Home Again, Home Again - Jiggity Jig!

Isn't Michael the Picture of Cozy?
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There's our kitty Valentine in her bed in front of the fireplace...there's fattening food on the table and - what do we see? - oh YES - a giNORmous bottle of CHERRY COKE! Oh, and a woman who is waiting on him hand and foot - AND LOVING IT! What more could a man want?
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There's only one word for the last three days, which was our first time home together after 55 days of medical hell: Dee-lish-ious, Dee-lerious and Dee-lightful.

I will say I worked really hard - to ignore all the chores that surrounded me, that is. And they are plentiful. Piles of mail, piles of clothes from our double unpacking, piles of unpacked office boxes deserted in mid-move. Oy!

But being the Reasonable Hedonist I am, I delicately shoved it all aside with a nudge of my toe and walked directly to the couch from the bed, and from the bed to the couch, with a few stops in the kitchen.

What a joy it was to cook my sweetie's favorite foods! He still doesn't eat large quantities - and never did before this happened - but he does eat often. A favorite nosh is a corn or flour tortilla with some shredded Mexican cheese melted on it, chunks of avocado, spread with salsa and sour cream. (And for this he thinks I'm a brilliant cook.) Oh, and mini-hot fudge Sundaes.

GRAB BARS IN THE SHOWER
We had Deric the always-good-smelling handyman install some grab bars in the shower and Mr. B. had the delirious pleasure of showering for as long as he liked and without a fully clothed nurse's aid instructing him to wash his private parts - while watching to see that he does.

(Although I do remember that when the nurse's aid was lovely Linda helping in the two-minute shower, she was constantly giggling at high volume - but what the heck - I can deny him nothing.)

Coming home, Michael had some anxiety about being able to climb our stairs. He thought he might have to sleep downstairs, in spite of dreaming wistfully of our king-sized bed. But since the stairs are not steep and have two landings, he did just fine with them - as, frankly, I knew he would.

I will say that our legs are sore from going up and down the stairs many times. Yes, mine too - as I'm out of shape after all that sitting. So - home IS rehab.

OUTPATIENT REHAB STARTED TODAY

But there is real Rehab and it started today in Paso Robles. Here is Maria, the Physical Therapist, assessing Michael's balance and strength. He did really well. She asked him to walk around the gym area for six minutes - and although he didn't know if he could do it, he did it.

I will say that Michael was fairly traumatized after two hours of Occupational and Physical Therapy, mainly because they had to assess him. While they look at it as "strengths and challenges," he mainly felt demoralized with how thin and weak he is in comparison to how he was just two months ago.

I tried to encourage him to put it into perspective while also trying to validate his feelings. Tricky stuff. Kind of like poking a bear while explaining that the poking is good for their hide.

Thank goodness I make a mean mini-hot fudge Sundae!