A Grand Day Out

Dale left today, heading back home to Texas. Memorial day morning was spent with Denise and Bill. It was a nice visit with good conversation and brunch. After a nice nap and an early dinner, We headed off for a grand day out to Munsinger Gardens. Ceil really enjoy the sun and flowers. With the warmth of the sun and the colors and smell of the flowers, Ceil was ready for a restful night sleep. Tomorrow will bring new challenges in therapy and more progress for Ceil. See you then.

Ribs, Chicken, Family, and Holiday Fun

Today was a day of good food, (lots of ribs and chicken) and fun with family for Ceil. Ceil was surrounded by many of her children and their families today. Doug and Doris, Karen, Joe and family were all here. David and Kathy were also here to visit as well. What a great time for Ceil. Brian and Micki provided the entertainment with Brian's hat and funny stories. Ceil was very engaged and pleased with all of the activity and conversation. She also ate very well. Larry called and Ceil smiled, noded, and talked very well with Larry. After napping and tea, Ceil went for a nice walk with Kevin, Colleen, Sasha, and Neegi in the cool evening air. She was all smiles all day. Wonderful Sunday for Ceil.

All photos were taken by Dale.

Mellow Staurday

Saturdays are mellow days for Ceil. With Dale visiting it was a good morning for biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs. Ceil ate every bite. Afterwards, we went to Walgreen's and Crossroads for an outing. For lunch it was #1 China, and again Ceil ate so well. After a nice nap, we went to afternoon mass and then enjoyed a quiet evening with a light dinner and more visiting with Dale.

Baby Steps

Ceil had another great morning. First she was greeted this morning by Dale, who had driven straight through from Texas for the weekend. What a great surprise that was!


Ceil did great with Jane and continues to improve with reading comprehension and item ID. Ceil did so good with Steve today. She took her first small steps using her right leg! She was able to walk the length of the dinning room three times using the A-frame cane and with support. Ceil is on her way to walking again and for now, baby steps is the way to start.

Peanut Butter

This morning, Ceil began working on relearning basic skills with Yvonne, the OT. The first thing Yvonne wanted to do was have Ceil make a peanut butter and honey sandwich, while standing a the kitchen counter. As usual, Ceil was a trooper and gave it her best effort, which was not bad for having to use her left hand. Ceil continues to make progress with her ability to stand and balance using her right leg to support. Also, during the session, Ceil was able to move her right arm in a pulling/pushing motion during a song. A great OT session for sure, and she will have the sandwich for a snack after therapy. ; )

More Progress

Ceil had a wonderful morning. She did so well with Jane, the speech therapist. Jane saw marked improvement on word recognition without verbal ques. She also noticed progress with regard to item ID. Ceil's biggest moment of the day was during PT, when she was able to kick and move her right leg without assistance! See the videos, (sorry they are at an angle, but I am still figuring out the video phone). What a great morning of new discoveries and more progress!

Every Day is Different

The morning started out with a hearty breakfast frittata and toast. Ceil ate it all and drank her juice, milk, and coffee as well. We began the morning therapies with ROM, followed by pedaling, and then we did standing and sitting at the kitchen sink. The only difference was that we would now use the A-frame cane that Steve brought yesterday so that we could work on Ceil's balance with the cane while standing. Ceil did great. After several reps of standing and sitting, Ceil took a break and then we proceeded to work on speech, item recognition, and writing. Several new methods were introduced in an effort to create learning opportunities for Ceil. She was again doing great. At 9:00 am Yvonne arrived for OT. Ceil was already quite worked out by that time. It was only a matter of minutes before Ceil had a melt-down. Yvonne brought her into the middle room and laid her down, but Ceil was not up for the therapy at that time. Yvonne and I discussed Ceil's lack of tolerance of too many new things and noisy, hectic environments. I said that we work around her tolerance and energy level. We take our time and go for quality, not quantity. Later, Ceil asked to get back in her chair and then ate a nice lunch and went down for an afternoon nap. We are learning that every day is different, but every little bit counts towards Ceil's recovery from her stroke. We continue to be sensitive to Ceil and the need for routine, rest, and quiet. After her nap, Ceil enjoyed a grilled salmon and sauteed brussel sprouts dinner.


