"Nothing short of amazing..."

And the quote of the day is... "nothing short of amazing." As in, John's new neurologist's response when John walked for him.* Today, he went in for a check-up of the bone graft/fusion in his spine from the original surgery (and the bony fusion is great) and to get established with a neurologist here in South Bend (since the doctor he'd seen at Northwestern is out of network). So seeing a new doctor of course means telling the story again, and while reliving it is difficult, the affirmation we get each time that we explain to a doctor where John was on July 31, and they assess where he is now is heartening beyond words.

*Edit: John reminded me that he also called it "spectacular"!

And yet again, we have another great doctor. He was very personable, and we felt comfortable with him immediately. The transfer of care can be a little sticky sometimes, but he talked to us right away about the role he sees for himself, steeping in at this point. He's here to be John's cheerleader, to encourage him in the rehab, and to give him a tough love reminder if he needs it of just how far he's come. He's optimistic that John will continue to recover, and he warned us that there will be frustrating moments ahead when John tries to do something he used to be able to do and it won't be as easy/he'll have to do it differently. Because John's made so much progress in the big picture recovery, these little things will be more evident (all things considered, a very good problem to have).

He wants to see John in 3 months and check the graft again then. For those of you keeping score at home, that's a February visit into Chicago to see the physiatrist to check in on how rehab is progressing and a March visit to the neurologist here in South Bend to check on the surgical fusion and address any issues that might arise.

Merry Christmas!

All I wanted for Christmas, right in front of my tree: The deepest of gratitude to the Long Beach Twp. Lifeguards, Shirley & the Beach Haven First Aid Squad, Matt, Jeremy, Liz, Jennifer, Lee Ann, Dr. Cathy D, Kate, Dr. Kris R, AtlantiCare, Mike, Ryan, Piper, Blake, Warren, Dr. David C, Amy, RIC, Marilyn, Angie, Kelly, Arnold, St. Joe Rehab – there are not enough words…



Christmas Eve, 2012
Thanks be to God for His graciousness!

20-12-2012 (because it's fun to type that date!)

Yesterday, John & I went into the city to see his physiatrist (at RIC), which meant I got to have lunch in Chicago a day late for our 9th wedding anniversary :)

Dr. Chen is very pleased with John's progress and again told us to just keep on doing what we've been doing -- 2 days of PT/OT and 1 day of aquatic therapy. We discussed going back to work, and everyone agreed that it's too soon for John to try that, so the classroom will wait. That will give him time to finish recovering and building up his strength. As one of his therapists told us, it takes an average of three days to recover and regain your strength for every one day you spend in the hospital. And at over 8 weeks of hospitalization, that's a lot of weeks for recovery. So while John's disappointed that he won't be back in the classroom next month, it's really for the best since he doesn't yet have the stamina for it. His principal Susan has been fabulous to us, and we're grateful for her support.

So it's reunion time -- while we were at RIC, we went up to the 9th floor to see Piper (OT) and Mike (PT) and show them John's continued progress since we last saw them in mid-October. The best moment was when John was able to shake hands with Mike, thereby showing Piper how much his hands have recovered -- such a cool moment to witness!

And today we talked to Dr. Radcliff, the surgeon who operated on John in Atlantic City. He was thrilled to get our update and hear just how well John's doing, since the last he knew was when John was transferred to RIC for inpatient rehab. It's a little overwhelming to remember now, but at that point, John could squeeze my hand and push his toes down an inch -- and now he's climbing stairs and "running" in the water! Hopefully the conversation was as gratifying for Dr. R as it was for us -- as he reminded me, John had a 5% chance of recovery, and  I savored the opportunity to thank him for his skillful treatment that put John in that 5%.

Our own Christmas miracle...

December 6, 2012

Another milestone in therapy today: John started aquatic therapy this morning, which meant getting in the water for the first time since his accident. Doing pool therapy lets him use the water's buoyancy to help him work muscles (like his hip flexors) in ways he can't on land. So in the pool, he can move his legs like he's doing jumping jacks. All of this will continue to build his strength, flexibility, and balance back up.

So now he goes to PT/OT twice a week (at one location) and will do the pool therapy once a week (at another location).

In other exciting news, he has a neurosurgeon here in town (or maybe that's only exciting to me because it means I've managed to track down all of his records and images [from three hospitals] for the doctor to see before John's first visit!). And finally, this will be one visit nearby -- the neurosurgeon's practice is adjacent to the hospital in our neighborhood, so it's just 4 or 5 blocks to the office for us. John will see him at the end of the month for a check-up.

