Man, it sucked getting up for work this morning after having 5 days off.
Christmas went very well at the homestead. Granted, I had to put it on two days in a row. Her family, then my family. I was spent after last night. I did nothing but go down in the basement and play Playstation. If you didn't know, I am a gamer. The kids seemed very satified with the gifts they received. Lisa was exhausted with all the excitement. She usually has a shower every other day, but she wanted to blo
I think our family is ready for the big day. All the gifts are purchased and wrapped, sitting under the tree. We went WAAY overboard this year. But, I paid cash for everything, so no big Holiday debt. I baked (which I do every year) about 9 dozen cookies this week, each one different. It is looking very festive around the WfnShow household. The excitement is starting to build.
Lisa is doing quite well. It has finally happened. She, according to her PT/OT therapists, has hit a plateau
Now, I was never one to do Christmas shopping. I would go with Lisa when she was shopping for our kids, but not for our parents or her friends (I don't have any ). This year I have had to do it all. She has been with me each time I've gone, but Lisa has not been much help in the idea department. She is usually over in the shoe or "I don't know" department.
Anyway, it totally sucks. I am so indifferent to the whole Holiday Season this year, I don't even care. Gift cards are out of cou
Well, didn't my last blog touch off a nerve!!! The only thing I will say about some of the responses I got is this blog is for my thoughts and feelings, not yours. I appreciate the advice and comments from all of you, but I took offense to some of them judging me. You don't know me. So, if you get upset at something I write, TOUGH, deal with it.
On the other hand, I am feeling better about our situation. I think it might have been the longing for the past that Jean had spoken about. I
It's a cold and snowy day in N. Minnesota. As it should be. I have been having some rather somber thoughts lately. I am starting to doubt if I can stick this out. I read somewhere the divorce rate of couples who deal with stroke. I can now understand why it is so high.
The thing that has me is, "When did I start feeling this way?" How can I get past this? It feels to me that I would rather just quit from the weight of future ahead instead of fighting to reach the next step.
If
Well, Lisa had a fall last week as I said and she is feeling much better. Her back was hurting pretty bad and because of it therapy wasn't going well. They even called me and said that because she was home, we weren't working hard enough, causing her to "decline"...WTF? Sure, I might have given her a few easy days, she was sore. But, declining? That rapidly? Give me a break!!
But, her back is feeling better and our home therapy last night was one of the best sessions we have had yet.
I am not doing well today.
The fall Lisa had earlier this week has left her very sore and she is unable to give the effort that I know she can. I reacted to that by getting frustrated and taking it out on her, as if it was her fault. I snapped off and grew impatient. Her movement today is like two months ago.
I got her out of bed, to the bathroom, dressed, and downstairs for breakfast. As I was standing at the counter, it hit me, "What the hell am I doing? I was a total knuckleh
No matter how much I allow Lisa to do on her own, are falls inevitable?
She had a good one yesterday. She said she tripped over her own feet. Called me right away and I was there in 3 minutes (good thing I work 1 1/2 miles from our house). This morning Lisa was saying her back was sore so she took her meds and went back to bed. Good thing there is no therapy today. There was therapy yesterday and she went and toughed it out.
Now, I know some of you are thinking, "If Lisa is home
It went well I think. I will break it down in sections.
Sleeping: I was uncomfortable as hell, but Lisa slept fine. I've been sleeping by myself for 8 months and was used to the room. Lisa wakes up twice a night to go to the bathroom, but it beats the alternative. Grade: A-
Bathing: OMG. I need to work out a better plan for that. There were many instances when I felt out of control and an accident was waiting to happen. Lisa said it went fine, but I didn't think so. She wasn't
I haven't had time to blog anything lately.
Lisa is coming home for good this Friday. Eight months to the DAY that she went in the hospital. It seems so much longer than that. I can't even remember that far back. Those days are a blur. All the miles to the Mayo Clinic, the cold days of March in Duluth, the first day at the nursing home. Most of it forgotten (or just pushed out).
Our home is ready. All the adaptive equipment was delivered yesterday. We are very excited to be mo
Not at all what I expected. I thought they would come in a say, "This needs to be moved." or "Hang a grab bar here.". Nothing like that. I got Lisa home right before her therapists showed up.
Lisa had to do many things at home that I never even thought to try yet. She needed to show that she could be totally independent. Up the ramp, get in the house (even though I haven't adapted the entry doors to our house so there was about a 2" lip to go over), use the chair lift safely, go to the
The OT/PT Department heads are coming to our house today to look for any problem areas that Lisa might have when she comes home. I think I have done a fairly good job with eliminating things in her traffic areas. Sure, I'll have to put up some grab bars here and there, but it looks good.
And now for something completely different....
I never cooked all that much before. Oh, I can cook, but it was planning what to make that I had trouble. My mom and dad split when I was young so I n
Yep, this weekend I finally got our house ready for Lisa to move around in. No tables to work the walker out of the way. The kitchen has been set to "wheelchair-height". The computer desk is out of the upstairs hall. Lisa actually took a nap in her own bed yesterday. Both the cats climbed up there with her and she said it was the best nap she's had in a long time.
