DO NOT FEAR THE RUBBER GLOVE!!!
So I quickly posted before that I had my first doctors appointment today since I left the hospital. And that indeed did happen. Sharon even went with me to witness the whole thing (well, plus the fact that I’m not allowed to drive yet, so she had to take me) and got to hear the whole thing. I passed the test. I have a witness that the doc was completely fooled and thought I was intelligent and literate. I know, I thought it was miraculous too!
So more good news…he was “populating” my file with medical information and had to inquire about my prostate (seeing as I am a male of a certain age). For those of you who have made jokes about the snap of the rubber gloves, he told me that the medical profession has changed their thinking about the prostate and unless I’m getting up all night to pee, having other piss related problems, or no longer able to have the same kinda fun with my Mrs (wink wink, nudge nudge), there is no need to be checking anything in that region. I told him that was great because the hole in question is decidedly an out hole, not an in hole! For those of you poor suckers who are still getting those kind of checks, you may want to confront your doctor about sick thrills!! On a side note, those problems mentioned and any other from that region should get your doctors full attention. Important things depend on it.
So back to stroke progress, although my speaking and walking are making amazing progress, my arm and hand are the big challenge. I can wave my arm around pretty good when I rant, and I can pull up my pants after I’ve used the bathroom, so that’s a huge deal! I’m getting close to a point where you have to watch me a while to see my physical limits. It doesn’t mean I can do the yard work and irrigation as efficiently and fluidly as I need to in order to be independent, but for now I have been offered amazing resources from people who care to help me keep things going. Income will be severely cut, but I can at least keep my business going. I’ll leave it up to God right now for direction on whether this is sustainable long term.
If I weren’t so unphotogenic, I would post videos of my progress. People who see me tend to be surprised that I look as mobile as I do, and almost all notice the effects of the hospital food (I lost 6 pounds in the klink and I’ve managed to keep it off).
If I have any concerns about how things are going, it would be my hand and arm. Every day is like ground hog day with my hand. I make gains all day with it, and overnight it locks up again and I have to start over. The torture of having a days real hard work wash away overnight is a tough pill to swallow for me. But I am alive, and I am making progress with so much else, so gratitude comes pretty easy too.
Plus I have an exceptional wife who shares in these triumphs with me. That makes lots of things worth fighting for.
My gratitude to you too dear friends!