Thursday, December 11...Jealousy Gets You Nowhere!

I arrived at the Rehab Hospital just after lunch today in hopes of making Dad's afternoon therapy session. After all, my husband got to see Dad in motion yesterday, so I wanted in on a little piece of the action myself! Unfortunately, it wasn't to be; somehow they had completed all of Dad's therapy today by lunch time! So by the time I arrived, he was one tired man and all he wanted to do was take a nap. We visited for a while, but it didn't take long before he wanted me to go and get a nurse to get him into bed. I guess my conversation was more like a bedtime story, because before I new it, dad's eyes were closed and he was "puffing" (you know, that light, modified snore!). Mom went this evening after work, and she said Dad was awake and entertaining guests when she arrived. Karen, Klare Plumbing's Office Administrator, was there with her young teenage son, Derek. Apparently Derek knows how to "own" the room and keep Dad's attention with his lively personality. Mom learned that Dad and Derek, who is at the office a lot after school, are big buds who talk fishing and hunting all the time. Derek and Karen brought Dad some new sportsman magazines to read, as well as a poinsettia, and relayed all of the get-well wishes and prayers being said from everyone at Klare Plumbing. Mom also told me that Gary & Kathy Nelson, long-time neighbors and friends, had dropped by to see dad on Wednesday night and they too brought dad a poinsettia. Dad's room is definitely decked out for the holidays! Oh, and one more thing, Dad is now starting to ask questions! Prior to yesterday, Dad would really only respond to our questions, but much to Mom's surprise, Dad asked about a label on his food tray yesterday. Beside his name, it reads "MS" and dad wanted to know what that meant (it means a Modified Soft diet!), and then after Mom telling Dad that she was going to bring Brady up to see him this weekend, Dad asked her "Why not tomorrow?" So, we think that is another great sign that his conversation skills are returning! And speaking of Brady, he had a "play date" tonight while Mom was at the hospital. Mom and Dad's neighbors, Mark & Abby, came over as Mom was leaving for the hospital and offered to take Brady over to their house to play with their dog, Scout. They didn't have to ask Brady twice; all you need to do is get his leash, and he about knocks you over getting out the door!

Wednesday, December 10th ... Tis the Season for Miracles

Mom went to visit Dad today during her lunch break and she called me crying that a Miracle had happened... Dad had squeezed her hand with his right hand (which is his affected side). Thank you Jesus!!! This is the first sign of movement that Dad has shown in his right arm. She called me crying with tears of joy as she was leaving the hospital sharing the great news with me!

Then, Dave called me shortly after I got off the phone with Mom and said he had finished his inspections early today and was going to go visit Dad. I then told Dave about the wonderful news Mom had just shared with me! When Dave arrived up at Dad's room he wasn't there, he had already started his afternoon physical therapy training session. Dave decided to join him in the physical therapry workout room because they allow guests to observe while they work Dad out and Dave was curious as to what types of exercises that Dad was doing everyday. As soon as Dave saw Dad, Dave grabbed Dad's right hand, shook it, and Dad wouldn't let it go, it brought smiles to everyone's face. Next, the physcial therapist did some compression exercises on Dad's shoulder and elbow joints because she was trying to stimulate the nerve endings...she worked him for a good 45 minutes, and all of sudden she says "I'm feeling muscle tone in Mr. Luker's bicep!!" She then set his upper arm on the mat while holding his hand up, she then let go of his hand and Dad was able to hold his hand up on his own for about 5 seconds! Everyone was ecstatic!!! The last exercise they put Dad through was allowing him to sit up on the side of a bench (while supported by the therapist) and the goal was to bend down to the ground and pick up a small cone, sit back up, and then place the cone back on the ground. Dad did this for about 10 minutes and got pretty tired, so the therapist allowed him to rest for a few minutes while sitting up with both of his arms trying to support them selves. She then stepped away from Dad and he supported himself with both arms for a few minutes...awesome! Both physical therapists were so happy with his progress today, and thought that this was a miracle. Dave could definetly tell that George was very happy with the amazing strides that he had taken today and is now beginning to see for himself that his hard work in therapy is starting to pay off :)

Tuesday, December 9...Charting Progress

Today was evaluation day at Katy Rehabilitation Hospital, and George is finally on the chart! Kelly, his main therapist, said on a scale of 1 to 10, George is a 1.5! I know it doesn't sound great, but he was at 0 when he left the hospital a week ago, so we will take it! Kelly also said that she is going to submit a request for George to remain there until December 31st. She said he would need to continue to make progress each week to be eligible to continue receiving in-patient therapy, but we are certain that God has big plans for his recovery! I was visiting Dad this afternoon when Ike Lucas came by to see him. Ike told Dad about the "big one" that got away, and Dad told him that he was working on his "trigger finger!" And then Mom & Dad's neighbor, Mark, came by showing off pictures of his wife's deer, so I think the guys gave Dad his motivation for the day. The Care Team at church sent flowers over for Dad, and Dave & I also sent a flowering plant, so everyone is aware of how much Dad is loved ... his room is overflowing with cards, balloons and plants!! It's going to be cold outside tonight, but all of you warm our hearts with your love and support!!

