Friday Update

July 18
By Linda

Therapy was the focus of the day. All six scheduled hours were completed in half hour segments with Mom fully involved and alert (except toward the end of the last session---she laid her head on the shoulder of the physical therapist and just snuggled there because she was so-o-o tired)!
She ate breakfast in the cafeteria with the speech therapist and consumed half a banana and the "ïnsides" of a piece of toast.

With the occupational therapist she stacked some plastic cup things with her left hand and placed wooden pegs in a large pegboard. [The personality of Mom shone through on that one. The therapist asked her to pick up one at a time from a plastic bin and place it in a row of the board. Mom continually picked up two or three pegs at once. That is clearly the way to save motion and she was not changing her logical way to approach the task for the purpose of therapy.]

She sat in the cafeteria again for lunch.

The physical therapist had Mom both sit on a padded table and stand in front of a mirror to work on posture as well as balance.

12 bites of supper were eaten in her room as she had finally earned a rest in bed after spending almost all of the day sitting in her wheelchair. (She wondered whose wheelchair she was in and then mentioned that she would need to have an electric wheelchair for when she goes shopping. I guess I'm glad she's thinking big!

Visitors continue to help inject some pleasant diversions into Dad's days of vigilant waiting. It is hard for him to see positive changes in Mom's condition when growth comes in small increments. We are ever so grateful for the kindness and support that has been offered to him and to the rest of the family. Our community of support (seen in the array of visitors and the wall where we have taped the get-well cards) is the talk of the hospital staff. We are deeply touched.