can walk straight. If I walk with a cane, my right arm hurts because I put all the weight on my right arm. I'm right handed. I look like a person who walks with a cane.

But......if I walk without any walker or cane.....I walk like a duck. I waddle back and forth. Reminds me of when I was pregnant. I walk like that.

Why can't I walk normally? I asked this of someone and he said "You are afraid to walk normally". I am???

Thanks for any input......anyone??

Melody

Sorry Melody, I can't answer your question on why you can't walk normally - but I am glad to hear that things are at least getting a little better for the both of you

Hi MelodyL

Glad to hear your recovery is progressing. As to why you can't walk normally without a walker or cane I'm guessing that it's a case of those muscles that have been 'rested' during your accident and post-surgical recovery now have to learn how to work again and rebuild their function and strength. It's only been just over 3 months since you were injured so you're doing really well considering what you've been through.

As to the person's comment about 'being afraid' to walk normally there may be a subconscious instinct that your body is not ready to support itself unaided. This should improve with time and practice. One thing I found after having a torn cartilage in my knee was that my leg instinctively wanted to turn inwards which altered my gait. When I became aware that this was happening I included exercises that specifically made me focus on keeping my foot straight (going up and down stairs). Doing this repeatedly corrected the problem.

By being conscious of how your whole body is moving you may find small things to work on that may help: for example - notice how your head and shoulders are positioned when you walk either with a cane or walker - are you tilting them forward - this often happens with walking aids - and then are you carrying the same position when you walk without the aids - this may affect your sense of balance. If this is happening try to remember to keep your head and shoulders up.

Please be kind to yourself - you're doing brilliantly - as well as working on your physical recovery make sure you take some time to just relax and do something you enjoy - not being stressed will help restore your confidence and that will help you walk better.

Take care