Updates on David

Thanksgiving was great fun, and great food, for everyone. David couldn’t do the heavy lifting of course, getting the birds into the oven, but he did supervise the rest and did make the gravy himself and it was delicious!

Thursday while we were open and getting ready for Thanksgiving, Dr. Dimitrov stopped in for a sandwich on his way to his ‘on call’ at the hospital. It was the first time he saw David since that first weekend in March after the stroke (while he was on call and before Dr. Carver took over the case). He had been to the recent presentation in Monterey by the author Jill Bolte Taylor PHD (Stroke of Insight) and spoke to David about some recent news in stroke recovery therapy. David has an appointment with Dr. Carver before our trip just to make sure everything is as it should be.

We are on our own now with out an aide so that will take some adjusting. Monday is the first visit to the stroke therapy pool in Monterey. We only have 4 weeks before our trip so there is a lot to do for David to get in shape. He has four therapy sessions this week also and a couple of doctor’s checkups too so it will be very busy.

More this week…

Drew

Well, everything is ready for the big day.

The birds are brined, the veggies cut up for the making of the stuffing, the desserts are ready, the sweet potatoes are baked (ready for their second baking later today) and everything is staged and boxed with labels, related tools and ingredients. Later when we are at Charlotte’s for dinner we can just say we did it all n 30 minutes like Rachel Ray, ‘once we did a little prep work ahead of time”. Right. Thanksgiving is a four day event to give you time to clean up afterwards!

Actually yesterday was a milestone of sorts and we hardly knew it.

We wheeled the empty wheelchair from the house in the morning to the truck, where it stayed all day, and then back to the house last night and that is where it is right now. David did not use it yesterday at all once he got dressed after his shower. We were at the store all day and he was busy working and walking. It was one of the busiest days of the year for us, of course, and David was there in the middle. When we got home he led me through all the steps to prep for today and he walked to the bed and did not use the chair at all. A milestone.

We’ll be at the store 10 to 2 with customers and with David watching the birds cook, cooking the stuffing and the other side dishes. Around 3 we’ll make our way to Charlotte’s and the crowd is there about 4.

Hvae a great day!

Okay, no excuses. Sorry that I havre not posted in the last week. Sort of busy getting ready for the holiday — there is a lot to be thankful for this year.

I have the best intentions. I usually end up writing the blog on the netbook in the easy chair in our bedroom at night after getting David to bed so more often then not I end up finishing in the morning after waking up in the middle of the night having fallen asleep at the keyboard the night before…

Last week David started OT Outpatient at CHOMP and he was very excited. The therapist used electrotherapy to trigger the muscles in his arm and he was amazed to see his hand ‘dance’. He had thought he would never see that again and has been feeling pretty down from time to time. He still has a lot of work to do to get his brain making the connection to his arm, but there is some activityand the therapist says that seeing his hand move while trying to move it in his thoughts will help make the connection. He had this therapy again today and it brought tears to my eyes watching him be amazed at his hand moving and his movement even after the machine was disconnected. His brain is talking to his arm and hand. The progress will be slow, but it will happen.

We brought cookies from the store to the PT team today. Bribery works. They worked him over pretty well and were teaching him to stand up straighter, walk longer strides and made adjustments to his foot brace so he could start bending his ankle more. The more he walks and stands himself the better he feels.

We’re working on David not using the chair as much as possible at home, but its still important in the middle of the night and in the morning when he does not have his brace on his ankle.

David has been in the store most days for at least a few hours, usually more, and is trying to follow the direction of the PT Outpatient to ‘stay out of the wheelchair as much as possible’. He is not speedy but he is steady on his feet.

Tomorrow and Thursday is lots of prep work for our annual Thanksgiving feast at Charlotte’s. The turkey will be brined, of course, and lots of sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing and all the fixings. Just ran by the produce market on the way home and the turkeys are resting comfortably in the fridge.

It’s all about exercise and therapy now. And lots of calories in the next few days.