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this, but I continue to be shocked at how much paperwork I'm chasing. We get an EOB listing what the insurance company has paid, what discount the provider has accepted -- and then we get a bill from said provider for the discounted amount that they've already agreed we don't owe. If I had a dollar for every phone call I've made to eventually be told, "You can disregard that bill," I'd be rich -- of course, since I've called rather than just write checks, I guess you could say we're already richer (or at least not poorer)! I mention this not to complain, but to empathize with others going through the same ordeal. It's really easy to see how more than 60% of bankruptcies in the US are the result of medical bills.

11-0 (and undefeated at home!)....

Today, we made it campus for pregame festivities for the first time this season, just in time for the final home game:

Please note Nora's socks and shoes choice...

We got lunch from the Badin Hall food stand -- grilled brats and cheeseburgers:


Picnicking outside CoMo

And then listened to the band concert on Bond Hall before heading home to watch the game and eat Bruno's pizza and Blue & Gold cupcakes in honor of their undefeated-at-home 2012 season:

Sprinkles lovingly added by Miss Nora, my sous-chef.

A great way for John to get out for his exercise (though Nora did reluctantly let him use his chair when he needed it and jumped right in everytime he got up -- the novelty of riding in it hasn't worn off yet) and fresh air today!

November 14, 2012

And the progress continues...

Last Monday in PT, John was cleared to use a cane out in public! For long distances or big crowds, he should still use the walker for more stability, but for a lot of situations, he's OK with the cane. His first outing with the cane came the next day, when he and I took Nora to vote after school (she was so excited to fill in the bubbles on my ballot!) and then to Martin's to pick up some milk. The trip was a great success!

Then on Thursday, Patty, Brian, and Brenna came for a long weekend visit. John was at therapy when I picked them up from the airport. I got them settled at the house and then went to get John while Nora entertained them. When we pulled up, Brian came outside to meet us and John walked right up into the bear hug Brian had waiting for him -- a wonderful way to show how much he's accomplished in the past two and half months since they said goodbye to John in Atlantic City!

We had a lovely visit with them. Nora and Brenna were like two long lost twins reunited -- very cute to watch. Brian and Patty helped us get the house ready for winter -- thank you!!! And despite the blue corn chips served at dinner on Saturday (avoided since the Fiesta Bowl all those years ago), we were able to watch the Irish win #10 for the season together!

And today in PT, John practiced walking down the hallway without his cane! His balance is still precarious at times, and as he joked when he passed me, he couldn't wave to me or he'd lose his balance. But with careful concentration, he made it down the hall and back.

3-month-iversary

The images of Atlantic City and LBI today are heart-breaking... We're sending prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery to all of those affected by Hurricane Sandy yesterday. It's funny -- I hadn't been to Atlantic City in over a decade prior to John's accident, but in the 2 weeks he was in the hospital there, the city really grew on me. There's something quite visceral about seeing the boardwalk tossed around like so many matchsticks, seeing LBI underwater...

It seems small consolation, but when I look at him moving around our house today, his mobility is beyond anything I dared to dream of in those early August days. And here we are, just three months later. So here's my most sicnere wish that three months from now, the nightmare of the hurricane will be receding as well.

Of all of the blessings we've had these past few months, John's life and returning strength is claerly the greatest. But beyond that, it's hard to rank them and say, "This one is the next greatest." One of these blessings has been the opportunity for reflection, and in that spirit, I'd like to share something I read this morning:

Strangely, that admission of weakness opens the door to a new kind of strength. To acknowledge and accept weakness is to ground our lives more firmly in truth, and it turns out that to be grounded in reality is to become more able and more alive. Denial is hard work; those who try to stifle their awareness of the limits of human life and ambition in the busy rounds of daily life never reach their full potential.
To open your eyes to the fragility of life and to our dependence on that which is infinitely greater than ourselves is to enter more deeply into life. To come to terms with the radical insecurity in which we all live is to find a different and more reliable kind of security. The joys and occupations of ordinary life aren’t all there is to existence, but neither are the great and all-destroying storms. There is a calm beyond the storm, and the same force that sends these storms into our lives offers a peace and security that no storm can destroy. As another one of the psalms puts it, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Accepting your limits and your dependence on things you can’t control is the first step on the road toward finding that joy.

