Sandy,

I loved seeing that! Bob truly is making great progress. I love your attitude toward Bob as a stroke survivor as many people can't see beyond the stroke. Believe me as a survivor it makes a huge difference when someone does. You both deserve a lot of credit!

I'll watch that again a time or two--or as time allows! :p

So glad you're starting to feel normal again, the famous "new normal". Bob is doing great, Ray can walk up and down stairs but only one step at a time. Congratulations on a job well done!

Ray used to walk down stairs with one person in front of him and one person behind if there were three of us. In extreme circumstances I had him walk forward with me in front of him though because of his balance issues and instability he could still either sit down suddenly or fall backwards which was somewhat dangerous for both of us.

We took the lift whenever we could and I would attempt a short set of stairs (three or four) with him in the wheelchair.That is not good for your back though.

Tell Bob to keep up the exercise and he will eventually get there.

Sue.

Sandy :

I love your attitude towardsyour life & your husband. with attitude like that there is no way but to go in positive direction in his recovery, physically & emotionally.

Asha

Sandy,

Again that's the right attitude for any couple when a stroke has entered your marriage and I see why my wife was so concerned about me learning to do all I could safely!

Maybe one day soon you can check into the stair lift and I'll say it took the VA years to approve mine but I'm so glad I got it cause those 15 steps to the top and one hand rail was a task and I went up right foot first holding onto the rail on with my right hand and down left foot first which was easier for me to do!

We wanted a one level home but at that time I wasn't giving mine away to buy another one when it's nearly paid for in a few more years!

You don't see handicap and in the marriage you are there to help not give up and that means so much in therapy progress! It was for me and my wife went back to her job and I went to work at Walmart on my scooter for three years!!

Fred, we live in a flat house with no basement. 2 years ago, I told my husband we needed to get into a flat house before something happened to one of us, so we got here and it is perfect for our situation. Those steps in the video are actually at the therapy building, I was hoping to get in all the days till the end of this month, so he could get even stronger on the stairs, just because it requires him to lift with a certain muscle that he needs to walk well anyway. But the weather is turning on us!

Sadly, he is not a candidate to ride a scooter, even at the store, because of his 50% vision loss.

Sandy: wonderful video. Thank you so much for sharing. So I am sitting here thinking how lucky you were that he did not get up and walk to the kitchen to let the cat out! LOL. His balance is excellent honey. He knows how to hold himself, where his strength is.

I know the house is all one level, but I applaud that you insist on the stairs. One thing to "shuffle" room to room, another to truly walk, learn balance, compensating for the weakness. Kudos Miss!

I got to acceptance just this year - which is why I knew it was time for the wedding. Acceptance of the new "order" of things, good caregivers and schedule at work, continence issues improving - no more four loads of laundry a day. Plus we are in a therapy downtime awaiting a new year and we are talking, truly conversing. I had my boy back.

Happy Holidays to you both. A wonderful gift for all of us. Debbie