Recovery and Self Care
The Acute Phase of Recovery
September, September, I love September! Fall is my favorite season in Chicago, and I’m excited to be back in the city to experience the changing leaves and cooler weather.
This month, I’ve been focusing on products that perform, as well as simple self-care practices that bring clarity and peace. Additionally, I’m opening up about the challenges I faced during the acute phase of my recovery. I hope you find it helpful and hopeful. Let’s embrace this season of change and growth together! Let’s go!
Pictured above: me after therapy in need of mini-spa minutes
The first month in the hospital, I was challenged with many things, including some vision issues. Looking back now, I think the vision issues contributed to my feelings around this initial phase. I would say that until I was in the rehabilitation hospital for about two weeks, I didn’t recall much at all and I’m fairly certain I was put on a lot of relaxing drugs to keep me calm.
Once I regained some awareness and my vision improved, I started to understand what happened. At that point—lying in bed and not really feeling my left side—I didn’t fully understand the condition of my body. It wasn’t until they tried to get me up and I started therapy that it hit me all at once. Between all the gear I had on—a gait belt, a brace on my hand and another on my leg plus a not so pretty patch over my eye—I was feeling low, immobile and weaker than I have ever felt before.
When my eyesight started to improve around week three, I looked around the room and could see all the equipment and things either attached to me or nearby to help me get up.
I started to get scared—yes, scared to my soul. It was feeling like I’ve never felt before. I’d always moved my body— was always going and doing up until now. It took no thought and little to no effort before. Now it took every ounce of my mental and physical energy to move. It was so difficult and emotional to process: What will happen to me? My life? So many questions and worries. These were some of my darkest days.
Once I got a good look around, I noticed in the bathroom ahead of me, there was a chair with all kinds of cords. It actually looked like an electric chair. One day when I was being wheeled into the shower, I asked, “Are you going to electrocute me?” We all had a good laugh—it was just a shower chair. Looked scary to me!
As I found myself staying longer and longer in the hospital, I started doing this little ritual after my long days of therapy. I didn’t remember it until recently, when I was working on my blog. My mood and contentment levels can be impacted by sights, sounds, and smells around me… and I was stuck in a hospital. Ugh!—need I say more?
After my hard therapy (early on in the acute phase), I would find myself plugging in a little diffuser. It had a light to it that I usually put on blue. I broke out some of my favorite hand lotion (Capri Blue Volcano from Anthropology) and put on some music through my iPhone or even scrolled through some great beach videos. The combination of these simple things really brought me some contentment and let me step away (in my mind) for at least for a few minutes from all the hard, clinical things happening around me, including my physical struggles.
Not everyone will see the value in doing this, and there might be something else that brings contentment and a little bit of an escape, but I wanted to share that these simple little things helped me more than I realized. Yes, try some mini-spa minutes out for yourself if you need some rest, refreshment, and contentment. (I highly recommend it, especially at the crucial acute phase.)
