Thursday, December 17, 2009

Hopeful Birthday

Yesterday was Skip's 54th birthday. It was also her first full day in rehab. On Tuesday afternoon, she was transferred to an acute rehab hospital about 30 minutes from our home. Apparently, acute rehab hospitals are set up to handle patients with both significant medical issues and rehab needs. She has settled in well to a large, single room. The place is clean, the staff is good and the food is better than at the hospital.

So far so good, from my perspective. Yesterday was a very busy day. I took it as a vacation day, so spent most of the afternoon and the early evening with Skip. Hardly 15 minutes went by without someone else coming in. In particular, I met her attending physician, the physician assistant that will do the day to day medical stuff, her occupational therapist and the hospital's social worker.

The rehab folks are very much about getting people up and about, about helping them regain lost functionality and finding new tools for independence. I am delighted with this perspective and think it will be valuable for Skip since she's been losing her arm and hand strength. Maybe in addition to helping heal the wound and kill the infection, she'll come out of this even better than when she first developed the wound.

She'll definitely be in rehab for Christmas, so I'm planning to bring in dinner that day for her. It won't be the best place to eat Christmas dinner, but we'll be together, which is the most important thing.

4 comments:

Have Myelin? said...

Ah! Today is my birthday and tomorrow is Alex's birthday. (my boyfriend)

We're the birthday bunnies! =) Tell Skip Happy Birthday! I turned 55 today. Her turn next year! HA!

steve said...

Apologies to Amy Winehouse.

They tried to make Skip go to rehab
She said no no no.
Her skin had gone black
and when it grows back
she can go go go.
She'll have to make the time
because her Cranky wants her fine.
They had to make Skip go to rehab
But not singing Ho Ho Ho.

Cranky said...

Sherry - Happy Birthday! And, a big milestone, too.

Steve - it is really, really funny that you wrote these lyrics. Some friends of ours plan to sing Skip I Don't Want to Go to Rehab (my apologies if that isn't quite right) so I'll give them this additional verse to add to their performance. I love your creativity.

Diane J Standiford said...

You know what matters. My best wishes to Skip.