We hope all of you have a great Thanskgiving holiday. I know just what I will be giving thanks for this year.

Drew

Just think of Wallace and Gromit and the Techno-Trousers in “The Wrong Trousers” and you’ll get the picture of David at PT today. Until now he has been comparing himself to the Young Frankenstein character so this is a great improvement!

Using a muscle stimulator the therapists were able to get Daivid’s leg working even better and his knee bending, so much so that he was walking more comfortably, and without the brace during therapy. Their goal over the next 6 weeks is get David off the brace and only walking, not using the chair. The first hour of therapy was very encouraging! He has not been in the chair since 2 pm this afernoon and the therapist wants him to try to stay out of the chair while at home as much as possible. All evening in the house he walked from one place to th next, was at the counter cutting mushrooms for the pasta sauce for dinner and moving here and there.

He wa a little harder to keep up with and I couldn’t be happier about that. It’s a bit more sressful for me, and I am woried every time he moves about him falling, but with practice comes more strength and stability. I have said many times that it will be a hard time for me when he can start getting up and moving about when I am not looking, but as David says, I’ll “get over it”.

David starts (in addition) OT at the hospital next week so we’ll see if the same type of therapy has any help with his arm. He still has the list of exercises to do from his earlier PT and OT and he seems to be feeling a bit better each day (although Sunday was definitely a much needed ‘day of rest’).

This week is Berries and Branches, the charity event at SVMH that we participate in each year. This year David is decorating a kitchen in one of the houses on the tour. That will keep him pretty busy tomorrow and then it’s back to the store on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday is another charity fund raiser and its looking pretty busy for the next few days.

David has a some pretty big goals for himself in the next two months getting ready for our trip to Paris at the end of the year. I was able to get tickets on miles so we’ll pack up a few things and my computer and I will move my office to our apartment for a few weeks and we’ll ‘adjust’ to those surroundings.

Today was one of those great days.

Drew

Back to Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital

Went to visit our friend at the hospital this week and his room is right near David’s old room at SVMH.  David again had the great experience of walking in the front door this time.

We happeed to arrive while one of David’s prior aides weas working at the hospital in a room right where we were going and we also got to visit with some of the other staff that had helped David 8 months ago.  It was a great inspiration for him to show off his walking.

The week has seemed to fly past, getting ready for the Sale this weekend.  David had his intake at community Hospital on Wednesday and we’ll be going back every week for one or two visits for 6 weeks.  David has some specific goals for more strength in his ankle, knee and his left arm, so we’ll be working on exercises to do at home to support that.

This week has had a few other advances.  David has been working on walking without his cane, to help his balance and strength.
More in a few days..

A Grand Day Out

Today we went to visit with the team at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. 4 and 1/2 months after release from the hospital David walked back in the front door on his own two feet. We got there just in time for the start of the weekly team meeting so David had the chance to show off to the group leaders and most of the people he had met during his stay there.

David was so energetic that he sort of rushed through the door and almost ended up on the floor, but we were there to stabilize him and he did not have any walking problems otherwise. We brought along a few dozen cookies so they were REALLY happy to see him! David recounted for the team some of the highlights of the past 4 monhs and showed off his walking skills. It was really hearwarming all of the attention everyone paid to him and how GLAD they were to see him up and walking.

After the meeting we headed upstairs to the ward and again had a very warm welcome from EVERYONE. Over the months that David was there he was helped by dozens of people of course so he was instantly recognized in the halls and the parking lot (with lots of hugs and handshakes). We went back to David’s room, where we had spent so much time. It was currently empty and felt very sad and quiet. Thinking back to those days in the hospital and how much better he is today it is truely a different world.

Just found the rest of the NY Cheesecake in the freezer though, so we’re celebrating 4 1/2 months tonight. Tomorrow we have appaintments at the orthotics doctor to adjust his brace, and then later at Physical Therapy outpatient to work on his ankle so that he can wean himself from the brace.

More this weekend…