DAD BILL AND SUSAN ON ONE THEIR MANY VISITS TO MICHAEL. If freeway time for all of Michael's family racked up mileage points - from San Diego, Sunland and Camarillo to Templeton and back - they'd all have racked up several free trips to Hawaii!---------------------------------------------
This morning - Saturday - I got the best news: the last lingering worrisome problem, Michael's white blood cell count starting to climb again, improved. It went down almost four points from 17.2 to 13.4!
Yesterday was was a day of firsts. As planned, PT got Michael into a wheel chair and he and I went on "a wander" throughout the hospital. He seemed to enjoy it and I got to show him the gift shop and introduce him to Jon, the singing coffee cart guy who's always refusing to let me pay. Then, we just sat a while in front of a great big window, looking into the lovely, large, and slightly wet outside world. (Yes, there IS an outside world!)
Occupational Therapy lady Dianne showed Michael how to use his right hand to brush his teeth, padding the
handle to make it easier for him to grip - and he brushed his teeth! (Dipped in mouthwash, since we're not up to toothpaste and spitting yet.)Remember, Michael is left-handed, but has always been able to play ping-pong right-handed (I know I'm playing well when he switches to his left hand to play me). So I guess he's partially ambidextrous - and about to become more so. He is rapidly gaining back the use of his left hand and leg. But meanwhile, a guy's got to brush his teeth....
Me? I began to feel funny yesterday, told the nurse who advised me wash my hands a lot, don't sneeze on Michael and no tongue kissing. (Okay, she didn't say that.) I kept my distance, dozed a lot on my little cot in the corner and left early, around 7 while Leslie and Rory were visiting.
This is SO annoying!!! I'm a little snasal and feel ucky - so I stayed home today for the first time, much relieved when Susie came up to spend the day with Michael. While it has allowed me to do some laundry and prepare a little for the Santa Barbara journey to rehab (which may be Monday), I'm not happy. But I am napping. I guess the sleep deprivation caught up with me.
Oh - and yesterday Michael repeated the swallow study, always a fascinating thing to watch. Below is the machine they roll into the room and place around Michael's head, sort of a "Honey, I blew up the headset." Next to it is a photo of the screen on another machine that films and plays back his swallow action. Yup, that handsome skeleton you see is our boy! They said one being the lowest on a scale of 1-10, the first study showed his swallow at a 1.5. This one was a 4. So he's getting stronger, but not safe yet to gulp those cherry Coke's he's craving. Sigh! Sorry, honey!
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