Homecoming was a bit different than we had anticipated.  It all began very well but during the first night things went "awry" and that pesky nausea returned.  It began for Warren and Jerry at about 2:30 am then I took over when I heard noises around 5:30.  It was a very rough day on Friday but he slowly got better.

 

This weekend there was lots of rest and down time.  Along with the physical roller coaster is an emotional roller coaster.  While it is great to be "home" this is not really home.  Also, almost every activity has to be reinvented in order to create the "new normal".  Over the course of the week everything has begun to run smoother and life is becoming more comfortable.

While Warren waits to get into the Out Patient Program at Shepherd he has been given a strengthening and cardio workout to prepare him.  We go to Shepherd every day and work out.  It is so great because we can work out in the same gym.  Then he can go upstairs and visit with some of his friends.  Next week he will get into a program called   ProMotion Plus.  He will get back on the Lokomat (the robot that mimmicks walking) and will also get on the FES bike.  Electrodes,attached while biking, will determine if he has any muscle use of his glutes.  If so, he will continue with that in hopes of getting back more movement.  

I have a good Warren story to share.  Today he had an appointment and the challenge was that this person's office is on the second floor of a building with no elevator.  The only access is exterior concrete steps.  It had been arranged by Jerry that they would meet outside, downstairs, in a shady area.  No way, said Warren.... Warren got himself positioned on the steps and he began the scoot.  He went up the steps on his backside and I followed with his feet.  Up, up, up we went.  It was actually quite smooth, if I do say so myself.  Once to the top I ran back down to bring up the chair.  One, two, three and, together, we got him back up into the chair and off he went.

  

In the meantime the guy he was meeting had gone down the other side of the building to wait for Warren's arrival.  After a few minutes he determined that something had happened and we weren't coming.  He returned to his office to find Warren sitting there waiting for him!  He did a double-take then just started laughing.  I arrived at that point as he was shaking his head saying "Leave it to Warren to get to the second floor with no elevator....."  (Thank you, Shepherd, for teaching us to be creative and how to work around the obstacles.) By the way, when we left he went down the stairs by himself in his chair :-)

Thanks for your continued interest and support. More soon!