Health update

For last few months I am going though some difficult with my position of sitting as well lying on bed, I experience pain around the lumbar. I visited doctor and he gave me medicine for pain relief but it worked for a short period and later I was back with the difficult and it becomes a part of life these days. Although I feel comfort while on wheelchair and sleeping at night, only shifting from to and fro the position of sitting to lying on bed strains.  I know back pains are obvious for people seated for long time and in my problem too it could be perhaps the reason, as I seated on wheelchair throughout the day and shift to lying position only while going to sleep at night and doing exercise/physiotherapy.

I have been on wheelchair for last 8 years and my body used to it so much and adapted to its own comfort. And also I haven’t changed my wheelchair all these years have put effect on my posture that was slightly recline to left and a rise in hipbone on right. I have started to lie on bed bending my right leg while lying down and wake up by dropping the leg aside the bed so that I was seated without pain around lumbar. I know the position I sit on the wheelchair is not right and it isn't the right wheelchair for me right now as I have grown from the stage I started to use this wheelchair, so no way I could remain in this wheelchair anymore. I am looking forward to purchase a wheelchair that suit me well enough esp. to prevent further changes in aliment.

Meanwhile, I wanted to go for a master health check-up since it’s been two year I went through one; consulting our doctor and on his guidance I took certain tests on Thursday which reports almost normal.  I was going though some uneasiness lately with my upper body and it makes me tense with uncertain what this feeling is about has result in taking echo-cardiogram. It was 5 years back that I took echo test when I was affected by lung infection and echo is recommended to muscular dystrophy patients who experience constant loss of muscles strength and not to forget heart is also a muscular organ and checking its function from time to time will help taking precaution measures.

Glad my heart functions so well and everything related to heart shown normal! But the x-ray (that I took for back pain) report shows small curve in the lumbar region of the spine which seem to be the reason for my back pain. The two impressions found on the x-ray report read “scoliosis with convexity to the left” and “lumbar degenerative spondylitis change”. The scoliosis is a medical term referred to “abnormal lateral curvature of the spine” and it seems like a common cause in muscular dystrophy patents who are bound to wheelchair and improper sitting position. But who affect by this the most/worst is the spinal muscular dystrophy patients whose muscles lose are abundant around the spine.

With this report we are suppose to consult an orthopedist to prevent further curving and as an initial step we’re yet to change my wheelchair that I hope to support my lumbar and rectify the sitting position. The muscular dystrophy is a condition where going back is impossible and preserving what exists is also a struggle but I am glad to be healthier enough than expected. Hope that we revealed the curvature of spine early before it become a serious problem, I am looking forward what doctor’s suppose to say or do I need to wear brace or not like the websites suggest. Let me update you later on. 

Portable Transfer Aid, Take-along Lifts

Four months had passed since I imported a patient hoist/lift from the USA, and only started lately to use it to transfer me from one surface (sitting position) to another. As you all perhaps know that after my fracture in femur in 2013, I lost my ability to stand and transferring from one place to another has become difficult. Initially the transfer between the wheelchair and car (and car to wheelchair) has been the most difficult thing, but these days every transfer has become difficult as parents find it harder to shift me here and there. My mom too has exposed to serious health issues lately and expected to be addressed (by hysterectomy) soon, so I thought it was the right moment to go for an alternate and thus the patient lift.

(my portable transfer aid)

There are hoist manufactures in India, but Indian make are bigger in size and take away large space while being operated as well as in idle, so I was looking for a portable ones which are available only in abroad.  First I inquired about the popular one in the hoist manufacturing, the Milford Peron Lift, both in US and UK through my friends there. It is a lift that can be mounted into a car as well as walls at home, near the cot and toilet, where the transference happens frequently. But the price of person lift cost a lot and falls out of the budget. Actually there isn't a budget quota but knowing my limits I kept away the idea and went to Take-along Lift, after learning its usage, which seems to be simplest, and the compact in size grows a desire and interest to fetch.

I decided to go for it with confident only after getting nod from one of the mobility aid manufacturer in Chennai, who I know for long time and who understand the needs of disabled so well. But moreover it is because of my friend, who was on onsite to USA, boosted my confidence. Because I believed someone being there would be great helpful in communicating with the company and can confidently progress with purchase. I just passed the link of the website to him and he takes care of the entire procedure and updated me with each step forward. He also paid the entire sum, including the shipping, to repay when he returns home. What really caused trouble was the imposed customs duty at the airport, which we didn't expect?

