This is Karen. I got to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon, just as dad was finishing his last therapy session. My mom was with him all day again today...(she is filling most of the day shifts during the week now, so we can get back to our 'normal lives'....and my sibilings and I will continue to fill the afternoon and evening shifts).
He had 6 therapy sessions again today, one of which included a session with therapy students, who each took turns giving dad instructions of things to do. Mom said he did very well. His days are getting more routine now...waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and heading off for a combination of 5 or 6 therapy sessions...with a break for lunch in between. Dad is doing really well in each. I think speech is his least favorite, as this is probably the most frustrating to him, since his speech has not returned. The speech therapist described this condition as Aphasia, or a disorder caused by the stroke that affects the portion of the brain that controls language (speaking and writing). As I spend time with my dad, this I believe is the most frustrating thing that he is dealing with. We spend a fair amount of time, trying to understand what he is telling us. He is getting better at using his left arm/hand to play 'charades'...sort of....to try to help us better understand. Once in awhile...he does speak a short phrase or something, just clear as can be. It will be interesting to see, as the weeks progress, how his speech recovers. Prayers in this regard would be greatly appreciated!
Dad was pretty upbeat most of the evening I was there. I'm not sure how at this point...but I am grateful for that nonetheless. ;) I talked to him about some of the information we had gone over in his stroke class. He always is very interested in learning more about the 'specifics' of what he is dealing with. I updated him on stuff going on with the grandkids, etc. He is always most interested in hearing about what's going on outside the hospital. I kept asking him if he wanted me to stop talking and let him rest, and he said no. I am glad when he can spend time alert and busy during the day, so that he has a better, more restful night.
The highlight of my visit today, was seeing a picture that dad drew (with his left hand), during one his therapy sessions. They asked him if he would draw something. They didn't tell him what to draw, they just let him choose. He drew a simple landscape scene, consisting of a mountain, sun, and a couple of streams, running at the base of the mountain. I loved seeing this! And I have to admit, he did a much better job, inspite of using his left hand, than I could've done with my right. Love it.
Thank for all the well wishes we continue to receive. We use those to continually remind dad that so many people are pulling for him, and he needs that encouragement right now. Sorry for the updates being so few and far between now....but as we have stated before, no news is good news, and dad just keeps plugging along, doing his best to be able to return home soon!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Quiet Sundays
Nothing much to update. I have been here since this morning, just visiting with Dad and watching General Conference. Its been a very nice, quiet Sunday so far.
My dad's brother, Ef, called earlier. I asked him if he wanted to talk to Ef and got a HUGE nod in return and he reached for the phone. I just handed it to him and he "talked" to Ef for few minutes. He tried really hard to respond to everything Ef said, and some of it was understandable. It was the first time this week that I've heard his voice loud and clear, so that was a treat for me! He seemed really pleased after talking to Ef and I hope that he will call again soon!
Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and concern that have been coming our way. My dad loves to hear about all the people that ask about him. We really appreciate everything and hope that you will continue to keep him in your prayers! We need all the help we can get right now!
Just about to start the second session of Conference. Hopefully it will continue to be a nice, quiet day!
My dad's brother, Ef, called earlier. I asked him if he wanted to talk to Ef and got a HUGE nod in return and he reached for the phone. I just handed it to him and he "talked" to Ef for few minutes. He tried really hard to respond to everything Ef said, and some of it was understandable. It was the first time this week that I've heard his voice loud and clear, so that was a treat for me! He seemed really pleased after talking to Ef and I hope that he will call again soon!
Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and concern that have been coming our way. My dad loves to hear about all the people that ask about him. We really appreciate everything and hope that you will continue to keep him in your prayers! We need all the help we can get right now!
Just about to start the second session of Conference. Hopefully it will continue to be a nice, quiet day!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Therapy, Therapy and More Therapy
I'm beginning to realize that these blog posts are going to get pretty repetative! Most of dad's days now consist of 5-6 sessions of therapy. And all the days are running together. So its getting hard to keep track of everything and even harder to remember to leave notes for everyone! I know that everyone is anxious about him and want to know more about his recovery. But hopefully you know that no news is good news! It mostly just means that he is continuing to work hard and get better!
