February 13th

Jodi had as good day today over all. She felt nauseated most of the day but managed to do a lot of therapy anyway. She climbed stairs, walked with only a little help with balance and support, sat on a bench and did balance exercises. She has no problem sitting without support now. She can reach from a sitting position without falling. Two weeks ago she was unable to sit on the edge of her bed with her feet on the floor and not lose her balance. Now she has complete control. Who knows what more she will be able to do in two more weeks when she is ready to come home. She has a hard time seeing that she is progressing and she often asks “am I really getting better?” or “will I always be an invalid?” We have begun using the camcorder to keep a record of her progress. We will be able to show her in two weeks how far she has come.

The therapists are beginning to prepare her to go home with me. Tomorrow AM. With my help, she will transfer herself from her bed to her wheelchair and then into the shower. She will bathe herself and with help, get herself dressed and then get back into her wheelchair. Kevin, her brother-in-law has built a wheelchair ramp to get her into my home. She is getting nervous about going home because she cannot imagine ever being able to be outside of the protected environment that she is currently in. She is quite teary and has a lot of anxiety. It will be good to at last be home and let her see that she can feel safe and see that her fears were unfounded. She worries about such things as falling and my not being able to get her up. I quickly name all the people who could be there to help should that happen. She shows signs of depression on occasion but over all she is able to work through her anxieties. Her busy days help her to focus on other things. As time goes on, we should all be able to help her feel secure and that she is making good strong progress.
Connie