And on It Goes.

On Wednesday they had Rick in the gym walking with a thing around his waist and pulling a 30lb weight behind him. He did it. He cussed at Nunzio his PT man. But they both tease one another and Nunzio takes none of his crap. He asked him why he was slowly down. Rick told him, "give me a break I just had a stroke"  Nunzio laughed and said, "so you're going to play the stroke card are you?" Rick told him that was all he had. 

Each week the therapists have a meeting to discuss their stroke patients. I get a report on Rick after these meetings. They normally will discuss any questions I have after I read the report. Today he was upgraded to outside therapy instead of in-home therapy.

They felt he was mobile enough to go to outside therapy but it was up to Rick. He told them he was very comfortable with outside therapy. I'll be honest here - in my mind, I was thinking NO, I am tired of schlepping somewhere daily. NO, please come to our home. But it's not about me, is it?

Rick told them he would love to go to outside therapy. (did you hear that 'damn it' from here?)  Rick was excited to have to go out and as he said, "be like a kid and get a car ride"  I get it. I understand exactly where he's coming from. So I will schlep here about town for PT, OT and speech. It will all be in one place thank God. (At least that is what I was told today)  I will receive a printout tomorrow to see which one I choose. Hopefully one closer than the hospital but if not, it is what it is. To me, it's the fact that Rick is alive. He can communicate and he will only get better and stronger in time.

I got all the grab bars. They are sending us home with a walker with front wheels, a tub seat that fits on the outside and inside so one doesn't have to lift a leg. It also has a slot for the shower curtain so nothing but the patient gets wet and a thingy that fits on the toilet in the master which is like grab bars. I bought him a great waking stick that I purchased for my mom when she was having trouble walking before her knee replacement.  It has a swivel foot that is great for uneven ground etc. She loves that stick!

Grace, a blogger was kind enough to give me a list of things I may need since she has been going through this as well. I was sorry to hear that but she was very helpful. Some things I am getting from the hospital and some I bought and she gave me some great ideas that I may need as well. I am waiting until he gets home. He has all he needs at this moment in time like a walker, walking stick, grab bars, seat for the tub, toilet thingy/safety rail for the master bath as I stated above. It's a lot of shit but if he needs it for a while we have it. Then as we age we may need it all again.

Today his nurse Amanda stopped in to see if he needed anything. She said to me I haven't seen him in a week and I can't believe how far he's come in such a short time in speech and walking. Everyone says that but to me it doesn't seem like a short time. I also think because I see him daily I am not noticing the strides as much as others. 

But it has only been 3 weeks by the time he's out it will be exactly 4 weeks. Is that quick for a stroke?  They act like it is. I don't honestly know. I am certain that each stroke is different. And unlike the asshole that he had to share a room with who told him daily that he was doing so much better than Rick because he wanted it more and he did all the work. He didn't have a big stroke either from what he and the nurse shared, he liked to tell us that often as well. 

Needless to say, that would make Rick angry. One day Rick just gave him the finger when the redneck turned his back to Rick. I looked at Rick and put his hand down. He said he deserved it. Yes, but we don't do that in public when you share a room. Just ignore him.  I said this to a friend and she said, "Well rick would have done that pre-stroke you know" Yes, I am aware of that and I would have said the same thing then too. 

Rick has a regular diet now so he is happy. He ate a chef salad and he had berries for dessert and he was a happy camper. He's been craving a salad so that was nice for him.

Because he talks a lot more we were discussing his first week in the hospital. I asked him when he couldn't talk what made him think of sign language? I was so shocked at how much he remembered. He was talking to me in American Sign Language (ASL) and I didn't remember everything. I understood I'm sorry and I love you. I also understood his signing of asking me if I was okay. 

But honestly, I don't recall as much ASL as he has. He told me he just knew he couldn't talk with the tubes and he thought that was easier. HA, for him maybe.

The nurses asked me when he was signing what he wanted and needed. I eventually got what he was trying to tell them. He remembers all of that. The nurses thought using ASL was a great idea. As if he had a choice right then. He doesn't remember the stroke happening. He remembers being angry at me for calling 911 because he felt there was nothing wrong with him. But until the 2nd day in Neuro ICU he doesn't remember a lot of the first day which I think is just fine. I wish I didn't remember.

I can't wait until this is all a distant memory. 

I'll leave you with a few memes that tickled me.

Nope! Camping is a hotel without room service.