Thursday, December 18 ... Transfer Training

Mom, Dave and I passed our "transfer training" with flying colors this afternoon at the Rehab hospital. Kelly showed us how to get Dad in/out of bed and into the wheelchair and from the wheelchair in/out of the car. Dad helped us out as much as he could, and as Kelly said, "Thank goodness for the big guy" (meaning Dave!). Mom and I acted more like spotters (with me inside the car, and Mom outside), Dave put all the muscle into transferring Dad. Dad was in a great mood, and said that after next week, he'd be able to help more ... apparently he has set big goals for himself! After making him work at getting in/out of the car twice, Kelly told me to take Dad for a spin around the parking lot the second time because he deserved a ride. Kelly is GREAT; she has soo much patience with Dad and is very compassionate. She said that there would be no physical therapists working on Christmas Day, so we can pick Dad up as early as we want and then bring him back after dinner, because she will be ready to put him back to work bright and early Friday morning. Dad's "partners in crime" drove up to visit with him today. He said that Charles Lee and Jack were in his room waiting on him when he got back from breakfast. He said they stayed a few hours and he really enjoyed their visit. A member of St. Peter's Prayer Quilt Ministry also came by this afternoon and brought a beautiful hand-sewn Christmas lap quilt. The bag included a card saying that while they were holding the quilt, they prayed for Dad and hoped he would feel God's nearness and the loving presence of His peace. It made mom and I cry, of course! Before we all headed home, we had dinner with Dad in the hospital dining area. His blood sugar reading was extremely low (68), so the nurse gave him some orange juice while Dave & I ran out and picked up bar-b-que. Dad ate quite a bit of his chopped beef baker and even asked Mom for some of her salad with jalapeno ranch dressing; he has a much better appetite when not eating the hospital's food!

Wednesday, December 17...NOW it's the two-step

e Another day, another step, and everyone’s excited! Kelly, Dad’s therapist, greeted Mom as she got to the hospital at lunch time and said that Dad took TWO steps this morning! Again, they are controlled by the therapist and her spotter, but she said that dad had much better balance than yesterday and that he is standing up out of the wheelchair with minimal assistance. The occupational therapist joined in their conversation and said she worked him hard today as well, so he was ready for a lunch break. Mom took him a tuna salad sandwich and a cup of broccoli cheese soup from Panera Bread, and she said that he ate the entire half of sandwich and half of the broccoli cheese soup and then said, “that’s pretty good stuff!” She then helped him get shaved and his teeth brushed, and just as he was about to nod off for a few good winks, she told him she had to leave to go back to work and he had to go back out into the hallway where they would come and get him for his speech therapy. Dad wasn’t too thrilled about that idea, and as mom began pushing his wheelchair, he grabbed onto the wall and said he wasn’t going anywhere. Mom told him that as long as he only had one strong side, she would most likely win this battle, and he told her “maybe so … for now!” I may be wrong, but I think those are “fightin’ words” and we are all up for the challenge if Dad is! Tonight was Mom’s bunko night, and we think she deserved an outing, so Dave and I were in charge of our patient. When Dave and I arrived at the hospital this evening, Dad was up and talkative. I asked him how dinner was and he said "okay" and then I asked him if he was still hungry and he told me he was. Dad then told me that he wanted enchiladas so I went to Tony's to get him what he wanted. When I arrived back at the hospital, Danny Thomason had stopped by to visit with Dad and talk about hunting...always a favorite topic of discussion with Dad. After Dad finished eating, we got Dad ready for bed and let him get some rest. We are going back to the hospital tomorrow afternoon to learn how to transfer Dad so he will be able to come home for a few hours on Christmas Day!

Tuesday, December 16...The Texas One-Step!!

