taste of freedom

297

Today's biggest mission: visit home. Left after lunch and returned at dinner time. Didn't realise before but it's full summer outside!..in Finnish scale. Temperature over 20 and nature turned green again. National holiday here made my trip possible (no rehabilitation, Nawa-sensei went most probably surfing today). No problems traveling using trains. Signed in to my email account...297 new mails. Signed out right away.

Ofcourse, as it's my habbit in this city, got lost with trains on my way back. Was late from my permitted arrival time for 17 minutes.

new adjustments for the brace

...forgot these from last posting.

Rehabilitation day 14

Sweat raised on my forehead and mouth dried while only sitting on the edge of training bed. Nawa sensei had just told me to do squats using both legs...

So far I've been taking only careful baby steps on my progress. Today was time to take real leap. Extension was adjusted to 15 degrees and flexion to 60 degrees of the brace (see pics). After traditional leg raises (150x15kg) I asked how many squats today? "Let's say around 30...using both legs". Had to sit for a while but then I did it. Full weight on left leg. Felt how week the muscles in left leg are.

Btw, today it was confirmed that I get out on 2nd of May.

Tomorrow is national holiday so no guided rehab tomorrow. Thought to go visit home tomorrow. ;)

Rehabilitation day 13

Felt lazy but didn't skip the homework training. 100x10kg leg raises laying on back, side and stomach. 100 squats for right leg. Afterwards strangely tired...shouldn't have been that hard.

Farewell party

Ami-chan, fellow club ACL member, left today. For my first week we were the only ACL patients at the floor. Had time to become good friends. Somehow I think that I'm not the only one here missing this energetic young lady...

Last night we had farewell party and as can be seen from the picture, many people came to say goodbye for our floor's sun shine. No alcohol was served.

Visiting day

Yesterday was surely different than others so far. Had visitors for more than half of the day. Time passed like flying! First Mrs. Sawa from school's gym came to check how I feel. She was really worried for long time before I even came to hospital. Now she doesn't need to worry so much any more. She saw me doing fine and soon I'll be back to the gym for training. She filled my stomach at the hospital's cafe and brought me a BIG box of fruits. No need to suffer from hunger anymore. :D

Right after Sawa-san came Fujita and Janny. I think we were talking hours like it would have been just 5 minutes. Don't see my dear friends that often... Fujita brought me the time table of Yomiuri Giants and seems that next opportunity to go to see baseball here in Tokyo will be at the beginning of June. Time to finally go to see my new favourite team playing. ＼(^_^)／

David joined us at some point of early evening and waited even after my dinner (which I ate in 10 min). After dinner we played a game of Go. He beat me 140-0. But the game is still great! Some day I'll beat David in this game...at least if I get 9 stone handicap. ;D

Went to sleep around 11pm. and slept without painkillers until 2:30am. when woke up stomach empty...Made stomach and knee happy by eating fruits, a cake and a painkiller. Read adventures of Viktor Karppa for hour or so and fell a deep sleep. This morning nurses were worried about my sleeping 'cause they saw me fully awake still at 3am. Told them not to worry...but almost slept over today's lunch. ;)

Rehabilitation day 12

Rest.

Ok, not totally 'cause plenty of walking but rested the extra power excercicess.

Rehabilitation day 11

Friday's rehab had 100 repetitions of all the lifts using 15kg extra weight for left and 120 squats for right leg.

Dumbbell training for upperbody before starting the weekend.:)

A good training day...put me in tight sleep.

Help button

Wonder for what kind of emergency this button is meant for...for sure it's located way too high if I would fell down and need help from nurses. ;P

The new ligament

A picture from inside my left knee right after the new ligament has put in its place. Doctor Tashiro just showed me some pictures from the operation.

Taste of freedom

Yesterday I got 2.5h holiday. Smiling I walked to the front gate with 2 A4 prints showing that I have permission to go out.

Went walking around Shinjuku. Most exciting part was the escalator...survived trough it without any problems. It just needs good timing. Felt good to wonder around streets full of people.

Before returning to my current home went to eat at Yoshinoya. Food in hospital is excellent but portions are soo small! And I'm missing the bowl of rice with beef...my daily menu back in Oyamadai's Matsuya. ;)

Shower & Newspaper

This morning I didn't repeat the yesterday's mistake and was the fastest early bird to catch the juiciest worm. Shower at prime time! A nurse told me when I asked that name can be written to the reservation list starting at 7 am. I was holding the pencil at 07:00:03.

Had scary moment when I went for some X-rays. The nurse there removed my brace and told me turn around. The knee should be nearly locked to its position for the time being. Carefully I turned using all my muscles in the leg to keep the knee STEADY.

