A New Form of Therapy

Went bowling today as a part of my therapy. With my braces on it was not easy to do. I cannot run so basically I had to stand at the foul line and release the ball. My score was nothing to talk about (I finished 3rd), but it was great fun and great exercise. I was exhausted when we finished the game and it was only 11:00 in the morning! I still had my afternoon therapy sessions with lots of exercises! When I got home today, I was beat.

A Great Holiday

It was great to have all of the kids in town for the holiday. Grandmor Terri and Grandpa Bob especially enjoyed spending time with our granddaughter Anna. She is such a sweetie. Thursday night was Terri's school retirement dinner. It was held at a local restaurant. The food was delicious and it was wonderful to see Terri honored by her colleagues for the excellent work she has done as a teacher.

On Saturday we headed for our lake house. Although it rained most of Saturday and Sunday, we still found lots of things to do. Had a great meal Saturday night at the family summer house with the family members who were up for the holiday. On Sunday we celebrated my son-in-law Mike's birthday with a delicious meal from the grill. We were very happy that Pastor Kyle, our local pastor, could join us. I was deemed grillmaster for the night. It was tiring, but great to be back in the swing of things. Of course, I had a couple of assistants who kept an eye on me and helped me out. Monday it turned very hot and while I would have liked to get out and enjoy the day, I was very tired and relaxed inside. Elizabeth and I played some Wii games which was great therapy for my balance, endurance, and coordination. All in all, a fabulous time was had by all over the holiday.

Lots Going On

I can't believe how busy I am day after day. Therapy, of course, takes a lot of my time and I continue to make progress there. The key remains the healing of my feet, especially as it relates to their numbness and drop foot, a condition which prevents me from fully lifting my feet so they drag on the ground. I wear braces up to my knees on both feet to overcome this problem. I can walk better with the braces on, but you can imagine that they are quite cumbersome. I'll be very happy when I can walk without them. I'm afraid that will be a long way off.

In between therapy, I try to fit in all of my doctor appointments, lab tests, x-rays, and the like. It's amazing how much time that takes and how long the appointments last--in some cases, almost an entire day. 

But Terri and I are still finding ways to relax and enjoy some time together. We went up to our Michigan home this past weekend just to kick back and celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. Enjoyed having lunch at the local restaurant in Three Oaks, figuring out the landscape for our home, setting up our porch for the summer, and going to church on Sunday. What a great weekend!

Starting my fifth week of therapy this week. We'll see how that goes.

Latest Update

At this point, I have completed 3 weeks of therapy and begin the fourth week tomorrow. It's nice to have 3 days off (Sat.-Mon.) after 2 days of therapy back to back (Thurs.-Fri.). The therapists really work me hard which I like but it is still great to have those 3 days off.
I feel that I have reached a plateau lately and am not seeing much change in my recovery. I've had a couple minor injuries in the last week, including a strain of the cartilage between my ribs and breastbone, which have slowed me down somewhat. On the other hand, they are using Wii to help me with my balance and coordination so I have enjoyed playing tennis and bowling, especially at the end of the day when I am a little tired. It really has helped my balance as I play without my walker and just rely on the wall if I need some support. I told Terri to tell the kids that they can get me a Wii set for Father's Day.  What a great way to continue my therapy at home!

Coming along

Had another good week at therapy but the progress is slow. Still working at walking more independently. Also working on building strength and endurance after so many weeks in intensive care. What a workout, but it's worth it! Not sure when I will be finished with therapy, but my guess in mid-July. We'll see how it goes.
Cheers!

Working Hard and Seeing Progress

I am now into my 2nd week of therapy and things are going well. I am getting physical, occupational, and speech therapy. (Not sure why I am still getting speech therapy, but there is a good chance that will end after this week.) The therapists are pushing me hard the 3 days I am there which I like. Today I reached a milestone. The physical therapist had me walk 2 circuits (about 123 feet each) with only my leg braces and a cane and 1 circuit by myself without any aids except my braces. That was the first time I had tried either and did fairly well--or so the therapist said. So that is definitely something to celebrate. (Right now, I am primarily getting around with a walker.) There is still a long way to go to walk independently, but I am very happy with every milestone I pass. Ever onward!!