Mum and Cousin arrive for 2 week visit
Dear all,
Graham’s mum, Marge, and his cousin, Gale, arrived safely on Friday afternoon and settled into the new time zone, being so far away and after such a long trip! They spoke with Graham by phone that evening,
Saturday we went to the hospital arriving around 2 and staying til just after 6. It was a long visit and I confess we might have stayed longer but for me and my back. [I need to lie down every few hours and my limit had been reached!] We went into Pinders café and had some hot drinks (Graham does like his cappuccino and so does his mum!) and opened a package with this adorable moose soft toy (now residing on top of his TV) and some Christmas candies that really took me back to my childhood! I also read him several emails, one from work about his continuing absence, and a couple of others from friends. They are always good to receive and read, so don’t stop.
I know you are all busy with your lives, but your letters are a big part of Graham’s recovery.
We went back to the ward for Graham to show Marge and Gale how he works his television. Then it was time for his evening meal. I set him all up to feed himself and then he proceeded to do so with such control I was extremely impressed. When he first started feeding himself, his movements were rather too fast and a bit jerky. Yesterday he had such wonderful control, getting food onto the spoon, getting it into his mouth with a slow smooth motion, chatting away to Marge and Gale calmly while feeding himself. He needed almost no help at all, just a little movement of the final bits of the meal to a place he could get an angle on it. He tends to eat salads, as they can be cut up into small pieces and will fit nicely onto the spoon. When the spoon was too full he would tap it, and bits would fall off onto the plate. I was watching from afar, chatting with another patient. We were both remarking at the excellent control and calm that Graham was showing while he was eating.
The other patient also said he has been watching Graham in physiotherapy doing better and better wheeling himself around. I have not witnessed this specific activity as yet, but it is nice to hear reports of him doing it better and better. The other patient also remarked on Graham’s determination to succeed. Many other patients over the years had not had quite the determination Graham was showing, I was told.
At one point while he was eating, another patient was being wheeled along by the daughter and Graham stopped them and introduced them to his mum and cousin. Just like a normal meal with family and friends. I was most impressed!!
Because I was so tired we had to leave before Graham had finished his entire meal or had his teeth brushed. Today we will go in a bit later so that we can be there for the whole meal and after-meal routine. I need Gale and Marge to take this over while they visit over the next two weeks. I will be dropping them off and they will come back to Leeds by bus on Monday – but not today as Sunday bus services are not as good. Airasa will bring them back on Tuesday as she will visit after school. I will just drop them off on Tuesday and do other things.
Hopefully I will have keys to my new flat soon so I can get the moving underway. It has taken such a very long time waiting simply for some paperwork! Gale is in the estate agency business and is surprised that houses take so long to sell here. The election is over now and hopefully the housing market will pick up. It is a buyer’s market at the moment – there are loads of houses for sale in Leeds, the most in well over a decade. But I am sure it will sell eventually.
The weather has been nice so Gale walked around the lake yesterday morning while I took Marge to Tesco's to do food shopping. They will do a bit of sightseeing while they are here and also some shopping, as it is good to experience a foreign country by eating the food, seeing what is for sale and how much it costs, and visiting historical places. Leeds is full of wonderful things to see and very friendly people. I am sure they will enjoy their 2 weeks with me.
We have had a letter from one of you about Graham’s eventual move back to California. It is about paperwork and so forth – but there seems to be a possibility of him having a two bedroom apartment, so he can have a live in carer. He needs to have a facility like Pinderfields to move into first. The idea is that he would be transferred to the Care Facility and be there for 6 to 8 weeks while he is settled into the community and apartment by short visits with help. He will need care to help him into and out of bed and to help him with his physical care; but can be left for some periods of time to watch television or do computing or even reading eventually as he learns to control his environment. The progress he is making is wonderful even if slow. It is steady and it is so good to see him improving little by little.
I also took him an article about magnetic therapy for spinal injury patients for his doctor to read. Every thing that might help him is very valuable so if you see anything, don’t hesitate to send it along.
Again, thank you everyone for your loving thoughts and prayers for his recovery. I hear my gusts stirring, so I will close and let Gale have this computer so he can do his emailing and his business. It is wonderful to be able to use computers to carry on wherever we happen to be. Gale took photos yesterday I will put onto the computer later and send off one or two choice ones.
Kind regards to you all.
