Sunday, January 18 ... CURIOUS about GEORGE!

Dad had a great weekend full of family and fun. On Friday, Dad's sister, Jimmie, and Dad's nephew, Kevin, and his wife, Lucy, who live in Georgetown, came to visit along with their two little boys. Clayton, their three-year old, loves Curious George, and now we know why ... he's exactly like him! During their two-hour visit, Clayton never stopped entertaining us as he tried out every gadget, button, and light switch in the room, as well as all of Dad's "accessories".
Then, before we all left for the evening, "Uncle George" even let Clayton take him for a spin in his wheelchair up and down the hallway, and no one was allowed to help push, even though Aunt Jimmie did try to help steer! We thought Dad would be the one eager to see us all leave, but I think it was more like the nursing staff (ha!). Dad even made Kevin promise to come back and see him Saturday morning before they headed back home, which they did, and when they arrived, Kevin said Dad already had visitors ... Ricky and Donnie Luker. Since Dad had a roomful, Mom decided to stay home and do a few things around the house, and then my sister, Terri, called and said that she and Emily were also headed to Katy. Terri told Mom that she would sit with Dad and Mom could have the afternoon off too, so Mom and Emily went and ran errands, got their nails done, and then came home and made a home-cooked meal and took it to KRH so they could all eat with Dad. Dad seemed pretty worn out and was in a little pain, so they left early so he could get some rest and relaxation. Mom called the nurses' station when she woke up this morning to check on Dad, and Ida, one of the Certified Nursing Aides, said he had a restless night and a rough start to the morning, but seemed better after he ate and Ida helped him bathe and get dressed. Mom thought that he might like to get out in the beautiful sunshine and weather we were having this morning, so she asked for a "hall pass," and Dave & I took them out to lunch at El Jarrito for some fajitas. And, we had a pleasant surprise; when we put a plate with some chips and salsa in front of Dad, he moved his right arm forward in an attempt to pick up a chip! It wasn't totally successful, but it was so cool, because we could tell it was an automatic reflex, so that brain signal to his hand and arm is definitely starting to work ... yippee!! While we were eating, Dad asked if we had time to run him by the house to see Brady, and of course, we couldn't say no. Brady was happy to see his ball-throwing master in the back yard with him again, and some of the neighbors ... Steve, Stephanie & Mike ... were happy to see Dad in the yard too! On the way back to KRH, Dad asked us to stop and buy Ida some flowers for always being so sweet and helping him with his personal needs. While we were at it, we also picked up some cookies for all of Dad's nurses to share because the entire staff is so caring and wonderful! Oh, and if you haven't guessed, Dad's discharge date was extended for an additional week to this Friday, January 23. We thank all of you for your continued prayers for God's favor; they are working and Dad is reaping big benefits from the best therapy team in town!!

Thursday, January 15th...Another Day, Another Blessing

Today, Dave and I went up to KRH to see Dad "in action" while doing his occupational and physical therapy. While we were there Rachelle and Kelley both showed us some exercises and activities we can do with Dad to keep up the great progress he has made just within the last couple of weeks. Dad can now move his right hand/arm doing things such as feeding himself, shaking your hand and touching his nose. He has also started to walk with the assistance of a walker and someone to spot him. Dad definitely showed off his skills today and we took some video so you all can see for yourself that Georgey Porgey is well on his way to recovery...

Monday, January 12 … WE HAVE LIFT-OFF!!

Mom called this evening and was very excited. Kelley told Mom that Laurie got Dad to use his stroke-affected right hand today in therapy, so Kelley suggested that Mom try and get him to use it again at dinner this evening. It wasn’t an easy feat, but he managed to get at least 4 bites of food into his mouth using that hand, as well as shake hands with his visitors, Mark & Abby, and Butch Scherer. Butch gave mom a great idea this evening; the deal was that Dad had to try and do what Mom asked or he wouldn’t get a kiss good-night! Dad “thanked” Butch for that, but it worked. Mom asked Dad to touch his nose, and after he did that successfully, she had him touch hers, and he did that too!! So, of course, Dad got his kiss good-night, and a second one too, just for the extra effort! Kelley said it’s very important that Dad starts recognizing that right side because she thinks that is what is holding him back from walking. Therefore, any of you that go to visit Dad from here on out, don’t let him off the hook by using his left hand to greet you. Now that we know he can do it, it’s “tough love” from here on out!!

Sunday, January 11...WHATAWEEKEND!

