A Chair

Although still on bed rest the OT department still had to crack on with their job and track down a suitable chair etc.  So at one point they had sourced a chair and wanted to try it out.  This was going to be the first time I’d be in a seated position in for about seven/eight months.  They wheeled in this contraption that looked like it had been wheeled out of the dark ages and a number of staff had come in to help hoist me out and into the chair.  They’d been told about how I’d faired in the other hospital.  That my blood pressure was likely to drop and were aware of that.

Once in the chair the staff all left me for whatever reason and I was left with an OT student on her first day of a work placement.  We had a conversation about the TV series The Wire.  She’d been told it was good and was thinking of getting into it, I was singing its praises but warning that it would take a bit of watching before she’d truly appreciate it.  As I was talking I was aware her voice was getting further and further away.  I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my forehead.  Next I knew I was tipped back in my chair and people were holding my legs in the air.  When I came fully around I was left again to hang out of my window a bit.  They offered to put me back to bed abut I asked to try and stay up a bit longer.  I ended up sitting for about 45 minutes. 

I was glad to get back into bed.  The chair was so uncomfortable.  It was difficult to explain as I couldn’t describe exactly what the issue was.  I just knew it was uncomfortable.  What I could feel of my back was sore and stiff, I didn’t know how much of this was down to just being seated or the chair.  But either way it was uncomfortable.  Sometime later I’d find out that the OTs agreed that the chair wasn’t a good option.  But I was left to stew thinking that this was what I’d have to live with.

Oddly enough this was the last time I’d have an issue with my blood pressure dropping.  I think that whilst my body was healing it couldn’t cope with the stresses of sitting, so once given the all clear to get up I was more or less fine.  But it didn’t stop me worrying about it as at that point I wasn’t to know it.  But it had given me a bit of hope.  At the first hospital I was coping for a few minutes if that.  Here I’d lasted almost an hour and whilst there had been a blip early on, I’d worked through it and could see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.