Michael is doing pretty well today. Here he is looking fierce while propelling his wheelchair down the hallway. LOL PT here in a few minutes, but we are warming up. Go Team Canon GO!!!
Things are going well. We just hit the FOUR year post-stroke mark last week. IN-FRICKING-CREDIBLE! Seems like a lifetime ago but other times it seems like last year. Michael continues to do well. He had a CT of the brain last month and all looks good. Doc just wants to repeat every few years to be sure blood flow is normal and the stent in the vertebral artery is holding up. Gym, twice a week and walking are our main activities. We went nearly 3 miles just today. M is strong and wonderful!! Most importantly he is happy and positive. Here he is on a recent walk in our neighborhood. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping. We LOVE our slice of paradise.
Had OT and PT back-to-back this morning. Good practice in getting M ready for the rigors of outpatient therapy. He was super tired, but did great. He got his Independence Day shirt today and got his photo taken and put on the wall with all of the others before him who got well enough to go home. But what was super exciting is the PT had him sign a photo release. I almost told her he could not sign, but instead just let him go for it. He started writing his name and had a nearly perfectly formed M (in the same style he had prior to the stroke) and you could recognize a C and an N. Won't be long until he will have that back to, I have a feeling! yay! In OT, with the adorable Whitney, he bounced a soft basketball off a net and caught it again. Over and over, sitting then standing! His reaction time was really great. Then he did his favorite hand over hand windmill exercise. We still have equilibrium issues and need to learn to straighten up while sitting and standing and not lean...
Each time I go to the mailbox I expect to see bills. Bills from ambulance companies, bills from hospitals, medication, etc. I always wonder just HOW much those bills will be? Today I got our first bill and that was from the (March 21st) initial transport to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley. Total amount $1,547.16. Total due from patient- $0. Seriously ZERO. I nearly cried. I don't expect that outcome for every bill since we've had 5 hospital admissions and 6 ambulance rides including from hospital to hospital, but so far I am so thankful we have insurance. Kaiser seems to be taking good care of us so far.