August 29, 2017: Day 279

These past few days have been busy for me with the beginning of the school year and preaching and serving at two services this past weekend.  Doug had to stay home with Trixie on Sunday while I was at church.  It was too long for Trixie to be home alone and too long for Doug to be out.  They did well together while I was gone.

When I got home, Doug and Trixie were ready to go out.  We decided to go to the dog park and then out to get something to eat.  Unfortunately it was really hot. Being out in the sun and heat can be really hard on Doug.  I did not realize how fast his energy level was draining.  By the time we got to the car Doug could not support himself when he stood to get into the car and started to fold to the ground. I was not strong enough to hold him up.  Luckily a young, strong man, pulled in right beside us.   He graciously came over and helped to lift Doug into the car.  We have not had this happen since May.  Perhaps we were over confident in his abilities.

In recovery after HSCT, the patients often talk about the first year being a roller coaster.  Old symptoms come and go.  Hopefully Doug's experience was one of the expected set-backs. The problem with recovery is that you are always concerned that perhaps you might be one of the statistics, one of the folks who has not had the disease stopped.  For Doug, it has been more of a roller coaster than most, with ending up sick and paralyzed.  Just getting back to his previous skills before HSCT has been such a challenge.

While he took a dip in recovery on Sunday, Saturday had been a really good day.  Doug got up in the morning and said maybe I should try showering in our master bedroom shower.  It is a walk-in shower with a  4 inch lip you have to step over to get in.  It does have bars in the shower to hang on to.  He has been sitting on a seat in the guest bathroom that slides across the the bathtub.  We also have a handheld shower in there that he has been using.  Using this shower is a big step forward. Especially when you remember that when he first came home he was still taking bed baths.

 Doug was able to take his shower in the master bath and stand to shower with the support of the bars most of the time. And after showering he was mostly able to dress himself.  He has come along way since April.  I was glad when he asked to try showering in the shower and that he did well with it. Usually it is me pushing him along to try more independence.  Overall thhis week he has been trying to do a little more.  I came home last night and he had set the table.  This is the first time he has done that in almost a year. I was grateful for the help, but mostly grateful to see him wanting to do more.

And so even with the set-back at the dog park, Doug has tried to do some new things this week.  We pray for continued movement forward.

Holy God we give thanks for all the blessings of this week.  We are thankful that Doug is doing more and pushing himself a bit. We are thankful for the recovery of our friend Joanne who is out of the hospital now after such a scare last week.  We are grateful for the beginning of the school year and the hope and promise of a new year.  And we pray for all who are in harms way with Hurricane Harvey.  We hope for the end of the rain, for lowering flood waters and for the sun to shine.  In your name we ask it.  Amen