4/14/09

Easter went really well, it was great having Allison and all of the Turnbulls over for a nice lunch/dinner on a great day. I think both Jon and Allison were a little tired, but they got to spend some good time with each other and with the whole family.

Yesterday Jon was once again able to range his elbow more than he had before. Now that he has active movement on that arm he seems to be progressing well. He was shouting with joy yesterday after I stretched his arm because he was able to touch his own face with his right hand while laying down. He says every time he touches something new its like a whole new experience, the touch of his whiskers yesterday he said felt really weird.

Jon has been cleared to drive, which was surprising because of how easy it was. We assumed that they would have to test him on his reflexes and range of motion, but all that was needed was a simple phone call. MFB checked with his doctor(s) and they cleared him for 'light driving'. They suggested that we take him to an empty parking lot so he can get used to it first, and that he really practice getting his wheelchair in and out of the car. Yesterday he and I went out and practiced these things and we ended up going to dinner, to the store, and got gas. He had no problems getting the wheelchair in and out of the trunk (its not really light, but he mostly uses his left arm) and hopping to the front of the car to get in. He was driving without difficulty and was able to turn the steering wheel fine with both arms in use. He drove himself to therapy today and is happy to not rely on the sometimes sketchy taxi service anymore.

His therapy is going pretty well, they are pleased with his progress. It wasn't clear through the doctor's orders what is cleared or not for him to do in therapy, but Jon is pushing it along as much as he can. They weren't sure about using exercise machines but he went for it, using some light weights, an arm bike, and other different machines for exercise. Jon also did get the modified walker I mentioned earlier. It was fitted with a little platform for him to rest his right forearm on, but he really didn't like it at all. Not only did the platform dig in right where his surgery site and plates were in his elbow, but whenever he hopped forward it would cause his elbow to bend to painful levels. He got the OK to take the platform off yesterday and has much more success using it as just a regular walker. He still uses the wheelchair for almost everything though, the walker is exhausting.

Allison seemed to be doing great on Sunday. She's been having some pain in her pelvis which she was not feeling before, so the doctors will try to keep a close eye on that. We have a family meeting with the people at Sojourners tomorrow (Wednesday, 4/15) to learn about their evaluations. We hope to hear about how long she might stay at Sojourners, what will happen next, how well she has been doing, and what they expect for some of her recovery.