The tingling is still bothering him today. He says, "I feel like a turtle in a shell. I can feel my insides, but it feels like I have a hard, dead shell on the outside."
Every day Jeff gets stronger and even his daytime drowsiness improves little by little. Annette says that while he's busy or stimulated he does pretty well staying alert. When his mind isn't distracted is when he gets really tired. Good news is that he no longer falls asleep during conversations or therapy!
Dealing with the nerves is still a constant struggle, but he doesn't let it hold him back.
In physical therapy he worked on trying to get on and off the therapy bench (in place of a bed) and how to pick up his own legs and move them where he wants, like laying down for sleep.
He didn't want any pictures taken until he got better at it, but Annette says, "He's pretty good at it already!" She says he also does really well turning over to the right side now.
They had ordered him a device to help him reach for items and grasp them. Unfortunately, with the way his wrists turn and hands are set, he is unable to use the device at this time. They will be working on it to try and find a way to get it to work for him.
Many of the adaptive devices they use are rigged to work specifically for each patient. Even when the injuries are similar, each person has different limitations and abilities. Every person's body is shaped differently and each has different strengths. While it's disappointing the grabber didn't work right away, it's not unusual that further adaptations will be needed.
And now to the big news we are so excited to share... Jeff can take his neck brace off now! He still uses it for support when moving and during exercises. It's been about 6 weeks of not using those muscles which has left them slightly atrophied, or weakened. It will take time to build those muscles up again so he won't need the brace anymore. Until that time he will be putting it back on when needed.
He said it felt different, tired, and sore after the brace was off for a while.
This is so exciting for all of us and we can't wait to see what he is able to do over the next few weeks without the brace getting in his way!
With Brace:
Jeff will be trying out another manual wheelchair tomorrow to see how he likes it. We are expecting the wheelchair representative to come on Thursday so he can get the one he wants to go home with ordered.
Brad Frost and Dale Hadley, good friends, stayed this evening while Annette went home. They even brought him a cherry slurpee. Also, David Ewell and his daughter, Victoria stopped by to visit. We are so grateful to all of them for giving their time to our dad!
We have been so blessed by so many willing family members and friends to stay in the evenings. It not only gives our dad much needed interaction and encouragement, but also gives our mom a chance to run errands and get things accomplished at home.
Tonight she went to Sprouts to get more cranberry juice for Jeff to help him avoid future UTI's if possible. Then, after she got home, she had to prepare the house for the mudding that will take place tomorrow. The sheet rock was put up today!
A big thank you to Clifton and Joyce Green, Annette's parents, for providing old sheets and helping to cover things last night so the sheet rock wouldn't get all over everything.
This remodel has been a huge effort for so many people and we are so grateful to everyone who has participated. We couldn't do it without you!
Another successful day with new and exciting things. Each day brings about new blessings and a brighter outlook on the future. We have so much to be thankful for!
2 comments:
Wow! No neck brace! Must be very nice to be able to take that thing off?!
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