We have a Care Conference next week and hopefully the last one. It's looking like Lisa should be home for Thanksgiving. I
I have been quite chipper lately. Fall is my favorite time of year. It all stems back to childhood I think. I remember things like they were yesterday.
I was always a good student so the anticipation of going back to school is a very fond memory for me. Not the going to class part, but the social interaction with your friends. Going to football game on a crisp, October night. Getting that new girlfriend because you don't want to be tied down over the summer (Wait, I think that's just
Not much really. I hate to say it but we have fallen into a routine. Not that stressful a one either.
Lisa has been making incredible strides in rehab. She is starting to transfer herself safer (the best improvement overall), she is consistently walking a 300 ft. hall in one pass, and her emotions have improved because of it. She still does not say much though. I try all the time to get conversation out of her but nothing. Not because she can't talk, but because she says she has not
I have been asked alot about coming home lately. Thanks for your concerns.
We had a Care Conference a few weeks ago and Lisa's therapists recommended another month. So, once again we have pushed it back again. But, it's not easy.
Lisa thinks she is never coming home. She thinks she will still be there at Christmas. It's so hard to decide when she will be ready. I changed the anti-depressant she was getting because it wasn't working well and the new one seems to be doing a better job.
Like I need anything else to do.
I paid for the supplies for the ramp on the house and have a few friends and family coming to build it. Good thing too because I am not very handy. I'm more of the muscle type.
I'm taking Lisa to get her hair cut and out to dinner tonight so she can get away for a while. Should be fun!!
Butch
Lisa had a echocardiogram to look at her heart. When Lisa first had her stroke, she was given massive amounts of steroids because she also has Lupus and her doctors thought that might be the cause. Well, that wasn't it as we found out at Mayo so now they have to monitor if all the doses of steroids had any effect on her body. The TEE revealed that her heart looks very good and shows no signs of any ill-effect. That's great.
Her mood seems to be better with having to be there another mon
I haven't blogged in two weeks. Not much need to.
We had a small setback this week if you could call it that. We were planning on possibly having Lisa come home for good on Oct. 1. She is just starting to transfer herself from bed to chairs and back and I think she is doing very well. But, we had her Care Conference for Sept. and OT/PT recommended she stay one more month to keep progressing. Lisa has not hit a plateau in her recovery and continues to make significant gains every week.
Finally!!!
After 5 months of waiting and a million forms, I got a call today confirming it. Also, our daughter is able to receive some benefits. Lisa has been asking about it constantly. It will be nice to tell her.
I think we have one more month to go before she comes home for good. Things are moving forward. Lisa's walking has improved greatly. I should have no problem getting the house adapted in that time. School is starting next week.
So, now on to the next step. I am st
Well, my long weekend is finally here. I won't be able to leave until later tonight and it will take me 2 hours to drive there, but who cares. I AM GETTING AWAY FOR A FEW HOURS.
I almost feel bad that I am so excited. Now, I don't need a bunch of replies saying I need time to myself, and thank you for thinking that. But, it gets me thinking, when does Lisa "get away"? I wish there was a way I could take her away from all the therapy, doctors, nurses, pills and junk. Just for one day m
Things are looking good. As well as can be expected.
Lisa was home on Sat. and Sun. for the day. We kind of hung out and spent time together. One of the kids was home on each of the days. It was great for Lisa to have some normalcy. I got to cook, clean, and be a house-husband for her. I think she loved every minute. She has been waiting on me for 18 years, now it's my turn.
I picked up a commode to have in the house and it worked great. Now her going to the bathroom is no prob
Top to Bottom. Furniture, floors, bathroom the works. It feels really good to finally get it done. My daughter is having a "few" friends over tonight for a sleep-over. The entire cheerleading squad!! Yep, 15 sixteen to eighteen year old girls. I think dad will hold up in the basement tonight. I just hope I can get some sleep myself.
I blogged a couple of days ago about isolation. I was having a pity party that day, but it was my true feelings at the time. Yesterday, I got some much
I am a caregiver, so of course, I understand them better than survivors. It's what I know. Lately it seems, we have all been having feeling of not being noticed. It feels to me like isolation.
But, some of it I bring on myself. I know I do it. I have to do it. Case in point, my daughter and I decided to go out to dinner last night. It was way too hot to make anything and we have a great time when the 2 of us are alone. We enter the restaurant and see a friend of mine that I used to
Another week begins. Nothing new is really happening.
Lisa has received orders from the DR to have her fedding tube removed. It is the last thing she has that was done in the hospital. She is excited to have it out. Me too frankly. It is a pain with a transfer belt. Where they placed it, the belt is either too high or too low. I hope with it gone, transfers will be more comfortable for Lisa.
She is getting restless to go on an outing. I haven't taken Lisa anywhere because it ha
