Amaaaaaaaazing!!!!

Wow, what a day!!!! Norm flat "tore 'em up" in therapy. He walked 650 ft. without a walker, and with only one short rest!!!!! That was so neat to see. At the very last part of his walk, he told the therapist that he didn't think he could make it. The therapist looked at him and said "yes you can", and Norm finished his walk. It was so cool. He really had no idea he could do that.

Occupational therapy is going well. There is such a huge improvement since he first got to rehab. Things that used to tire him out, he can do several times in a row!!! He is still working on fine motor skills. I think that is where most of the work will come, but there is improvement there also. He has been saying that his shoulders and arms are sore, and I told him that is because he is using them and getting the muscles back in shape. There is a lot of upper body conditioning in occupational therapy too. Thank goodness for Tylenol.

Speech is good. He continues to surprise his therapist. His memory is getting stronger every day and he can remember things that they did last week, and things they talked about. He can do math better than the therapist and has corrected him a couple of times!!!

We have homework from all three therapys, so they are bound and determined to get him the heck out of there, once and for all, except to come and visit.

As I said before, Dr. Walkers assistant called today and said they want him to come in for a once-over on Monday. It seems after Dr. Mitchell ( the heart surgeon) and Dr. Walker (the cardiologist ) talked, as a result of the appointment we had with Dr. Mitchells assistant, they have decided they want to do another cardioversion on Tuesday, if everything checks out on Monday. I must admit that makes me a little nervous, but, the other two he has had have made me nervous too, and he was in a lot worse shape than he is now. It is very important to try to get his heart out of a-fib, so, third time is a charm!!!! When they put the pacemaker in and did the second cardioversion, his heart stayed in a normal heartbeat for five days and then went right back into a-fib. Of course you know that a-fib is and irregular heartbeat. There are a ton of people who walk around for years in a-fib, but Norms got worse and that is what started this whole big mess!!!! So, we shall see. It would be wonderful for him to be back in a regular heartbeat, but, it still scares me. They say that he will go home that day, so.....that is good but I bet he will be "tuckered".

When they do a cardioversion, they shock the heart. My sister in law came clear up off the table...her whole body, when they did it to her. When they did Norm the second time, they said that I could stay and see it if I wanted to, and I declined!!! No thanks...I have seen enough!!! I will just be glad when it is over.

Tomorrow is going to be a huge day. We are going to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple to witness his brothers wedding. Then we are going to his sisters house to have a BBQ before everyone has to go back home. So, it is going to be big for him, but he feels so much better, that I think he is going to be fine.

Somehow, today seems to be a real turning point. I think now that he knows he can do things, he will improve even faster. I am very excited.

Whether you think you can or think you can't -
you are right. ~Henry Ford