As the saying goes “no news is good news.” Lately that’s the place I’ve been celebrating-no call from hospital means things are good.. & so there’s not been much to share on Doug’s progress. 

But wait! There’s more:  prepare yourself for very good news. We are seeing a great turnaround a great breakthrough for Doug in his healing and the next steps of this health journey. Not only has he graduated from using the sling to get out of the bed, he is getting up transferring from bed to chair assisted only by a walker. A man in command of his days, Doug is choosing to get up &  to get dressed by 8:30 am.  You know what that makes you feel like when you wear people clothes instead of hospital gowns -his mindset has changed from patient to husband & father. 

Other things of note, Doug is eating three meals a day without prompting. He is calling in his meal orders and choosing what time of day to eat. He is working with both physical therapy and occupational therapy in the same day sustaining at least two hours of therapy daily, which is a hallmark to moving to the next level of care into the 

in-house rehab facility. He’s beginning to 

post on Facebook again using his technology to call or text which is an indication of his thinking process getting more and more clear. He is remembering important dates like Mother’s Day and making sure his mother got the traditional yellow roses as a gift from him. His kidneys are showing more and signs of encouragement that they are beginning to work again and dialysis has been moved from three days to two days a week.

Biggest celebration this week is the new outlook on physical therapy. Yesterday, he walked 2/3 of the unit with determination . He now looks forward to his PT sessions and to take it a step further he’s showing interest in others and their hobbies. For the first time he asked his physical therapist about himself and the things that he likes to do, how he spends time off of work. To top that off, he recalled that conversation and shared with me in the afternoon what he learned.

The staff at 7SA are amazed at the difference they are seeing & excitedly share his progress with me-they too are surprised at the new man they are seeing- fully dressed, looking great , & walking in strength down the hall!

As you can imagine, I feel like we are seeing true light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a long haul hope is restored. I can honestly say that I am feeling relief and renewed…

Joy and the Journey,

Ginger