My friend Helen and I took our art/lunch time to a different level this time.  We gathered items to build a box with a mirror and a place for Bob to put his left hand so he cannot see it.  While looking through the mirror his right hand is moving and his brain thinks his left hand is the mirror image. Studies have shown this is very successful in getting the left hand and fingers to move after many repetitions.

Mirror Image Therapy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1GinsOljDw

Above is a video of Bob walking with a crutch today in therapy at the UT Southwest study.  Each day brings so much improvement.  He seems more steady on his feet.  I am so proud of how much he works at getting better every day.

I forgot to add that the floor area Bob is walking on is very high tech.  It can read out the length of each step for each foot,  pacing walking speed and other things.

It has been a little over a week since Bob was released from the hospital.  It is so wonderful to have him home.  The picture below is of Bob with one of his Techs at the hospital.  She was so sweet.  She made Bob and I a blanket for a going away present.  Bob is holding his blanket in the picture. Michele and Bob seem to have the same sense of humor so they made a special connection.  There were so many great people working at Zale-Lipshy.  I can't possibly name everyone but here are just a few names. (Claudia, Robin, Michele, Melissa, Rodney, Julieta, Lillian, and Rudy, Caroline, Danaka, Lensay, Katie, Casey, Simon and many more)  Our thanks to all of them.

We have been very busy trying to schedule therapy schedules and getting set up at home to accommodate Bob's needs until he is completely recovered. Bob is doing really well.  He can walk with a cane for short distances. I feel that once his therapy is finished in a couple of months he will be almost or all recovered.  The therapy study at UT Medical Center is really high tech.  I will give more details later as he gets well into it. It is so interesting.

Last week Jane, Ben and Jake came to visit from Chicago.  They stayed at John's house.  Our friends Glenda and Dave from Indiana were also here and stayed with us.  It was very helpful to have friends here both socially and they were able to lend a hand several times. Glenda, and Jane and Jake raked some leaves and bagged them for us.  It was wonderful visiting with everyone.  Of course, Glenda and Dave had their tickets for months and we had different plans.  You never know what may change in your life.  It all worked out though.  They said they really enjoyed themselves too.  Jane, Ben and Jake are coming back Christmas and we are very excited about that.

I have more to post but this is all I am going to do tonight.  I just wanted to let everyone know things are going well.  It is just that everything goes slow but all is good. We are so thankful.

Bob and Michele

Bob had a very busy and physically exhausting day preparing to go home tomorrow.  I went in early to observe and help with part of it.  He practiced getting in and out of the car and did much better than last week.  He also gave himself a shower needing very little assistance.  PT had him to walk on the treadmill and also assisted him in walking up and down stairs.  Then Rudy took over for awhile.  He worked with Bob on  his shoulder, arm and hand movements.  Rudy is certified not only in PT and OT but in Neurology PT.  This is using different methods of PT in regards to the brain's responses.  He gets amazing results going outside the box of the usual therapy.  He taped Bob's feet up then taped a cloth to the bottom of his show with duct tape to allow his foot to go in the right direction.  Then Bob walked without a brace or a cane.  It is so interesting to watch him work.  Rudy has a passion for what he is doing.  You can tell he just wants to help people and make a difference.  Bob responds well to his methods.

Bob is very anxious to come home tomorrow.  He has been in the hospital for almost 2 months.  The staff at Zale-Lipshy has been to wonderful.  You can tell they are a bunch of men and women who love their jobs and love people and want to help them to get well.  Their positive and caring attitudes are really the face of that hospital.    

Our thanks to Helen and Rick who installed some grab bars and a new shower head in our home to prepare for Bob to come home.  Also thanks to Rob and John who are have been working on our broken gate and in the yard.  It is really hard to ask for help but sometimes you just have to.  We are so grateful for wonderful family and friends who have been so supportive.

Bob is well on his way to recovery.  He has been through so much and at first it was hard to believe he would get to even this point.  We have had a lot of faith and Bob has been persistent in working very hard. Much of his encouragement has come from the support of everyone and all of your prayers.  Thank you so much.

I also want to thank Rick for putting my new very large art easel together. I am really looking forward to using it for my larger paintings.  I am pretty sure I could not have done that myself.  I finally see an opportunity to get back to my art even though there will still be daily schedules involving things that Bob will need help with. I am just so excited he will be home and we can finish these things together.

Joy and Brooke came in today.  Brooke played some Mancala with Bob.  Joy cut Bob's hair and he looks really nice.

Tomorrow Bob will be practicing getting in and out of the car.  Today he walked a lot without a brace.  He also jumped.

The picture below is of Helen and Rick showing off the new shower head and pretending to be taking a shower.  Or, were they pretending?

I went to the hospital early today to watch Bob walk on the tread mill for the two ladies heading the study for walking. The study also includes the reaction of the heart as a result of the walking. They liked Bob a lot and want him to do the study.  They said he is a perfect candidate except for his name.  Bob asked what was wrong with his name and the lady said Bob was the name of her X husband. She was joking, I think. Excuse me for referring to them as ladies but I didn't get their names. So, Bob will go for some tests next week and should start the therapy at UT Southwestern after that. This is a wonderful thing because the therapy will be free and he even gets 200.00 for the study.  That will pay for the gas.  The first month he will go 3 times a week and the second month he will go 2 times a week. The hospital are trying to arrange for Bob to also have Occupational Therapy at home. (not a part of the study)  He won't have a speech therapist but he was issued a program to do at home and I am supposed to help him one hour a day.  Everything is falling into place.  The most exciting thing of all is that Bob is coming home!!!!!

I wanted to wait until today to post.  On Thursdays the doctors and staff get together to evaluate the patients and make decisions.  Bob's dismissal is still on for Tuesday.  We are both very excited.  I am making preparations for his arrival at home with the help of some of the kids and my friend Helen and her husband. We are needing to put in grab bars and change the shower head and etc.
Tomorrow Bob will be evaluated to be part of a therapy study at the UT Medical Center.  His therapist thinks he will qualify.
On Monday I will be in early so Bob can practice getting in and out of the car.  They will also be filling me in on his home care needs.
Some of Bob's visitors have been Steve, Ann Marie, and Dave from work. Yesterday Robert came up and played Texas Holdem with Bob.  He is doing well with his knee after surgery this week.  Rob and Austin also came up and Austin also played Texas Holdem with Bob. John visited too.
Joy has been in New York all week and was supposed to come home tonight but her flight was canceled due to bad weather here.
Angie just called and said she was on her way over.  Bob talked her into stopping at Sonic for a shake.  Yum!
Things are looking up but we know Bob has a ways to go in therapy.  It is just amazing how far he has come. We are all feeling so thankful.