Monday, December 22...Monday's Manuevers

Mom arrived at the hospital this morning to find Dad already in the gym working with his occupational therapist. Her intention was to make a quick stop to deliver the therapists' Christmas cookie and then head to the mall to shop, but Dad and "his girls" were having such a good time looking at Dad's photo albums and marveling at his progress of standing from a sitting position in his wheelchair, that she decided to stick around for a while. Kelley told Mom that she had Dad next and she bet Dad would show off for her if she stayed. In the meantime, the Arlott clan showed up and Dad gave Alex a wheelchair ride before he started with Kelley. As promised, Dad put on quite the show for Mom. Kelley got Dad's wheelchair positioned near the parallel bars and Dad stood and "walked" with Kelley's help and support all the way to the other end! Dad was apparently pretty darn proud of himself, and Mom left rehab with a spring in HER step! When Dave & I arrived at the hospital this afternoon Dr. V came by and was checking on Dad. Since Dad's right leg was still swollen she decided that he should have an ultrasound of his leg just to make sure that he didn't have a blood clot. She assured Dave and I that she was 95% sure that it was nothing and that the swelling he was having was attributed to him not being able to move his right leg. Unfortunately, when Mom arrived at the hospital this evening Dr. Bing was there and said that Dad did have a blood clot and would have to be put on blood thinners by daily injections to try and dissolve the clot. This also means that Dad's therapy will be limited for the next few days...just as he was making so much progress! So, everyone please keep praying for this situation to be resolved quickly so Dad can resume his road to recovery.

Sunday, December 21...STRENGTH in Numbers!

Tonight's blog update by Cindy. All of you that know me well, know that I like "themes." Bunko themes, party themes, scrapbook themes, decorating themes, etc. Well tonight, I can report that even our weekend had a theme, and it was STRENGTH. By Friday afternoon, after another long week of work, hospital runs, household errands, holiday shopping, etc., I felt in desperate need of some! I left work and headed over to see George. I stayed for about an hour and a half, but he was so worn out after an afternoon of vigorous physical therapy, he didn't feel like talking much, so I grabbed his laundry and headed home to feed and walk our dog. I had only been in the house for a few minutes, when I got a phone call from Beverly Brewer saying that she and Jim had just arrived at the hospital and was hoping to see the both of us. I was just too tired to head back in that direction, so she said that they would visit with George and then head over to take me out to dinner. In the meantime, Lindsay & Dave had called so we invited them to come and join us. We all headed over to Victor's Casa Garcia and had several baskets of chips w/salsa followed by some good mexican food, but the great, uplifting company was the best of all! Oh, and the Brewers brought me a Willow Tree angel and George a christmas stocking to hang in his room at the hospital, so Santa better remember to fill it Christmas Eve! Saturday morning started early. George & I decided to treat the weekend nursing staff to a giant decorated chocolate chip cookie, so I headed out to pick that up. When I arrived at the hospital, I pulled the electric razor out and got George looking spiffy for his weekend visitors. Terri and Emily were on their way from Willis, my mom came by to say hello, and Lindsay & Dave were in route with Brady AND Cooper & Macy too! It was definitely a "dog day afternoon" for George, and he and the dogs loved the outing! Emily & I eventually went and picked up some Italian food, and we girls all went back upstairs and ate lunch with George. After lunch, Emily & I went and ran some errands and Terri stayed behind for a little father/daughter time. Brian Lewis, a co-worker of George's at Klare Plumbing, came by and I know George enjoyed catching up with him. Before leaving for the evening, I sat on George's bed and was telling him my plans for the remainder of the evening as well as for Sunday when he grabbed my hand and asked ... "What about us?!?" When I asked him what he meant, he asked what we were going to do about him coming home. I told him that I hoped by the time he was discharged (the current insurance plan is 12/31/08), that he would be strong enough to stay "home alone" which meant getting in/out of bed and/or the wheelchair by himself or with very little assistance, so he had to continue to work hard. And then my husband, who almost never talks about his faith or spirituality, sorta shrugged and got teary-eyed on me and said that he had been praying for MY strength, both physically and mentally. I guess my constant praying over him while in the hospital had rubbed off, and I pretty much lost it. Especially when he added, "you know, it's just me, you, and the Lord!" I told him that I was certainly relying on the Lord for strength for both of us, and He would make sure that George & I were okay. Just about that time, my cell phone rang, and it was a dear friend from Abilene who I truly believe has a direct line to God. Vickie said that she had some bible verses for me, and went on to recite them. She started out with Matthew 28:20 ... And remember, I am with you always ... and then continued with a few others about getting strength from the Lord. I couldn't believe it, it was like God wanted me to know that He was indeed with us, giving us the strength that George and I and soo many of you have been praying for during this trial. And then, just to top it all off, I went to the mailbox before church this morning, and I had a package from Judy Conley Herrerra, the daughter of George's former employer of 25+ years. Inside was a small wrapped gift with a note that read, "Thinking of you, Cindy" and guess what was inside?!? A hand-painted wooden cross with the word "Strength" printed across the front!! Truly amazing, huh?!? Maybe our pastor, Dan Miller, summed it up best during this morning's service. He was talking about how Mary, just a teenager, received news from an angel that she would soon give birth to a son. Mary, at the time, had other things going on, and to be unmarried and pregnant was surely not in her plans. Dan called this news, and the pregnancy, an "interruption" in her life; it tested her faith, as well as Joseph's. But through this test, it brought them closer to each other and to God. So, from now on, I'm looking at this health crisis as just an "interruption" in our lives, one that I too hope brings us closer to each other and to God! A special thank-you to George's Sunday visitors: Lindsay & Dave; April, Madison and Brian Dorman; Rick & Laura Krustchinsky; and Mike Ligon. Pictures from the weekend will be on the blog tomorrow; I need to get my camera to Lindsay, so be sure to check back!! Love to all ...

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!