As he’s not in the hospital I didn’t want to resurrectthis thread, but I figured it might be time for an update. Bottom line: My husband is doing sooooo much better. He can aaaaaallllllllllmost stand up on his own now, so if he needs something on the high shelf above the dryer, for example, he can hitch himself up using the dryer to hold up his weight and reach what he needs.
My medical leave switched from paid to unpaid so … I’m back at work now. I have to be, since it turns out that becoming catastrophically ill is rather spendy. :rolleyes: Thankfully he started getting noticeably more independent around the time that transition happened. (Coincidence?) His parents are taking him to his physical/occupational therapy appointments … and there’s another marker of clear, measurable progress. They drive an Element, which, while nice and roomy, is built high enough that the first couple of times he had to get into their car it was an enormous struggle for him. So much so that it very nearly ruined his first time coming home for a few hours’ visit – we really weren’t sure if he could physically make it into the vehicle.
The first time his mom came to pick him up after I started going back to work? It was an early morning appntmnt so I was still home, and he just HOPPED into their car like it was no big thang! He can even hoist himself into a full standing position using the “oh shit!” bar above the door and stand there next to the car for a few seconds.
The first time he slept in our bed instead of on the couch – same thing. We’re, ah, [del]ghetto[/del] poor, so our bed is a mattress directly on the floor, which puts it at a very low elevation. The first couple of times he tried to get back into his wheelchair from the low mattress were a huge struggle for both of us – I pulled something in my back several times hauling his ass back up into the chair. But each time it was just a little bit easier, he needed less and less help from me, and now? If I’m snoring and he can’t sleep he can transfer up to his chair and roll out to the couch & TV without me even waking up.
So there ya go, in case you were wondering. (Insert usual “not really mundane or pointless” disclaimer here.) Life is still much more difficult and frustrating for him, and the nerve pain in his legs is ever-present, but … he’s still here, universe. You aren’t taking him away from me yet!
Yay Shoes!
It takes time, but there are leaps and bounds of progress! I was noticing my friend at the office…he’s still using a walker, but he is SO much faster than he had been! And he occasionally can use a cane instead.
I was actually just wondering about him the other day, no kidding. Glad to hear the shoe is on the other foot. No, wait. Glad to hear that the shoe fits and you’re wearing it. No.
Thanks, y’all. I mentioned that I started this thread to him once I got home, pulled it up - and he was all :eek: at the hit count within just a couple of hours, at how many people poked their heads in to see what was up. It means a great deal to him (not that he’d ever admit it) that all these random anonymous strangers care about him - by proxy, really, since none of you would have ever known his story if I hadn’t wandered by this board years ago and signed up.
Anyway: thank you for all the good wishes, and I’m happy to finally be able to share some good news for a damn change.
