Jeff's biggest complaint today was that his arms, both the numb and alive areas, were very painful. He also discovered that while the area from his nipples to his belly is still numb to the touch, he started feeling pressure when he gets moved.
The doctors told him that all the weird sensation he is feeling can be a sign of nothing, or it could be a positive sign. They say it's definitely not a negative thing. We are all praying it's a positive sign things are starting to wake up.
Ron, Jeff's occupational therapist today, went over the final bathroom plans with him. They discussed measurements of everything, from the height of the sink to the width of the shower. Jeff talked to Randy on the phone and they finalized the remodel design. One step closer!
Jeff was able to talk with a man on the phone who suffered a similar injury as Jeff ten years ago. He has much the same restrictions. They discussed what he has in his bathroom and how he does certain tasks. Jeff says it was an eye opener and he's grateful he talked with him and got such good advice.
Originally Jeff had set a goal to be able to transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet or shower without the use of a shower chair. He expected to have sufficient strength and experience in about a year to do this. He learned from his conversation today that such transfers were not only very time consuming, but also dangerous. Without the use of his core muscles it is an unrealistic goal and much safer to always use the shower chair.
It's information like this, from the point of view of other people in his situation, that has been the most beneficial in planning for the future. It allows him to see his restrictions better and ways to overcome them. It helps him set realistic goals and timetables to achieve them. We are so grateful for the man he spoke with. Thank you for your time, advice, and encouragement! It has really made a difference.
At lunchtime some of Jeff's biking friends came to visit. He calls them the "Draper Boys" because he met them on the trails in Draper and began riding with them. Doug Ovard, Zach Ovard, and Lance Anderson, thank you for taking the time to come and for bringing Jeff some Powerade and Gatorade. He really enjoyed your visit!
Next, Jeff's aunt Kathy and uncle Forest dropped in. We are so grateful to all of our family who has taken the time to come or send words of love and support. We have the most amazing family network in the world!
Physical therapy involved more transferring in and out of the manual wheelchair, rolling from side to side, and strength training. A lot of hard work!
Annette had to leave in order to take care of some business with the cell phone company before they closed. It was a relief for her to get it done and out of the way.
More and more she's put in charge of things that Jeff ordinarily would have been in charge of. She's done an amazing job staying organized and not over stressing to accomplish these new responsibilities, even when they are out of her comfort zone. We are so proud of her!
Steve Fredrickson, an old high school friend, came and spent time with Jeff today. It says a lot about our dad that so many people from so long ago have stayed in contact with him and care about how he's doing!
Steve stayed with Randy and Tiffany until bedtime. Jeff said the evening was full of great conversation.
Tiffany said, "We enjoyed it so much! Good conversation the whole time! I am so impressed with his amazing attitude and can't wait to visit him again!"
Funny story for the day: Annette said that while they were spending time in Jeff's room today the printer started going. It's hooked up to Jeff's laptop wirelessly and kept in his closet so it's out of the way. The printed paper fell to the bottom of the closet by the time she opened it to see what was going on.
It was Southwest Airline boarding passes someone had printed from somewhere else in the hospital! No one seemed to know where it may have come from, so the paper was left at the nurse's station in case someone came to claim it. We're hoping no other unplanned printing jobs make their way to Jeff's personal printer! Haha
Another successful day over. The past can't be changed, the present is full of hope and small triumphs, and the future is bright despite this trial. We have so much to be thankful for!
The doctors told him that all the weird sensation he is feeling can be a sign of nothing, or it could be a positive sign. They say it's definitely not a negative thing. We are all praying it's a positive sign things are starting to wake up.
Ron, Jeff's occupational therapist today, went over the final bathroom plans with him. They discussed measurements of everything, from the height of the sink to the width of the shower. Jeff talked to Randy on the phone and they finalized the remodel design. One step closer!
Jeff was able to talk with a man on the phone who suffered a similar injury as Jeff ten years ago. He has much the same restrictions. They discussed what he has in his bathroom and how he does certain tasks. Jeff says it was an eye opener and he's grateful he talked with him and got such good advice.
Originally Jeff had set a goal to be able to transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet or shower without the use of a shower chair. He expected to have sufficient strength and experience in about a year to do this. He learned from his conversation today that such transfers were not only very time consuming, but also dangerous. Without the use of his core muscles it is an unrealistic goal and much safer to always use the shower chair.
It's information like this, from the point of view of other people in his situation, that has been the most beneficial in planning for the future. It allows him to see his restrictions better and ways to overcome them. It helps him set realistic goals and timetables to achieve them. We are so grateful for the man he spoke with. Thank you for your time, advice, and encouragement! It has really made a difference.
At lunchtime some of Jeff's biking friends came to visit. He calls them the "Draper Boys" because he met them on the trails in Draper and began riding with them. Doug Ovard, Zach Ovard, and Lance Anderson, thank you for taking the time to come and for bringing Jeff some Powerade and Gatorade. He really enjoyed your visit!
Next, Jeff's aunt Kathy and uncle Forest dropped in. We are so grateful to all of our family who has taken the time to come or send words of love and support. We have the most amazing family network in the world!
Physical therapy involved more transferring in and out of the manual wheelchair, rolling from side to side, and strength training. A lot of hard work!
Annette had to leave in order to take care of some business with the cell phone company before they closed. It was a relief for her to get it done and out of the way.
More and more she's put in charge of things that Jeff ordinarily would have been in charge of. She's done an amazing job staying organized and not over stressing to accomplish these new responsibilities, even when they are out of her comfort zone. We are so proud of her!
Steve Fredrickson, an old high school friend, came and spent time with Jeff today. It says a lot about our dad that so many people from so long ago have stayed in contact with him and care about how he's doing!
Steve stayed with Randy and Tiffany until bedtime. Jeff said the evening was full of great conversation.
Tiffany said, "We enjoyed it so much! Good conversation the whole time! I am so impressed with his amazing attitude and can't wait to visit him again!"
Funny story for the day: Annette said that while they were spending time in Jeff's room today the printer started going. It's hooked up to Jeff's laptop wirelessly and kept in his closet so it's out of the way. The printed paper fell to the bottom of the closet by the time she opened it to see what was going on.
It was Southwest Airline boarding passes someone had printed from somewhere else in the hospital! No one seemed to know where it may have come from, so the paper was left at the nurse's station in case someone came to claim it. We're hoping no other unplanned printing jobs make their way to Jeff's personal printer! Haha
Another successful day over. The past can't be changed, the present is full of hope and small triumphs, and the future is bright despite this trial. We have so much to be thankful for!
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