Another Good Day!!!!

I got up this morning full of energy so I thought I would go out a pull weeds for an hour, before I got ready to take Norm to therapy. Well, I got out there and it was so cold that I pulled a couple of weeds and my hands were just stinging.....so....I quit. This is June, for heck sake!!!! Come on now!!!!


We have so many weeds cause there just hasn't been time to pay much attention to our garden. Some of those things are practically trees!!! So, I am going to have to get the shovel. But, now that Norm is more able to get around, it is not so hard to get out there and do something. He is even able to do a little bit...and every little bit helps.

Speech was good today. Very informative. The therapist (Jim) talked to us on Wed. about what our expectations would be for future therapy and did we want to continue, cut down to one day a week, or keep going twice a week. He tested Norm again so that he would have something to compare to, when Norm first started. So, today we talked about what we expected and what we were interested in seeing improve. I am interested in anything that they can do to help Norm prepare to be able to drive again. Right now, they have told him NOOOOOO driving!!!! Apparently we should be seeing a doctor that follows up with the rehab patients after they become outpatient. So, I went down and talked to his receptionist and got an appointment for next Wed...so, that is good. He can help us to know how much more therapy Norm needs and help us prepare him to drive. The speech therapist can work on some things too.....so, it looks like things are still moving onwards and upwards!!!!


As for the testing that Jim did, it seems that when Norm tested before, the results showed him as Severe as far as brain damage and this last test he did, tested him at a Moderate!!!! The therapist said that he was a bit disappointed because, because of the progress he had seen, he sort of expected a Mild, or a Normal.....so, that tells me that it is possible for him to recover most or all of his memory. What good news that was!!!!


Cardiac Rehab was alright today. We had to rush and find somewhere to get lunch before we went, so, that required Norm to walk a little ways. By the time we shoved down our lunch and got to Rehab, his sats (oxygen levels) were pretty low. He didn't do as well as he had the last couple of days, but, I keep reminding myself that there will be bumps in the road, but there are fewer and fewer, and farther between. So, I should not be surprised for Norm to have a rough day once in a while. All in all, things are just amazing!!!! He is improving at a really fast rate, and is just showing everyone what a miracle really is. I think it is going to be quite a while before he gets back much energy, but it will come.

The days, hopefully will be getting warmer now and I can finish planting my flowers and veggies. We are very late with them, but we will get some produce....just not as much. We can live with that....I can't wait for home-grown tomatoes. The ones from the store taste like cardboard.


I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. ~Author Unknown

Catch up Time!!!!

I haven't updated for a couple of days because my computer has been being a "putz". When I have the time, it isn't working, so, I have to unplug the router, modem and turn off the computer, and wait till the whole thing powers down, and then plug them back in in a certain order waiting several minutes in between....and so on, and so on!!!!! But, tonight it is working.

Sunday (8th) was an awesome day. Norm went to church again, with no oxygen. I brought it just in case and he did use it for about 20 minutes, then, he went to both of the other meetings without it!!!! He made it through all three meetings. It was pretty cool and I think he felt better when he knew that he could do it. Now, I think it may be a little easier for him.

He still can't sing the hymns cause he runs out of air!!!! So, now he has a good excuse not to sing!!!

Monday (9th) was kind of a lazy day. We had a bunch of errands to run, and that always makes me tired, and it sure makes him tired, but we survived. I never manage to get much housecleaning done on a day when we have errands. We went to Home Depot, Wal Mart, and Maceys. Doesn't sound like much but it was enough for both of us.

Last Friday, which was the 6th, we had an appointment with the Cardiac Rehab Unit down in Provo that is part of Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where Norm had his surgery. Anyway, we went and talked to them and they did an intitial appointment, and then we went by the hospital where Norm had his stints put in a couple of years ago, and talked to the guy there, who did Norms Cardiac Rehab then. Norm really liked him when he was there before, so we decided to go with that program. It is on a much smaller scale but much more personal and welcoming. The other program in Provo is twice as far to travel, and we would have to be there at 8:00 a.m. for five days a week!!!!! I don't think so. This program is three days a week and we can pretty much be there whenever. We just decide on a time and then if we have to change it, it is alright. The other program was not like that. The reason you had to be there so early was because they only have patients in the workout area until noon and after 1:00 and after that it is for employee use only. So.........on Tuesday (10th) we made it to Cardiac Rehab!!!!!!

First he does 10 minutes on a treadmill, a short rest, then 10 minutes on a stationary bike. He did that Tuesday and Wednesday, then on this coming Friday, Chad, the excercise specialist, is going to make him do longer and faster times on the treadmill and bike and is also going to start him on some weights. On the days in between rehab, which is going to be on Mon, Wed and Friday, we have to do the walking and stuff by ourselves, so we are responsible on those days. That is more reason to get out there and get it done.

Norm did really well today (12th). For some reason, rehab is harder at home, but he did it!!! Then we came home and sat for a minute, had lunch then went out and fixed one of the sprinklers in the garden, put some of the tomato cages up, moved his pickup down closer to the shop, and then was about done, but that was huge.

He is doing so well. I just wish he wouldn't get so down about not being able to do much. He has come so far, but doesn't see the amazing progress he has made because he remembers nothing of the hospital, and how very sick he was for all that time.

Today was a great day. I don't know what made it great except that it is the only day of the week that we didn't have an appointment so we got some things done. Not much but at it is something. Plus, the weather was great, and it was just plain nice. I have said before that I never thought I would see the day when I wanted to clean house!!!! Now, I am going to try to keep up with what I did and do a little more each day. Got some laundry and dishes done, swept the kitchen floor, and just kinda picked up things all around the house. I am going to try to budget my time better because it feels so good to get something done.

I bought a new toy on Saturday, but, I won't let myself play with it until I get some things done in the house!!! It is killing me, but I would feel too guilty if I didn't get something done.

So, that's it. We had our car cleaned by pro's on Wednesday and it looks so good. It feels so nice to ride in a clean car. It was so dirty from my "living in it" all during the time Norm was in the hospital.

Speaking of cars, ours has mice in it!!!! I had a bag of pancake mix in the back seat and didn't take it right out and the next day, there was a hole in it. I couldn't believe it!!! Then, Norm and I stopped at Burger King a day or two after that, and forgot to take the bag out of the car. We went out the next day to go to therapy and there was a big hole in that. We thought sure that after we had taken the car to the car wash and it was pressure washed underneath and vacuumed out, that they would take off, but today when I went out, there was a Kleenex that Norm left in there and that was all chewed up!!!! So, we set some traps and put them in the car, one in the front, one on the floor in back of the front seat, and one in the trunk. About two hours later, we went out and we got a mouse in the trap in front, and in the one in the trunk!!!!! Dirty little buggers!!! We got rid of the dead ones and set the traps again!!!

Oh yea....by the way...we are still in sinus rythm!!! That is over three weeks now!!! Cool huh??? Chad says that he is having a normal reaction to excercise. What wonderful news!!!

What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner. ~Colette