Wednesday, January 7, 2009

It's 2009? You're kidding. Where did Christmas go? Yes, Matilda, the second half of 2008 is kind of a blur. Let's review: Tommy had his stroke in June; then he was a week in the hospital; then he spent a month at an acute rehab center an hour's drive north (where I stayed all day every day and often overnight while our friend Irv ran and fed the dogs for us); then he had three months in a rehab place a half-hour drive north of here, where I went every day; and then he came home at the beginning of November and we had home therapists every day for several hours (during which time Steve and Jill took our rambunctious dog Sandy under their wings); and then he had his teeth pulled (except for a fragment that gave him trouble right up until Christmas); and now, today, Tommy begins outpatient therapy at a facility only five minutes away. Whew--what a long haul. We have had a lot of family and friends come to visit, and Tommy continues to receive phone calls and cards, so we've had a lot of support. A "big party" for us these days is what we did the other evening--our friends Patti and Irv came over for dinner and a movie, and the main course was a venison tenderloin that Irv brought back from his autumn hunting trip to West Virginia. We were in bed by 9 p.m. '-)
Yesterday was a typical day for us. Tommy spent eight nonstop minutes (a new record) pedaling the cycle exerciser, and he also did a number of other exercises with his legs and arms that are based on the t'ai chi form that I practice. He walked the length of the living room using the walker, with me assisting. He is still on a "mechanical soft" diet, so anything I cook for him gets a quick run through the mini-Cuisinart that Patti gave me for Christmas (thanks, Patti!). As soon as Tommy's new schedule is set up with the Beebe outpatient folks, I will schedule him for a visit to Dr. James, the dentist who will fit him for new teeth. As for me, my heart is still stuck at Thanksgiving, my new favorite holiday. And the Christmas cards I send every year? Hah! I do believe this is the year that I will send Chinese new year cards.