Checking Into Rehab

Oh dear, that title sounds like I'm talking about Mel Gibson or Robert Downey Jr....

"Checking into the Physical Rehabilitation Unit." How's that?

Alex is moved into room 245 at the hospital and he is DEFINITELY READY FOR VISITORS. He has worn me out today; he's apprehensive and he didn't want me to leave. I came home to take care of my sick kitty and sleep in my own bed though. Yes, I feel guilty.

But this is where you all come in: PLEASE feel free to visit him between the hours of 4pm and 8:30pm on weekdays, and 11am to 8:30pm on weekends. (There's a midday block of visiting hours on weekdays, but I can't remember what it is at the moment. Will post it tomorrow.) The rest of his time will be taken up with sleeping, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. If you call his cell phone outside of visiting hours, he's not likely to answer it, but you can leave a message and he can call you back when he has free time. He has figured out how to use his phone!

Alex is also working on feeding himself, but hasn't really been to interested in real food today, even though he can eat whatever he wants. (Jeff and Judy, he's ready to take you up on your offer of ice cream!!!) Until he can get his required daily caloric intake with real food, he'll have that annoying feeding tube up his nose. Ugh!

Alex literally is getting better by the hour. Almost every hour he manages to do something he couldn't do before. Just imagine what some focused OT and PT will do for him! Tomorrow morning he and the OT will work on getting him his first shower since September 8. Boy, is THAT going to feel good!

The rehab unit is an amazing place. Nowhere else in the hospital do you hear people LAUGHING. Today during "group therapy," patients were playing UNO to work on their fine motor skills. We could hear them from Alex's room, and for once we were hearing a noise that wasn't annoying! I saw a board listing daily activities such as pet therapy...need to look into that for sure! Everyone we talked to today was thorough, efficient, professional, and caring.

This is definitely a unit where healing takes place.