Tough Times

This is just an update to let you know where we are on this road  to recovery.  Dad did not have the highly anticipated knee surgery on January 19^th.  He was unable to answer the doctor’s pre -surgery questions and then became non responsive (his vital signs were always good).  We could not wake him up.  He had been having some difficulties earlier in the week with his emotional recovery and was given a new medication which could have been a factor.

So…. where are we now? 

We are in a tough, tough spot.  I think... now dad has begun the other part of this road to recovery,  the mental and emotional recovery.  Dad is not in a good place emotionally right now, and is working with his psychologist,  to help him begin this very difficult part of his recovery….he’s got the physical recovery under control.  He is facing the biggest hill to climb, yet.

Dad has been very open with his recovery up to this point and I’m sure he will be again when he is able.  Right now he is not up for visitors, but he is reading messages.   

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at: meegs@hotmail.com and I will do my best to answer any questions.

 

Thank you everyone for your love and support.  Keep my dad in your thoughts.

Meghan

Come Back Kid ( That's My Dad)

Come Back Kid

By: Meghan Steen

Well I spent the day with dad today, it is the first time in a very long time I have been able to be there during the week and I got to go to physio and OT.  Let me tell you the man of constant motion is definitely still in constant motion. He did not stop moving the whole time I was there. 

When I got there at 10 he had already finished his morning routine, breakfast, cleaned up, dressed, and had already started physio. 

I know my dad has been working hard but to see him in action, is amazing  impressive Inspiring!

I took some pictures of our day, I thought I would share:

You have all read about when he talks about standing in the sling...here he is, he even helped push himself up a bit.



Dad standing up

Dad stood for 10 minutes, weight on his right leg and even a little on his left.  In the picture below he is not grimacing in pain, he is singing, a rugby song ~~ the cleanest one he could remember~~



singing and standing



And remember when he told you about working on his abs so he could sit unassisted.... TA DA!!!





Sitting

He has been working on transferring with a slider board, you know the one he told you about, the one he has to wear underwear  gotchies, as he likes to say...here he is using the board



We all know how much dad likes to pedal, he pedals 30 minutes everyday, and just try and tell him there isn't time  ;) Here he is on the Moto Med, pedalling away.

The Moto Med

After an hour and a half in physio it was off to lunch back in his room

a quick lunch





Dad had a quick lunch today because he was off for a ultra sound on his leg, to make sure there is no clot so, he can come off the blood thinners for surgery on the 19th.  Now i will let him tell you about his adventures getting to the ultra sound....never a dull moment...lets just say he rode on the stretcher with his head where his feet were supposed to be. It might have been because he was in a hurry to get back to OT.

I went with dad to OT Where he worked hard for 2 hours!

starting to sweat doing the chicken wing.

Here dad is working his grip ...this one he really worked up a sweat...anyone who knows my dad knows what I'm talking about!





Grip Exercises

Next up weights:




 

He even threw some punches!





After an hour of Physical OT, he went for a 15 minute break to fill up his water. Then back to OT for intesive work on his right and left hand, and left arm, his left is beginning to get more movement :)

After all of this it was off for tea in the cafeteria and visiting with other patients on the floor and then dinner back in his room, and catching up on his messages on the computer.

He did all of this today and he will do it all again tomorrow, no complaints and with a smile on his face (telling the occasional bad joke)...bringing smiles to everyone he runs into at parkwood, makes me think what will I do tomorrow...

It was soooooo good to see my dad today, working hard, and the improvement is outstanding!! A+

Now,

the title of this blog. There is this song that I love... my new favourite song by Brett Dennen, called The Come Back Kid (That's My Dog) and I have been singing it all night except I changed "that's my dog" to THAT'S MY DAD!! Here's the song...I love it!!!

Hey Kelly Belly ...We still have bragging rights...THAT'S MY DAD!





LOVE YOU DAD

a new year

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

A New Year

New Year’s was great although my wife didn’t stay, there were people from the Karate Club and the Cycling Club and they stayed until 9 o’clock and it was a hoot.  On New Year’s Day the Cycling Club has the Frostbite Ride which can be anywhere from 30-50 k depending on the weather.  This year it was raining and 8 diehards did the ride.  After the ride I was able to hook up on Skype and talk to them all at the after ride party. 

As you are aware, the Canadian Junior Hockey Team is playing in the World Championships so my roommate and I have watched most of the games and there were so many American College Football Bowl Games and NFL games, we watched virtually nothing else but sports for the whole week…….oh darn.

Geez…..it’s a new year already and first day back to PT was a bit of work.  I wasn’t standing but I was bending in a lot of directions that I have never been before.  It seems my muscles are getting what they call “tone” and as they explained it, it’s my awkward time as everything is really tight and the muscles won’t relax.  I woke up this morning at about 5 am and had spasms until about 8 am and, as I said, went to PT and got stretched. 

OT same exercises but some of the weights were up and it’s strange that when I work my right arm, my left side tightens up.  They compared my left pec to a guitar string because it was so tight and I wanted to know if it was a “C” string or a “G” string.  So it seems that my muscles are going to be very tight for a while. 

They have changed some of my medication to help with the spasms in my stomach and my back.   Yikes….more pills.

As far as wheelchairs go, I have been trying out different styles, front wheel drive, rear wheel drive and centre wheel drive.  I am tending towards the centre wheel drive as it is more maneuverable in tight spaces than the other two chairs.

I went for my preadmin at University Hospital last Friday.  I had to go on a stretcher and we left here at 9:30 in the morning and they must think that my wife is a pretty good nurse because nobody else came with me except my wife and she got to carry all the papers.  Since it was December 30^th, the hospital didn’t seem very busy and I spoke to several nurses, a doctor and had an x-ray and was back here by about 2 o’clock.  So I have another hospital visit on January 12^th and surgery on January 19^th.  Now I have a decision to make on whether I want a general anesthetic or a spinal tap.  If they do the spinal tap, I will be awake with more pills and I have until the day of the surgery to make the decision.  My understanding after talking to the doctors as with any surgery there is a risk involved with both so I had better decide soon, but woops, I don’t have to do that until I am in the operating room.  On the morning of my surgery I will be leaving here and going directly to University Hospital for the surgery and I will be in for 3 days and will come back here or at least that’s the plan now.  I am required to have a shower the night before the surgery and wash with an antibacterial sponge and then in the morning before I leave here another shower and wash with another antibacterial sponge.

The care here over the vacation period was great.  The only problem is the physio department and the OT department are closed down and I had 3 days of rest.

Thanks for listening.