DISCHARGED!

So, Joe has finally been discharged from Sunny View! It happened after the toenail was removed and the infection was cultured. We will have to wait another day or two to get the results of the culture at which point they will have to figure out how they are going to treat that infection.

My dad was thrilled to be at home...for a few days at least. He will be spending the majority of his time at The Fisher House with my mom so that he can do his outpatient therapy in Albany. Today he is scheduled to begin his hand and shoulder therapy. His shoulders have developed some tendinitis from all the weight he has been bearing on them. I believe once the shoulders get added to his therapy it will involve some ultra sound on them, which he said feels really good. In fact, while he was in Sunny View he had it done a couple of times. One of the really great Occupational Therapists snuck him into the therapy room and gave him an extra treatment when nobody was around.

Along with the hand and shoulder therapy he will be doing his physical therapy in Albany as well. He and my mom will probably be in Albany during the week, go home on Friday nights and stay there thru the weekend. My parents were both surprised at how he is managing around the house. He was able to get into his own bed with the help of his grand kids foot stool. He is able to use the ramps that his brother put in for him. Over the weekend he got himself up each hour and shuffled around the house with is walker. He will need to wait on taking a shower as we still try to work out how many handrails we will have to put in and where they should be placed. Overall, everyone is thrilled with the way he is managing for now. Of course, my mother is exhausted because although he is able to do so much it all requires her help and then there are all of the things that need to be done around the house.

On the day of his arrival home his brother, Billy came for a visit. He always comes on Saturdays whether it's to the hospital, rehab, and now HOME! So, Billy, my mom and dad had a little welcome home party for him with pizza and salad around a nice fire. My dad would like to be home more than a few days a week, but for now he'll take it.

I'm hoping that my mom didn't have to shovel to much snow this morning to get him out the door. That would be a whole new challenge, huh? Just learning to walk a few weeks ago and now throwing snow into the mix! If anyone can handle these challenges my parents can. All of this hard work will pay off in the end. Love you guys!

-Stacy