Lifting

Monday, 6 June 2005

Today was a day of practicing to lift and transfer my dad since my brother Jason was there to help support in case I couldn't handle. Jay tried to tie some sort of harness strap that supports the behind more, and I tried to lift with just the belt around my dad's waist, but I still don't have the leverage right. A couple times, I got him up, but not to the point to where he could lock his knees, and I didn't have the strength to pull him up any further, so Jay would have to step in. We ran some errands at the bank, a medical supply store (to experiment with a transfer board) and went to a ramen restaurant for lunch. At each place we went, we ran into people who know my dad and asked what was wrong. "Did you get into a car accident?", "Did you hurt your back?" Dad always responds with "I have this Muscular Dystrophy thing. My body's kinda bus' up."

When we were getting my dad out of the van once we got home, his legs buckled and he started to fall. I was there to hold him, but I wouldn't have been able to lift him. I put him down on the ground first, so he could rest, and Jay could lift him up. Once inside the house, I tried some techniques again to lift and transfer him from the walker to the chair, but with no success. Gotta keep trying I guess (and start lifting weights).