 This is from a blog at The American Interest (posting here: http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/10/29/nature-and-natures-god/). Wishing you this peace and joy...

Indian Summer

A gorgeous day today -- high near 80 with a gusty breeze -- and John & I went back to RIC for his first post-discharge check-up with his physiatrist. The appointment went really well: Dr. Chen is very pleased with his progress, and John just has to keep working hard at rehab. We'll go in for his next checkup just before Christmas.

We went back to D4 for lunch, and a second tasting confirmed that they serve the best fish 'n chips we've had outside of Ireland (and they're ND fans -- note the flag in the bottom left window):

 

 We went back to the 9th floor to say hi to John's therapists -- and, I'll admit it, to show off :) Piper (his OT) wasn't there, but Mike (PT) was, and he noticed all the little changes that we've gotten used to or that came too slowly for us to remark on, like the way he doesn't fall when he sways to adjust his balance when standing. This visit was a great way to remind us of how much John's recovered, since the accident and since he came home.

 

On the drive back to South Bend, we stopped for coffee (yes, he's got me drinking coffee now! and texting! what is this world coming to???) and John paid -- today was the first time he'd used his credit card since July!

back at D4 for lunch

Four weeks

Yesterday marked four weeks that John's been home with us and we've settled into our "new normal" routine. PT/OT are going well, and his balance in particular continues to improve. He's able to take care of small household tasks during the day (in between naps!), and he's resting up, regaining his strength.

We went to St Joe's homecoming (10/5) -- the first Homecoming game at the new field:

Unfortunately, cold rain started in the middle of the second quarter, so we didn't make it to halftime as we'd planned. But John got to see some of his students. This past weekend (10/19), we were able to see the first half of the fall play, Much Ado About Nothing, at a student's invitation.

Nora has christened him "Papa Bear" after a marathon session of Jungle Book watching. She wants to be "little Britches," which has taken some getting used to -- and requires careful pronunciation.

Once we'd had some time to get the three of us used to this new normal, John's mom came for a visit. She and John hung out in Nora's classroom one morning, which was a lovely treat since John missed all of the starting a new school celebrations.

Here, Nora was doing a work for Daddy and Grandmom -- she cut flowers from the pots on the patio and was now arranging them in a vase.

We've also been thrilled to be able to watch the Notre Dame games together from the comfort of our living room, though we're still not sure we believe the record or the ranking...

We did our homework!

John's PT gave us homework: to try dancing (to work on his balance). And my husband asked me to dance last night when James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is" came on -- I now know that heaven is dancing with my husband in the kitchen with the sound of our daughter chattering away in the background. And like a good student, tonight he danced with me to Elvis Costello's "She" (our wedding song). And clumsy though we might have been, we kept our balance!

Home again :)

Tonight marks a week at home for John and the three of us are adjusting to this new way of living. John's able to do the stairs (with me spotting him) a couple of times a day, so he comes down in the morning, goes up to put Nora to bed and the back down for some quiet time with me (yay!) and then back up for bed. He's figured out how to make his way around the kitchen and fix himself lunch and snacks (so he doesn't starve when I'm at work!). And today, he tackled the laundry, getting two loads done (and no, I wasn't sad to hand that chore back over to him!).

He started PT and OT (outpatient) last Friday, and for now, he's going three times a week. In PT, he's working on improving his balance, with the short-term goal of getting him off his walker and onto a cane. In OT, he's working on hand strengthening exercises.

Late last week, he visited St Joe HS (where he teaches) and got a tour of the new building (that was the moment of colossal bad timing with his accident -- they built a new, high-tech building and started in it this fall, and he's missed starting in the new building). He got to see a lot of his colleagues and some of his former students. And in seeing everyone, he really felt like he was back home again.

On Sunday, we made it to Mass together for the first time since July. It was a bright and sunny day (side note: Nora had a toy remote when she was a baby that would give the weather forecast: "it's going to be bright and sunny today" in a chirpy voice), as you can tell by our squints:

back on campus for Mass!

Tonight after dinner, Nora and I baked muffins for her to take to school tomorrow (each child takes turns in her class bringing the snack of the day) while John watched an old Hepburn movie, and I realized we're all home together again. Not exactly the way we used to be, but in the way that matters most, we're home again.

Miracles DO happen!