I spent most of the day at the hospital today, so I was able to sit in on all six of his therapy sessions. He had Occupational, Physical and Speech two times each, so it made for a long and exhausting day! (More on that in a minute.)
We had two wonderful surprises today. The first one was a visit from Von, who showed up at 9:00 and was able to go to three sessions of therapy with us! We were so happy to see him and hope that he can come a lot more while he is in Utah. Thank you so much for coming, Von!
The second surprise was that Dad was moved to a private room today! Yahoo!!! We cannot express how awesome this is. We were getting really tired of constant noise from his roommate and his guests and nurses. And I'm quite sure his roommate was tired of our noise, too! It so hard to share a room! (His roommate was so nice and was actually discharged today! Thats great news and we are happy for him!) But now Dad will be able to really rest during the night and only have to wake up when his own nurses come in. That will make a huge difference. And now we won't have to worry nearly as much about "being in the way." Its not 100% sure that we will get to stay in this room, since new head trauma patients will always be first priority. But we'll take it for as long as they are willing to let us have it!
Occupational was a pretty typical today. The first session was spent practicing every day skills, like getting ready for the day. They did retape his right shoulder (very, VERY tightly) so that the joints to sag and separate due to gravity and not using them. The second session was spent practicing tranfers to and from his wheelchair. He is getting better and better at helping them as much as he can. They have been constantly impressed with his hard work. (He does still have a long way to go... he is far from doing it himself. But any progress is great!)
Physical Therapy was the usual, too. First session was spent getting him into the "machine" where he stood for 25 minutes! His old record was 15, so that was a huge accomplishment. The second session was spent in his wheelchair doing leg exercises. He was glad that he didn't have to stand again!
It was the first day that he had two Speech sessions. This is not his favorite and he always pulls faces when we take him into the speech therapy room. LOL! I'm sure that its extremely frustrating for him. The first session was spent practicing swallowing. He still isn't ready for regular liquids and has to stay on "nector-thick" liquids (gag) but he was upgraded to casserole-consistency foods! That doesn't sound super appetizing, but I can imagine that anything would be better than pureed food after two weeks straight! The second session was practicing comprehension and repeating words. Very hard for him and frustrating. But every day shows improvement. Baby steps. :)
By 4:00, when therapy was over, he was exhausted. He had already been groggy all day from being on pain meds. But after working so hard, he earned a nap!
Susan took over for the evening shift. The only thing I've heard so far is that he has been enjoying an evening of ABBA with her. He has been lip-synching along and bobbing his head. :) I love these moments, because they help us feel like everything is back to normal for a while. :)
Thanks again for all the prayers and support. We still have a long road ahead so keep them coming!
I spent most of the day at the hospital today, so I was able to sit in on all six of his therapy sessions. He had Occupational, Physical and Speech two times each, so it made for a long and exhausting day! (More on that in a minute.)
We had two wonderful surprises today. The first one was a visit from Von, who showed up at 9:00 and was able to go to three sessions of therapy with us! We were so happy to see him and hope that he can come a lot more while he is in Utah. Thank you so much for coming, Von!
The second surprise was that Dad was moved to a private room today! Yahoo!!! We cannot express how awesome this is. We were getting really tired of constant noise from his roommate and his guests and nurses. And I'm quite sure his roommate was tired of our noise, too! It so hard to share a room! (His roommate was so nice and was actually discharged today! Thats great news and we are happy for him!) But now Dad will be able to really rest during the night and only have to wake up when his own nurses come in. That will make a huge difference. And now we won't have to worry nearly as much about "being in the way." Its not 100% sure that we will get to stay in this room, since new head trauma patients will always be first priority. But we'll take it for as long as they are willing to let us have it!
Occupational was a pretty typical today. The first session was spent practicing every day skills, like getting ready for the day. They did retape his right shoulder (very, VERY tightly) so that the joints to sag and separate due to gravity and not using them. The second session was spent practicing tranfers to and from his wheelchair. He is getting better and better at helping them as much as he can. They have been constantly impressed with his hard work. (He does still have a long way to go... he is far from doing it himself. But any progress is great!)
