jriva

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Cute blog entry, Phyllis.

Jean

Sue,

It sounds like you've got a daughter to be very proud of.

I know what you mean about reading posts from some of the newbies. I remember feeling the way they do but it was so long ago that it seems like a different live time. You get farther out from the stroke and the issues change, don't they.

I like your new signature...at least I think it's new.

((((((((((Hugs))))))))))

Jean

Pat,

Thanks really great that you lost over a holiday! You're going wonderful. Keep it up.

Jean

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Phyllis,

You must have the best eyes in the world to be able to read the small fonts in your blog. I'd love to read some of your entries but I can't!

Jean

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Sue,

God, I hate car trouble!!! But how lucky you were to be so close to the doctor's office that you could walk there from the garage. That doesn't happen often. Hope it doesn't turn out to be very serious.

Jean

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Thanks Asha, Lin and Fred for the comments.

Yes, Fred, Don has started aquatic and physical therapy. You can find blog entries about them here in Strokenet's blog a few entries back and at my main blog that I keep at Bloggers: http://fromtheplanetaphasia.blogspot.com/ Tomorrow will be his 6th therapy session and his 2nd in the pool. He'd have had more in the pool but he cut himself pretty bad and had to wait for that to heal. He also has a brand new wheelchair coming this week which I'll blog about when it comes. His current PT guy thinks Don will walk when he gets the help of the new AFO, custom chair, and therapies but that guy is leaving the center and I hope the next PT we get is as open to the idea walking as he is. The first one we had before this one didn't set the goal for Don any where near as high and the original doctor's order was just to get Don stronger on transfers, so I don't know where this all will end. All I know is we're going to ride the wave until we fall off from exhaustion.

Jean

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Fred,

I'm glad you're back to the land of home cooking and your supportive family---both real and virtual. Make sure you do all those follow-ups with the doctor!

Jean

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Sue,

I also enjoy your descriptions of life on the other side of the world, or down under I guess I should say. I'm glad you had a good time.

Jean

Wow, Clark, you are serious about this, aren't you. It's great that you have a friend who is willing to work up a program for you. They say physical activity has the side benefit of helping with depression so this is a perfect hobby for you to peruse.

Best of luck to you.

Jean

Pat,

Good for you! We all put the weight on a tiny bit at a time and we take it off the same way. Don't get discouraged if you have a bad week once in a while. Weight Watchers is a great organization for keeping you on track and making good choices.

Jean

God, I hate computer problems! Glad you got your figured out.

Jean

Kristen,

That's great about Patrick's volunteering. It gives him a purpose and sense of value, I'm sure. The bus trips may come in time, but you may have to ride with him a few times to get him over the fear.

The bioness sounds like it's doing its job. Patrick's therapy sounds like she's got good ideas.

Jean

Sarah,

That is so neat that you and Gary have also had experience in the pool so we can compare notes. I'm lucky, though, because they aren't making me get in with Don. It's been such a short time, but I think I can see a slight difference already in his transfers getting stronger. The only mishap we came close to having is getting Don's brand new $3,000 hearing aids under water. I dug out his old one to wear from now on. He can't hear a darn thing without some help.

Jean

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Glad to see you back with the update, Clark. I've often thought about you and wondered how you were doing. Whatever you have to do to keep yourslef from getting overwhelmed by the darkness of your depression is well worth the effort.

Jean

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Bonnie,

You must have a shell food allergy? If so, you have to read labels when you deal with products like Glucosamine, some actually have ground up shells in them. Glad you got to the ER.

Jean

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It's ashame that it's the squeaky wheel that gets the attention in nursing homes, but unfortunately they are all so understaffed that the squeaky wheel theory is more fact than fiction. It's scary to think what the poor souls who have no one looking out for them have to go through.

When Don was in a nursing home shortly after his stroke, I once found him stark naked, laying in bed without the curtains drawn or the door closed. An aid had started a sponge bath, got distracted and never came back! All of us who've had loved ones in nursing homes can tell horror stories like that, I'm sure. Keep up the pressure, Ann. It's the only thing that works.

Jean

Deenie,

I look forward to the time when you start blogging. It sure helped me through some tough times. I am not quitting blogging, I'm just moving over to Yahoo 360 to do it and just posting links to that blog in places like this.

Sarah,

Thanks for the feet back on water therapy. I have no idea what to expect. God, I hope they don't make me get in the pool with Don! I really will look like a prune if I'm in a pool 4 times a week.

Bonnie, Phyllis,

Thanks for the comments, as always. I do miss this place once in a while but life evolves and the new doors that have opened up have been very positive and good for us.

Jean

Ann,

Having helped Don for many years oversee his mother's care in a nursing facility when she had dementia, I know that just because Bill's location has changed your level of involvement, worry and caring will not change all that much. You'll just have more opportunities to care for yourself along the way to whatever happens in the future.

I, too, am glad you are at peace with your decision to let others do the day-to-day custodial care. Many people never get over the self-inflicted guilt of having to make such a difficult transition or it takes them a long time to forgive themselves for their very human limitations. You love Bill and that shows through with everything you do and have done for him. There is a time and place for everything and the wise person knows when the time and place is right.

Jean

That zoo sounds wonderful! I saw the one in San Diego decades ago and talked about the wonders of that one for years. I'll have to search the net and see what I can find on the Singapore Zoo.

Don starts back to the college for speech this month, too. I totally agree with you about the sessions on campus being better than the full-fledge professionals. The kids work so hard and here they even spend time before and after classes out in the waiting areas helping and getting to know their clients better. Plus I get the benefit of the professor teaching me as she teaches the students.

Thanks for the update. It's always nice to know how you and Sam are doing.

Jean

Sue,

I agree with Sarah. Go with the flow can mean different things to different people. It can mean not fighting the changes and challenges that are thrown at you and doing your best to flow with them rather than let them take you down.

Great piece of writing---thought provoking and honest.

Jean

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When is the last time you looked in Teddy's ears? Every time our dog gets an ear infection, usually the first sign we get is that he'll yelp when someone pets him and touches his ear. You can usually tell if there is an infection because it will look yucking inside with black stuff and/or smell bad if it's deep inside. Also feel all over the area that the woman petted. There could be a fatty tumor or something under the skin bothering him.

Jean

Butch,

Glad you're getting a chance to get away. That's important for caregivers. You also won't be sorry that you're planning a new house/move. It will make your life so much simpler to have a place that exactly fits your needs and downsize the maintenance.

Jean

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Congratulations on the new baby!

Jean

Ann,

I too hope Aricept continues to work for Ray. I've sure seen what it did for my dad when he was part of the trials.

Jean

How nice for you and Asha! Glad you could work it out despict her traveling with other people.

Jean