Day 25

Silly me. I was aiming to be in bed at 10:00. Instead, I spent the past couple of hours removing the glass doors from the shower/tub, hanging a plastic curtain, replacing the shower head with a cheap feeling shower hose, and assembling a shower bench. After the OT comes to visit tomorrow, we should be ready for Joanie to take a shower. The OT will instruct us in placement of a handle in the tub and explain the best way to function.

This morning a visiting nurse, Gus, came to draw blood and interview us. She gave us some good tips to keep Joanie safe. Later, Scot, our PT, came to visit. He also evaluated Joanie's condition and left us with a list of activities to have Joanie work on. He is encouraging her to begin painting again--right away. He feels that it will encourage her to use her left hand/arm and add interest to her life. His philosophy is to devise activities that will force her to begin to use her left "vacationing" hand/arm. He's going to be great to work with. He decided that she has such good balance that sheshould walk in the house without any kind of an aide, as long as her sister of I are right with her. Since we are anyway, that works for us.

Joanie had a good appetite and again enjoyed her sister, Brenda's cooking. I tell her to live it up because soon I'll be the one "cooking".

"It's no longer a question of staying healthy. It's a question of finding a sickness you like."
Jackie Mason

This stroke may not have been our first choice, but I guess we really didn't have a choice!