Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Good afternoon! Yesterday evening while hanging out with Ken at the hospital I would swear that I saw his right leg move. When I asked him if he movd his leg, he said yes and then laughed but wouldn't repeat the movement. When I was putting him in bed I would swear I saw him move his right hip. Again ther was no repeat of the movement. Today when I get to the hospital he was just coming back from physical therapy where HE WALKED 100 FEET! He was using a walker but he was able to move his right leg. I knew it! I didn't want to get too excited yesterday but I am ecstatic today. It is quite possible that he won't come home using a wheelchair. This is a tremendous blessing! I also paid the first month's rent and security deposit on our new apartment today. It has taken a while but we have found a nice ground floor 2bed/2bath condo. We will be moving to Fort Washington later this month. Ken finally looked at the pictures of the unit yesterday and seemed to like it. Things are moving!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Happy Labor Day! Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. Ken's aunts from New Jersey and California came to see him today with his dad, uncle and sister. He had a good time seeing them. He continues to do well in therapy but we know the recovery process will not happen overnight. He was in a good mood all weekend. We went to the hospital church service on Sunday. At the end of the service they went around and had people share their joys and expectations. It was really interesting to hear the stories of the other people. There is one man who is paralyzed waist down and he was the caretaker for his wife who uses a wheelchair due to arthritis. He is very concerned about her and how they will function but he is joyful about the small successes he is having. I can't imagine if both of us were unable to care for each other. There is so much hope here and I know we are at the right place. Today while Ken was using the bathroom he was able to stand independently and he scooted his right leg over when transferring to the chair. I can't say whether the right leg moved on its own or whether hens figuring out how to compensate and use the strong part of his body to do what he needs to do. Either way it is a really good sign. He is very aware of the right side and spends some time looking at the right arm and leg. Hopefully his brain reconnects to them soon. I am preparing for my brother's wedding cruise next week. I am a little worried about being gone for a week but Ken assures me he wil be fine. I started letting the nurses and techs do more for him this weekend. Mostly so I could get used to the idea. Ken has no problem with them helping him. The break will probably be good for both of us. I will finally get to a beach! I have been trying all summer and haven't made it yet. Today is officially one month since the stroke. We have been through a lot in 31 days - strokes, earthquakes, hurricanes...wow. This can only happen once in a lifetime. Many good things are coming I am sure! Good night!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Wow, time flies. I can't believe it is September already. Ken's procedure went well yesterday and he was back to his therapy schedule today. He has learned to maneuver the wheelchair independently so we spent some time outside this evening after dinner and toured the hospital. Tonight was really fun actually, we laughed and joked. His automatic communication comes in spurts and includes some cuss words which I find entertaining. They removed some stitches from his scalp yesterday as well and everything appears to be holding well. Hopefully the rest will come out tomorrow. The swelling in his leg is coming down so hopefully the clot is dissolving. I really miss having my husband at home with me. It won't be long and he will be able to come home. He is so strong and determined and I know he will fully recover from this.
Sleep well!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Good morning! I am at the hospital early this am because they found a clot in Ken's right leg yesterday. After additional tests last night they started a heavier dose of blood thinners and will be putting in a filter today to keep the clot from reaching his lung or brain and causing further damage. This type of clot development is not uncommon if you are not moving for a while similar to the clot that can develop during a long airplane ride. He had swelling in his right leg that wouldn't go away and he complained of pain when I was putting lotion on his leg. We pointed this out to the doctor which led to the tests. Continue praying and I will post after the procedure.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Well, I finally have power in the house now. The one thing I have learned in the last month is to appreciate every day as it comes. We spend so much time looking ahead that we miss the things happening around us that we should be grateful for. In the last month my husband had a stroke,and we survived an earthquake and a hurricane in the same week. To top it all off my brother, Dalas was in a car accident tonight. He is ok, just a few cuts and bruises, Thank God! He had the dogs with him and Bo and Pink are fine as well.

Ken was a little down yesterday. I think he realizes his limitations more and the storm didn't help. The nurse told me that he was worried abut me during the storm. He is the one that takes care of things. In the short time we have been married, I have come to depend on him. Took me a while to find the flashlights in the house yesterday. He was better today and we had a good conversation with the director of the stroke program, Dr. Conroy. He has some swelling in his right leg that we are watching carefully. They will be doing a Doppler test to see if there are any additional clots in his leg in the morning. Hopefully it is just a minor issue and not a clot. Because he is so young they are being aggressive in his rehab and will be doing electronic stimulation to the muscles in his right arm soon. The good thing is that he is still aware of his right side and is learning to use his left hand and leg to support the right. His speech is returning very slowly. We are seeing a new word or pattern each day but not a complete thought yet. This is probably the most frustrating thing for him. He is thinking something but can't express the thought.

Take time out of your busy lives to appreciate each day and the small joys!
Good night!

Saturday part 2

The hurricane has arrived! Luckily I had arrived at my brother's house already. The power is out here now as well. I am exhausted so I am turning in. I tucked Ken into bed before I left the hospital so he should be safe for the night. I hope this is all over by the morning. I do get to spend some quality time with my puppy so that is good
Good night!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Still waiting on the hurricane. I have everything but the kitchen sink in my car so I am prepared to stay overnight at this hospital if needed. I probably will go to my brother's tonight and spend some time with my dog who I haven't seen in three weeks. Ken had a full morning of therapy and he is comfortably in bed now waiting on dinner to arrive. More attempts to communicate something to me today that I don't get completely. It has something to do with the rain.