Thursday was a fun day for my mom. Since I am writing this so far down the road, I am bummed to say that I am forgetting most of it. Thankfully I have pictures to jog my memory a little bit. Just to start off, Elks has been swarmed by interns. It doesn't matter what the position, there seemed to be an intern. I saw interns for nursing/CNA, OT, PT, Speech and even the pharmacy people that go around restocking the med cabinet.
My mom's task was to sew pillows. Christine bought my mom this really cool burnt orange corduroy fabric for simple pillows. She had to do everything from start to finish. We found her a straight edge to cut the fabric apart. The only problem is that the scissors were right handed and she was left and they would not cut. Christine thought that they were the scissors until she tried and discovered the same thing. Christine wound up cutting them out.
I tell you, my mom was a better sewer with one hand than many of us are with two. Seriously, Christine and I sat there in amazement as my mom was speed racing to make her stitches. They were all completely straight! She just sews so well. She had two pillows cut, and sewn together in no time.
She then had to turn them right sides out all by herself. She did it pretty quickly using her teeth for some of it. Christine thought that the fabric was blemished with dark spots until she realized that it was my mom's saliva. We had to laugh. Christine plans on getting stuffing this week to finish them off.
Physical therapy started like it normally does, however Kristi put a brace on her knee and was getting her started on a straight cane. What a scary thing because she really had to work more on her balance. She walked the entire length of a really long hallway without rest. We were so excited. While she was resting at the end, the lady that fit her for her brace the day before stopped us and told us that her brace is ready for a test run. Holy Cow!
I had never seen Kristi move so quickly in my life. It was hilarious. She had my mom in her chair, the feet supports out and spun faster than you can count to two. She was soooo excited. She was very confidant that my mom would see a huge different. 
The brace is called an AFO. It probably stands for ankle, foot and ....something else. Not sure. It basically fits on the lower half of her leg. It's purpose is to help keep her toe up. The idea is that it will help her from sliding her foot and help her walk with more ease. My mom liked using it and needed to get used to it more. 
My mom had a pretty busy day and was really looking forward to her time home on the weekend. Saturday my dad and mom went for lunch at Wok King, one of our family favorites. They have some of the best chinese food around. Love them! On their way home they stopped at a shoe store for new tennis shoes. My mom needed a lightly bigger size to accomodate the AFO. Jeff, Gunnar, and I met my parents at the house and spent the afternoon there. Gunnar loves his grandma and is so aware of her needs. He tries so hard to be gentle around her.
Not two minutes after they got back to Elks, my aunt and two cousins from out of town showed up. None of us knew that they were coming so it was a complete surprise. They stayed for a short time.
Sunday my mom came back home. My aunt and cousins showed up for a longer visit. It was really good to see them. It had been quite a while since I saw my cousins. Jessica is getting married in March so it was good to hear about her plans. We had a good time teasing her about all sorts of random things. Their family is very similar to ours and we have always valued our relationships with them so much. They planned on leaving today. We appreciate the time that they took in driving all the way from St. George to visit.
2 clever remarks:
It's good to know your mom can still sew. I can't sew straight lines with two hands. She's amazing!! I hope she still makes it home. Keep us posted. Tell her I think of her all the time.
I am so grateful for all the amazing miracles we have today. I was talking to someone the other day and he pointed out that all these are the miracles the Savior would have done if He were here on the earth. Instead He inspires people to make these amazing things. I thought that was a cool thought.
Post a Comment