This is the first time we are importing something from abroad, although we aware about the customs duty but what make us carefree was that my friend told, the shipping company (USP) has said to deliver at home. He was further told the hoist will be delivered within a week of payment, so I was looking forward to receive it without going out anywhere. Meanwhile, I received a call from the shipping company agent in Chennai and he asked us to collect the hoist from the airport, via custom house agent (CHA), by producing the document which he had sent through email. Before that he asked us to come over their office and take away the dispatch notification by paying an amount and only showing that at the airport will lead out the hoist.

Initially he hadn't said anything about visiting his office, so we proceeded with a relative, who is working at cargo and who helped us with each step within the customs regulatory and I am sure if he hadn't it would have been great difficult with the proceeding. He had been in touch with airport authorities on the arrival of flight (BA 035) and also arranged for a CHA to clear away the customs proceeding, where we are insist to pay 25% of the entire cost ($2215) of the hoist. Although they reduced 10% on the customs duty later when we produced my medical documents and letter from our family doctor on the purpose of importing the hoist, we spent more than 10% of the amount of duty here and there on the progress including the rupee paid for the releasing order from the shipping company.

It was less than a week progress from the time I received the call from the shipping agent, and the flight hadn't arrived at the time/date he had mentioned in the mail and when we inquire about it, only then he told about the order to get from them.  In the other mail he indicated that only 1 pack of the 4 packs had arrived and our relative also confirmed it, so we waited for a couple of days for the others packs to come. But after a day or two day when we called the agent, in doubt, as I read the packing would be done as a sole carton, he told that it was only 1 pack and the other 3 were marked mistakenly. So no way blaming others, as we have to pay extra charges for the days it had been retained by the customs.  

Image courtesy: takealonglifts

Coming to the Portable TransferAid (PTA), it weights merely 20 kg and could lift individuals weighting up to 136 kg and though it’s a manually operated mechanism, it’s the easiest among the patient lifts I have seen. This lift can be used both at home and transported in a car to use where we needed and it can also be disassembled into two parts of approximately equal weight for easy transport. Unlike other hoist/lift that elevates patient in hanging or swing position, the PTA lifts like seated in chair and comes in two lifting options. The Seat and Split Slings are both used for transferring and the seat sling is positioned underneath the patient, while waking up from bed, with closed bottom, to feel not unease while travelling out of doors and quick transferring. But the split sling is designed to lift patient from their sitting position and is mainly used for toileting as the sling provides access to clothing and under-garments.

Just began to use it slowly, we are supposed to practice it more for easier transferring. The seat sling doesn't need much effort like the split sling which has extract strap to connect for safety feature and the force required to turn crack (to lift patient) is typically less than 5 lbs. So far we have been used it many time for transferring me from wheelchair to car/SUV, but haven’t take it out anywhere. I hope it will be very useful in coming days as my parents feeling tough to transfer me, and the PTA doesn't need much manpower to access and look after others. 

Gate & Lock

Linking this post/picture for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Sit out rail

The house we live has a sit out/portico and what makes it pretty was the railing in wood and iron.

The tenant who stayed here before us has added plank frame/fence to the already existed rail. It also has a wood gate which truly helps us preventing our pet getting out of home and she also enjoys being untied to roam freely inside the home.

 

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

A boat fishing offshore

During my visit to Palavakkam beach on Sunday, I find two fishermen putting their manpower in oar against the offshore tides in their catamaran rather using a motor. But only later I realized it is because of 45 day annual ban on deep sea fishing, to facilitate breeding of fish. According to the Tamil Nadu Marine Fisheries Regulation Act 1983, the ban was enforced for the conservation of species propagation during the breeding season, which comes into force from April 15^th, halts the fishing operations by mechanised and motorised boats.

The fishermen were on their chance looking for fish and the flag coloured boat was rowed by both the men but in two different ways. One was putting oar sitting well on the rear and the other stood centre and propel the boat with a pole, which seems to be called punting. I really wonder how long could they go by like this against the heavy ocean wind. I know this is how fishing has been before motors are found and fixed to catamaran, and there are fishermen who don’t know anything rather fishing seem to be hooked this way instead sit back and wait for the ban period.

While the scene here was like this, the other side, were the sunset, was quite drastic and splendid. Even though the beach was crowded enough for being Sunday and summer evening, it was quite wonderful being out and to Palavakkam beach after long time. During my reside in our flat in Thiruvanmiyur I used to visit this beach at least twice a month and it is the most quiet being among the beaches in Chennai. 

Palavakkam Beach