Well mark your calendars everyone!! Alvin sat up for over 2 1/2 hours today!! He had his first chair shower, where they put him in a special chair and wheel him off to the walk in type shower along with an aide. As I arrived this morning, dad was being carted off.....I warned him I would be there when he returned!! As I was returning from the nurses station, I met right up with Alvin as he was being wheeled back to his room. His hair was sticking up all over after the towel was removed and he looked to be grimacing a bit, I asked if he was having pain and he said, "No, not really, just a pain in the ass, and I have gas!" LOL Yep he is in a great mood today....he said these things with that smart ass attitude with that little sparkle in his eye....I had to come back with....."Are you being a pain in the ass, or do you have a pain in the ass...." He then said..."I don't know, you tell me......" He totally cracks me up!
Before his shower he had participated in his daily OT /SLP. We did rearrange his room a little today too. The aide could not grasp in his head that the wheel chair would not fit between the foot board of the bed and the sink while Alvin was sitting in it. SO......after scooting Al into the hall, he moved the bed all sorts of directions and then finally got the wheelchair out....it was a hilarious moment to watch really. It took all my might but I did just sit on the chair and watch and not laugh out loud....In a day or two I think with the help of his day nurse, we are going to again fix his room while he is away in the therapy room. There are extension cords to step over and get the IV stand moved over...the white board is above his head....just awkward. He and I discussed where HE would like to be...facing the window, closer to TV, his preference....everything just needs to be accessible, for his reach not the convenience of the staff....well ok, some of that too.
After his shower, the PT was going to visit in about 2 hrs, so he opted to sit in his wheelchair until she arrived. The PT had mentioned that she may want to take Al downstairs to the therapy room today, so he figured it was easier to stay put than to get up and down over and over again. It was great to see him upright. However, he did experience some gas, without passing anything. The cramps were painful so they treated him with Maalox. He also had his pain meds, so after a little bit, the edge was gone. When the PT arrived, she was so impressed with Alvin's choices to sit up ! He even got rewarded, helping him back to bed and doing a bed based workout so he could be more comfortable. I told him that working hard on his own will would pay off!! LOL Again, everyday he is achieving something new. Just love his progress!!
I picked up Rik today and took her down to see her love. She felt a little better today too. She has been a little run down, as to be expected, but I assured Al that his darling bride would be taken care of. Jan came in during her lunch break, as regularly scheduled. Al really looks forward to her visits. Even 10 minutes after noon he starts asking about if Jan is coming....just loves his visitors!! Al is scheduled on July 25 to go to OHSU for an Xray and a follow up with the orthopedic surgeon about his neck. At this time we are hoping to hear the words....You can now take the hard collar off, use a soft collar as needed.......but time will tell. The transporting part of this appointment is a concern at the moment. Hopefully somehow, this appointment could be done at CMH. I will be finding out this information by the end of this week.
Over all, Alvin had a pretty darn good day. He really pushed himself to sit up for a very long time. He chose to be in his chair and upright, even though the gas pains were harsh. I turned on the TV and found the OPB channel and Bob Ross was on painting "happy little trees" Al liked this. We talked about how Rik would often watch his techniques. I also shared the story of my son Brian, now almost 18, when he was a little (r) boy, he would prefer to watch Bob Ross rather than cartoons. It was so cute. Bob makes it look so easy doesn't he?
Well, until tomorrow, have a fabulous evening!!
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