Had a visitor today to cheer my day. Souichiro-san from my lab came all the way from our lab just to see how I was doing. Was glad to see my busy friend (Souchi started doctor studies just while ago).

Yesterday's missing postings were due to a Finnish private detective novel. "Tappajan nakoinen mies" by Matti Ronka kept me in tight grip for whole day and half of the night. Also finished from my library the "Bushido" (forgot the writer), "The book of five rings" by Miyamoto Musashi and "The book of family traditions on the art of war" by Yagyou Munenori. The bushido was a bit too philosofic (flying a bit to high for me) but I liked the latter two books.

To use this splendid opportunity, being stuck in a one place with loads of time, I started to learn to play the Go (ancient chinese board game, 19x19 board with white and black stones). Also started to practice meditation...as I'm at the beginning of the book/cd, I've found that I have done something similar trough whole my life without knowing it's called meditation. Just have been always amused to explore simple things in my mind. At the first class I was instructed to concentrate just for breathing for 20 minutes. It feels good...looks like I'm on way to get 2 new hobbies. ;)

As picture shows got today first newspaper in english. Has been these days totally in news shadow. Japan Times dispersed some light into that shadow. Akira-san's wife brought it to me. She and Akira-san are really spoiling me here... ;D

Ok, time to have some snack and dive in to Viktor Karppa's world in Matti Ronka's next novel.

Rehabilitation day 10

Time is flying! 10 days of rehab already behind. Unbeliavable.

Todays training continued from where I finished yesterday. 150 repetitions of raising left leg with 10 kg extra weight. 100 squats using the healthy leg. That made me sweat...a lot.

At the end of the rehab we checked my stepping of the left leg and weight aloud on it was raised from 25% to 50%. Not only great step of improvement but also the mark stone for permission to go out from the hospital with a permission. From tomorrow on short excursions to outside world are reality. Exciting.

Yellow group

"The yellow group, 3 students from JR elementary school"

hehe, Akira-san's humor from this morning...worked well. The whole floor is still smiling!!

No more driving

I decided to stop using wheelchair starting from yesterday (actually from the evening day before yesterday on). It was real fun to wheel around building and always have a place for resting with me. But now it has better place as serving my storage space and a seat for my visitors. :) Akira-san's wife's present made the exchange fom chair to sticks much easier. She brought small baggs to all members of our room. In this bagg I'm carrying my dining stuff for the meals, books to read, shoppings from hospital shop and etc.

Feels good to be "walking"!

Rehabilitation day 9

Yesterday's rehab continued on the same tracks...no new tricks. 10kg weight and 100 repetitions for left leg. 70 reps of squatting for right. On top of that full training of upperbody using dumbbells.

:D

The mascot of our floor...

Shower time!

Have to lay down having pillows and blankets under the leg. The swelling still doesn't want to disappear.

Rarely has shower felt as great as 30 min. ago!! Finally I was given a permission to take a shower. Have to still use a plastic cover for the left leg. Simple things feel so magnificent on these days... :D :D

Rehabilitation day 8

Left leg: 7kg extra weight and 150 repetitions for all lifts (back, side, and stomach).

Right leg: squatting 50 times from a seat.

On Thursday I can start putting more weight on the left leg. But even better promise was that after 8 days I'll be squatting using the left leg. ＼(^_^)／

Rehabilitation day 7 part 2

Hee, forgot to mention that as the fever was totally gone and power returned, I did full upper body training using dumbbells. Hehe, now I really don't feel like being in hospital at all. This is more like a training camp! :) Hard training sessions every day, eating and relaxing...what else I could wish for. I think I'll stay here for one extra week...haha. ;P

Rehabilition day 7

No new movements but more weight and repetitions. 5kg for the left and 100 reps. Did 120 just in case if I counted wrong. Sensei was a bit worried about the swelling. Told me to lay down and raise the leg using 3 pillows under it. 2 hours should be enough...but it's not and other problem is that I felk a sleep when laying down like that! Don't want to sleep on middle of the day! :D

1st Weekend

Technically second but had holiday on last one. Time passed really fast, training, reading (now "Bushido" finished already "Alchemist"), sleeping and watching movies. Sleeping and movies should change the place in timetable and everything would be perfect...

Got visitors on both days. Antti came yesterday and Seiko and Akiko left while ago.

Just finished a small farewell party for Mrs. Yamaoka, aka coutch, one of the sunshines of the floor. Wonder who is going to get Club ACL moving on next weekend?! :D Got invited to the party when passing the room driving my chair.

Ate delicious yakinikutori meal before official dinner with my neighbour Akira-san and his wife (she brought the meal). It was soooo good. Even the hospital food is delicious, it is still hospital food. :) Akira came here on Friday and will go to knee operation tomorrow. Really nice fellow and speaks good english.

