[10] AYA KITOU’S DIARY; research

1.] Test

I had to move my hands according to the song, twinkle twinkle little star.

Before getting my shot R[right] 12 times L[left] 17 times

3 mins after my shot R[right] 18 times L[left]22 times

5 mins after my shot R[right] 18 times L[left] 21 times

2.] Rehabilitation

   1. I had to stand on my hands and knees.

       I had to move my body by keeping my balance [like making half a circle] [rotating my pelvis]

       I had to bend my leg, rotate my pelvis, then go on my hands, rotate my pelvis again, and then lift up my hands.

       *I’m not supposed to let my feet go, and my shoulder blade isn’t suppose to move inwardly.

   2. Reflex movement

       As soon as I lift my leg, I have to catchmy body with my hands. This will help me when I fall.

       *My shoulder blades moved inwardly, and my weight pulls me back.

   3. Exercising by swinging my hands

       I have to swing my hands back and forth and watch how my pelvis moves.

       When my right hand is in the front=my right pelvis has to go back

       When my right hand goes back=my right pelvis has to come forward.

       So basically, I have to alternate my hands and feet when I walk. For me…

       When my right hand is in the front=my right pelvis goes back

       When my right hand goes back=my right pelvis goes back.

       This is weird. Both my leg and hands goes back at the same time.

   4. After standing on my legs and knees, I haveto stand on my knees alone.

   5. Making it right. I had tolean back my shoulders and straighten my body by lining up my knees with my spine.

   6. I had to practice crawling.

       Putting my right hand out-> Putting my left feet out-> Putting my left hand out-> Putting my right feet out.

       I have to keep my legs straight when I put it out.

       Walking normal is a realy hard thing…

    7. Getting up

Dr. Yamamoto said to me, “A boy named K-kun is going to be hospitalized from today. He has a similar illness as you.”

I passed by him in the hallway.

He was skinny and seemed to be in the 6th or 7th grade. He looked like an innocent and cheerful boy, who didn’t seem to let his illness bother him.

I told him inside my heart, “I hope the shot will help you. Get better soon.”

After getting the shot, I got a headache and became nauseous, but maybe because the medicine is actually working, or I’m getting used to it, there is less pain.

They recorded my voice. I wonder if they’re testing my throat and tongue.

Rehabilitation is very important! That’s what Dr. Yamamotosaid. I knew I had to try my best, but it was really hard. I’m not normal… mom, I could almost cry.

We went up to the roof again and they took pictures of me with the 16mm camera. My body felt miserable.

PT. Kawabashi, I can only walklike a robot. This is sad. While we rested, PT. Kawabashi told me one of his childhood stories.

“I peed on a teacher’s head from the roof and got beaten up.” Wow, that’s a dynamic prank… I can’t do the same, but this feeling of wanting to do something, boiled up inside me. He also told me the trick to catching a cicada [both female] that’s on a tree. He called the cicada’s shedding of the skin, semi-nude! I though to myself… I guess he’s a guy too.

I got fever. 102 degrees. Am I going to die? No! I can’t lose to an illness! I miss my mom and family.

Man~ everytime I try to take a step forward thishappens! It seems like this mental and physical unbalance is gonna last forever. I’m scared of getting old. I’m only 16 years old.

I only have couple more shots to go. Then I’ll finally be able to get out of the hospital… supposedly.

usually, it’s a happy thing but it’s different with me. When I first started the shots, I suffered from the side effects [nausea/headaches]. My doctor said that the shots helped, but my expectation of being able to walk as I used to, doesn’t seem like it was met. Now I have another notebook to keep other than my school diary… the notebook for physically handicapped people. My illness is where the cerebellum’s cell takes over me physically, making it hard for me to move, and this illness was discovered about one hundred years ago.

Why did the illness choose me?

The word fate isn’t a good enough explanation!