Preparations for Homecoming
We've spent much of the last few days getting things ready for Dad to be able to come home. People's generosity is amazing. We've had several pieces of medical equipment donated to us personally, including a powered wheelchair that drives surprisingly quickly! He'll have fun with that, as his kids and grandkids already have :-)
Our good friend Scott found, bought, and installed a ramp on the front of the house this week despite the 90 degree heat. He has blessed our family with his love and service so greatly in the past seven weeks. Thank you, Scott!
There is also an organization here called The Ability Center of Toledo that offers medical equipment to people who need it as gifts. We were able to get a regular wheelchair and a hospital bed from them, which Dad has approved as better than what he has been using in rehab at least on a few counts. The chair rolls more easily but doesn't lean back, which he says he can deal with. The bed is able to lay flat, unlike his rehab bed, which he is excited enough about that he'll let go of the fact that it only raises and lowers with a manual crank. The head and feet raise separately with a remote control, so he's content with it. He can't wait to be able to sleep in his own bed, but for now, this will do. He's actually napping in that bed as I type this! Today he got to come home for the therapy team's home assessment.
Yesterday we did a trial run of getting him into my parents' car so that we would be able to bring him home for the assessment. Now that he doesn't have the fixators, we can transport him ourselves. The practice transfer went well yesterday, so this morning he texted those of us here at the house to ask if we would take him to meet with church. He wept through most of the songs and prayer, and therefore so did the rest of us! It was a precious morning together. From there we brought him home for lunch and the home assessment. Of course, we ate grilled chicken and corn on the cob :-) It has been so sweet and surprisingly relaxed to have him home for so much of the day.
One of the occupational therapists came to the house this afternoon to make sure we have the equipment we need to accommodate Dad's needs. She also helped us troubleshoot how to deal with a couple of tight turns and transferring onto a bench in the shower once his splints are off. It was nice closure with the therapy team, and helped us clarify some expectations once he comes home. At the end of her evaluation, she called her supervisor to give a report. Then she came back inside with the news that Dad is approved to come home tomorrow!!!!
We'll get schedules and prescriptions for his medications and make sure we understand all of his needs clearly before bringing him back in the morning, and then his care will be on us for most of the next two weeks. After the leg splints come off next Thursday we'll reassess whether he'll participate in outpatient or in-home therapy going forward. For now we'll continue the exercises that therapy has been teaching all of us in rehab. He can't do anything new yet until the splints are removed and he is allowed to do more with his legs.
Tonight before we return Dad to rehab for his last night with them, we'll have grilled cheese and popcorn for dinner. It's a decades-old Shumway family tradition to eat grilled cheese and popcorn on Sunday nights.
So tomorrow is the big day! Dad will be home again for good. Today, Dad got to come to his house and eat in his own dining room for the first time in more than seven weeks. Tomorrow, he won't have to leave again. We are praising God for the progress He has given Dad so far!
Our good friend Scott found, bought, and installed a ramp on the front of the house this week despite the 90 degree heat. He has blessed our family with his love and service so greatly in the past seven weeks. Thank you, Scott!
There is also an organization here called The Ability Center of Toledo that offers medical equipment to people who need it as gifts. We were able to get a regular wheelchair and a hospital bed from them, which Dad has approved as better than what he has been using in rehab at least on a few counts. The chair rolls more easily but doesn't lean back, which he says he can deal with. The bed is able to lay flat, unlike his rehab bed, which he is excited enough about that he'll let go of the fact that it only raises and lowers with a manual crank. The head and feet raise separately with a remote control, so he's content with it. He can't wait to be able to sleep in his own bed, but for now, this will do. He's actually napping in that bed as I type this! Today he got to come home for the therapy team's home assessment.
Yesterday we did a trial run of getting him into my parents' car so that we would be able to bring him home for the assessment. Now that he doesn't have the fixators, we can transport him ourselves. The practice transfer went well yesterday, so this morning he texted those of us here at the house to ask if we would take him to meet with church. He wept through most of the songs and prayer, and therefore so did the rest of us! It was a precious morning together. From there we brought him home for lunch and the home assessment. Of course, we ate grilled chicken and corn on the cob :-) It has been so sweet and surprisingly relaxed to have him home for so much of the day.
One of the occupational therapists came to the house this afternoon to make sure we have the equipment we need to accommodate Dad's needs. She also helped us troubleshoot how to deal with a couple of tight turns and transferring onto a bench in the shower once his splints are off. It was nice closure with the therapy team, and helped us clarify some expectations once he comes home. At the end of her evaluation, she called her supervisor to give a report. Then she came back inside with the news that Dad is approved to come home tomorrow!!!!
We'll get schedules and prescriptions for his medications and make sure we understand all of his needs clearly before bringing him back in the morning, and then his care will be on us for most of the next two weeks. After the leg splints come off next Thursday we'll reassess whether he'll participate in outpatient or in-home therapy going forward. For now we'll continue the exercises that therapy has been teaching all of us in rehab. He can't do anything new yet until the splints are removed and he is allowed to do more with his legs.
Tonight before we return Dad to rehab for his last night with them, we'll have grilled cheese and popcorn for dinner. It's a decades-old Shumway family tradition to eat grilled cheese and popcorn on Sunday nights.
So tomorrow is the big day! Dad will be home again for good. Today, Dad got to come to his house and eat in his own dining room for the first time in more than seven weeks. Tomorrow, he won't have to leave again. We are praising God for the progress He has given Dad so far!
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