Another update from Naomi

Hi everyone

Neil wanted me to keep you up to date with my progress, so I am writing another post.

When I last left you, I was feeling quite a bit better and was starting to get around a little.
Well good news is that my hip is now a lot better and has not much pain now, bad news is that I think I did too much too soon, because last Thursday my knee became so sore that I could not stand on it.

And after seeing my specialist yesterday and having an ultrasound, it looks like I have torn my quadricep tendon and have fluid on the knee. Not only can you damage these things from overuse, but not using them can weaken them so much that when you do come to use them, they can tear very easily.

So the last 5 days have been extremely tough, even worse than the whole hip saga, so I am over it. I am at the moment waiting for a bed in a rehab hospital which is the only way this is going to get better.

I can’t walk at all, and don’t have the upper body strength to use crutches, so I am getting around in a wheelchair propelled by Neil, and need him to lift me whenever I move from the chair to anywhere else. Washing is an hour-long ordeal. He of course is over it too, and the time in rehab will give him a well deserved break from caring for me.

I now have a new-found appreciation for anybody who spends their life in a wheelchair. It is really quite awful, and doing simple things are just so difficult. Not being able to cook is something I am missing the most and Neil says he is missing my cooking too, so that will be the first thing I will get back into once better. Of course if you had to be confined to a wheelchair all the time, you would live in a wheelchair friendly home where you could do things like cook etc.

Anyway, that’s about it. Next time I post, I hope to be doing it from a rehab bed where I will be on my way to full recovery.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank family and friends who have been helping out during this time, particularly Betty, my mother-in-law who has been coming over to help with housework, shopping and cooking; and Janet, who has been cooking us lots of home-made meals that are in the freezer ready to heat and eat. It is wonderful to have such caring people around you. I know if Mum and Dad were in Melbourne, they would be doing everything they could, so don’t you dare feel bad about it guys. Your phone calls and love all help :) And of course another huge thank you to my beloved Neil who has had to put up with so much in the last few weeks. You are amazing. xxxx

Nomes xxxx