You have all heard of the Texas two-step, but Dad has a move of his own ... the Texas one-step! Mom arrived at Dad's physical therapy session this morning a few minutes before I did and got to see Dad take his first step. It was "controlled" by his therapist and a "spotter," but it's a start! Unfortunately, his back was still bothering him and Kelly (the physical therapist) said his hamstring in the right leg is very tight, so it is probably painful for him to try and move that leg right now. So she asked that we try and stretch it out for him when we are with him in his room to try and get it less rigid. Kelly seemed to be satisfied with Dad's progress, so we hope he will start taking bigger strides toward his recovery this week. Barbara, his speech therapist, told Mom that she would do a formal evaulation on him and see if she can't get his "mechanical soft" food/drink order upgraded. Mom plans on checking with her tomorrow to see if she had time to get around to that, because Dad was NOT happy with his meal again tonight. When Mom arrived at the hospital this evening, she found "evidence" of a mid-day visitor. It looks like Dad's friends from Coburn's Wholesale Distributors came to see him and brought lunch as well as an assortment of salsas and preserves for when Dad gets home. Jason/Bob (?!?) hope you don't mind if we go ahead and "sample" them until that happens! Dad had two phone calls tonight ... one from Ricky, and the other from Charlie, his hunting buddy ... and he talked to both of them pretty well. He told Charlie that he was working on his trigger finger, and he told Ricky that he better come and get him out of there! We are hoping to get him out of there for at least several hours on Christmas Day. The case worker told Mom today that they would check his progress again next Tuesday, and if the therapists thought we could handle Dad, they would schedule a short training class for Mom and at least two other family members that would be transporting and helping to care for Dad that day. So, keep those prayers coming; we need Dad to be able to get a little more mobile! We want to give a "shout out" to Dad's nephew, Jack Stone, who had triple by-pass surgery last week and will hopefully be heading home tomorrow. I think both Dad and Jack are looking forward to healthier days ahead!!

December 13-14...Man's Best Friend!

Dad had a good weekend. He is not only getting stronger each day, and talking more and more, but he had lots of visitors this weekend at the Rehabilitation Hospital. Ricky and Linda got there early Saturday morning and found Dad sitting in his wheelchair observing other patients in the physical therapy room. Not by choice, but they wanted to keep him "stimulated" instead of just sitting in his room. Dad had other ideas, however, and looked for an escape route as soon as he saw a friendly face. He wanted to go back to his room, and it didn't take him long to show Ricky and Linda his new "trick" of trying to get out of the wheelchair himself, unfortunately, he is not supposed to do that yet, and did get himself in a jam so Linda had to go for reinforcements! Ricky gave Dad a good, clean shave (Mom hasn't been doing such a great a job) and soon afterward, David, Cheryl and the kids came by for a visit. Alex has been missing his Uncle George and even got all dressed up sporting his "big boy shoes" to come pay him a visit! We have to say, however, the highlight of Dad's morning was a visit from "man's/George's best friend" ... BRADY! Mom wheeled Dad downstairs and outside to meet Brady & I, and I don't know who was more excited. After greeting Dad, Brady also had to sniff every inch of the patio area and every blade of grass to figure out where Dad has been hiding out! I also brought Dad a cheeseburger for lunch, but he ended up giving half of it to Brady. We then took a "walk" around the parking lot before I took Brady back home; I think Dad really enjoyed being outside in the fresh, cool air. We promised to bring Brady back next weekend. When Mom and Grandma visited Dad Saturday evening, he was complaining of back pain. I'm sure it's hard sitting in one or two positions especially when you have a bad back. The nurse gave him some liquid Tylenol which seemed to take the edge of the pain; hopefully this coming week Dad will be getting a little more active in physical therapy which hopefully will do him and his aching back some good. On Sunday morning, Mom went and took Dad a contraband cup of coffee (meaning without a thickening agent added to the cup) before church. He is not having any trouble chewing or swallowing any longer and wants regular food and drink. The nurses won't discontinue doing that without the doctor's approval, so Mom is calling Dr. Bing's office tomorrow and talking to him about getting those orders changed. Mom returned after church with one of Dad's favorite foods ... a fried chicken leg ... and he ate it all (minus the crunchy breading that Mom removed) as well as his green beans and baked potato from his lunch tray. Mom said she and Dad enjoyed the afternoon eating chicken and watching the Texans BEAT the Tennessee Titans! Dave and I, and Dave's parents, Barb & Dan Zora, were his evening visitors. My in-laws drove down from Austin to see Dad, and I think they were pretty impressed at how well he is doing. Tonight Dad was wiggling his fingers on his right hand trying to impress Dave. He seems to do more when Dave is around; I think he wants to remind him who is still the boss of our little clan ... ha!!

Friday, December 12...O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!!

Oh, what a Christmas tree that was delivered to Dad today! His friends at Har-Con Corporation sent him a live table-top Christmas tree adorned with white lillies, glittery pine cones, ornaments and ribbons ... it's really pretty and has his room smelling GOOD! I'm sure he is the envy of all the other patients of the hospital because he definitely has more cards, balloons and flowers than anyone else on the entire floor! And we know that he truly appreciates each and every thing he has received as well as the love and get-well wishes that are behind them. Mom & I know that all of this, and visits from friends (such as Van Gilbert today) is what keeps Dad's spirits up as he fights to get back on his feet!