Day 32

We were ready for Scot, Joanie's PT, when he arrived at 8:00. What Joanie was not ready for was the great workout he gave her. After some quick assessments he asked if their was anything we thought he could help us with. With a negative response on our part, he asked us if we had had any problems. Joanie wished he'd never asked that! I mentioned that last week Joanie had been talking to Brenda and not paying real close attention to what she was doing when she started to sit on a footstool and slipped to the floor. We'd had a difficult, but successful time, getting back onto the sofa. Scot had Joanie practice three times getting up from a prone position on the floor. I got to watch the procedure that is essential to know, but wears her out. The next exercise was to stand at the kitchen deck and touch it with her "vacationing" hand (the left) while she traces the digits 1-10 on the floor with each leg in succession. Then she balances on each leg. Improving balance is an important part of regaining independence. The last task was for Joanie to use her cane and walk up our sidewalk to the street. She walked to the edge of our property in both directions. When she returned, he took the cane away and she walked without it. She did great but after he left, she took a nap for an hour or so!

While the nurse was hear later, Russ (Joanie's doctor) called to check on her blood pressure and made a slight change in medication to bring it down. The nurse also brought her a spirometer to encourage deeper breathing. She still has a cough.

Later in the day we practiced all the exercises Scot had had us do in the morning. We also went outside unto the deck so Joanie could water the plants. Some have been very neglected and were looking very droopy. No deer can get to them, but we have at least one squirrel who enjoys digging up many of the most recently planted flowers!

We're looking forward to Troy coming to see us in the next few days. He went to Loma Linda to be with his girlfriend, Chelsey, when she graduated from Speech Therapy on Sunday. He will be helping her move up to the Seattle area where she has new job.

"Nobody has things just as he would like them. The thing to do is to make a success with what material I have. It is a sheer waste of time and soulpower to imagine what I would do if things were different. They are not different."

Dr. Frank Crane