Bob has settled into this new phase of his healing process at the rehab center. This is a good place for him to be. Today he:
Went outside to get a breath of fresh air and gaze at the distant mountains.
Washed and dressed himself with only minimal assistance.
Took some of his first bites of solid food in over a month.
Took a walk with a walker.
Walked up and down four steps.
Played a game of Uno.
Bob is still struggling to make sense of this whole experience. He is forgetful and that makes it harder for him. As difficult as it is for any of us to imagine what it would be like to wake up in a hospital bed and be told we'd been asleep for 5 weeks, I think we would at least imagine having all of our mental faculties at our disposal. Bob has his reasoning abilities and even his sense of humor, but his intermittent and unreliable memory make it hard to put the pieces together.
When the physical therapist asked Bob at the end of his session if he had any questions, he said "Yeah, why is this so hard?"
Although he has frequently commented on how hard this experience of coming back to consciousness has been, he has also wryly noted "But it beats the alternative!" Many times today he has expressed how grateful he is to be alive, and his gratitude for everyone who has loved and cared for him through this journey.
Went outside to get a breath of fresh air and gaze at the distant mountains.
Washed and dressed himself with only minimal assistance.
Took some of his first bites of solid food in over a month.
Took a walk with a walker.
Walked up and down four steps.
Played a game of Uno.
Bob is still struggling to make sense of this whole experience. He is forgetful and that makes it harder for him. As difficult as it is for any of us to imagine what it would be like to wake up in a hospital bed and be told we'd been asleep for 5 weeks, I think we would at least imagine having all of our mental faculties at our disposal. Bob has his reasoning abilities and even his sense of humor, but his intermittent and unreliable memory make it hard to put the pieces together.
When the physical therapist asked Bob at the end of his session if he had any questions, he said "Yeah, why is this so hard?"
Although he has frequently commented on how hard this experience of coming back to consciousness has been, he has also wryly noted "But it beats the alternative!" Many times today he has expressed how grateful he is to be alive, and his gratitude for everyone who has loved and cared for him through this journey.
God Bless Bob!!!
ReplyDeleteLinda Lutz
My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. I watched the video twice of Bob reading the poem. It was precious.
ReplyDeleteGive Bob my regards, Tom McMillian