Day 88 Friday Report

Here is Leonard enjoying his new (borrowed) adjustable bed that our good friends Pam and Chris loaned us so he could be out in the family room instead of stuck in the back of the house in the guest room. The bed is similar to a hospital bed with the head and foot being able to raise up. They brought the bed over last night and set it up and then the technican came over today and replaced all the parts so it now works. He's about to watch the Suns playoff game with hopes they will somehow win a game.

He did well this week with both therapists come and keeping him on track with his exercises. He is still having difficulty with his pinkie finger curling so he has to work at strengthing it by straightening it out. His OT got his BP raised a bit as she's trying to get him to do things and he's questioning why! He was told to get rid of the styrofoam cyclinder he was using under his elbow when he was using the slide board to get in and out of bed; she wants him to use his hand.

He has been up a lot this week and working on the computer. He installed the 2008 version of QuickBooks and was having multiple error messages so he ended up on the phone with a CSR located in India for several hours yesterday and was finally able to get it to work. The batteries on our 3 landline phones kept dying so that was trying to say the least. I think it times to replace the batteries as they are a couple of years old.

A high school friend of mine who winters in Sun City Grand came over Wed night with her husband to donate their freezer food to us as they are getting ready to return to MN next week. It was so lovely outside so we sat on the patio for our visit. She is trying to convince me to go to our 45th reunion in September. I would love to go but it will depend on how Leonard is doing and if he would be able to get along without me for a week or more. If I'm able to go I'll have to try and sweet talk my relatives to see if they can put me up while I'm there.

Monday we go to the ortho surgeon. Think good thoughts and say a prayer that he will be able to start bearing some weight. He's so ready to get started. We had to move this appt. up from our original date of 5/9 so he may not given the go ahead just yet. We can hope, can't we!

Day 81 - Friday Report

Our neighbors, LeRoy and Sandra and Leonard rising to the occasion in his fancy chair

He had a fairly good week as his therapist Heather, worked out the hamstring issues and his legs are feeling so much better than last week. He's getting up more in his wheelchair and working on the computer in the office. His hip bothers him so he doesn't last long. I would like to see him up several times a day so he doesn't get so bored in bed. Our friend Pam inherited one of those adjustable beds from her mother and was going to loan it to us but it was malfunctioning so she is trying to get it fixed. Once it is we are going to borrow it and set it up in the family room so he can be out with me more and be able to watch the big screen TV and watch movies etc. He's going nuts stuck in his bedroom all day and there is really no place for me to sit and visit so he's pouting that I never stay with him. He says he saw more of me while he was in the hospital than he's seen me at home.

We went to the hand surgeon on Wednesday and got a good report. He can start doing light therapy up to 5 lb weights and doing some pushing but Leonard says it hurts when he pushes so he needs to ease into some of that gradually. He got the go ahead to have the occupational therapist Minchit come 2 days a week so I guess she will start next week.

Jerry his caregiver still comes 3 days a week. We don't work him very hard but it's nice to know he's here and I can run errands or he can help get Leonard in and out of bed or fetch him things.

Our neighbors LeRoy and Sandra and their 3 children came for dinner tonight as I had promised them a steak dinner since LeRoy made us our ramp for the front door. Tonight after dinner he disappeared for awhile and I found out that he was out front carpeting the ramp. It looks great. Another neighbor Joanna has been so nice bringing Leonard roses from her backyard and fresh cookies and bread. We sure appreciate all of you as well as our dear friends who have cooked for us, donated a tree in our backyard and have been there for us whenever we needed them. You are all such a blessing to us and we love you for it.

Day 74 - Friday Report

All of Michelle's girls came to visit Papa

Dani trying out Papa's chair

Anastasia giving her sloppy kiss

Twilla getting in some smooch time too!

Sometimes we have to take a couple of steps backwards in order to go forward one step. It's been a difficult week to say the least with his legs. He has been doing all his own therapy which he learned at the rehab hospital and never had any major discomfort in his right leg until a few days ago. His left leg has always bothered him. The physical therapist who had met with us a couple of weeks ago had decided to not start working with him until he had his weight restrictions lifted which won't be until the 2nd week of May if all goes well with his healing. That's when we see the ortho surgeon. Heather his therapist said that his hamstring has tightened up and we have to do some stretches and I have to massage the muscles. He has been frustrated and somewhat depressed as any slight setback is unacceptable to him. I told him he wasn't allowed to have any pity parties.

Jerry, his caregiver, is a very nice young man. Leonard still prefers me to do most of his personal care but Jerry helps with miscellaneous tasks and it allows me some freedom to run errands and just get out of the house for a short time. I watch the grandkids 2 days a week so I'm making sure Jerry is here those days to help watch them when I am otherwise busy with Leonard. It's amazing what those sweet adorable children can get into in a matter of a minute so it gives me peace of mind that they are being tended to.

This coming Wednesday we will see the hand surgeon to see if he can start using his wrist and hand which will help immensely. At present, if he wants to use his slide board to get out of bed he has to put his elbow on top of a styrofoam form to balance him and he pushes off with it. You just can't move with only one hand.

Day 67 Friday Report

Nephew Gary and wife Sherry
Dani on lap


Hairdresser Donna and Leonard

Well, Leonard has been home one week and he's doing very well. He's sleeping and eating better and much more relaxed than he was in the hospital. Go figure!

He is good about doing his exercises on his own. We have occupational and physical therapists onboard but they are not going to step in and work with him until he has his non weight bearing restrictions lifted. He has 2 more weeks with his wrist and hand, and 5 more weeks with his hip and ankle.

Gary and Sherry came over the first of the week to have lunch and say their fond adieu's as they are going back to Spokane. They will return in October. They are what we Zonies call "snowbirds".

Wednesday my hairdresser made a house call and washed and cut his hair. We were teasing him that he could grow a ponytail and get a ear piercing the rate he was going. Looks much nicer now.

Last night a RN came over and removed his sutures from his hand and wrist. Today his new caregiver started helping out. His name is Jerry and he will be coming over Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 AM to Noon. Very pleasant young man who is in nursing school and is one year away from becoming an RN. He is a certified nursing assistant at present. I was able to run errands this morning while he was there to stay with Leonard.

It took some doing but we are finally on the right track with all the people in place to help him.