Three Weeks Ago
Our lives were turned upside down. We rushed Peter to the hospital because he had lost the use of his right hand and his right leg wasn’t doing what he wanted it to do. The first couple of days were concentrated on stabilizing Peter and preventing some thing worse to happen. By New Years Eve, he was pretty much stabilized and the damage was done. On almost the stroke of midnight, he was able to close his fingers around Ariel’s hand and the road to recovery had started.
He spent the first week in a hospital as they tried to get his body to do what it needed to do so he could live. There were ups and downs, triumphs and tragedy, laughter and tears. The tears ran the gambit of sadness, rage, loss, joy, happiness, and love. It was a rather emotional week for the Davids.
These past two weeks he has been in a rehab facility working on getting back what he had lost in a very short period of time. He has gone from not being able to walk at all to walking for short times with minimal assistance. His hand has gone from only being able to close to having the ability to both close and open. His face looks like his face. His speech is pretty much where it always had been unless he gets very tired.
We have gotten him tools so he can work again. He is using Dragon Dictate to get things down and I have been editing and formatting things that DD doesn’t do. He is writing and working on a number of projects that he was working on before the stroke. He is getting himself back up to speed on things. And I think it has helped him to be able to work and get stuff from his brain to the page.
We now have a tentative release date that we are all working towards. There is a lot to be done on my end as well as his to make sure we can continue the forward progress that Peter has made. Some of this is still up in the air because Peter’s body is still sorting out what it can do. The more he can do, the less I will have to do to adapt the house for his comfort and safety.
So I am home and dependent on others to tell me how my husband is doing. I get all my questions answered and the relevant health details on how he is doing in a timely fashion. Caroline talks to Peter by Facetime at least once a day. I talk, e-mail, and text with him through out the day about various things so he can feel connected to what is going on here. Shana has been a rock through out all this and a good daughter for taking care of her father. I don’t think I would have returned here if I didn’t have Shana there to help him.
This week has been a little harder for me than last week was. Settling back into the swing of things here has been a bit bumpy but nothing I can’t handle. I am use to just having Peter around. If something comes to mind, I use to just go to the office and talk to him. Now it is a series of steps to get information to him and from him. But I am coping and Caroline is coping with her daddy so far away.
This weekend I plan to sit down and write out what I know I need to do before Peter comes home and next week I will start on the list of things that must be done. As I learn what Peter is going to need, I will add or subtract from that list as needed.
Three weeks ago I was terrified that I was going to lose my husband. Three weeks later I am making plans for him to come home. It is a much better feeling believe me.
I am grateful to the team that is helping Peter get back home to us
He spent the first week in a hospital as they tried to get his body to do what it needed to do so he could live. There were ups and downs, triumphs and tragedy, laughter and tears. The tears ran the gambit of sadness, rage, loss, joy, happiness, and love. It was a rather emotional week for the Davids.
These past two weeks he has been in a rehab facility working on getting back what he had lost in a very short period of time. He has gone from not being able to walk at all to walking for short times with minimal assistance. His hand has gone from only being able to close to having the ability to both close and open. His face looks like his face. His speech is pretty much where it always had been unless he gets very tired.
We have gotten him tools so he can work again. He is using Dragon Dictate to get things down and I have been editing and formatting things that DD doesn’t do. He is writing and working on a number of projects that he was working on before the stroke. He is getting himself back up to speed on things. And I think it has helped him to be able to work and get stuff from his brain to the page.
We now have a tentative release date that we are all working towards. There is a lot to be done on my end as well as his to make sure we can continue the forward progress that Peter has made. Some of this is still up in the air because Peter’s body is still sorting out what it can do. The more he can do, the less I will have to do to adapt the house for his comfort and safety.
So I am home and dependent on others to tell me how my husband is doing. I get all my questions answered and the relevant health details on how he is doing in a timely fashion. Caroline talks to Peter by Facetime at least once a day. I talk, e-mail, and text with him through out the day about various things so he can feel connected to what is going on here. Shana has been a rock through out all this and a good daughter for taking care of her father. I don’t think I would have returned here if I didn’t have Shana there to help him.
This week has been a little harder for me than last week was. Settling back into the swing of things here has been a bit bumpy but nothing I can’t handle. I am use to just having Peter around. If something comes to mind, I use to just go to the office and talk to him. Now it is a series of steps to get information to him and from him. But I am coping and Caroline is coping with her daddy so far away.
This weekend I plan to sit down and write out what I know I need to do before Peter comes home and next week I will start on the list of things that must be done. As I learn what Peter is going to need, I will add or subtract from that list as needed.
Three weeks ago I was terrified that I was going to lose my husband. Three weeks later I am making plans for him to come home. It is a much better feeling believe me.
I am grateful to the team that is helping Peter get back home to us