We took an evening walk and visited with a nice lady that goes to St. Pete's. She gave Ceil some nice plants for her flower bed. A great ending to an eventful day.

Monday

Monday morning was a morning packed with activity for Ceil. First, ROM and pedaling. Then, speech therapy. Ceil did so well on item ID. She was able to identify 8 of 10 items for the therapist. Jane, the speech therapist was encouraged by the rapid improvement that Ceil has been showing in just two weeks.

Steve, the PT was next. He brought an A-frame cane to begin the process of finding balance, which will lead to Ceil walking.
Ceil worked so hard, and began to speak the word after Steve. Step, kick, push, step, kick, push. She did very well on balancing for the first time. It wont be long until she will be walking with the cane!

Sunday

Sunday was a laid back day for Ceil, with visits from Doug, Kevin, and Denise for a nice waffle breakfast. Ceil ate a whole waffle and two pieces of bacon. Doug and Denise stayed most of the day to provide cares and extend the visit. Ceil enjoyed fried flounder and a big salad for dinner and was ready for bed right at 7:00 pm. A new week is ahead with more therapy and stories of recovery and restoration for Ceil as she continues her journey back to independence. Stay tuned!

Saturday

Saturday was a windy, rainy, and gray day to begin. However, we were determined to get out and do something after a week of hard work and recovery for Ceil. After a nice breakfast and newspaper we were off to the mall and Famous Dave's. Ceil had good energy and really enjoyed her lunch. After a nice nap, we went to mass. It was great to see Ceil being greeted by friends and fellow parishioners. The message was great by Father Allan. After mass the sun came out and the wind continued. Later, Ken and Judy Grimsley came for a grilled chicken and mediterrainean rice dinner and visited with Ceil until almost eight o'clock. A great day off for Ceil.

Busy Friday Morning

We were up at 6:15 as usual today. Ceil enjoyed a nice breakfast of bran cereal and fruit. The mornIng was booked with range of motion (ROM), speech and physical therapy, and the CNA was coming to give Ceil a shower. During ROM I had Ceil use her left arm to stretch her right arm so that she could feel it and see how far she had come in just two weeks at home. She was able to get the arm almost over her head without pain. Something that was not possible just two weeks ago.
Despite the fact that Ceil has limited energy reserves, she continues to work very hard with all of the therapists at home, and the results are incredible! We are looking forward to a restful weekend. Hope to see some of you then.
Ceil was able to identify object easily, and began to differentiate as well.


Enjoying popcorn and juice after a long nap.

Speech, OT and PT

Today Ceil had speech, OT, and PT. See the video and pictures. Ceil did great on naming and item ID. Ceil had a hard morning of right arm and leg work with Yvonne, the OT and Steve, the PT. Both Yvonne and Steve felt muscle contraction and tone while working with Ceil.. Steve feels that Ceil has much hope for a good recovery, but it will take time and hard work. After therapy and lunch, Ceil took a much deserved three hour nap. Brian stopped by and added his own brand of humor and maddness to the afternoon (along with Judge Judy). He felt that things were going good and that Ceil looked healthy and happy at home. After a nice dinner and a short outing, Ceil called it a night. Oh. and she had watermelon for a bedtime snack.

Daily Life

Every day with Ceil is different. I have found through research, and now practical experience, no two days are alike. With post-stroke recovery comes an intense need for sleep and rest. Due to her stroke, Ceil can't tell Linda and I when she is fatigued or stressed. So, we are learning just what the signs are, and when Ceil needs to be alone and/or sleep. I provide Ceil with six healthy and well balanced meals a day. All include protein and whole foods. We will keep a picture and video log of Ceil's therapy, meals, outings, and of course progress. Check back often.

Speech Therapy

Today Ceil sang for the speech therapist. She sang the shole song on her own! Ceil is also progressing quickly through the simple words and phrases. See the videos below.