 

A beautiful sight: [click on the link to the right LEFT -- as John just pointed out, I STILL don't know my left from my right... oops! If you click on the words, it'll take you to snapfish]

Home, Sweet Home!

 

This morning, Nora and I drove to Chicago, and look who came home with us:

WALKING out of the 9th floor -- thank you, Dr. Chen, Mike, Piper, Ryan, Raquel, and everyone else!

The three of us, ready to hit the road :)
 

 

We got home mid-afternoon and enjoyed some quiet time together before dinner. John's request for his first night home: garlic pasta, which I was happy to oblige. Then we had cake to celebrate (decorations designed by one very excited Monkey-girl):

 

 



And now for a quiet evening before his outpatient therapy evaluation tomorrow (no, he doesn't get a day off!). This is heaven:

 

Saturday, September 22

When we walked into the day room to look for John this morning, we actually didn't recognize him right away, and as soon as we got back to his room, I snapped this to show you all why:

After lunch (homemade mac and cheese, at his request), Nora and I went to OT with him. Today, he used the e-stim while working his shoulders:

For the non-OTs reading this, the e-stim is an electric stimulator (the OT reading will correct me if I've got that wrong -- in which case, you'll see an edit!) that helps the muscle contract more. So John's got patches on his right shoulder and when he gets his arm at about the height of the bottom shelf, he pushes a button on the control with his left hand and it gives his right shoulder muscles a small shock to help them move better. It's amazing to watch -- when I was in on Tuesday, he couldn't get his arm up to the top of the cabinet as he is in the bottom picture.

Nora used therapy time to set up her own work-out:

And practice her fine-motor skills with some smack-talk for Mr. Mike (Daddy's PT and a Browns fan):

And Nora did this for the last time today:

Yes, this was her last train ride in to visit Daddy because he's coming home next week!!! His OT and PT have trained me on everything we'll need to be able to do at home (spotting him going up and down the steps, getting in and out of bed, getting in and out of the car, etc.). He's made miraculous progress at RIC and his physiologist says he's ready to transition to outpatient rehab, which he'll do here in South Bend. The journey is far from over -- but the three of us are thrilled that he can come home for the rest of it.

Field trip

Yesterday, John went on a therapy trip to O'Hare Airport. Thanks to his shiny new hardware between C3 and C5, it's pointless for him to go through the metal detector. So security will be extra fun the next time we're able to fly. For this therapy session, he and 7 other patients got to practice the whole procedure (except for takeoff and landing and the travel to somewhere fun!): they went through security, complete with a "boarding pass":

traveled to a gate, and practiced getting on and off the plane.

Spotted on my way in on Tuesday:

Random notes:

• Overheard from the kitchen: "So, daddy -- tell me about your day" and "Can I just give you to Ezzie for a minute? Meow, meow, meow. That means I love you, Daddy."

• John's therapy continues to go well.

• And today we had another follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon, and John's been cleared to start tapering off use of the neck brace!

Sunday, September 16

Date night!

Thanks to visiting grandparents, I was able to go in on Saturday and spend the night with John. Once he was done with his therapy sessions for the day, he got cleaned up, put on khakis, and showed off his ability to stand for 60 seconds:


"OK -- I've posed for you, now where's my chair?"

and we headed out for dinner at D4 (a wonderful Irish pub). We stuffed ourselves on fish and chips:

We'll have two orders of fish 'n chips, please -- hold the coleslaw!

and enjoyed the chance to talk outside of a hospital.



at D4

Then back to RIC for the Irish-Mich. St. game, an almost too-good-to-believe way to cap off our evening.

Today, John had PT at 8:00 am -- totally worth postponing breakfast for, since Mike started teaching him how to lower himself to the floor, how to get up off of the floor, and then worked him on the stairs.

Nana and Grandpaw brought Nora at lunchtime. After feasting on a batch of John's chili, we took him to the museum of contemporary art (2 blocks from RIC). The appeal of riding in Daddy's chair has not yet worn off (nor is she any lighter!) for Nora:

He and Nora really enjoyed the skyscraper exhibit, which included an interactive part (note Nora's reflection in the top right quadrant, just to the right of the red circle):

 

Our dessert of the day was (appropriately enough) cookies shaped like the Eiffel Tower (baked before we knew we would see this exhibit). We headed out mid-afternoon, and I have a sneaky suspicion that John then napped!