Physical Therapy was the usual, too. First session was spent getting him into the "machine" where he stood for 25 minutes! His old record was 15, so that was a huge accomplishment. The second session was spent in his wheelchair doing leg exercises. He was glad that he didn't have to stand again!
It was the first day that he had two Speech sessions. This is not his favorite and he always pulls faces when we take him into the speech therapy room. LOL! I'm sure that its extremely frustrating for him. The first session was spent practicing swallowing. He still isn't ready for regular liquids and has to stay on "nector-thick" liquids (gag) but he was upgraded to casserole-consistency foods! That doesn't sound super appetizing, but I can imagine that anything would be better than pureed food after two weeks straight! The second session was practicing comprehension and repeating words. Very hard for him and frustrating. But every day shows improvement. Baby steps. :)
By 4:00, when therapy was over, he was exhausted. He had already been groggy all day from being on pain meds. But after working so hard, he earned a nap!
Susan took over for the evening shift. The only thing I've heard so far is that he has been enjoying an evening of ABBA with her. He has been lip-synching along and bobbing his head. :) I love these moments, because they help us feel like everything is back to normal for a while. :)
Thanks again for all the prayers and support. We still have a long road ahead so keep them coming!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday
Hi, it's Karen. I was able to spend ALL day with dad today. I arrived at the hospital at 6:30 this morning because we had several items we wanted to discuss with the Doctors, that do their rounds first thing in the morning.
It was actually a very interesting day, because I got to go with dad to his entire day of Recreational, Occupational, Speech and Physical Therapies. He had six, 45 min. sessions of therapy today. Most days they are broken up a bit, and staggered, but today they were all back to back, with only a 1 hour break for lunch. So it was a very long, tiring, but productive day for dad! As the days progress, and more a 'routine' becomes established, posts to this blog might be fewer, as the days become busier, it is really hard to find time to sit and post. I found one minute here or there, before we were on to the next task, but hardly had any time to spend sitting at the computer. Most of the therapy sessions, are getting more routine, so there is not a lot of new information to post, so instead I will post a little bit about each of the different types of therapy and what dad does there. Today was the first day, he had 4 types of therapy in the same day, which will be his new 'standard' day.
Recreational Therapy This therapy is perhaps the one I feel is the least 'important'. Although I know that they will all teach dad different skills about his daily life, after sitting through 2 sessions of this therapy, I would rather trade and see if we could forgo this session, and do another sessions of speech therapy. I asked....they basically said, 'no way jose'. Anyway, so the purpose of R.T, is to teach dad to be able to enjoy the recreational activities that he enjoyed before his stroke. On the first day, they asked dad (and me), if he enjoyed any of the following: crafts....no. Sports.....no. Fishing.....no. Camping.....no. Gardening....(bahaha)..no. etc..etc.. Dad rolled his eyes at each suggestion (which btw...is one of the little things he does that I LOVE, because these moments show me that my dad, is still 'my dad'. LOL). The therapist even asked dad if he would be interested in making a leather belt during craft time. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard. Oh wait, until today that is, when the R.T. therapist asked dad if he'd like to have a chance to do therapy with a Dog, An actual dog that was there roaming around the gym. I proceeded to tell them, that that is perhaps the thing he would LEAST like to do. Which followed by a huge nod by dad. So, what they will be working with dad to do, is to enjoy using his new iPad. There are several apps available to help stroke patients with therapy & recovery. This was interesting to dad, and he enjoyed being able to learn to navigate the iPad on his own. This will be more the line of things they will work on with him during their time. No indian crafts for him. ;)
Occupational Therapy This is the first oppotunity I had to attend O.T. with dad. It was very interesting. They do skills with dad, that will be everyday tasks for him. Get dressed. Brush teeth. Comb hair. etc. This is the most 'diverse' fom of therapy, as the things they work on, touch an aspect of each type of therapy. Today, they worked on problem solving skills and cognitive skills. It was really fun to watch, and see dad be so successful at this, especially right now where his speech is such a struggle. They gave him patterns to match with blocks, items to sort, etc., which he does very well, and is actually very precise in what he does, making sure everything is even and straight. Another 'dad' thing that shows us he is the same dad as before. The highlight of this therapy was when the therapist decided to introduce word cards. They usually do not do this so early in therapy, but because he was doing the other things well, she wanted to try it. And just so you know...up until this point, we have not fully understood what exactly he does still understand. This discovery takes place on a daily basis. The only indication we've had so far about him recognizing letters, was a little experiement I decided to do with him last week, one day when we had time to kill, where at that point, it was clear he did not recognize letters and/or numbers, although visual images were clear and recognizable to him. Anyway, the O.T. therapist, pulled out a few word cards and asked him to look at the word, and match them to objects she had. Dad did every one she asked! This was a huge accomplishment, and one that gives us great hope for the future. I was cheering out loud during this, and dad smiled and did thumbs up.