Just like the infamous Texas burger chain, this weekend was made to order for George Luker. His therapy went well on Friday morning, and the insurance did extend Dad's discharge date from January 9 to January 16. The doctor and therapists are still hoping for an additional week (Friday, January 23), but the insurance will only approve one week at a time, so hopefully after this Tuesday's evaluation, we'll get their approval. Butch Scherer visited Dad on Friday afternoon, and then his visit was followed by Mom and her friend, Christine, who brought one of Dad's favorite meals ... Popeye's fried chicken w/red beans and rice and a biscuit! Apparently before they left for the evening, Dad had them in stitches about his thumb wrestling matches with one of his "girlfriends" from therapy (he wouldn't name names, but Mom knows who you are ). On Saturday, Mom and Grandma visited Dad for lunch, his hunting buddy, Charles Lee called, and then Mom, Dave & I went back later that evening after Hannah's birthday bowling party and took him a half of a big birthday cupcake ... Mom actually shared with Dad, and that was pretty impressive because no one usually gets any of her white cake/white icing desserts! Plus, we told Dad that we were breaking him out of there on Sunday afternoon to come home and watch the Steeler game. As many of you know, Mom grew up in Pittsburgh, and Mom and Dad first started dating during the era of the big Oiler / Steeler rivalry. Mom claims that she and Dad had their first argument during one of those games, but fortunately that didn't stop them from getting married. And, I can totally relate because I have a "mixed marriage" too. My husband's family is from Illinois, so the Texans / Bears games and the Astros / Cardinals games are always good for a few "fireworks" as well! Terri, Paul & Emily arrived at Rehab before 9 o'clock this morning to start Dad's day off on the right foot. My Uncle David visited before lunch too. Mom, Dave & I arrived around 2:30 to pick Dad up for his outing, and it didn't take him long to tell us that he was getting tired of waiting on us! We tried explaining to him that his pass was only good for 4 hours, and the game didn't start until 3:30, but he really didn't want to hear it. He gave us the "silent treatment" on the drive home, but once he got to the house, he was fine. The dogs, Brady and Cooper, kept him entertained while we started getting things prepared for dinner, and Dad, gave Macy, our other dog, some TLC since she hurt her leg yesterday and wasn't feeling very well. At half-time, we feasted on rib-eye steaks, baked sweet potatoes, sauteed spinach, and asparagus; everything was really good and Dave got a big thumbs-up on the steaks from Dad, the grill master! After dinner, Stephanie, Mom & Dad's neighbor who also happens to be a hairstylist, came over and gave Dad a much-needed haircut. After Stephanie worked her magic with her shears and trimmer, we hardly recognized him!! Thank you soo much, Stephanie, for making a house call!! And then we all had the perfect ending to the day -- STEELERS WIN! Oh yeah, and Dad is not the only one with a hair make-over this weekend; my hair is now it's natural color ... dark brown, just like Mom's (in case you couldn't find me in the photo ... ha!)

Thursday, January 8...Rolling Along

Mom and I are having "therapy withdrawals" this week since the holidays are over and we are back at work. It was great being able to see firsthand the strides Dad was making with his therapists. When Mom visited Dad Wednesday evening he was telling her how he climbed a ladder and jumped on a ball that day in physical therapy, and of course, she laughed and didn't believe him. He said someone had taken pictures of him to prove it, but again, she sort of blew it off because Dad has been teasing everyone a lot lately. This morning, she decided she couldn't stay away any longer, so she took an early lunch and headed down to Rehab around 10 o'clock. When she arrived, Connie had Dad on the mats doing some leg exercises, and she mentioned to Connie what Dad had told her the night before. Apparently Dad was not teasing. They did try to get him to climb on some sort of ladder but he was only able to make it up one step. He told the ladies that he needed to do better than that in the future because his deer stand ladder was 20 ft. up in the air! Then, Kelley came by and confirmed that they did take pictures of Dad yesterday using one of the balance balls. In fact, they pulled out the big yellow ball again, got Dad on his knees and showed Mom how well Dad was able to move his hips up and down and maintain his balance. Then Rachele, the occupational therapist, and Kelley tag-teamed Dad and had him sit down and try to balance himself while bending down to pick up a small tool of the floor with his stroke-affected hand. Slowly but surely Dad reached the floor, grasped the tool with his right hand and brought it up even with his lap. Mom said they were all thrilled and gave Dad a standing ovation!! Then Rachele took Dad to the table and had him work with the hand bike. Dad was actually able to move his hand forward and grab a hold of the handle all by himself!! Rachele then had him work on trying to move the hand bike handle with only his right hand. He hasn't quite got that mastered yet, but she told Mom that she could feel the muscle contractions when he attempted to move it, and that was a good sign of things to come! We believe Dad is going to be fortunate enough to get another two weeks at Rehab. The therapists and doctors have been soo thrilled with Dad's recent progress, they and the caseworkers are doing everything they can to convince the insurance company to let him stay until Friday, January 23, and we are sooo appreciative of their efforts. Dr. Bing said he thought he was going to have to sign Dad's discharge orders three different times, but the staff ends up pulling off another extension. The entire staff at Katy Rehabilitation Hospital is WONDERFUL, and we know Dad's best shot at recovery starts with them. Of course, the encouragement and love of our amazing friends and family is a huge boost to Dad, and Mom, as well. Just over the last few days, Dad has had long-distance calls from his brother Johnny, his nephews Kevin Ferrell & Jack Stone, visits from Ike Lucas, Joanne & Mike Ligon, Van Gilbert, Butch Scherer, and tonight, Bev & Jim Brewer came and had dinner with all of us in the patient dining room! Afterward, we got Dad shaved and his face and hands moisturized, and Uncle Jim said that Dad looked "so pretty" that he could just kiss him ... and he did!! Those two are such great old friends; lots of love there! Then, as I understand it, Uncle Jim went by the house and made a plumbing service call. Mom said the water softener hadn't been working right; she missed all of her suds when she shampooed and showered! So, Uncle Jim fiddled with the softener and made it start a new cycle, so I'm sure Mom will let him know if he had the magic touch or not after tomorrow morning's shower ... and then he can send her his bill (ha!).