Linda
Graham’s mum, Marge, and his cousin, Gale, arrived safely on Friday afternoon and settled into the new time zone, being so far away and after such a long trip! They spoke with Graham by phone that evening,
Saturday we went to the hospital arriving around 2 and staying til just after 6. It was a long visit and I confess we might have stayed longer but for me and my back. [I need to lie down every few hours and my limit had been reached!] We went into Pinders café and had some hot drinks (Graham does like his cappuccino and so does his mum!) and opened a package with this adorable moose soft toy (now residing on top of his TV) and some Christmas candies that really took me back to my childhood! I also read him several emails, one from work about his continuing absence, and a couple of others from friends. They are always good to receive and read, so don’t stop.
I know you are all busy with your lives, but your letters are a big part of Graham’s recovery.
We went back to the ward for Graham to show Marge and Gale how he works his television. Then it was time for his evening meal. I set him all up to feed himself and then he proceeded to do so with such control I was extremely impressed. When he first started feeding himself, his movements were rather too fast and a bit jerky. Yesterday he had such wonderful control, getting food onto the spoon, getting it into his mouth with a slow smooth motion, chatting away to Marge and Gale calmly while feeding himself. He needed almost no help at all, just a little movement of the final bits of the meal to a place he could get an angle on it. He tends to eat salads, as they can be cut up into small pieces and will fit nicely onto the spoon. When the spoon was too full he would tap it, and bits would fall off onto the plate. I was watching from afar, chatting with another patient. We were both remarking at the excellent control and calm that Graham was showing while he was eating.
The other patient also said he has been watching Graham in physiotherapy doing better and better wheeling himself around. I have not witnessed this specific activity as yet, but it is nice to hear reports of him doing it better and better. The other patient also remarked on Graham’s determination to succeed. Many other patients over the years had not had quite the determination Graham was showing, I was told.
At one point while he was eating, another patient was being wheeled along by the daughter and Graham stopped them and introduced them to his mum and cousin. Just like a normal meal with family and friends. I was most impressed!!
Because I was so tired we had to leave before Graham had finished his entire meal or had his teeth brushed. Today we will go in a bit later so that we can be there for the whole meal and after-meal routine. I need Gale and Marge to take this over while they visit over the next two weeks. I will be dropping them off and they will come back to Leeds by bus on Monday – but not today as Sunday bus services are not as good. Airasa will bring them back on Tuesday as she will visit after school. I will just drop them off on Tuesday and do other things.
Hopefully I will have keys to my new flat soon so I can get the moving underway. It has taken such a very long time waiting simply for some paperwork! Gale is in the estate agency business and is surprised that houses take so long to sell here. The election is over now and hopefully the housing market will pick up. It is a buyer’s market at the moment – there are loads of houses for sale in Leeds, the most in well over a decade. But I am sure it will sell eventually.
The weather has been nice so Gale walked around the lake yesterday morning while I took Marge to Tesco's to do food shopping. They will do a bit of sightseeing while they are here and also some shopping, as it is good to experience a foreign country by eating the food, seeing what is for sale and how much it costs, and visiting historical places. Leeds is full of wonderful things to see and very friendly people. I am sure they will enjoy their 2 weeks with me.
We have had a letter from one of you about Graham’s eventual move back to California. It is about paperwork and so forth – but there seems to be a possibility of him having a two bedroom apartment, so he can have a live in carer. He needs to have a facility like Pinderfields to move into first. The idea is that he would be transferred to the Care Facility and be there for 6 to 8 weeks while he is settled into the community and apartment by short visits with help. He will need care to help him into and out of bed and to help him with his physical care; but can be left for some periods of time to watch television or do computing or even reading eventually as he learns to control his environment. The progress he is making is wonderful even if slow. It is steady and it is so good to see him improving little by little.
I also took him an article about magnetic therapy for spinal injury patients for his doctor to read. Every thing that might help him is very valuable so if you see anything, don’t hesitate to send it along.
Again, thank you everyone for your loving thoughts and prayers for his recovery. I hear my gusts stirring, so I will close and let Gale have this computer so he can do his emailing and his business. It is wonderful to be able to use computers to carry on wherever we happen to be. Gale took photos yesterday I will put onto the computer later and send off one or two choice ones.
Kind regards to you all.
Linda
posted by Cosmic Sunshine at 6:36 AM
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