Day 65

Hello Everyone,

My dad is feeling so much better.  He's been doing very well in physical therapy and has made large improvements.  He can get to and from the bathroom completely on his own.  He can stand and lock his knees out fairly well, although not 100% yet.  He's been walking along the parallel bars and achieving longer distances with each attempt.  

Weekends are typically light days for physical therapy.  Saturday has one session and Sunday is a day off.  My dad was able to go home for the day on Sunday!  He loved it!  This weekend, he will go home on Saturday morning and come back on Sunday evening.  I'll bet he's already making plans of how to fully take advantage of the home time.  

Best of all... they've given him a tentative check out date!  Assuming he continues to progress at his current rates, he'll be able to go home and continue his physical therapy on an outpatient basis by December 24!!  Great news!

My dad is able to get around using a walker for extra support.  They have given him a special model of walker that my dad calls a "turbo walker."  It has 4 wheels and hand brakes.  He said it works very well on carpet as well as hard floors.  He takes this walker home with him and it helps him get around.

How great is it that he'll be able to go home before the end of this year?!  How exciting!!

Thank you all again for all of your support.  We recognize it an appreciate it.

~The Dymond Family

Day 56

Hello Everyone, 

I'm sorry I have not written in a while.  I spent a lot of time with family over the Thanksgiving break.  

I am happy to report that my dad also had a great Thanksgiving dinner away from the hospital!  The doctors gave him a day pass and he was able to spend the day at home and at Naz's sister's house for dinner.  

In other good news, my dad is able to use the restroom facilities without assistance.  They have some special equipment for him to hold onto with his upper body strength and he has his own wheelchairs - manual and electric!  

He also reported that physical therapy is going very well!  He said he's been walking further and further along the parallel bars with a PT staffer trailing him with a wheelchair just in case.  He also said he can operate a walker all by himself.  He sounded very happy with his recent accomplishments.  

It's been almost two months since he was first checked into the hospital.  It seems like it's been an eternity.  He is on good terms with all of the nurse staff and orderlies and he even gives his newspapers away to neighbors to read.  Things are looking up.  

If he continues taking things slow and gradually getting better, he may be able to go home within a few more months!  Once he's able to really get around on his own, he can transition to "home study" with several weekly visits to an outpatient PT program.  

Thanks again for all of your well wishes!  Keep checking back for more posts.  Please email me with any questions.  

~The Dymond Family

(Jenn)