Throwback Tuesday - Thanksgiving Edition

Just a Baby

High School

At UNC-CH Polysomnograph in the Sleep Disorders Lab, which I started.

Awaiting Renovations . . .

Hoping that my contractor will get to work on my major project soon.  The bed was taken down some time ago leaving some furniture along the sides of the room.  The job to be done is to rip up the old carpet and replace it with laminate flooring.  Then the carpet in the bedroom hallway will likewise get the new flooring.

The space in the hallway is just barely wide enough for my wheelchair.  The contractor will smooth surfaces and remove old door moldings that hit my knuckles some time.

My "Z gauge" model train collection along left side of hallway.

After all of that is done, we can move my hospital bed from the living room to my bedroom.  Try to regain some semblance of normalcy to the living room.

I have been successful at clearing bags full old papers that I had to review to see if any were all that important.  The most important ones were regarding the Stephen Moore Genealogy that I have been working on for years.  Magazines by the ton were thrown away, only keep my National Geographics!   Still needing to be thrown out are a lot of old books and binders that were work related.

Oh, did I mention that we have 30 ton dumpster parked in my driveway?

My son, Greg, has been a trooper in helping me with all these tasks.  Never knew that throwing away old stuff could feel this good!

Physical and occupational therapy have been occurring two to three times per week, and the therapists as well as myself are happy with the results, though I still get frustrated that I cannot do more -- especially standing and ambulating.  I still have to use a "slider board" to move from bed to and from my wheelchair and bedside commode.  By the end of the day I am really exhausted!

BEING HOME IS GRADUALLY GETTING BETTER.

I am gradually getting better, now having picked up the ability to move from bed to bedside commode to wheel chair using a slider board.

Since my bedroom is going to be remodeled with new flooring and new doorways, I am temporarily using a hospital bed in the living room.  The hospital bed is most uncomfortable, in which I get stuck and unable to move, especially my legs were are like a ton of weight!

The home health nurse is still dressing my left cellulitis leg every other day.  Physical therapists and occupational therapists are now coming out two to three times a week.

At least I can move around my house and get into the kitchen and computer study with my wheel chair.  There is still talk of of a powered wheelchair.

Biggest job at the moment is removing clutter, which has always been one of my handicaps, but now is a necessary challenge

HOME AGAIN ... . . but with mixed blessings

I came home from Silver Stream Rehab on Saturday, October 19, 2014.  At first, all seemed to go well.  Transferred into and out of the SUV with the wheelchair and used the wheelchair ramp for the first time.  Then on Sunday morning, I fell trying to make it to my wheelchair from my bed; had to call 911 for them to get me off the floor and into the wheelchair.

Since then, my leg muscles have gotten weaker and weaker, now to the point that any transfers are impossible.  As a result, all my time is spent bedridden.  The home health agency has completely dropped the ball providing me with NO physical and occupational therapy during the past two weeks.  Nurses have come out every other day to change my left leg cellulitis bandages.  The home health agency has decided to "drop" me because they feel that I am "unsafe" in my own home.  I am appealing that decision.

In the meantime, I am asking my primary care physician about sending me to Duke or Chapel Hill for  intensive muscular dystrophy clinic  intervention.

Each morning from 10 to 12 am, I have CNAs come to my house at my expense, to help with toiletry, bathing and dressing, as well as minor chores such as doing laundry.

I am stuck between the proverbial "rock and a hard place."  Suggestions, anyone???