Dad is back home!!!

I am starting off this post with a photo of the latest necklace I made and the one Athena made for a friend at school. We had a good time, and I didn't change one thing she had put together in her piece, so it would truly be hers. I never use silverplate always use sterling so doing this one with the plated materials was kind of liberating because I didn't have to worry about how much each inch of wire or chain was costing me. I could just play with it and have fun. Hope you like it. Mine has a beach theme, and Athena's is fun stuff she took from her personal bead stash.
I think I already overdid it!! My back is really hurting today. But I toted Cassie around for the past three days. Then I was in charge of getting her and her wheelchair in and out of the car several times yesterday. Tess, Athena and Cassie went home last night and dad and I kicked back in the living room watching the news. The first thing that happened after Tess dropped dad off and helped me get Cassie situated with her second lunch, dad's urostomy appliance popped loose and we had pee going everywhere. They were using a totally different type of appliance in the rehab center, and it was not very secure or very easy to use, as far as I could tell. So I replaced it with one of the type we had been using before and got him all cleaned up, clothes changed, and back in the recliner. Of course I had to call Tess to come and stand by to make sure he didn't fall. I think he can do transfers on his own, just hasn't been told to stand up. He seems to be doing fine.

I wasn’t at all sure what to fix for dinner and we were both still full of Chinese food so we ate kind of late. I made what Tess’s SO refers to as “Crack chicken.” It comes from Schwan’s and is actually chicken breast meat stuffed with broccoli and cheese. It is so good you could just sit there and eat the entire box in one sitting. Instead I added a nice salad of romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette and a baked potato. It was really great, and I think dad was pretty happy to be eating actual food again. The food at the rehab center has improved since my mom was there, but it is still institutional in preparation.

Dad stayed up until nearly 10 pm. I was amazed since he used to go to bed by 9 pm at the latest. I don’t know if it is a change in bedtime habits, or if he was just so happy to be in his comfy chair he was just savoring the moment. I figured if he could stand up he could transfer himself to the wheelchair and then to the bed, without me having to call Tess. I was right. Mostly he just needs encouragement. I don’t think they worked very hard at getting him to stand up or straighten his legs. The therapist who came with him on Tuesday said the same thing. She couldn’t believe how little they had improved his legs since he arrived there. She thought my approach to getting him to stand more often and work on straightening up his torso was exactly what he needed. So we are going to work on rehab at home. She said I couldn’t do any worse than they had. (She had just come back after a sabbatical so wasn’t involved in his care.)

Hoping for success all the way around. And if not, at least he is in his own home.