Rehab facility or Old Folks home?

Sorry I've been away for a couple days.  Sometimes I get into a stupid funk and I just don't even pick up my computer!!  But I'm back *hehe*

So as I told you before I was moved from Cooper Hospital to The Cinnaminson Center.  I was moved in the cloak of darkness.  When I got to the facility I pretty much was moved into my room and pretty much left alone. That was the first night.

Day two as I was laying in my bed all comfy cozy my aide came in and asked me if I wanted to get washed up and dress.  I was surprised and happy.  It was at this moment that I realized that I wasn't going to be able to just lay around and wait for the swelling in my foot to go down.  These people were going to annoy me!  Right after I got washed and got a new hospital gown I was greeted by my Physical Therapist.  To be honest - I was angry.  I kept thinking that I just wanted to be left alone.  They of course kept telling me that I had to get up and move around.  How was this possible?  I only had one foot!  I was not allowed to put any weight or pressure on my broken foot!  This was completely ridiculous and annoying!  They wheeled me down to the PT room.  First off - I was the youngest person in the room by at least 40 years (besides the therapists).  I looked around and all of these older people and it hit me.  You aren't in a rehab facility - you are in a convalescent home!  GREAT!!!

My first PT was an hour long.  After that I got back to my room - crawled back into bed and sulked.  These people were nuts!  I thought perhaps they would have me doing PT two or three times a week.  WRONG!

The next day was pretty much the same.  My aide came in to get me up and washed.  Thankfully my fiancé and mother brought me in some clothes to wear so I was no longer schlepping around in a hospital gown that showed way to much skin for my taste!!  Again the lovely PT people were knocking at my door.  I had to go down and sit in the PT room doing arm exercises and strengthening exercises for my legs.  Then they brought over a walker.  Hell no.  I was not going to be using a walker!  They showed me how to lean on the walker and hop.  That's right - I said hop.  Now mind you it had been one week since my accident at this point.  My major injury was my broken heel.  However, I had a badly bruised right foot.  I had a severely bruised right hand and my shoulder was killing me from where I banged into the steering wheel/air bag!  So I was a mess!  But hop along I effing did!  U G H!

Day in and day out - my days were about the same.  Jim showed up at about 1 or 2 in the afternoon and stayed with me until 8 pm when visiting hours were over.  He - even to this day has been amazing!  I had tons of visitors come and go.  The old people surrounding me were nice ... and most of them were pretty funny!  One of the draw back to being in an Old Folks facility is the amount of time the place smells like poop.  I have determined the reason for this.  There are so many people staying in these facilities and each resident is only allowed 2 showers a week!  Yes - I said it ... 2 showers a week!  No wonder it smells so bad!!  My room of course smelled fantastic because I had my sisters bring in those plug ins - every time a nurse or aide came in my room they would say "It smells so nice in here"  haha

One time I was sitting in my room and my door was open.  This woman who I had been told was deaf and could not speak was wheeling by my door.  She stopped right outside my door and she looked in.  This is no lie - she plugged her nose and then waved her hand in front of her face (like a stinky face) and then pointed to the ground as if saying "This place stinks" haha I looked at her and said "You don't have to tell me twice!"  haha that was the funniest moment of my stay.

So basically after my bitching and complaining and moaning and groaning I actually wound up having a nice time in the home.  All of the people there were so amazing.  My nurse Janine was amazing.  She took such great care of me!  Always available when I needed her!  She was my primary nurse and left right around dinner.  Then I had a variety of night nurses!  Nicci was my awesome daily aide ... she kept me motivated and really helped when I got depressed.  As much as I hated getting up out of bed everyday - you really do need it.  They don't want you to just lay there and wallow in your misery!  They really did amaze me!  My PT people turned out to be super great.  As soon as I lost the chip on my shoulder and realized they weren't trying to ruin my life, they actually became pretty cool.  Kylie always tried to make me laugh and Everett was always around to cheer you up.  All in all my two weeks stay at The Cinnaminson Center wasn't bad at all.  I never ever want to be in a situation where I would need to go to a place like this again but if it ever happened - I would go back to this facility.

Last story before I end this long ass blog haha  I found out while I was staying there that the patients were allowed to bring their pets in for a visit.  I had my fiance bring my kitten Eenie in for a visit.  Eenie hadn't been feeling well and we believed that he really missed me.  Jim brought him in and Eenie walked around for a couple mins and then he proceeded to lay on my chest (where he always laid as a little baby) and he slept there for 2 hours.  He missed his mama!!   <3

Ok - next blog I'll start w/ my next surgery ... it's late and I'm sleepy!  TTFN!