Physcial Therapy the grueling physical therapy continues. Mostly practicing at standing. He has to have help to stand upright, as he still has little or no use of his right side, other than realizing he can put weight on it, once he is standing. Once standing, he stood for 2 full minutes. Again....more than the physical therapist expected him to be able to do at this point. The good news (good to him long term....not so much right now) is that dad is starting to have significant pain in his right leg. This means that his brain is starting to recognize that side...which up until this point, he has not really felt at all. The pain in his right side today was great, and it was hard to see him be in so much pain. So they will treat his pain as needed, but we reassure him that overall this is good. He really understands that, but pain still stinks. So in therapy today, they stretched his right side, as it becomes very stiff with no use. This caused dad even greater pain, and that was very difficult to watch, but he perservered, and when they asked if he needed a break, he said no. It was more like a 'let's just get this over with'. I was proud of him for sticking it out. I know it was so hard for him.
Speech Therapy Speech therapy continues....and there are still slow improvements each day. One of the main things they addressed today, was how dad is whispering, instead of using his full voice. They didn't know, until we told them today, that he had been intubated (breathing tube), for the first 2 days. This was an 'ah-ha' moment for them, as they suspsect now that the intubation might have caused injury to his vocal cords and throat. They hope these will just self heal over time, and if not...they will have an ENT (Ear, nose Throat) Dr. come investigate further. The speech therapy exercises consist mostly of things like Count to 10, Recite the days of the week (with help), things that are memorized, and that will start to just come naturally. He does fairly well with these. When he isn't exhausted he does better. Today he was exhausted. The speech therapists are great, and again, we see improvement everyday....even if it's small.
So, that was the main bulk of what we did today. It was a long, exhausting day, but dad really was in good spirits throughout the day, (except for the stretching in P.T.), and he somehow manages to continue to laugh off the speech issues, in which we continue to guess wrong, and find other ways to figure things out. I am truly amazed at his patience and tell him this often. He overall retains the things that make him 'dad' to us. This is hard to explain to people that don't see him all day, or the Dr.'s who don't 'know' him. But when you are with him all day, little things here and there reassure us that he is the same 'dad', and we are truly grateful for this. Just an example of this, is tonight when Susan and I were changing 'shifts', I gave him a drink of a slush and told him I didn't know if it was thawed enough to drink from the straw, but he wanted to try that rather than use a spoon, so he sucked, and sucked, and sucked, and started to raise his eyebrows and pull faces....again, hard to explain, but it was just so 'dad'. Fun to see and we all got a good laugh at that.
A fun part of the evening tonight was a suprise visit from Brook & Denise Hales. They brought a small poster of the BYU Basketball team, fresh off the press. They knew it would be a welcome change from all the red 'U's that are everywhere in this place. LOL! I put the poster in the window where dad had a perfect view, and he did a big thumb up! A perfect end to a long productive day!
Sorry for the late night post. Busy, busy day. Thanks for checking in, and keep the prayers coming!
It was actually a very interesting day, because I got to go with dad to his entire day of Recreational, Occupational, Speech and Physical Therapies. He had six, 45 min. sessions of therapy today. Most days they are broken up a bit, and staggered, but today they were all back to back, with only a 1 hour break for lunch. So it was a very long, tiring, but productive day for dad! As the days progress, and more a 'routine' becomes established, posts to this blog might be fewer, as the days become busier, it is really hard to find time to sit and post. I found one minute here or there, before we were on to the next task, but hardly had any time to spend sitting at the computer. Most of the therapy sessions, are getting more routine, so there is not a lot of new information to post, so instead I will post a little bit about each of the different types of therapy and what dad does there. Today was the first day, he had 4 types of therapy in the same day, which will be his new 'standard' day.
