Update on Mom

Last Wednesday, the physical therapy people came out to my parents' house to make sure that it was safe for mom to go home to. They quickly determined that the doorways were too small, the hallway was not wide enough and that the bathroom was not wide enough for mom to maneuver through the house in her wheelchair. It seems that houses built in the 1950's that have not been renovated have 23" wide doors. Whereas, the doorways in newer houses are 33"-36" and the hallways are at least 36" wide and bathrooms have to be big enough to accomodate a wheelchair. So, seeing that this was leading to a situation where mom might not have been able to leave the hospital, I quickly spoke up and told the PTers that I had a brand new house, that mom could have her own room and bathroom downstairs and that it was an open floor plan so there would be not doorways and halls for her to be blocked out of certain areas of the house. So, they came over to my house and quickly approved it as Mom's Hangout. On Thursday she was released from the hospital and brought to Chez Elliott for her recouperation. I have become mom's 24/7 nurse (a job that I wouldn't trade for the world). She is making tremendous progress in the few short days that she has been here. We have been working on her transferring from the bed to the wheelchair and back again. At first it was a major job transferring her and in just a few short days, she has been able to make the transfer a lot easier. Tonight she surprised me by being able to wiggle herself up into her bed whereas, the last few nights Richard and I have had to move her up with the draw sheet (that is a sheet that goes under the patient and allows a person on either side to pick the patient up with the sheet). I turned around to do something and while I was doing it, she just scooted herself right up the bed. I was so tickled with her that I almost started crying! And, she sat at the dining room table tonight and made me a list of things that I need to do tomorrow!! LOL!!! We used the bed risers that you can buy to make a bed higher and put them under the dining room table and she can sit at the table comfortably. She's come a long way since May 26th!!!