Bob had a great day of therapy today. We went to Speech with Sarah because Ashley had a meeting and Bob spent time doing a math crossword puzzle and an activity where you were asked to answer questions about a map.
We immediately went to OT with Brian where the two talked about the meal he is going to make in the near future. I believe it is a ham and “something” omelette. I don’t really remember. But Bob did. And that’s what counts right now. He also had a ton of stretching and showed me how he can get in and out of a tub.
We also went to an education session that was led by nurses and OT staff about medication. Everyone got a printout of their current meds and we had a conversation about what they were for and side effects. Bob was impressed that I had two copies of his med sheets in PDF format on my phone. He always says, “you must know people” and “you talk too much”.
I think he REALLY felt like I talked too much at lunch with our friend Keith Newerla, who brought along Ron Siggs to join us. Keith brought Bob some Magee swag and we had a great time sharing Bob’s story. And by we, I mean me. Because again, I talk too much. Keith took me on a tour of the soon to be opened 2nd floor, and it is GORGEOUS. I hope I never need Magee, but PLEASE make sure Bob knows to send me there.
I had a meeting with Trisha, and we continued to discuss Bob’s discharge options as well as where his needs might best be met in the outpatient setting. I hope to have a hard and fast discharge date within the next few weeks. But as of this past Tuesday, his estimated length of stay is four more weeks. I know he’s going to continue to improve by leaps and bounds in that timeframe.
At the end of the day, I got to see Bob on the Vector for the first time. It was incredible to see him be able to walk essentially on his own. His PT Caroline had it set to reduce Bob’s weight by 5%. He was doing a great deal of work on his own and was really having issues only when he was being asked to change speeds or stop. Sidestepping and walking backwards also proved to be challenges for Bob today. I keep thinking that he shouldn’t need to have much more PT because he is almost able to walk on his own. However, the ability to balance and move your body through space in a multitude of ways is a lot more than simply walking in a straight line.
The ride home was 2+ hours, just like the ride there last night. It’s just going to get longer and longer and we move further to the summer. But it’s really worth it to spend time watching Bob’s healing in progress.