Even Better Therapy today!

Dad did really great in therapy today. Again I arrived late, but before I got there he had walked down the entire hall, and even gone outside to the front and sat outside! When I arrived, he was heading back down the hallway. The entire time he was saying "I can't do it" and expressing some pain as he would move the right leg (and thus put weight on the left.) But when asked if he wanted to keep walking, he would respond "Yes!" He made it all the way down the hall!





AFter the walks, Dad rested a bit, and then Lucinda had Dad do his leg exercises. He participated in the counting today. He was also interacting more with Lucinda today...in one of the photos you can sort of make out Dad's ever so slight smile towards her.





Lucinda told me that per typical Medicare schedule, Dad would have transitioned to only 2x/week therapy next week, but she said, based on his progress, she thought it would be no problem to keep him at 3x/week, at least for one more week.

Anna reported that yesterday, Dad had walked from the bathroom into the family room. She also said the mornings are going better, though there are still occasions when they are using the lift. Still, getting him from bed to the edge of the bed is still difficult, and he does "cry out" when being assisted to stand, but commented that his stability in standing is much improved.

After therapy, I took Dad outside in his wheelchair to enjoy the sunshine in the backyard. Tried to initiate a game of dominos but he seemed content just to relax, so I gave him a little neck rub and also strolled a little too. When I brought him back in, before leaving, I asked him if he wanted to stay in his room or go into the family room, and he said the family room.

So hope this progress continues!!!

Walking today

Dad had a good session with Lucinda in PT today. I arrived late and he had already walked two times, more than 15 feet each time! He did it again after I arrived. He required very little help with the rising from the wheelchair, and then instinctively started walking, holding himself relatively straight. Interestingly, he kept saying "I can't do it" though not angrily, and he still continued to do it. They said he did that the first two times as well. After the walking, he appeared to be tiring. He participated a little with the leg exercises, though he wouldn't count and was mostly looking down as Lucinda motioned him through it.

Anna reported that in the morning, Dad is still showing resistance to moving from the bed to the edge of it, though wasn't so "grabby" today. Before therapy she said he was pretty awake this morning...they had played with the ball---she said he was kicking it quite well. She also mentioned that he was talking to her about "taking deductions from her pay."

I went to pick up a prescription for Dad, then returned. He was still in the wheelchair, eyes closed, apparently listening to music on the TV. Janice had started the bingo game, so I moved him over to the table, though he seemed like he was going to be too tired to participate. He did participate in the bingo games last Friday.

Fri/Sat/Monday

Dad's therapy session on Friday at 1pm went quite well. THe therapist put a phone book down between his feet, and I explained to him about keeping his feet apart, so he did his sit to stands much better. We actually had him do several repetitions of that (as opposed to taking steps and walking) and he was doing it quite well, with very little assistance in the lifting. I left about 1:45pm after therapy, but spoke later with Haydee who was working from 2-4. When I called she said they were sitting outside (nice day), playing cards and enjoying the weather. Haydee also worked on Saturday morning from 7 to 11. She said Dad did his exercises in bed, and then he got up (with help from Haydee and Al) without the need for the Hoyer lift. She also played card and threw the ball with him, but then she said he got quite sleepy around 10:30am.

THerapy yesterday was not quite as good. Dad was very sleepy and more unresponsive and didn't participate much in the leg exercises. We did eventually do a few sit to stands with some success, though not as good as Friday. Seemed a bit more sensitive today to minimal touches of his arm/back area. When the therapist left, we had moved Dad from the recliner to the wheelchair, so I took him outside to enjoy the sunshine. Couldn't get him to talk much or play ball, so I rubbed his neck/back a little. Walked around some more and he appeared to perk up a little bit from the movement, though when I crossed him over the threshold into the house he screached some "ows" from the "bumps" he must have felt from the wheelchair (though it was very slight.) I left him in his room to watch the baseball game...beef stew was on the stove for dinner a half hour later.

Hopefully therapy will go a little better tomorrow. Haydee is unavailable to work this week and not until the end of next week (planned vacation). Anna worked Sunday Morning, this morning and tomorrow morning...will try to get a report from her tomorrow.