Ok, better go to bed and try if could sleep a bit more than last night. Feeling hungry already.

Rehabilitation day 5 and 6

Like I mentioned rehab center is closed on weekends. Luckily got homework from my sensei...only that he forgot to give the amount of repetitions for the lift movements. Had to improvise that part. Saturday doubled and Sunday tripled. Meaning did each movement 2x50 rep and 3x50, respectively. Plus plenty of walking using sticks on both days.

The leg is swolling even more...but they said that it's normal...though, admidded that its quite large.

10th floor

Recently I realised why my spirit is so high and I'm smiling all the time no matter the lack of sleep and the pain in my knee. It's because of our floor in this hospital. Even all the physiotherapist agreed when I asked that 10th floor has unbelievable positive energy floating around the floor and radiating from all its inhabitants whem they go elsewhere.

Its because of the people here. Everybody has so high spirit, no matter if it's rainy or sunny day. Everybody is so nice to each other and smiling all the time. This boat is really rowed to the same direction by everyone!

All day long old and young people chatting while sitting in wheelchairs or leaning to sticks around the corridors of this floor...except breakfast, lunch and dinner times when warm chatting fills our dinner space. Everybody who is cabable to eat while sitting and able to move their butts enough gathers into our dining space to have meals together.

Wish I could collect some of this positive energy here and take it with me when I leave. But you can bet that I'm enjoying this a lot every day! :D

Rehabilitation day 4

Nothing special to report from today. Same excersises with same repetitions. Only this time extra weight was attached to each leg, 5kg and 3kg for right and left, respectively. Got those weight bands with me for this weekend 'cause Sat and Sun rehab room is closed. Like I said my physiotherapist is the best! He read my mind when I asked about the weekend. Not used to this kind of flexibility in Japan. :D

Skipped the walking excersises 'cause went there walking using my sticks instead of chair. Promised to do so yesterday if fever is low enough...37.1C and felt power finally returning so I gave green light to myself.

Started also training upper body using dummbells. Maximun weight found, was 10kg so have to do training using those for rest of the time. Nawa sensei promised to make reservations for me that I can start training regular bases during my stay in hospital. He really makes my stay here more enjoyable!

Flowers from my dear roomy

Israel has been visiting here every day since the operation. His hairy face was the first thing I saw when I woke up for the second time right after the operation. :D Yesterday he brought some flowers to color my new 'home'.＼:D/

That remainded me that our floor here has amazing spirit! Everybody is smiling every day. Most come to talk for while always when passing even if I don't understand half of it. :) For sure my japanese will improve during these 3 weeks. hehe.

Rehabilitation day 3

A view from my current 'home'. :)

Human body is amazing! Facinating...would it be too late to change to become a physiotherapist...hee, better stick with new materials they are pretty facinating also. ;)

Today I did 50 repetitions on the leg raise not only laying on my back but also side and stomach. Without any help. Yesterday I was strugling to make few purely without help. Today I was already in different universe with these excersises. Can't even imagine what will be possible tomorrow.

What comes to daily life...didn't sleep much last night either but after breakfast slept straight until lunch (4h). Temperature is finally going down. Today's lowest was 36.9C...which is 0.4C from normal. Yesterday it was still over 38. Right now 37.4C (hard training). Got also my own sticks! Visiting toilet became faster now. :)

Ok, start feeling sleepy now...which is good news at this hour.

Rehabilitation day 2

My physiotherapist Nawa-sensei and me(standing already). :)

Great day in rehab today! Took huge leaps compared to yesterday. No anesthesian medicines to slowdown and fever didn't take my power either.

When laying down I could raise my left leg without help! Unbeliavable! Yesterday Nawa-senseis help was around 95% in this movement. Also walked 5 min. laying 15-20kg to left leg. But the best thing was that I could walk using sticks!

Now I'll get my own sticks and start walking when ever I feel like. Unfortunately the clock was 16:03 when we finished. If I would have wanted the sticks today the rehab should have informed my floors nurses be 16:00. I think my dear sensei had that all planned already knowing that I would want to get my own sticks right away. Hehe, we surely make a good team. He is always putting crazy aims on everything and I'm crazy enough to try to achieve them. :)

daily routines

Operated leg is slowing down quite a bit everything I have to do during the day. Taking a leak is like going to a semi demanding mission. When the other leg was still num it was at least 3 times more demanding than now...it really required some imagination and power from hands. T-shirt was always soaked after such a mission. On that day I tried not to drink too much. ;P

All the normal hurry somehow disappears when only getting out from the bed takes 10 times more time and energy...not to mention as simple task as brushing teeth, takes like 3 to 5 minutes only to park the wheelchair into right position next to the sink.

