March 23, 2017: Day +123

Today was really the beginning of my countdown to get everything ready for Doug to come home next Friday.  I started the day with a visit to my othopedic surgeon for a follow-up on my knee.  I complained to him that my knee is still popping, grinding and locking.  He said well yeah, you have arthritis in that knee and it can't move smoothly.  He let me know that they can do an injection that will provide more cushioning in the knee.  It works well for lots of people.  I decided I wanted to wait a couple of months to see if my knee improves more without it.

I then made a visit to Home Depot and found an adjustable shower head that can be hand-held.  Now I just need to find someone to install it!

Then I went out to the Knights of Columbus to pick up the electric wheelchair.  This is my second trip out there.  When I am there I feel incredibly grateful for their help and think what a wonderful idea it is to have a place where people can donate medical equipment they no longer use and then give it to others who may need it.  Medical equipment is so expensive.  I looked up on the internet the wheelchair I am getting for Doug .  The original list price was $27,000 which seems just crazy!  We found when we they got it out for me, that two of the wheels need to be replaced.  Tomorrow I will be ordering new tires. The good news is that the batteries worked and we were able to load it on my lift to take home.

Then I spent time trying to find a Home Health Company.  I was hoping that Doug could get help with showering 3 times a week and occupational therapy and then get physical therapy at home.  But that is not how things work.  I learned you have to have all therapies at home or none. He will only get PT and OT 2 to 3 times a week no matter if it is at home or at a rehabilitation facility.  It seems to me he should get therapy where he can make the most progress until he gets to  a maintenance schedule. But no. He is being forced to leave the rehab. hospital because his time is up, even though he has continued to show benefit but still has a long to way to go.  It  seems like it would be more cost saving to to continue intensive therapy. None of this seems logical to me. It is hard to keep fighting a broken system.  It is all about money.

We ended the day on a positive note, setting aside the challenges of the day.  Our friends Harry and Cory are in town from Oregon.  They were so sweet to pick-up dinner for all of us from the Olive Garden. We ate dinner together at a table in the dining room with a view.  It was wonderful to have dinner with friends.  Boy, it has been a really long time since we did that.  Thank you Harry and Cory for such an enjoyable evening!

It is time to pray:

God of Possibilities, as we transition into the next stage of our life we are presented with lots of challenges and much to do to assure a successful transition for Doug and continued progress when he comes home.  Guide our actions and open the doors to services that will lead to healing.  Sustain our faith and our focus as we constantly envision and move toward Doug walking again.  And God, thank you so much for friendship. Dear friends help us to enjoy every moment and to celebrate life. Amen