Mom Update

Mom finally goes home today. Her back surgery on November 8th was successful but the rehab has been very slow. She spent the first week at Parkview North in the Orthopedic Hospital. She was thinking of going home after that, but she wasn't rehabbing that well so decided to to to the Rehab Hospital at Lutheran. She has been there for two weeks. I have been stopping after work almost everyday to see how she was doing. She told me how far she was walking and stuff but I never actually SAW her walk. By the time I got there at 5:00 she was always in bed and tired. Then earlier this week I finally saw her walk down the hallway and get out of and into bed. I feel better now having actually seen her get around pretty good with not much pain. I was afraid that she was telling me how well she was doing, but kinda exaggerating... she wasn't. Her arthritic hands make grabbing and pulling alot more difficult.

Most of this week I have been doing things to get her house ready for her. I pulled off the shower doors for her and installed a new show head with a hose that she can use easier. A couple things that were needed I was dreading. She told me that she needed a ramp to get into the house. She still can't quite make the 4 1/2 inch rise from the garage to the house. I was racking my brains on how to make one from scratch. And I pretty much had a design figured out. I of course called on the expertise of my father-in-law to help since I only had one day to put this thing together since I just found out about it Wednesday and needed it Friday afternoon. The other thing was needing a railing or handle for the shower that she could pull her self up on. She has a fiberglass insert so the thought of drilling through the fiberglass would pretty much make that a permanent fixture of the bathroom. But I caught a lucky break on those two items.... While running around yesterday for work I stopped by Debrands to get the nurses some candy for being so nice to mom, and then I stopped by James Medical rental place. I was able to find and rent a metal ramp, so no "SHOP" class for me and my father in law. Then I was able to find a handle for the shower that works with extra strong suction cups so no drilling into the shower insert. WHEW..

So tonight she will be home and with her dogs. She is having a bunch of friends spend day and night with her in case she needs anything. Monday Aunt Suzie comes to town and is going to spend as long as it takes until mom is able to get around on her own. Of course being ever inventive, I am taking our baby monitor over to mom's so if she needs help, they can hear her in other rooms. I thought that was a good idea. I think she will really enjoy being home finally. I know my uncle can't wait for her to get home so he can stop watching the dogs. Now we just have to make sure she keeps up on her walking and exercising!!! No Lallygagging!!