Recreational Therapy This therapy is perhaps the one I feel is the least 'important'. Although I know that they will all teach dad different skills about his daily life, after sitting through 2 sessions of this therapy, I would rather trade and see if we could forgo this session, and do another sessions of speech therapy. I asked....they basically said, 'no way jose'. Anyway, so the purpose of R.T, is to teach dad to be able to enjoy the recreational activities that he enjoyed before his stroke. On the first day, they asked dad (and me), if he enjoyed any of the following: crafts....no. Sports.....no. Fishing.....no. Camping.....no. Gardening....(bahaha)..no. etc..etc.. Dad rolled his eyes at each suggestion (which btw...is one of the little things he does that I LOVE, because these moments show me that my dad, is still 'my dad'. LOL). The therapist even asked dad if he would be interested in making a leather belt during craft time. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard. Oh wait, until today that is, when the R.T. therapist asked dad if he'd like to have a chance to do therapy with a Dog, An actual dog that was there roaming around the gym. I proceeded to tell them, that that is perhaps the thing he would LEAST like to do. Which followed by a huge nod by dad. So, what they will be working with dad to do, is to enjoy using his new iPad. There are several apps available to help stroke patients with therapy & recovery. This was interesting to dad, and he enjoyed being able to learn to navigate the iPad on his own. This will be more the line of things they will work on with him during their time. No indian crafts for him. ;)
Occupational Therapy This is the first oppotunity I had to attend O.T. with dad. It was very interesting. They do skills with dad, that will be everyday tasks for him. Get dressed. Brush teeth. Comb hair. etc. This is the most 'diverse' fom of therapy, as the things they work on, touch an aspect of each type of therapy. Today, they worked on problem solving skills and cognitive skills. It was really fun to watch, and see dad be so successful at this, especially right now where his speech is such a struggle. They gave him patterns to match with blocks, items to sort, etc., which he does very well, and is actually very precise in what he does, making sure everything is even and straight. Another 'dad' thing that shows us he is the same dad as before. The highlight of this therapy was when the therapist decided to introduce word cards. They usually do not do this so early in therapy, but because he was doing the other things well, she wanted to try it. And just so you know...up until this point, we have not fully understood what exactly he does still understand. This discovery takes place on a daily basis. The only indication we've had so far about him recognizing letters, was a little experiement I decided to do with him last week, one day when we had time to kill, where at that point, it was clear he did not recognize letters and/or numbers, although visual images were clear and recognizable to him. Anyway, the O.T. therapist, pulled out a few word cards and asked him to look at the word, and match them to objects she had. Dad did every one she asked! This was a huge accomplishment, and one that gives us great hope for the future. I was cheering out loud during this, and dad smiled and did thumbs up.
Physcial Therapy the grueling physical therapy continues. Mostly practicing at standing. He has to have help to stand upright, as he still has little or no use of his right side, other than realizing he can put weight on it, once he is standing. Once standing, he stood for 2 full minutes. Again....more than the physical therapist expected him to be able to do at this point. The good news (good to him long term....not so much right now) is that dad is starting to have significant pain in his right leg. This means that his brain is starting to recognize that side...which up until this point, he has not really felt at all. The pain in his right side today was great, and it was hard to see him be in so much pain. So they will treat his pain as needed, but we reassure him that overall this is good. He really understands that, but pain still stinks. So in therapy today, they stretched his right side, as it becomes very stiff with no use. This caused dad even greater pain, and that was very difficult to watch, but he perservered, and when they asked if he needed a break, he said no. It was more like a 'let's just get this over with'. I was proud of him for sticking it out. I know it was so hard for him.
