Planning to Move on

Working from home on Fridays, I'm able to slip down to see Bettie at breakfast, as well as the usual lunch and dinner. At breakfast, she had a recurrence of the stomach pain she had before the gall bladder incident a couple of weeks ago. I took her back to her room to lie down.

By lunchtime, she had been taken for the abdominal scan that was put off from yesterday (no results yet) and was feeling good enough to have a full lunch. At dinner she seemed her usual cheerful self.

The progress that I noted yesterday in her right hand continued today. When getting ready for bed, she once again tried to pull her sweater left sleeve down with her right hand. Like yesterday, she failed, but it was closer to success. Earlier, I had picked up a 1.5 oz. bottle of something on her nightstand and asked her to pick it out of my hand. She tried to do it with her left hand, but I said "No, use your right hand". Ever so slowly, she moved the right hand over to the bottle and wrapped her fingers around it and picked it up. I silently cheered. My prediction is that she will be eating right handed within a month. I am so proud of her.

Bettie is now the longest continuous resident in the Acute Rehab Center at Auburn Medical Center. Because I am there with her for most meals, I am able to get acquainted with the other patients as they all gather in the kitchen for meals. The Rehab Center only takes a maximum of ten patients at a time, and often there are as few as seven or eight.

Stroke patients are common, but they also have broken hip patients, amputees, acute arthritis, and patients with other debilitating conditions. Sharing these life-crisis situations with fellow patients, makes for a strong bonding environment; besides it is a lot of fun at meal time.

Bettie is a favorite of everyone, even though a lot of the stuff she says is not quite understandable. Everyone celebrates Bettie's accomplishments...and, of course, I make sure everyone knows her latest triumph. I'm going to miss these people when Bettie comes home next week. I'm sure Bettie will too.

Speaking of coming home, everything is moving that direction: I've got the banisters up on both sides of all the stairs at our home; Dr. Heides office called to set up a follow up visit at his office, next Friday; A training session is scheduled for other family members next week; Someone will be coming to our home to help plan for her return and suggest helps for her in this "new" environment;

So much to be thankful for. And I am!