This opens the view and makes me appreciate many simple things in life.

painkillers start to work

Wow! Last 3.5 hours slept really deep. Took the painkillers which didn't have any effect on first night but last night was different. Slept like a baby. Nurses were the ones to wake me up instead of the pain. Temperature dropped under 38. :)

Now just have to wait today's rehabilitation session.

Maximum 1h

Seems that tonight 1h sleep is maximum constant sleep. After that I have to get up and go around the floor for a while to able to sleep one more hour...

Night driving

Unlike last night now I'm free to leave the bed as I want. Have to just bother one of the night nurses to disconnect my leg from the cooling machine.

Hehe, slept already more than whole last night. Fever getting a bit stronger (temperature getting over 38). But it feels good to drive around empty corridors 'cause the air is cooler here. :)

Ok, better return into the bed and try how far can I survive without painkillers tonight.

**Oyasumi**

ACL-club

Now I'm officially a member in our floor's ACL club. Members can be recogniced from the big black brace. :)

Better start writing in the members diary...

Surgery

The surgery went well! No cartilage or meniscus injuries was found. So only the ligament had to be fixed. Just few minutes ago got out from the bed for very first time. Now practicing to use wheechair.

Terrible pain in the leg, slept less than 3 hours last night even though have needle in my back giving constantly something straight into spine. At least, if nothing else, it is making my healthy leg num. Better stay in this chair until the healthy leg starts working.

Also got something to eat since Sunday evening.

Ok, I'll go racing with my chair now!

Later today I'll have the first rehabilitatio session.

This is it

Operation was postponed to start at 13:00. Have to be back in my room after 15 min and be ready to start the looooong joyrney back to tatami and fighting. Think that the operation and anesthesia are the smallest things on this path.

For first time I start to feel the butterflies in my stomach(it's about the time! helps empty my system naturally...no artificial methods needed;)...they are so small and few thought.

Hungry... woke up this morning at 5am for hunger. They said that next night I can already eat. Hee, bought 2 onigiris (rice ball) for that. Have also big bag of salmiakki left. ;)

gotta go now! Next posting with swollen leg! ;P

Last supper

Had the last supper, sorbet ice cream balls (2 bags:), 20 minutes ago. After 9pm. no eating and after 00:00 no drinking. Had mouth full of salmiakki candies at 8:58pm. Now sipping my last tea. Time to brush teeth and go to bed. Although, gonna watch few episodes of 'Hashimeno Ippo' anime. Started to watch it today and really like it. (^_^)/

The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10am. Do not worry if no word tomorrow...might be quite tired (and still tied into bed). But on Tuesday I'll be out from the bed for sure!

No excitement yet...tomorrow morning might be a different story. matane!

Exploring the hospital part 1

Turttle friends on first floor. ACL club book on our floor. Tomorrow I'll become official member. :) Wonder if I have to write my feelings in japanese also...

Interesting pay phones. Maybe I could get into the internet from here.

hairy man...

Hehe, like a monkey. :) Had to shave my leg for the operation. Harder job than cutting the grass of my grandparents yard...

Time to go...

Oops...a nurse just called from my hospital that they are waiting me there already. Negotiated time for one last bath though (hehe, my japanese improving). Ok, but better take the last bath for next 9 days, throw the packbag on me, take a deep breath and start walking (enjoying every last painless step...there gonna be enough with pain starting from Tuesday). Bye for now.


Enough books for 3 weeks?

ps. using cellphone is forbidden in the room so it could take some time before I'll get the message out after the surgery...

Punk Spring

Last year missed this magnificent party (sold out and also was sick at bed on that weekend). This time we were prepared better and bought tickets straight away when they came available. Definetely THE BEST PARTY of this spring!!!! Crazy day festival! One of my teenage time bands was playing there as a main band of the event. RANCID still ROCKS!! Hee, now I miss only the Bad Religion from my "must see once in this lifetime bands" list. And my with my karma they are of course playing in Europe on this summer!

No time to comment now, so just try to get the picture from these pics... PUNK NEVER DIES

Rock in Current

The best rock bar in Tokyo. We have had so much fun is this place...and probly loads comming still. Last evening in freedom will be spent in Shinjuku's Current for sure! Let pictures speak this time.


Owner.


Bar.


Not only us.


...


Hanoi rocks.


Who gave the tape roll to Finns...


Ooops.


ZZzzzzZZZzzz.


Like I said, the best rock bar in Tokyo. HUGE collection of rock!


o..O


Poor Norwegian was starting army service next week.


visiting DJ.


Bartenders.


:)


hehe...


yo-yo...


As normally the Finns are the last customers...


visiting DJ no2.