Monday, December 8 ... Picking Up Speed

Well, it's the start of a new week, and Dad is picking up speed in both his vocabulary and his appetite! The therapy at the rehab hospital is great but the food is terrible, and Dad's taste buds are recognizing that fact very quickly! When Mom arrived at lunch time today, dad had only eaten a few bites of the "yummy" ground-up turkey and microwaved veggies before pushing his tray to the side, so luckily Mom had picked up some fish for lunch and shared with Dad. She said Dad seemed tired and a little irritable, but he had just finished his morning therapy, and was still facing another session after lunch. A friend from church, Van Gilbert, apparently stopped by during that session, and before he left had asked Dad if he could get him anything, and Dad's response, along with a chuckle, was "a drink!" Something tells us that Dad was not talking about a Diet Coke!! When mom returned to Katy Rehab this evening, Nurse Jackie "tattled" on Dad and said he refused to eat anything off his dinner tray. She also told Mom that she didn't blame him; it did not look very appetizing. Jackie suggested that Mom ask Dad what he was hungry for and maybe she could go out and get him something. Dad apparently was quick to answer that a "cheeseburger sounded good." So, even though they have not really wanted Dad to have bread (in fear that it might be too dry and hard for him to swallow), Jackie thought he just might be able to handle it now and agreed to bringing "contraband" in! Mom made a run to Burger King and got him a Kid's Meal and he pretty much ate the whole cheeseburger complete with mustard, ketchup and pickles ... and drank some of the Diet Coke! This was just the beginning to the party going on in Room 228 ... the Ligon's stopped by with a big, red poinsettia to dress up Dad's nightstand, and shortly thereafter, our long-time neighbors, Mike & Pat McKenzie came to visit. Apparently, a group of friendly faces is just what Dad needed, because he was "talking up a storm" (meaning answers with more than 2-3 words) and even told Mom what the mysterious other vegetable was that he planted in his garden that we couldn't figure out ... radishes!! Mom said she better start watering and taking care of that small vegetable garden, because Dad will be mad if he comes home and everything is dead! Tuesdays are evaluation days at the rehab center, so we will let you know what his doctors and therapists think about Dad's progress after Mom talks to them tomorrow.

Sunday, December 7...Weekend Warrior

Dad has his war paint on and he is battling back!! Mom and I participated in his Saturday morning occupational therapy session and even though he wasn’t talking much, he did do what they asked of him. Mom stayed for his physical therapy session as well, and Dad was soo tired, that he dozed when they laid him down on the mat to work his legs! The therapist said she could tell he was trying to move that leg because she could feel the muscle tightening, so that is a positive sign. Terri, Jennifer and Emily drove down Saturday morning to stay with us for the weekend, so he had all of his favorite girls cheering him on! Terri stayed at the Rehab Center with Dad most of the afternoon while Dave put up some outside Christmas decorations for mom, and then we helped her assemble her new Christmas tree and Jennifer took her car for a much needed wash. Terri said that our neighbors, Bernie Kinnison and Jean Pollard, visited Dad and brought him a big, colorful get-well balloon bouquet and a “cuddle bear” which sure brightened up Dad’s room. Sunday started off GREAT; we arrived just as Dad was leaving a therapy session and we found out that he had STOOD (with the aid of one of their fancy machines) for 16 minutes!! The therapist was very pleased, and said Dad’s blood pressure was good the entire time too!! After all of that activity, Dad was hungry and he deserved something special, so I went to Fazoli’s and picked him up some spaghetti and meatballs. He was also talking quite a bit and looked really happy to see everyone back this morning; Hannah got a really big smile and a hug when she and David stopped by! He also had special, long-distance visitors this morning. Dad’s half-sister, Debi, and his half-brother, John, and his wife, Beverly, drove in from the Austin area to check on him. So, after a big morning in therapy, a good lunch and lots of visitors, he was ready for a much-deserved nap about 1:30 p.m. Mom and I and Grandma went back around 5:30 to take Dad dinner, and even though he did eat pretty well, he was still VERY tired. So, we thought it best to call it an early night, and let our “CHIEF” get back into bed and rest. The therapists will be tracking him down again early tomorrow morning!

Thursday, December 4...Ready to Recharge Battery!

Dad’s transfer went well yesterday evening, and we got him settled in at his new “home” for the next 2 weeks. We hope it ends up being longer, but that is all the insurance would approve at this point until they see how he progresses. Dad’s day started early with the speech therapist and was asked basic questions to see if he could tell her what city and state he lived in, if he was married, his birth date, etc. and that seemed to all go well. However, when asked, he couldn’t remember what he had eaten for breakfast. We have been told that this is not unusual; the short term memory is sometimes affected, but more often than not, it does return. Then he was put in a wheel chair and they showed him how to turn the wheel to move with his left hand/arm. My Uncle David, who was there at the time, said he did manage to go about three turns and then just stopped; he was already worn out. Dad’s doctor told Mom yesterday evening that the first few days would be extremely challenging, both mentally and physically, but hopefully after that, we would see some progress in his strength and skill level. Our main goal at this point is just to try and keep his spirits up, because as we all know, being laid up and not feeling well is certainly no fun when you are used to blowing and going, and we don’t want him to give up so early in the game. If any of you would like to mail Dad a card, here is the information: Katy Rehabilitation Hospital, George Luker - Patient Room 228, 21720 Kingsland Blvd.,Katy, TX 77450. He is able to receive visitors any day of the week, all day long up until 8 p.m., but these first few days are going to be very difficult, so it might be better to wait until the weekend, or early next week. This is going to be a long, rocky road, so please keep him in your prayers.

Wednesday, December 3...On the Move Again!!

Mom got a call from the case worker at the hospital after lunch today and she had good news! Katy Rehabilitation Hospital (http://www.katyrehab.com/) was out to evaluate dad this morning and agreed he is ready to start therapy and the insurance company has agreed to the transfer. The case worker told mom that an ambulance would come and transport him about 3 p.m., and she could meet Dad there shortly afterward. Even though Dad still has no movement in his right arm, hand or leg, we have faith it is coming! We just know Dad will start feeling better once he gets all of the IVs and wires off of him, gets in his own clothes, and gets out of bed! We are officially on the road to his recovery!!