Randy is Home!

We finally left Good Samaritian Hospital around 2:30 this afternoon. They had quite a few discharges today so it took awhile to get our paperwork. While we were waiting for everything, we went ahead and went to classes for the last time. Randy asked every therapist what he should be working on so we have a list of stuff to do while we await the start up of home health (hopefully they will call me sometime this week and we can get started, if not by the end of this week, then by the beginning of next week.

In his speech class today, Randy's first therpaist was trying to challenge him and he flew right through everything she threw at him. She gave him analogies and he had to finish them, but she made it progressively harder. She started by giving him all but the ending word (example ~ Time is to clock as speed is to...). She then just gave the first part and he had to come up with the second half (example ~ Night is to Day as ...). She then only gave him one word and he had to finish it. He did absolutely amazing through all of it. He then told her that he decided to keep a journal. Since last night, he has been writing down thoughts, questions, and happenings that he has throughout the day. He did this completely on his own without prompting from anyone. She was very amazed.

Upon his release, I had to drag him to run errands with me since it is just he and I here (his family went back to Yakima this last weekend, taking Cass with them). At the drugstore, I made him walk so he got a bit of therapy there. At home and at the hospital, he is pretty much walking on his own ~ meaning he is using his cane and not needing someone to hang on to him). In the store with other people around, his balance was a bit off. I think it was because he was very selfconscious about how he looked to other people and was focused more on that than he was walking. Then I dragged him to the grocery store, but I had him use his wheelchair. It is interesting having to deal with someone in a wheelchair when you aren't use to it. I didn't feel comfortable with having him in one of the powered ones they supply with baskets on them, so he and I used our problem solving skills (picture Randy, sitting in his wheelchair, with food and other stuff piled on his pretty much up to his eyes!)We made it work! I did get him some things that the therapists said would be good for him to use ~ small 1 lb weight for his left hand and some weights for his left leg.

It has been absolutely great having him here! Anyone who wants to come visit him is more than welcome to. He loves having visitors (probably more so now that he is stuck only getting to see me everyday :-)!For those who need our address, you can just shoot me an email or give me a call.