Speech Therapy Speech therapy continues....and there are still slow improvements each day. One of the main things they addressed today, was how dad is whispering, instead of using his full voice. They didn't know, until we told them today, that he had been intubated (breathing tube), for the first 2 days. This was an 'ah-ha' moment for them, as they suspsect now that the intubation might have caused injury to his vocal cords and throat. They hope these will just self heal over time, and if not...they will have an ENT (Ear, nose Throat) Dr. come investigate further. The speech therapy exercises consist mostly of things like Count to 10, Recite the days of the week (with help), things that are memorized, and that will start to just come naturally. He does fairly well with these. When he isn't exhausted he does better. Today he was exhausted. The speech therapists are great, and again, we see improvement everyday....even if it's small.
So, that was the main bulk of what we did today. It was a long, exhausting day, but dad really was in good spirits throughout the day, (except for the stretching in P.T.), and he somehow manages to continue to laugh off the speech issues, in which we continue to guess wrong, and find other ways to figure things out. I am truly amazed at his patience and tell him this often. He overall retains the things that make him 'dad' to us. This is hard to explain to people that don't see him all day, or the Dr.'s who don't 'know' him. But when you are with him all day, little things here and there reassure us that he is the same 'dad', and we are truly grateful for this. Just an example of this, is tonight when Susan and I were changing 'shifts', I gave him a drink of a slush and told him I didn't know if it was thawed enough to drink from the straw, but he wanted to try that rather than use a spoon, so he sucked, and sucked, and sucked, and started to raise his eyebrows and pull faces....again, hard to explain, but it was just so 'dad'. Fun to see and we all got a good laugh at that.
A fun part of the evening tonight was a suprise visit from Brook & Denise Hales. They brought a small poster of the BYU Basketball team, fresh off the press. They knew it would be a welcome change from all the red 'U's that are everywhere in this place. LOL! I put the poster in the window where dad had a perfect view, and he did a big thumb up! A perfect end to a long productive day!
Sorry for the late night post. Busy, busy day. Thanks for checking in, and keep the prayers coming!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Lunch Break
It's Alison. Rob and I got to the hospital around 12:30 to spend time with Dad during our lunch break. He had already eaten by the time we got there, so he had a little bit of his cream slush for dessert.
He was super tired--dozing off in his wheelchair--and not thrilled about going to three hours of therapy. But, he's always willing, even when he doesn't want to do it. Chelsie came and got us and took us down to the gym. Occupational therapy today was all while he was sitting on the edge of a mat/table. She said she wanted to work on his hand because it is starting to show some tone (apparently that's what it's called when it starts going into a fist on its own) that Diane mentioned. She fitted him for a resting hand splint that she said he needs to use at night. She said this will help prevent his hand from going into that involuntary fist while he sleeps. Next, she put several colored cones on a table in front of him and had him lean forward to get them, one at a time, and put them on the mat next to him. It was quite a stretch and reach for him, but he did great. Each time, while he stretched forward with his left hand, he put weight on his right hand to support himself. I was pleasantly surprised with how sturdy he was while doing this. Chelsie and Danielle only had to support him a little bit to keep him from falling. Most of his weight was on his own right arm. He finished the cones and then put them back on the table. Then she set them up again and had him move the cones from one side of the table to the other.
Next, she had him sit without supporting his weight with his arms at all, so he was just balancing. Then she threw a beach ball to him and had him hit it back to her. He did great! They hit it back and forth for about 10 minutes.
Dad was totally pooped, but we had to go over to physical therapy next. Collin decided to really challenge Dad today, even though he was completely worn out already. He had Rob and me help support Dad while he had him stand up holding onto a bar (that's right... standing without The Machine). Dad stood up for 90 seconds, twice. Collin said that it was better than he expected. He let Dad rest for a few minutes after that since he said it had to have been incredibly exhausting.
Unfortunately, Rob and I had to get back to work, so we left just before Susan was getting there for the afternoon. So, let's hope that Susan decides to update us later (I think it will be her first post, even though she's been in the hospital many, many times). No pressure, Sue. :)
He was super tired--dozing off in his wheelchair--and not thrilled about going to three hours of therapy. But, he's always willing, even when he doesn't want to do it. Chelsie came and got us and took us down to the gym. Occupational therapy today was all while he was sitting on the edge of a mat/table. She said she wanted to work on his hand because it is starting to show some tone (apparently that's what it's called when it starts going into a fist on its own) that Diane mentioned. She fitted him for a resting hand splint that she said he needs to use at night. She said this will help prevent his hand from going into that involuntary fist while he sleeps. Next, she put several colored cones on a table in front of him and had him lean forward to get them, one at a time, and put them on the mat next to him. It was quite a stretch and reach for him, but he did great. Each time, while he stretched forward with his left hand, he put weight on his right hand to support himself. I was pleasantly surprised with how sturdy he was while doing this. Chelsie and Danielle only had to support him a little bit to keep him from falling. Most of his weight was on his own right arm. He finished the cones and then put them back on the table. Then she set them up again and had him move the cones from one side of the table to the other.