Sunday, January 4...Weekend Update

Mom arrived at Rehab Saturday morning and was greeted by one of Dad's favorite aides, Greg. Greg told her that her husband had a new name ... "Master!" Mom asked how he came up with that, and apparently when Greg went to say good morning to "Mr. Luker," Dad told him just to call him "Master!" I think every day we see a little more of the REAL George Luker coming out ... ha! Saturday was beautiful here in Houston, so Mom asked Greg to help her get Dad in his wheelchair and then she took him outside so he could enjoy some of that sunshine. She thinks they spent at least 30-45 minutes walking outside, because when she looked down at her watch, it was nearly noon and time for lunch. She took Dad back upstairs and into the dining room and then headed home to box up the Christmas decorations. We all returned at dinner time; Dad was hungry for fried catfish and oysters, so Mom picked up seafood Po'Boys and also sliced up one of Dad's home-grown tomatoes to go on it. After dinner, Dad had another treat. I brought along my laptop computer and showed Dad his blog. He always hears us talk about it, and now HE talks about it, but he really didn't know what it was or what it looked like. He really enjoyed looking back at all of the pictures of his visitors from when the stroke first happened and skimming through the updates. He was amazed at how many "hits" or times people have viewed his blog; I think it made him feel really good that friends and family are still checking on him and his road to recovery! Mom had a Fazoli's pizza and breadstick party for Dad's nurses and aides at lunch time today. And Dad didn't want any; he ate the tray they brought him instead.
Mom said he seemed a little tired. Maybe he felt like the weather, because today there is no sunshine; just clouds and very cold temps!! Hope everyone has a good week ahead.

Friday, January 2...Friday's Feats

Mom and I decided to go to Dad's morning therapy session today since we are both back to work full time next week. Mom arrived first and Dad was with Barbara, his speech therapist. Barbara told mom that she can't believe how verbal Dad has gotten in the last week or so. She was laughing because Dad told her she should take something for her allergies so she wouldn't have to blow her nose soo much! Typical George Luker, right?!? Physical Therapy had him next, and Kelley had the day off, so Carolyn put Dad on the "bike" for 20 minutes at Level 7. Carolyn was impressed, she said, "you must be a strong man!" She had to belt Dad's right foot onto the pedal; it wouldn't stay on there very well, but other than that, he did great until the last minute or two when his lower back really started to hurt him. So, she moved him to a mat and put a heatpack under him and let him lay down to work his legs. Once the heatpack got too warm, she had him sit up and do reaching exercises with his left arm while balancing himself with his right. As you can tell, Carolyn gave him a really good workout, so by the time he got to Rachelle, his occupational therapist, he was pretty worn out. She told him if he would work just a little bit for her now, she would let him finish with her after lunch. Dad agreed and they went to work on his "catch and release." All of you who have visited with Dad, know what we are talking about. He can now grasp an object with his right hand, but has a hard time letting go, whether it is your hand or a blanket or a cup ... you are in his clutches!! Rachelle isn't sure if it is some time of reflex or if Dad is concentrating too hard on the grip, so she tried rubbing a ballpoint pen over his hand to find the reflex, and then tried distracting Dad another time, and both seemed to work well in lessening dad's grip. In fact, when he was holding Mom's hand, he unconsciously started rubbing the top of her hand over and over again with only his thumb(see video at bottom of blog entry), and that is something he had not done since before the stroke ... it was just a natural move for him, and when we all noticed it, Mom and I started to tear up and Rachelle went crazy (in a good way!). Rachelle decided it was a good time to stop and let Dad rest for a bit before lunch, so we put Dad back in bed and Mom & I ran an errand and had lunch with Carol Humphrey who had stopped by to see Dad. After lunch, Mom went back for Dad and Rachelle's afternoon session, and she was sure glad she did. Rachelle strapped Dad's right arm to some sort of "table skate" and then worked with Dad on trying to push it in toward his belly. Rachelle helped him the first few times get the hang of it, and then she bear-hugged dad to prevent him from using his trunk to push his arm, and slowly but surely dad used his bicep to move that scooter toward his belly! That wasn't all there was to celebrate either ... after witnessing Dad move only his thumb earlier and then be able to release the grip on Mom's hand, Rachelle gave Dad a towel and told him to grab it with his right hand. Dad inched his way toward the towl and grabbed it with his fingers, and then Rachelle said nonchalantly, "okay, that's it, you're done, you can let it go." And, HE DID!! It seems that when Dad isn't so intent or focused on a specific action, he has a better result, so we are adopting Nike's slogan and saying ... "Just do it!" Mom said Rachelle was super pleased and Dad seemed to be pretty proud of himself too! So, keep those get well wishes and prayers and cards coming in his direction; they are working and keep his spirits up. Thanks to Mike & Pat McKenzie too for their visit Thursday night!