Wednesday, September 12

John's way of starting our daily phone conversation this evening:
"Were you driving down Lake Shore drive this afternoon?" I politely simply say, "Noooo," refraining from pointing out that 1) our good car is still in NJ, so no Chicago driving for me, and 2) I was teaching this afternoon. Then he explained:

He had 2 PT sessions, one at 8 am (! -- I keep meaning to ask him if he's adjusted to Chicago time -- maybe he still thinks of this as 9 am) and one at 2 pm, both with Ryan. He spent his morning session working on stairs (though if he remembered that climbing the stairs in our house will mean he gets to be actively involved in prodding Nora to keep her room clean, he might not be so eager...). This afternoon, Ryan asked him if he'd been outside for PT yet, and he hadn't. So the ground he walked over was Lake Shore Drive! The goal was to start training him on uneven ground. It was bumpy going (pun intended), but deeply satisfying for him.

I am celebrating by making a huge pot of French onion soup (for me -- it's a treat for my "allergic" husband since the smell should dissipate before he comes home) -- comfort food!

Saturday, September 8

The view from our window on the South Shore line:



a beautiful fall sky after last night's rain -- it's football weather!

 

We took Daddy an apple pie today J and he loved every bite of it. When we were eating lunch in the day room, Nora was having trouble using her indoor voice, and there were a couple of therapy sessions going on. So John told her, “You’re in a hospital and have to be quiet – people are trying to heal. No one gets to make noise except Daddy when he’s working” – a nice acknowledgement of the fact that he works so hard in PT that he grunts loudly.

Nora has discovered that as fun as it is to push Daddy in his chair, it’s even more fun to ride in it with Daddy!

After lunch

 

Nora got to go to OT with John, and she joined in for the stretches at the end. We also took John out for a short walk – it was a lovely day, with the first hint of fall in the air. We had lots of fun trying to arrange ourselves so we could all fit in the camera frame in a self-portrait:

 

Nora got to play at the South Shore playground, and John enjoyed watching her cross the swinging bridge and slide down to twirling pole. He and I were amused to watch her grab a little girl her age, and ask her to play on the hopscotch path with her – clearly, the past two weeks of kindergarten have taught her how to how to get a game going with new kids!

Every time I visit John, he’s just a little bit stronger. We both remember the day we arrived here, when we each noticed the same thing first:

 

 

Every time I watch John working or listen to him describe his day, I’m amazed at his strength. And I remember reading this passage from Job when we entered:

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

and I know that I’m watching God at work here.

Thursday, September 6

I was able to bring John lunch today (tomato soup and grilled cheese) and when I packed it this morning, I thought, "That's too much food" but I brought it all anyway since I had already ladled it out. And then John ate every drop and bite of it! And then I got to treat him to the cafeteria coffee, icing on the cake.

In PT, he continues to work on the treadmill, strengthening his hips and ankles. After lunch, he had a group OT session, during which they used small hand weights to do arm exercises and I got to join in and get my workout, too :) It was great to experience just a tiny bit of what his therapy is like.

His resolve is strong, and he continues to amaze me with his dedication.

[oops... had to edit to correct the date, since I accidentally labeled this "August 6..."]

Saturday, September 01

Last night, Nora and I went into the city to surprise John – and surprise him we did! We saw him for dessert (she brought him a box of chocolates from the South Bend Chocolate Company – all cherry and/or coconut, arranged in the box according to her specifications), and then she and I headed over to a hotel 2 blocks from the hospital for the night. Then, this morning, we were able to be in his room at 8:00 AM for kickoff and breakfast!

We just watched the ND-Navy game together -- we even managed the 8 AM kickoff!

We had a great time watching the game with Daddy (yay for an Irish win! And double-yay for all of those glimpses of Dublin!), and then spending a quiet afternoon together, including PB-&-J for lunch (his first since sometime in July).

OK, maybe not so quiet once she was pushing John in his chair down to the lab for PT -- I was afraid she'd go right through the glass wall in front of them instead of using the door...

 

Nora got to watch him do his PT again today:



Nora's watching Daddy up on the treadmill and cheering him on: "Come on, Daddy! Just a little more!"
 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This afternoon, he worked on the treadmill for about 40 minutes, trying to increase his speed, and then on the bike for about 15 minutes. The bike was really cool – it kept track of how much of the effort came from his left leg versus his right leg. Another update on the PT front: yesterday, he worked on the set of steps in the lab. His legs are getting stronger each day, so only seeing him every couple of days is amazing, because the progress is noticeable.

