Apologies for the delay, we’ve been busy!! Mom discharged on Wednesday, September 29, almost 90 days to the day after her accident. The difference between this discharge and her initial discharge back on 7/30 is stark: the first time she came home, she was heavily medicated, required a Hoyer lift to transfer from bed to chair, and really didn’t have the knowledge or wherewithal to effectively direct her care. We had to hire a specialized transport service to bring her and her chair home, and she relied on a catheter, injections, and a litany of pills to maintain day to day functionality.
Now? Well, for one, we brought mom home ourselves! Dale and I were able to purchase a lift for our truck that is able to carry mom’s 400 lb chair, and mom slid into Michelle and Brent’s car via transfer board like a pro. Once we got home, mom got right to work reorganizing and tidying up the house, and telling us exactly how she’d prefer to have everything set up. She’s getting accustomed to the accessibility modifications we’ve made to the bathroom and laundry room (including the addition of a downstairs shower) and she’s figuring out how best to use her chair’s features to support her daily activities. This morning she even made French toast for breakfast!
Michelle and I have been out every day to keep an eye on mom while dad works, and while we’ve helped with reorganization and her daily exercises, mom is largely independent. I don’t feel the same anxiety about leaving her unattended as I did before, and she and dad are working hard to adjust and problem solve as they figure out their new routine. (They have definitely appreciated the meals folks have provided, so if you’re interested please check out the meal train Michelle posted!!)
Today, we had mom practice transferring into my SUV (which she did beautifully) and we took a little field trip to Taco Time for a late lunch, and over the Fox Island bridge for some pretty views.
It’s been very different this time around, and it makes me happy to see mom attack her return to home with such gusto. I can’t wait to see what she does next!!