Next, she had him sit without supporting his weight with his arms at all, so he was just balancing. Then she threw a beach ball to him and had him hit it back to her. He did great! They hit it back and forth for about 10 minutes.
Dad was totally pooped, but we had to go over to physical therapy next. Collin decided to really challenge Dad today, even though he was completely worn out already. He had Rob and me help support Dad while he had him stand up holding onto a bar (that's right... standing without The Machine). Dad stood up for 90 seconds, twice. Collin said that it was better than he expected. He let Dad rest for a few minutes after that since he said it had to have been incredibly exhausting.
Unfortunately, Rob and I had to get back to work, so we left just before Susan was getting there for the afternoon. So, let's hope that Susan decides to update us later (I think it will be her first post, even though she's been in the hospital many, many times). No pressure, Sue. :)
One day at a time
Hi all, it's Diane. I got to the hospital just before 9:00 this morning. I got stuck behind a traffic accident AGAIN. I swear... Actually, I don't swear but the traffic is enough to make me start!
Anyway...
Dad was still snoozing when I got here. The nurses told me he had slept well overnight. His breakfast had just been delivered. I looked at his therapy schedule, and he didn't have anything scheduled until 10:30. I guess they decided to give him a break this morning after the early start yesterday. He started stirring shortly after I got here. Dad was not interested in his breakfast at all. Sausage and oatmeal did not excite him this morning. I coaxed him into eating a few bites, and he drank most of his milk and orange juice and ate his mandarin oranges, so that's something.
Occupational therapy this morning started with Dad brushing his teeth and combing his hair. Not too shabby. He got a new sling designed to support his weak arm and shoulder. Then we headed down to the gym for a few minutes, where they tried an electrical stimulator on his right arm to try to get the muscles working, especially the extensor muscles because his right fingers are getting too used to closing into a fist all the time. They said they will do more of that in his session this afternoon. Physical therapy was leg stretching and strengthening exercises, after which we headed back to his room for lunch.
He ate most of his lunch -- ground beef and gravy with mashed potatoes. I tasted it and I thought it was yummy! Especially with vanilla pudding for dessert. He dozed in his wheelchair for a few minutes before it was time for his busy afternoon of more therapy.
I wanted to share something I did with Dad in the hour between breakfast and occupational therapy this morning. I wanted something different for Dad to look at and think about. I decided to get out the iPad and let Dad look at his own blogs -- of his photographs, paintings, drawings, and poems. We started with the photos. I let him just look at each one, and sometimes I read what he had written about it. Then we did paintings, followed by drawings. He seemed very attentive and thoughtful. He was quiet this morning, but didn't seem really down. I asked him occasionally if he remembered the things we were looking at, and he always nodded. Finally, we went to his poetry blog. I read him two of his poems. Here is one of my favorites:
Me He Made a Dreamer
The day of life is brief and I do waste what time is mine
In sentimental musings with my thoughts in serpentine.
The worldly ways are naught to me and business seems a bore,
I seek to know what lilies think and what the stars are for.
When I walk the city streets where people sell and buy,
I contemplate the silly jest and seek the butterfly.
In money, news and politics, interest have I none.
My thoughts are rapt in poetry and lying in the sun.
I’ve never wanted land or gold, care not a whit for fame.
If I can sketch and write and think, I don’t even need a name.
As long as I have ought to eat and place to lay my head,
I’m happy leaving greater cares to other fools instead.
When God designed his creatures and placed us here below,
He made some feel responsible and made some just for show.
And me he made a dreamer, without a thought or care,
And when I’m gone no one will know that I was even there.
Anyway...
