February 29, 2012

Mrs. Doug emailed me the update tonight:

"Yeah, the trech. came out today!  It took about a minute to take it out and he tolerated it well.  It feels strange to him because he keeps feeling where it was.  They have the opening covered with gauze and said it could close up in a day or it could take a week or so.  He has tried talking to see what his voice sounded like.  It doesn't sound much different he just doesn't have to strain as hard to get his voice sounds to come out.  I can hardly wait to see what it will  be like when he realizes he can talk again.

In PT they had him walking behind a shopping cart which gave him much more control over the right leg.  I told him he looked great behind a shopping cart and that I thought he could do that well.  I also told him while he was shopping today to pick me up some popcorn.  He just looked at me and smiled and at the therapist and shook his head.   He was able to walk a lot farther today than he has since we have been here.  They  also had him use his right leg while sitting in his wheel chair to pull himself along.  This made him use the muscles in the upper part of his leg.

In OT the worked on sitting and standing.  They also worked on moving from the wheel chair to a shower bench.  

When he wakes up in the mornings he throws back the covers and throws that left leg off the bed and is ready to get out of bed right then.  I have to remind him that we have to wait for them to come help him get dressed and move to the wheel chair.  

Tomorrow is their evaluation day and I will get a report on how well they think he is progressing.  I have had each of them to say they can tell he has made progress.  They each have said that they can tell he still has trouble when you tell him something to do with it making a connection.

I know y'all will enjoy this story.  We have just finished supper and gotten back to our room and Mr. clock watcher wanted to go to bed as soon as he got his teeth brushed and started pointing at the clock and at me.  I told him they were cleaning up the dining room and would be here in a few minutes.  That wasn't soon enough.  He kept on and I told him to go to the door and get somebody.  He did! He went to the door opened it and sat in the door way until the nurse saw him and asked him if he wanted to get back in bed.  He nodded and said u-huh.  Then he came back in the room and is waiting on them.   Each day is something new! 

Thank you, for all your prayers. We love you."

 

Yay!!!  Thank You, Lord for this great report.  We praise You and thank You for your help in our times of need.  Amen.

 

"¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.  ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.
 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.
 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore."  Psalm 121