Physical Terrorist

Dale began physical therapy this week with his favorite "Physical Terrorist" Diane.... at Warm Springs in Victoria.  She had the pleasure of working with him on his two previous knee replacements....and of course she just loved him!!!  After greeting all our old friends and relating the circumstances of his accident that brought us back so soon, they measured Dale's range of motion in the injured foot and then in the good foot.  They also tested his strength in the injured foot and were very happy with the results.  Diane gave him an additional exercise.....writing the alphabet in the air with his injured foot several times a day.  She also suggested getting him in the therapy pool and getting a good workout in the deep end of the heated pool.  Today was his first time in the pool and he thought it was well worth the trip.  So all and all, I guess things are progessing according to the Doctor's plan!  We return to the doctor in mid January and hope he will be able to start walking with the boot on.

Ho! Ho! Ho! 2012

We had our family Christmas get together on Friday, December 21 at Sky Restaurant, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal.  Chuck had taken off work early to drive in from Conroe, but Kim was on call and unable to join us.   Then it was off to Grandma's house for dessert and gifts.  A Chinese Christmas was the first plan of action....with some funny gifts.  A few steals, with Lexi about to trade off her gift without really checking it out to find the Cinemark Theater gift card.  We exchanged gifts and enjoyed coffee, hot chocolate, and desserts.  Of course I had to grab some photos of the group!  It was a nice evening!

Rats....still on crutches!

Another week of recovery draws to an end, and a trip to the doctor in San Antonio to see how things are mending.  We arrived, the foot was x-rayed  and we met with the doctor.  She said all looked good, as she checked the movement and flexibility in the foot.....a result of the exercises Dale had been doing at home all month.  She gave him a new exercise to work on and decided to send him for physical therapy in Victoria...so back to Warm Springs  we will go.  They worked with him after both knee replacements, so they are very familiar with Dale. She wants us to come back in one month and they MIGHT let him start walking on the foot with the boot on......good news and a new goal!  So for now, he his still on the crutches and his walker......but the finish line might be in sight!

Prayers!

Hump Week!

                               Hump Week
Well, we have reached the half way point in this adventure.....and survived!  The foot is looking much better, swelling less, and Dale has no problem getting a good night's sleep.  We have ventured out more..... attending a retirement party, a visitation for one of Dale's old friends, and enjoyed lunch with his "Lunch Bunch" group this week.  On Tuesday, some of his pilot buddies picked him up for lunch out with the guys from the airport....lots of airplane talk! We return to the doctor next week and hope the news is good that the heel is healing properly.  Guess this was our "Hump" week in the recovery process!

Dale Ditty

I have a friend in Texas

A retired bad ass cop

He recently

fell out of a tree

Now all he can do

is hop

He hobbles around

Grumbling and cursing

But it is his patient wife

who does all the nursing

Soon he will be 

up and around

Though from what I hear

He is restricted from trees

Feet only on the ground

His wife is planning trips

He will get the bill

I am sure he won't care

Cause being able to walk again

Will be such a thrill!

 

Friends Ivan and Barb from Canada wrote this little ditty!

On the Mend!

Things around here have settled into a routine and recovery continues.  Dale has gotten pretty adept at maneuvering around on crutches......we are even attempting a party this weekend. Three times a day he exercises with a big rubber band to strengthen his foot.....at home rehab!
We make trips to town to run errands and he usually sits in the car while I do the shopping.  The other day he managed to sneak in the store on crutches while I was shopping and buy me a big bouquet of flowers, hiding them in the car until we got home......such a sweetie!
Last weekend he gave me the day off, and I headed to the coast with a gal pal for a day of sand, sun, and seafood.  I fixed  lunch before I left, so all he had to do was heat it in the microwave.  He promised he would be good and I called to check on him.
It was good to have a break from my nursing duties!

Life is Better at the Beach!

Dale, my patient gave me a day off.....so my friend, Karen and I headed to Port Aransas for some sun, sand, salt air, and seafood.  It was a good chance on the drive down to catch up on what is happening in each others lives.  We boarded the ferry, and were soon on the island.  First stop, Karen bought some fresh Gulf shrimp off a boat in the harbor to take home.  Next stop the beach....we parked, laid out on a blanket and sat down to soak up some sea air.  We took a walk along the shoreline before heading to lunch a Beach Station Street Grill.  Boy did we pig out!  Back to the beach after lunch to catch a surfing contest near the pier and watch a surfing dog!!!  We tried to walk our lunch off and enjoyed our toes in the sand and surf.  All to soon we had to head back home, so we packed up, and did grab a yummy gelato before boarding the ferry.
It was a wonderful day...the weather was perfect for December 1 and it was great to unwind with a long time friend!