So on my 3d day of walking around unaided (it’s going ok I only just look a little disabled) I will tell you the story of last nights sauna time.
Me and cousin Cecilia had heard you could wear towels in the sauna so we were thinking of wearing the towels on top of our swimsuits! Oh how illegal and very naughty! Right up my alley!
So we got our towels wrapped around us hiding any straps from swim suit and then we went in to the “no textile” zone. There was a hamam sauna where you could have a foamy treatment by a half naked man, you being starch naked of course. I was more impressed by the cold pool. A classic 5 degrees. Brrrrr… There were other showers and a lot of steam. We saw 1 man with towel luckily. Then we found a room with warm stones that you could lie on. There was another man there that in german told us (Cecilia) that the other saunas were on the second floor and we had to use the lift to get there. He asked her 100 question to which she answered no to all of them. We decided to leave the warm stones room and took hi tech lift up to second floor. The lift stopped in the entrance of the spa so I can see how confusing this could have been for Mercedes and Dan that had to try and find the way back trying to avoid naked people.
Once we got to the second floor there was a lot more people. A guy that previously had been wearing work uniform from the spa was now close to naked. All the people were queuing to get in to the 80 degrees wooden sauna where water on the fire was promised. Avery exited and the first naked lady we saw tried to get us to join but I had found a much more appropriate sauna at 60 degrees that was empty. Cecilia told me the german rules for naked sauna. You can look but you can’t stare. Well with my short attention span I was ready to leave in 5 minutes or so and we went to the hot outdoors pool. It was magical and afterwards we had a green tea and some multi vitamin juice before finding the last sauna. By chance. It was dark. With warm stone seats that i love. Not too hot and empty. There was a live fire glassed in but really making the sauna cosy. The other people that joined us had also got a dressed in swim gear approach to sauna, so we got along alright! It was pretty special but I think I lasted maybe 7 minutes….
So today
8am wake up!
8.20am breakfast
9am Ergo therapy with Angelina, I did tricep dips from the bench but there was a lot of pain in my left wrist! Pain is feeling so I was almost happy although this pain was a bit too sharp for my liking. She pushed my wrist around and I did it again, now it was better. Cecilia was with and she was commentating on how bent i was like a banana. Seriously? Not helping! I told her off and if she wants to join in more sessions she has to stay quiet. Apparently she when I did this saw the old me and saw this as a good sign, hmmmm I am not sure if that was the old me I’m sorry everyone! Don’t need to be nasty really….
I then did some weight lifting with left hand but i couldn’t get my arm straight so Angelina pushed some muscles in my shoulder and hourrah! More pain! Although the pain in my shoulder was so painful, I still find it fascinating just to feel anything! Anyway we finished off with her massaging me a bit more and then I went to see Dr Koch.
9.30am Dr Koch. We went through all the results from monday. He thought it was wiser to start riding again after my next brain scan in April also thought I should do another MRI scan to see why my double vision has become so bad. When i go downstairs now i can only hold on to side rail and feel with my feet for the steps. If I look down I see thousand of steps that aren’t there. It has spread in my vision now where it used to only be double if i looked to the right and down it now also goes double if I look forward. So annoying. But apparently they can’t do anything here so he thinks it’s better I wait a week and see someone in spain!
A week and I am back! 7 days! It’s incredible how little time I have left. So much to do.
11.00am Physio therapy with Marlene in gym. Started off on wobbly wave board. Rubbish! Then standing up on one leg also rubbish! When i tried and failed the scissor on the fit ball Marlene asked if I was tired and I was.
I went back to the room at 11.30 to sleep until 12.45pm. At that time Cecilia came up and got me for lunch. At lunch I was still asleep almost.
2pm Physio Therapy with Marlene again. From this mornings bad session I felt I had to bring some more to this session. She stared of showing me a thing with 4 wheels. Whats that i asked. A pedalo-she answered. She then got on it with both her feet moving them slowly forward and round in a cycling motion. I said it looked like something that would kill me. She said it could but we were going to use the rack to hold on and go slowly. I got on it and managed to go both forward and backward without killing self! Unfortunately Marrlenes shin won’t feel grest and I think a bruise will have developed by now as I reversed a bit uncontrolled in to her. Oups, sorry!!!!
I asked -When can I start running. She said -Why don’t you start now? So I ran around the gym looking like a wounded animal more than an athlete. She then told me to walk and put my feet in every square on the floor (like children do) avoiding the lines. Then she said to do every second square. And then to try to run. I was battling not only with fatigue but also with my double vision when looking down, but I did it! I was running for real and it felt great. In the end I was just running around not looking at the squares. Then she brought out her last toy: The trampoline! I got a rack in front of me I could hold on to but it was so much fun bouncing up and down. It wasn’t a veery impressive trampoline. Myrna would have ignored it, but for me it was ok!
She said if the weather allows tomorrow we will go outside for a proper run! Can’t wait!
3pm Ergo therapy with Caroline. I was still feeling the left shoulder so she spent a lot of time stretching and massaging. It made a huge difference! All of a sudden I could move my arm in to areas where it has not wanted to go for a long time.
4pm facial and manicure at spa. Very nice got a proper clean up and got purple nail varnish to finish off good day.
The tiredness can be a side effect of the epilepsy tablets. I was a little bit extra dizzy today which also is a side effect so maybe thats why.
The double vision is taking it’s toll. I am sick and tired about being sick and tired but the double vision I could really be without.(Although I am thankful I have some vision thinking about Jolly!)
I am hoping for ok weather tomorrow so I can release the wounded animal that is me in to the woods for a run!
Keep smiling 🙂 if yoou can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing!
Lady: .you so inspire and motivate me! Gud vilken tuff brud du e…men det visste jag /vi, ju!! Kram
You are like an explosion of fighting spirit and power. Wow. Lovely brain news. Hope vision straitens up. Lots of love your way!
Well done Emelie, so pleased with the progress you are making , we love your style of writing and wicked sense of humour ! Sending lots of love to you from Zambia xx
Whow! I loooove your spirit! That place you are at sounds heavenly wonderful , thinking of it as “only” a rehabilitation center… indulge on the hot stones and with the half naked men….! AND: I am absolutely amazed about your progress : YOU ARE RUNNING! How liberating that must feel! That a girl! Kisses from (now) sunny Mallorca….we are excited to have you soon with us again, Katja