Skip to main content

Wednesday Update: 10/5/05

Well, we have sort of settled in here at Fleur Heights. It is…well…a nursing home. Our options for this intermediate level of care were pretty limited and we knew we’d most likely end up in a special section at a nursing home…but it was still a bit of a shock. More so for me, than for Matt. They have him in their ‘skilled’ section…which is set aside for folks who are here to get stronger after a surgery, fall, illness etc and are just not quite ready to go home. So, we’re trying to tell Matt he’s only here temporarily…hopefully no more than just a few weeks. He seems to understand that he just needs to work really hard to get stronger, so I think it’ll be fine. There are just a lot of differences between the hospital and here. Some good, some not so good…we just have to adjust. They are still working on getting all of Matt’s medications etc worked out, so hopefully by later today we’ll really feel like they have got his schedule going. Right now, it feels a little like we’re just sitting down here and haven’t had much direction or guidance.

The therapists here are supposed to be really excellent, and that is what he needs the most…SO I just can’t wait for them to get started on that and see what he’s capable of. He’s been awake nearly all day the past 3 days and has been doing really well with his physical therapy. He stood up twice yesterday and Monday! He’s been getting stronger all the time and I just hope that he won’t have to be here more than a week or two at the longest.

Well, I was interrupted while writing this post by the speech therapist…and things have been on the go since. He had his initial evaluation by all three therapists…speech, physical, and occupational. All three women were…wonderful. They just worked him hard and he was a trooper. He did, or at least tried very hard, to do all that they asked of him. He had 2 hours of PT!!!! They got him all fitted for his wheelchair so he can go for rides and sit outside etc. Yahoo!! He stood up twice and did lots of exercises to help strengthen his trunk. He worked so hard and showed us all how determined he is. He impressed all the therapists with his motivation and drive. They were all thrilled to see him in action, and to see the level of support he has from his family. In this type of environment, I expect they don’t see that many families here to support and spend all day with their patients. I told them to get used to seeing us! The therapy here is going to be excellent, I can tell that already. However, the ‘nursing home’ environment is a bit depressing and I know that it’s not the best for him. I think he’ll do awesome here with the increase in therapy and should be ready for Younker in no time! I can’t wait! Of course, with each new step, there is a lot of anxiety and stress for us all. Yesterday was a very emotionally trying day yesterday, but today is much better. Just meeting all the therapists helped a lot. I don’t know that Matt will be up to many visitors here…but I will keep you all posted on that. You can still send cards to our house, or here. The address is 4911 SW 19th and the zip is 50315. For now, we just appreciate all the thoughts and prayers, love and support.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WE'RE ADOPTING!!

Bah! I said it…er wrote it…out loud. There it is, in black and white for the world to see. (Pause for a drink and a breath) Matt and I are in the very early stages of planning to adopt. We have had a few meetings with an adoption agency, we are gathering the necessary information, and we are making plans to get this ball officially rolling SOON. It has been a very long and winding road to get us to this point, and honestly I never thought we’d get here. Adoption isn’t what we started out hoping for. It isn’t where we thought we’d end up. But here we are – gearing up for what will surely be a life-changing experience for us with hearts full of hope and excitement. The topic of adoption has come up in the past, but we quickly dismissed it for one reason or another. Matt and I have had our fair share of insecurities about whether or not adoption would be a good option for us. Who would look at our family profile and pick us?? It was a burning question that we probably still have ...

I may as well tell you...

I had a miscarriage. I’ve debated for weeks whether or not to acknowledge it publicly. It’s such a personal thing…and this is such a public medium. But a few months have gone by and I’m no closer to feeling ok about it and truly nothing else on my mind really compares, so here I am, letting the world in on my secret. Over the past few weeks I’ve found very little comfort in the fact that only a small handful of people know about the miscarriage. It became nearly unbearable this week, during all our wonderful family Christmas celebrations. Being surrounded by so many people who love me and support me and have no idea how my heart has been broken – it’s a lonely place to be. Not that I would want them all to bombard me with pity or questions or sad looks in their eyes – I realize I can’t have it both ways. But a little acknowledgement goes a long way and I simply can’t ignore or deny the fact that something major happened in my life and impacted me, impacts me still.   It was a ...

Carrie Anne - The Beginning of the Story

So, I’ve been trying to sort out how to start this story. It’s been difficult to articulate. Difficult to pick which details to share, and which to hold close. But it’s a story too good, too beautiful, not to share – so here goes! When Matt and I first became parents, we thought our family was complete. We envisioned raising Ethan surrounded by loving friends and family – just the two of us. Given all that we had gone through to finally become parents, we felt content with just the one child. The most adorable boy in the whole wide world. Our Ethan was the apple of our eyes – the most amazing gift. We marveled at all of his accomplishments, soaked up all his love and personality, and celebrated the joy of parenthood at every exhausting, wonderful turn. Along the way, we’ve built a strong and loving relationship with Ethan’s birthmother. We visit yearly, and stay in close contact with pictures, emails, and texts. I have attempted to describe my feelings for her many times over the...