When we left for the dinnertime train back to South Bend, John headed down to OT to practice daily living activities, with hopes of a nap afterward.

the view from John's windows

One blog I like to read features readers' submissions of the view from their window, and in its spirit, here are John's views:

from the PCU in AtlantiCare

from the 9th floor of RIC

End of month 1

John had his surgical consult on Wednesday, and it went really well. He liked the way the surgeon answered his questions (even when he wasn't thrilled with the answer), which was reassuring to me. At this point, he does not need a second surgery: the graft is parallel and looks strong, and his spine seems to be healing nicely. He'll have a follow-up in a month, and we have to keep watching it for a while, but so far, so good. He still has to wear the neck brace for at least another month before they start weaning him off it (the answer he wasn't happy with), but that's a small price to pay to avoid a second spinal surgery.

He can now get himself standing from a seated position, though he needs someone there in case he pitches too far forward. In PT yesterday, he got to try an "obstacle course", with little cones and rubber bumps laid out of the floor for him to step over -- a new challenge, as his PT explained, to keep the muscles guessing and working. He won a few of those challenges and the cones won a few -- and soon I'll have to bring him a new pair of sneakers, at the rate he's working out this pair!

Most importantly, his spirits are great -- my husband is a fighter, and he's fighting to come home to us! So it would be really nice if the football gods could reward his hard work with a fun game tomorrow... GO Irish!

One month

Just a pause to thank all of you who have supported us in so many ways in the past month -- we count you among our blessings.

Tuesday, August 28

John had his weekly benchmarking in PT this morning -- his new accomplishments:

• He can (mostly) stand up from a seated position;
• He stood and kept his balance for 2 minutes;
• He stood and kept his balance for 30 seconds with his feet together;
• He stood and kept his balance for 10 seconds with his eyes closed.

I went in to have lunch with him, and he was happy to report that he still loves my meatloaf! I also accomplished a first -- I made his lima beans for him (the FIRST time I'd ever cooked them) and he ate all of them :)

Tomorrow, he has his surgical consult, so we should know soon if he needs a second surgery to reinforce the fusion from the first one.

Sunday, August 26

My chivalrous husband stood to greet me (with my help, but his idea) when we arrived! And when he hugged me, he noted, “I’m still taller than you!” a fact confirmed when I moved his walker from the ability lab to the hallway for him this afternoon. He also stopped to hug me goodbye in the middle of his transfer back to bed:

John had PT during our visit today, and he was a little bummed that he had to have therapy while we were there, interrupting our visit. I was glad, though, because I knew it would give him the chance to show Nora what he’d been working on. She waited in his room while he got started with Mike down in the ability lab. Mike asked him what he wanted to do, and John said “I’m guessing I have to walk.” Mike then egged him on – “You want to show off for your family, right?” So he took him to hallway (instead of the treadmill) and got him started on the loop (which, btw, is officially 270 feet, though Mike says 280 to account for the wide turns most patients take). When he was about 50 feet from John’s room, I went to get Nora to watch the “parade.” She was at the end of the hallway when John turned the corner and started moving toward her. I wasn’t able to capture the look on Nora’s face when she saw John on the walker because I was enthralled by the joy and excitement on her face – but that’s ok because John saw it, too.

 

 

"Let me help you, Daddy!"

 

 

 

Mike's idea of Sunday afternoon fun -- let's add weights to his ankles before lap two!

 

 

the end of week 2 at RIC

When Nora and I talked to John tonight, he was tired -- he'd had 2 hours of PT today. During the first session, he worked on the treadmill. During the second one, he did 20 minutes on the bike (I haven't seen this yet, so I'm not sure how it works) and then did an entire lap around the floor on the walker with his PT holding the loop on his gait belt (if you look closely on the earlier photo of him on the walker, you might see the red belt over his red Sixers shirt).

He was also very happy to report that he can now manuever his wheelchair around his room enough to get to his closet.

And we're closing out the second week at RIC...

Thursday, August 23

John's report for the day:

Yesterday, he ate a Snickers bar in SLP (speech therapy), so he's been cleared for a regular diet.

