I am now 5 days here, I do Rehab in Constance, at the Bodensee in Clinic Schmieder.
I have been to Konstanz before, 7-8 years ago, at a party on a ship, in high heels, make up, chic and in the company of my former partners. If someone had told me at that time, that I would return to a rehab clinic in years to come, I would have been shocked and jumped off the bridge..
Now I am here and collecting my first impressions.
I am pretty sure that I am the only MSA patient here. The location is very nice, the lake is barely a hundred meters away and the weather is good. Daily walks with Nordic Walking poles are on my schedule. The clinic is like a clinic. I estimate 15 years ago, the facility was certainly modern, today I would say it is country-style. I don’t care, what count, everything is clean and I have a single room. Well, in fact it smelled strange in the first days, what is changing now. Either my ventilation attacks and the excessive spraying with the deodorant shows effect, or I don’t notice it anymore. The rooms are visited daily by the cleaning staff, who make an effort (what that means in a memo, we know).
But WiFi is very bad. Fortunately my room is a meter away from the router and I don’t have to suffer as much as the others. But I have a view to smokers’ cottages, where things are always “very vivid”. First I wanted to move, because they had annoyed me, but I think about now, what you don’t do for WiFi.
The cook here has better and worse days. Sometimes I think he hasn’t slept well and then he grows beyond himself.
Yesterday I had a presentation about nutrition, which was certainly useful for many, I didn’t hear anything new. There was also no mention of the quality of the food, which I found very unfortunate. We Germans are world champions in buying the cheapest food, the density of the Diskount-Shops is the highest in Europe in Germany. Vacation, car, clothes, furniture, everything is more important, than what we shove into our bodies. Where it means “you are what you eat”. Meat from factory farming (has anyone ever asked, what happens to the rest of the chickens, since we only get the breast meat, where’s the rest?), fish from aquacultures, fruit and vegetables seem to last forever thanks to chemicals, etc.?
In any case, I have never seen so many wheelchair users and walker as here. You actually stand out when you don’t use a walking aid.
Not much happened last week, there were “getting to know” appointments everywhere. And I was introduced to the doctor, who actually knows MSA and was very friendly. I had my first visit today, they even asked me if I am satisfied with my weekly schedule. Apart from previous presentation on nutrition or stress reduction, everything makes sense to me. These presentations mainly treat MS patients or stroke patients, who are certainly the majority here. For me, there is unfortunately not much in it, I actually torture myself through the presentation and „my stress limit is exceeded“.
The therapists are different, some try hard, some have no clue. My physiotherapist, for example, is great, but I also made the experience with others, that every wheelchair user is given more attention than me, I don’t look sick when sitting, I just wobble a little – others will notice.
There are many group therapies, where the performing therapist has no idea, of the clinical picture. I have to accept that, speak for myself if necessary – for example I will next days say that I want to do more for my balance – and till then, will make the best of the situation.
There are many stairs in the house, one can practice in the free time, I also do walks outside in my free time, there are several MOTOMeds standing around here, so if one want, one can fill the time sensibly.
So, five days in a row going out, have helped me already, I feel a bit better now, mainly because of the Canada trip I have abandoned myself a bit. But I have to admit, that when walking, the many unleashed dogs are a bit annoying, even if I am not afraid of dogs, but now even a friendly poodle would knock me over. I also have to endure the many hands-holding couples, especially if one dissolved the relationship because of the disease. But, as a good friend of mine said, you have to deal with these things, otherwise you won’t be able to go at the door soon.
What certainly does me good is the distance from my own mailbox and all the paperwork and the proximity to water (I saw a kitesurfer on Sunday!).