Tuesday Afternoon: Good News! Going Home Friday

Phil's first post.
About 8 people came into Linda's room this noon. Each one was responsible for a part of her therapy: Dr. Dove (a psysiatrist [new word for me :)], occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreational therapy, speech therapy, psychologist, neural psychologisD, nurse, care coordinator, social worker, etc.

Each person summarized Linda's progress--all positive--and then Dr. Dove said Linda should be ready to come home Friday. Whoopee!!

Linda no longer goes to therapy sessions in a wheel chair or with a walker. She walks, with the therapist's hand near her back, but the therapist never has to catch her. Linda is able to catch herself when necessary. Here is a list of her therapy this morning and earlier:

• This morning, Linda threw and then caught a beach ball, then a smaller ball. The therapist moved back and forth so that Linda had to turn her head. Then, while on a 2x6 balance beam, Linda reached our for cones that were handed to her from different directions. The idea is to get her to increase her field of view. 
• She walked through an obstacle course which included the 2x6 wood balance beam, a 3x8 foam balance beam, a set of pylons, and three hurdles. She went through it forward and then sideways!
• She worked on a "bosu"--looks like the top one-fifth of an exercise ball with a flat bottom. Earlier, I had seen someone standing on it with the flat side down, but Linda had to stand on it with the flat side up. Once she was on it between the parallel bars, she worked on balance and then squatted. After she was done, Melissa and I tried it. Not as easy as it looks.

• She practiced getting into and out of a recliner, and that seemed to be no problem.
• She went down a set of hospital stairs--two flights of 12 steps. Again, she did not require anyone's assistance. Then the therapists showed me how to precede her on the way down and follow her on the way up the stairs. She "flies" up the stairs, but goes slowly down--a function of the discomfort she feels when looking down that predates her surgery.
• For recreational therapy this morning, she played Wii Bowling. She had done it before at home, and it was fun therapy. We'll have to get our Wii out of mothballs again.
• Other therapy she has participated in includes: phone book look-ups, balancing a checkbook, and shopping for groceries. 

 Linda's therapy will continue on an out-patient basis in Iowa City. It will consist of physical, occupational and speech therapy. (I have not noticed any problems in the speech area. Ha.)