Dad was still snoozing when I got here. The nurses told me he had slept well overnight. His breakfast had just been delivered. I looked at his therapy schedule, and he didn't have anything scheduled until 10:30. I guess they decided to give him a break this morning after the early start yesterday. He started stirring shortly after I got here. Dad was not interested in his breakfast at all. Sausage and oatmeal did not excite him this morning. I coaxed him into eating a few bites, and he drank most of his milk and orange juice and ate his mandarin oranges, so that's something.
Occupational therapy this morning started with Dad brushing his teeth and combing his hair. Not too shabby. He got a new sling designed to support his weak arm and shoulder. Then we headed down to the gym for a few minutes, where they tried an electrical stimulator on his right arm to try to get the muscles working, especially the extensor muscles because his right fingers are getting too used to closing into a fist all the time. They said they will do more of that in his session this afternoon. Physical therapy was leg stretching and strengthening exercises, after which we headed back to his room for lunch.
He ate most of his lunch -- ground beef and gravy with mashed potatoes. I tasted it and I thought it was yummy! Especially with vanilla pudding for dessert. He dozed in his wheelchair for a few minutes before it was time for his busy afternoon of more therapy.
I wanted to share something I did with Dad in the hour between breakfast and occupational therapy this morning. I wanted something different for Dad to look at and think about. I decided to get out the iPad and let Dad look at his own blogs -- of his photographs, paintings, drawings, and poems. We started with the photos. I let him just look at each one, and sometimes I read what he had written about it. Then we did paintings, followed by drawings. He seemed very attentive and thoughtful. He was quiet this morning, but didn't seem really down. I asked him occasionally if he remembered the things we were looking at, and he always nodded. Finally, we went to his poetry blog. I read him two of his poems. Here is one of my favorites:
Me He Made a Dreamer
The day of life is brief and I do waste what time is mine
In sentimental musings with my thoughts in serpentine.
The worldly ways are naught to me and business seems a bore,
I seek to know what lilies think and what the stars are for.
When I walk the city streets where people sell and buy,
I contemplate the silly jest and seek the butterfly.
In money, news and politics, interest have I none.
My thoughts are rapt in poetry and lying in the sun.
I’ve never wanted land or gold, care not a whit for fame.
If I can sketch and write and think, I don’t even need a name.
As long as I have ought to eat and place to lay my head,
I’m happy leaving greater cares to other fools instead.
When God designed his creatures and placed us here below,
He made some feel responsible and made some just for show.
And me he made a dreamer, without a thought or care,
And when I’m gone no one will know that I was even there.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Standing Tall
It's Karen. Hi friends and family! I just wanted to post a quick update. Dad started his last session of physical therapy for today shortly after I arrived. I was happy to meet the 'favorite' P.T., Collin, and I told him I had heard good things so far about him, but I was here now to decide for myself. No pressure. LOL. He is super nice and you can tell he genuinely cares about dad's recovery. He had my dad stand up today, in the 'machine' as described earlier by Ryan. My dad stood for almost 20 min. It was nice to see him 'tall' again. (I guess it was especially noticeable because when I introduced myself to Collin he said, 'oh Karen...let's see, you are the short sister' as I had been described to him by my other siblings. Rach...you might be the only one who understands. Thanks to my siblings. Glad the only thing that could come to their mind about how to describe me was....short. ;0) jk Anyway, I was so proud of dad for standing for so long. It is extremely exhausting for him to do this....but when Collin asked him he needed a break, dad said 'no' and he kept standing. Good for you Dad! After therapy we came back and got settled in his room. I gave him a 'reward' for doing so well....a blended root beer float from Sonic! YUM! His eyes got big with that news, and he loved every sip! I read him the recent posts to his FB page, and he loves those. There were several very funny ones, and dad and I both had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. (Not sure if that is good or bad for his blood pressure....I'm hoping good!) Keep the messages coming please! :) Anyway, I am just heading out now, and Sharon is taking over. We just enjoyed a very welcome visit from Ef & Lois. Dad was happy to see them and Ef and Dad look quite the pair....Ef in his wheelchair and dad in the hospital bed. Next time we want to get a picture of them side by side wheeling down the hall of the hospital together. That's all for now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)