Currently: we have sent back the wheelchair and hospital bed. Ian sleeps upstairs. I no longer escort him to the bathroom/shower (he still uses a shower seat). He is fully capable of making his own meals, although digging around in the fridge sometimes presents a problem (balance AND leaning, not so much).
The PEG tube is gone; no more wires! Naturally, he is thrilled by this development.
Thanks to my MIL's fortuitous Christmas gift, he's able to read ... although it's not a comfortable, relaxing activity, it CAN be done. (Current reads: Robinson Crusoe and More Than a Carpenter.)
At the annual Church Beer Fest (don't ask!), he partook of his first ABS2 barley-based beverage.
Most foods are on the menu; he is careful with each bite and swallow and aware of his limitations (read: nothing dry, like crackers or toast without loads of butter ...).We have now moved from in-home therapy to out. We travel twice a week and Ian has speech, occupational and physical therapy concurrently ... so a grueling 3-hr session each visit. He is expected (and is harassed) into following up with a series of exercises at home.
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| Hi, I'm Ian. I promise not to stand up so fast next time. |
We went to Ian's (office? employer? business?) for a visit, and everyone seemed very pleased to see him up and about. It did him good to chat and reconnect, I think. They seemed amenable to his return, whenever that may be or however that might look, so that's encouraging. Even if they were "smiling and nodding," I think it gave him a hopeful boost.
A bit of humor ("...If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane"): Parents of young(ish) children will no doubt recall the first Cars. At the end of the movie, Luigi, the tire salescar, is flabbergasted to be visited by "a real Ferari!!! Guido! Punch me! Punch me in the face! THIS is the most GLORIOUS day of ma life." (After which Guido keels over.) Ian has named his right hand "Guido" because, in fact, it DOES frequently punch him in the face (fine and gross motor skills are severely lacking as yet). See, I told you he was in good spirits! :)What you can do:
Pray, naturally; this is the long haul portion of recovery. New territory, no real answers, just hard work that provides tiny improvements.
Encourage: "you look great!"s are becoming commonplace, which is lovely.
Challenge: sometimes rather than attempt something, Ian will look at me and give me a mope to say, "could you do this?" Trying, failing, then asking for help is one thing, but lack of attempt -- even if it's something you haven't tried before -- is not only counter-productive, it's very UNlike my husband. (look, I'm not a she-devil; I don't bark orders or force him to take out the trash.) Sometimes he needs a, "hey, bring me that hammer, would ya?" kind of prodding to prove to himself that as cumbersome as it may be, he CAN and SHOULD do stuff.
*After Brain Surgery #2
