Diary of An Irish Woman

musings of an irish lady now living in America.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Walker Blues

So I'm back on the walker aka zimmer frame and also working from home
with signoff from my doctors. It was actually my own manager who
advised me. He could see the pain i was in just trying to go to
bathroom or a cup of tea on the walker.

Was I surprised that the SPD aka seperated pelvis came back so early
in this pregnancy? , yes but I shouldn't be. When I did the xray for
broken taoilbone the front pelvic shot shows a pelvic gap in pubis
area that you could probably park a car in. Also seems a 2nd pregnancy
if SPD was bad in first comes on quicker. That and with a toddler just
brings it on that much sooner. I was being careful. Keeping legs
together in and out of a car and bed like the queen versus Britney
Spears or Paris Hilton ;) and not doing stairs or crab motions but
didn't help much.

I've a pretty high tolerance for pain, as the PT lady said well you
broke your tailbone and you can't even remember when! But this time it
was so bad , every step was like shards glass into my pubic area on
every step and walker wasn't really helping. I avoided going to
bathroom at work knowing be painful 20 min walk each way. Walking from
parking lot to my cube became a 45 min trek. I discovered small
ironies like that the disabled automatic door switch wasn't timed for
someone who actually needed it! It would always close before I got
there after hitting switch.

So started PT and accupuncture and they both helped but the walking
and also 8 hour sitting at work just making all the good PT and
accupuncture did worthless.

So my boss said get approved to work at home due to medical reasons.
He and my coworker could see I was useless in afternoon. Also with
having to work from home first couple months he knew I could. It's
funny as I don't go into work much here and won't name it but my
product helps folks do things like telecommute better. So it's ironic
that they are not for their own workers telecommuting but in our sales
pitches we talk about the benefit of that all the time to the employer
and the employees.

My physical therapist folks been great. They were recommended to me
after last folks I saw during pregnancy had my therpist leave and
didn't have any experience with pregnant ladies. They went and found a
PT group who had tons of experience! They can't believe I am still
working but for now while I can talk on phone and use laptop at home
I'll be ok.

I won't do what I did last time and work up till very end. You lose
the 4 weeks allowed then beforehand and can't add them on afterwards
which never made sense to me but since California is one of few states
in USA that has any pregnancy leave at all I shouldn't complain. For
one of the most developed nations and richest in world it's pretty
much sad that Americas status, tolerance and policy of pregnancy leave
rated behind Somalia. Yes our policy towards leave for working Mothers
rates below Somalia. Yet I'm lucky to be in CA where they have most if
any at all I believe in the states!

Anyway off soapbox there. So working at home good news is that it has
eased up the pain. The accupuncture also helped as well as PT. It
doesn't feel like such a long road now and I can say 22 weeks to go
without thinking OMG 22 weeks to go! My hubbie been fantatsic and so
has toddler but not fun having Mammy not be able to do all the normal
stuff with you.

He's a good wee boy though and likes sitting on walker seat while I
roll along. We busted a wheel though, the tire tore so went to medical
store yesterday where I got it to see what they could do. They were
shocked. Seems most of the clients for said walkers are in mid 60's
and older and they have never seen a torn tire. It's not like I was
doing walker olymics or mountain climbing with it but there ya go. So
I have to go to manufacturer and see if they can replace. Maybe I'll
get something with some bing and put a bass heavy sound system in ;)

Have a good week folks!

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