I officially started my volunteer placement this week. It’s an ideal first step to working in the social work field again. I contact parents who have not sent back questionnaires regarding children’s development. It’s nice to be back in the saddle again and to do something different besides therapy during the week. It’s purposeful work by doing a service for families. So far, nobody has berated me for calling but I disarm the mothers with my charm. A job coach is present and helps with any logistic difficulties I come across.
The pressure sore on my arse is healing. I’m no longer on bed restriction but I am mindful of doing pressure reliefs in the wheelchair and bed. Any injury for a person with a SCI below the level of injury can be life-threatening (my injury is a C3 level, which is upper chest).
There are four stages to a pressure sore. Stage one is redness or discoloration that does not fade after 30 minutes. Stage two is when the top layer of the skin is broken, which is what I had. Stage three is when there is a break in the skin through the second layer. Stage four is when the breakdown goes into the muscle or all the way to the bone. Surgery is usually required at this phase.
The best form of treatment is prevention. I am diligent doing pressure reliefs by tilting my wheelchair back every 20 minutes or so. Staff repositions me every two hours when in bed. It sucks because I don’t get continuous sleep through the night but better than getting a pressure sore.
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