The most exciting thing happened today - I got the call saying that next Tuesday Rand starts taking golf lessons! He is going to participate in a golf program sponsored by the American Stroke Association called "Saving Strokes." How's that for a clever name? Golf courses around the area donate space, the golf pros donate their time and a limited number of pre-stroke golfers get involved in the game again! Rand is happy, happy, happy! When I told him that I was going to get him involved in this program last spring, he poo-pooed the whole thing. What me golf again? No way. Today when I told him the lessons are about to start, he grinned from ear to ear! He will learn to swing left-handed and from a wheelchair, but it is a start. After the lessons are over (it is a series of four) there is a golf tournament for all the Saving Strokes participants. The most amazing thing is that the coordinator of that tournament is the only student Rand and I both taught in our combined years of teaching! I had her in second grade and Rand had her for history in middle school. Small world! She and I had a good talk recently. Amazing!
Rand will never truly walk again like he used to, but he is getting so much better at walking the way he can now. He uses a quad-cane and has to have at least one person with him to keep him balanced and safe, but in that way he can walk across a room and back. Last week he was molded for a new leg/foot brace - this one will be articulated which should help his gait so much. The brace he has now is solid and rigid - there is no give to it at all. The new one will have an ankle joint so his ankle can bend with each step. What an improvement that will be! The therapists and I are so anxious to see his reaction and how it impacts his walking. The brace will be ready in another week or so. He is also going to get new socks made just for wearing with a brace.
In another week or so Rand will be getting his new recliner/lounge chair. It is electric, with a much higher seat than the current one so he can get in and out of it easier. The back and built-in foot rest operate via electric controls and independently of each other so he can move his feet and legs by himself and not be stuck until someone can do it for him. It also eliminates the separate footstool which has become a pain as Rand becomes more able to move around his room on his own. It will be one less obstacle for him to contend with in the room. I'm excited!
Last weekend Rand and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary! We had some friends over for champagne and cake and we had a good time. With Manny's help, Rand made me a special anniversary card that made me cry. He is so sweet - no wonder we made it together this long!
Rand continues to do well - he's healthy, content, has a positive attitude and is knee deep in 100-300 piece puzzles. Right now, there is something wrong with his right foot. We don't know what happened, but as Manny said, it is wonderful that Rand can feel that it hurts and can tell us where it hurts. Until recently that was not possible. We'll keep a close eye on it. Rand has plateaued in many areas - his occupational therapy will end next month and I fear that the physical therapy will be close behind. Those therapies end when the therapists can't continue to document significant gains for Medicare. He just completed another eight consecutive days as a demo patient for Recovering Function and is scheduled to return in November and again in February. I hope the speech generating device will culminate at the end of this month and that the wheels will start spinning again. Despite his iron will power, he has not lost any weight. But he hasn't gained any either and that's good.
Keep those cards and letters coming - Rand loves every one. Please stop by for a visit - he loves that even more!
Keep him close in your thoughts and prayers.
Love.
Connie
