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There is no resting on your laurels in the world of physio. Last week Deane was weight bearing for the first time since his operation. A few days of pulling himself up on a turntable to aid in transferring and we’re moving on. This week, it is assisted walking. Deane was able in the past … Continue reading
His hands grip the bar. His head hangs down. But on the count of three, you can see his legs tense and start to push his body up. For most of us, standing up is a simple process we do without thinking. For Deane, it is something he is having to relearn, to reteach his … Continue reading
Recovery is an incremental process. The changes can be minute. But then some days all those little improvements add up to big changes. Today, for the first time, Deane was allowed to remove the wedge, take off his leg immobilizers and sit with his legs bent, free of any constriction. He looks so much like … Continue reading
“Nice way to wake up,” I snarled at the nurses. From my hard, fold-out chair beside my son’s hospital bed, I saw three nurses and heard Deane crying as they peeled his eyelids back to put eye drops his still sleeping eyes. I fell back in my bed and really felt like I might not … Continue reading
From the so-called bed I sleep on, I grabbed my laptop this morning and Googled bedsores. Although I was stiff and achy, it was not my body I was worried about. After a number of nights of fairly decent sleep, Deane is once again having a rough time. It seems to deny logic – he … Continue reading
We have an open door policy. It’s partly because we still spend a lot of time in our room and a closed door just makes our existence that much smaller. It’s also because welcoming people to your home at any time is how I was brought up. The down side of that in our current … Continue reading
I alternated between shouting and pleading. My son alternated his yelling between loud and louder. I was too frustrated to worry about the scene we were making. I’m sure we weren’t the first people to have such a showdown. I had taken Deane to see the therapy dogs that are brought into the hospital every … Continue reading
Just before she headed out for the weekend, the speech-language pathologist assigned to our son’s case, came by to tell us that on Monday she would be lifting the order that he be given only minced food. She was at pains, however, to emphasize that his food must be cut up into very small pieces … Continue reading
We need a win. That was the thought I came out of the meeting with all the staff involved in our son’s care. They went around the table and talked about the issues: his eating – or lack thereof; his hydration – through an NG tube they’re in no hurry to remove; his weight bearing … Continue reading
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked a number of times. After describing the routine of looking after my son overnight, I gave her one last opportunity to back out. But our former babysitter and incredibly generous friend didn’t accept my offer. She just smiled. She had volunteered to stay with Deane … Continue reading
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