Sunday, February 1, 2009

A Good Day and a Hair Cut - Jan 30




Today was a good day despite the fact that Jerry had PT this morning at 8:30, he was not looking forward to getting up early. To be ready for 8:30 PT Jerry had to wake up at 7:30 when usually his PT is at 10:00. The good news is he got a good night sleep and felt somewhat rested by the time PT began. Jerry was in good spirit for PT and enjoyed his time with Kara. Kara was the person Jerry started PT with, she would come up to the Trauma Rehab Center when he was up stairs. He likes Kara very much however Kara was assigned a different area and generally does not do his morning PT, so it was a treat for him. Sometime around 10:30 Jerry got noxious and it interfered a little with his therapies today. He still participated in Skills Group at 11:00 however he wasn't quite up to par. At 2:30 Jerry had Exercise Group and tried a new activity, which is the standing frame. It's kind of hard to explain, it's a chair that has a strap around the chest and a pad that holds the chest in place, you then pump a handle, with each pump the body is moved into a standing position until the body is at a full stand. Jerry felt very sick but wanted to press on to try and get to a full stand, we would do a few pumps at a time then let him acclimate to the new position. Jerry got to about 3/4 of the way to a full stand then could not go further, he felt like he was going to get sick and felt like he could not breath. It was a very good first try and he was assured that it will get better and he will be able to get to a full stand when he gets stronger. Some of you may be wondering "How does a standing frame benefit Jerry?" Well my understanding is there are many benifits to the body to get into a standing position here are just a few:

* Prevention of contractures (ankles, knees, and hips)
* Improvement of range of motion (spine, hips, knees and ankles)
* Reduction in spasticity
* Prevention or reversal of osteoporosis and resultant hypercalciuria
* Improvement of renal function, drainage of the urinary tract, and reduction in urinary calculi
* Prevention of pressure ulcers through changing positions
* Improvement in circulation as it related to orthostatic hypotension
* Improvement in bowel function
* Normalization of respiratory function

I'm sure you all figured I pasted that in, there are some words up there that are a little big for my vocabulary. ;-)

My Aunt Teresa and Uncle David as well as cousins Paul and Vince and Girl friend Renna (sorry, I know I probably really messed up that spelling) came to visit. My aunt has been an awesome beautician for many many years and Jerry was dying for a hair cut. Jerry was used to getting a hair cut every two weeks, he had to keep it short for ROTC, it's been almost two months since his last cut and he felt the need. Teresa was awesome, (thanks Teresa)and was able to give him a trim while sitting in his wheel chair in his room, which I might add I think he had a cat nap during the cut. Jerry decided to leave it a little longer then he had to wear for ROTC and I think it looks very handsome. Jerry got to spend some time with his cousins who are hilarious and I know he very much enjoyed their company.

Jerry felt much better after getting back in bed and resting a couple hours, he was craving Chinese food, so Chinese food it was tonight. Jerry's fortune cookie read "Even the longest days come to an end", how appropriate. Thank you God for laughs with family, for a great hair cut, for 3/4's of a stand and for delicious Chinese food, all the makings of good day.

Good Night
Katie

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just the words, Jerry standing, sound good! I took the 3:30 a.m. shift, let there be no breaks in the praying for Jerry - someone, somewhere, at any given time is praying for you all I am sure.
Praying for a good day today- filled with family, friends, laughter and smiles, minimal discomfort, and good food!
We ask that God continue to bless you all and provide what is needed.
Will Jerry be watching the Super Bowl? Maybe, complete with special Super Bowl Food!
Dear God we ask that this be a good day for Jerry & the MacCallisters.
Sharon Ferry

Anonymous said...

forgot to mention - wow another country on your map - maybe 2 more?
Sharon

Robert said...

Hey MacCallisters-

I just wanted to say hi. I pray for a full and speedy recovery for Jerry. My family all sends their blessings.

Robert Bytheway

Anonymous said...

Way to rise to the challenge Jer! Glad you were able to get your ears lowered and your body vertical. Thank you Katie for the update. Everyday there is something more to praise and thank God for as we continue this journey with all of you.
Dennis, I thought of you yesterday when I made a chicken pot pie - no tomato sauce. I made and extra one for you and will drop it by on Sunday.
Katie, how your vocabulary grows ;)! What they say about necessity as being the mother of invention is not lost here. I have to tell you, watching Jessica and Jenea interact with the other residents the other night was so refreshing. Their genuine interest and conversations were so beautiful to watch unfold to the point Jessica joined in at the art project and maintained the interactions. The kids were great!

Good Morning, Dear Lord. We thank you for contraptions that help Jerry become vertical. We are grateful for gifted family members who come and bring new dimensions to our days. We praise you for your steadfast love and presence in our lives. Please, Father, we continue to ask for complete restoration of Jerry's body. Each and every improvement we know comes to Jerry through your healing presence. Continue to ease his parents' concerns for the future as we trust in you to take care of the details. Thank you for the good days and help us remain focused on your love through this process. Thank you, Father, for the strength you give Katie and Dennis, they are faithful servants and a living testimony to you and an example for so many. Thank you, too, for all those out there who are devoted to you and your Word as a means of helping heal Jerry's body. We pray for each and every fracture to be Divinely fused and for every neural pathway to open up and relieve his body of the sensations that bring on discomfort. We praise you through this storm and remain vigilant to your purpose through Jesus Christ, your son, our Savior.

Much love to you,
Trish, Buel and Mary

PS - Mary won't be by to aide Jerry with his Cherry Garcia for a while, she's got cold, but she will be back! :}T

Anonymous said...

Your very welcome for the hair cut I was glad to do it. We enjoyed are time with all of you, it was a good day, I'm glad Jerry got his Chinese food. Praying for all good days.

Love You
Aunt Teresa

Anonymous said...

It sounds like one day at a time is really working. Congrats on the 3/4 stand! Although you felt sick, I bet there was a little relief to see the world from a different perspective :-) I am still so inspired by you, Jerry. My kids were driving me a little crazy tonight and I was wondering if we would all make it through the evening in one piece. Then I thought of you and your struggle and persistence and I gained a new perspective of my own. First thing every morning I check your blog and say a prayer for you and your family. Isn't it wonderful to know that God is with you every moment of everyday! I love it that there are prayers coming your way from literally every corner of the world. What a blessing you are, and what wonderful blessings you are receiving.
On another note, when will we get to see the new do?
Brooksie, Marietta, GA

Anonymous said...

I hope you found the Super Bowl Food to be special. It gives us some sense of purpose to be able to provide some small thing you all can enjoy. The game was pretty special, except the wrong team won. But, it was exciting. We'll look forward to seeing you all at the spaghetti feed if we are unable to visit before then.

Charman of the Board
Ben Lomond, CA

Anonymous said...

Katie, How WONDERFUL to see you smile!