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Blogs by D L Johnson
From my 6th floor balcony 5/24/2010 6:46:13 AM
Before we get into the saga of K4 I want to thank Patrick for his tip about sandy wet soil for my strawberry plant, and sadly I haven't seen bee's around here in a long time.
Thanks to Laurel for your thoughts about those lives below the tree line...yest pretty homes, pretty people and a gaggle of geese that spend their time on our property and the park across the street...it seems we all intersect at one point or another.
K4:
The one thing about modern medicine that seems to go far in the healing process is getting the body to move about as soon as possible, and my situation was no different.
I had been in the cardio wing for about 4 days when this smiling face popped in my room and said..."We want you to join us in our rehab unit, but before that happens, you must meet the big guy for an evaluation." Up to this time my life centered around an IV connection on one end, and a cathater on the other end...you know the old saying was never more true 'junk in, junk out.'
The long and short was that by the end of the week I was comfortably nestled into the confines of Portland Providence Acute Rehab Center. AKA K4. While on K4 I would experience the rigors of physical, occupational and recreational therapy, every day of the week.
Physical Therapy to rebuild body strength. Occupational Therapy to relearn the fine art of dressing myself, and doing all of the other day to day functions we take for granted, and Recreational Therapy to be out and about going shopping, riding public transportation, while at the same time rebuilding stamina and energy.
While on K4 I found out just how extensive these treatments are provided. During my time there, I met people who had sports injuries, some were amputees, others experienced stroke and brain damage. People with MS, Cancer, Vision and an assundry of other problems that truthfully made my 'Rabdo' seem so minor compared to the challenges others faced...it put things in perspective for me.
I should say right here that if it had not been for having a bad reaction to the statin drugs I had been taking, I would not have experienced this great time of learning and growing.
While in the hospital I was taken off all cholesterol drugs, all diabetes drugs and replaced with one medicine for diabetes, and now my cholesterol is being handled with over the counter Fish Oil.
My personal Doctor told me after it was all done, that after nearly 40 years of practicing medicine, I was only the second person she has met that has been afflicted with Rabdo.
In retrospect the only thing I would like to say is that Pharmacutical companies should be held to as high a standard in the 'real' after affects from the medicines they create, as they do in the development of the medicine in the first place.
Next time: Another beautiful Northwest spring. dlj