In PT this morning, he did the whole lap around the floor on his walker with the arm rests (see the photo from last Monday). I'm guessing it's 100 meters, Dad's guessing 270 feet (yes, we're working in different units) -- stay tuned for the actual distance.

Today, Nora and I had a brief lunchtime visit. John had a note for her: he had written his name, birthdate, address, and phone number! (I really wanted to post a photo of his first writing, but I'm sure you all understand why I'm not posting this particular note.)

His spirits continue to be good -- he enjoys hearing your messages/reading your cards and emails. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers.

Thank you

Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone who's commented on the blog or sent us emails -- we've read all of your notes, even if we haven't had a chance to reply yet. Thank you for the prayers!

Monday, August 20

This morning I joined John for some of his therapy. At the end of OT, he had more to show off: he flexed his right foot for me!

He worked with a diction program today, programing his voice in so that he’ll be able to use Dragon Dictate to write (edited thanks to our personal, on-call 24/7 OT).

In PT, he worked on standing up himself, and it looks like that’s coming soon. Mike, (his primary PT) also tested for progress. Here, he’s standing and balancing for 30 seconds:

And here, he’s moving (with Mike’s assistance) for 6 minutes:

His OT taught me how to help him transfer from bed to his chair and back again, so now I can kidnap him ;) We had homemade split pea soup with bread from Panera for dinner, and then spent a quiet evening together.

P.S. I got home a little bit ago from my overnight visit and John just called to tell me how PT went this morning (Tuesday): on the treadmill, Mike hooked him up to Geppetto (the strap that helps his knee bend) on the right side, and he got his left knee bending on his own for 5 minutes!

P

Sunday, August 19

Nora and I drove in with Nana and Grandpaw to visit John for the day. Nora and I made a ham and cheese quiche for lunch, and for a special treat, I made brownies for dessert. Nora had a fabulous time sharing a homemade meal with Daddy. Then, after he was finished with therapy for the day, we took him on a short walk to the Lake Shore Park (a block north of RIC).

Yes, she's playing on the playground with pink sparkly sunglasses and pink sequined shoes
(she was reluctant to go on the wood chips in these shoes).

We had hoped to watch part of the Air and Water show, but couldn’t see much (though we could certainly hear the jets overhead!). Nora didn’t mind, however – she had a great time playing at the park, particularly “doing gymnastics” (which involved me holding her up as she twisted around on the bars).

Notice Nora's rock star pose...

Grandpaw remembered to have a picture taken of the three of us on our first trip out together:

Back in RIC, while John and I checked his email, Nora appropriated his wheelchair for a hallway excursion (sorry I missed a photo of that) before curling up in it to watch The Princess Diaries. Then we headed out – us for dinner, leaving John to take a nap.

Nora and I took Nana and Grandpaw to Pizano’s for Chicago Pizza:

When we got home and called to say goodnight, John was watching his Steelers.

Friday, August 17

Last night, I headed into the hospital for date night, leaving Nora with Nana and Grandpaw. I spent the night with John (and felt like a college kid sneaking into her boyfriend’s dorm ;) …)

Today, I got to go to OT and PT with him. My husband amazes me on a daily basis – he is working so hard! (and now I’m gushing & using exclamation marks and he’ll yell at me!) Piper, his OT, helped him solve a few daily-living issues today. She got there before he had finished getting ready after breakfast and got him set-up for the day. Later, she got him a cup he can pick up and a book board so he can read. She worked his arms and wrists. And she got the correct size wheelchair delivered so he can wheel it himself comfortably. All in all, a very successful day of OT. And as Jen reminded me, “Don’t ever worry about not being ready for an OT appointment – OTs show up to help you show up for life!”

In PT, he did a quarter mile on the treadmill in 3 segments (a 5-minute, a 10-minute, and a 5-minute one); by the last session, he was kicking up a storm and his knees were firing up and bending better than they had yet. He’s been working so hard and it shows – as does God’s mercy.

After his therapy sessions were finished for the day, we went down to the cafeteria for coffee to go with the Polish cookies his roommate gave us. We got a couple of quarters back in change, including the Hawaii quarter – I’ve been looking for that for 4 years and now that I have it, Nora’s collection is complete! A wonderful memento of a lovely day.

The view from the rec room on his floor:

And us on our "date":

Milestones of the day:

This morning, he realized that he can flex his left foot at the ankle again.

When I asked his physiatrist if I should start building a wheelchair ramp for the house, he said not yet...