Update from Melinda: Daddy is walking with a cane pretty well all the time, now, and even used his cane when he went for his appointment at the neurologist yesterday. I’ll admit those of us with him were a bit on edge until he was safely seated in a chair, but he has come a long way from needing a walker and someone supporting him on each side! His biggest problem continues to be his balance. He also still has pain sometimes around his right eye, especially when he is doing some of the more difficult balancing exercises or really trying to focus on something. The neurologist told him that is a good way to gauge when he is doing too much. His left leg also gives him quite a bit of trouble sometimes, making walking more difficult, but the neurologist feels that is not directly related to the stroke. Rather, that it is his sciatic nerve being pinched, likely having been stirred up right now due to him walking a bit differently as he tends to favor his right leg. At his therapy appointment today, the therapist worked quite a bit on stretching that leg to try to loosen things up a bit. Therapy went very well today with the walking as well. During therapy, he has been walking without even the support of a cane, though the therapist keeps a hold of his belt “just in case.” All the running for appointments can wear him out quite a bit; but it looks like the time is here when we can back off on the frequency of the therapy appointments. He only has one physical therapy appointment next week. We as a family are working on settling into a new normal. Reality finally seems to be sinking in that this is not just an appendectomy or gall bladder surgery! But I think it may have been the best, that for my dad at least, the realization of that has come gradually. It has been a big adjustment, but he seems to be handling it well. For now, my parents are not making many plans, but are simply focusing these next few months on recovery. Hopefully now that we have a better idea what we are looking at, we can develop more of a routine and find more of a “normal” once again, though just what that normal is to be we are still finding our way in. The neurologist said yesterday again that most of the recovery after a stroke happens within 6 months, so hopefully by the middle of this summer we should know a bit more what we will be looking at long term. Daddy realizes that he will not be doing the planting this spring! Mother has been working hard to keep things going in the chicken house, and the rest of us help out as we can. We have talked of finding some kind of work that Daddy could do at home for a while that would not take a whole lot of concentration, so if any of you have ideas, we are open to suggestions. Some of you have asked how you can best help out. Prayer is of course number one, and many of you have also blessed them with visits, cards, or financial assistance. The sunshine box some of you put together definitely added sunshine and laughter to those first days after Daddy returned home. Gifts of food and meals are also a big help as Mother’s life is very busy right now trying to take care of many things she would not normally have done. And I know there are those who have offered to do some work around the place once better weather comes. All of those things have been and are a real blessing. Your support and encouragement mean more than we can say! Please continue to pray for both of my parents as they make the adjustments that go along with the day-to-day post-stroke living. During the first couple weeks, I think we were all running on adrenalin and maybe were even in a bit of shock; but sometimes it is in the daily routine of life that the real tests come. However, I know God’s grace will continue to be sufficient in the days, weeks, and months ahead just as it has been in the past. And we are so glad that we still have our Daddy with us! May God bless you all, Melinda (for the Hess family)
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 23:49:39 +0000
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