We Are Headed Uphill Again!!!

Sam was excited to see Julie and Stephanie from Ohana Ambulance. More friends made on this twist in the journey!! It was a cold day in Wisconsin to take a trip but the ambulance was nice and warm.

But the big news...the really big news that has us heading uphill again is that SAM IS OUT OF HIS BODY BRACE. As they took it off of him there was a bit of yelling but once it was removed he said "Ahhh, all better!"

First he had an x-ray, a little uncomfortable to lay on a hard flat table in a body brace but we talked him through it and thankfully it only took one try to get a good x-ray. We then met with the surgeon and I was so excited to hear, everything looks good and the body brace can come off. I decided to have them remove it because it took about 4-5 people to slide him out of it and those pads in the back that I wasn't able to change out are more than just a little fragrant.

I'm excited because this is a positive step in the right direction. We are moving forward again. Day after day in the brace seemed to take forever and I'm hoping those were the toughest 7 weeks. We did bring the brace home with us, in case Sam got a little too ambitious and needed to be restrained or if we needed to give him steroids for his respiratory system because that tends to make him manic and we would need to restrain him to protect the hip. Of course now starts the rehab process.

I will meet with Sam's OT, PT and personal trainer next week to come up with the rehab plan. It's time to get this big guy moving. Our first project will be to get him to sit up again, I think he is so stiff that his body doesn't want to come forward. My concerns of last night are still there but they don't feel so daunting anymore. I think a part of me didn't want to think too much about the brace coming off because he could have looked at the x-ray and said let's leave the brace on and check again in a couple of weeks. I had to prepare myself for that possibility.

Tonight Sam is smiling. Tonight Sam is wearing underwear and pajama pants again!!! It's the little things that really stand out tonight! Tomorrow we will work on transferring and spending more time in the wheel chair. If our shower chair comes, Sam will be able to take a real shower, no more sponge baths in bed. I bet that first shower will feel heavenly. I know we are still heading up a very steep hill but it feels great to be making progress.

Over the next couple of days we hope to get Sam on the commode. Do I dare dream of a day without the bedpan? My spirits are lifted and I thank each of you that continue to encourage me and send prayers our way. I know we are not out of the woods yet and we will have more hills and valleys but today we are celebrating!!!

I let Sam set his hospital bed tonight...it's perfectly flat. No 30 degree angle, no pillow under the legs. It is good to see him move his legs again. Slower on the left side but the leg is moving. We have so much to be thankful for. But right now it is time to give Sam a big hug and kiss and head to bed. Good Night everyone!!!