M had a great PT session this afternoon. He was doing leg lifts while on his stomach and counting his reps (in his head) He walked a good distance with his walker. Even Ken his therapist was very impressed! Keep it up Michael! ❤
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.
What we thought was the event in fact was not. At 4:00 PM on Saturday, March 24, Michael suffered what was actually THE EVENT. He looked at me and said, "Left side tingle, I'm OK." and then started looking like he was having a seizure. Frothing at the mouth, shaking uncontrollably. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen. I pushed the nurse call button, then ran to get them. Before long I was being rushed out of the room, and all of the medical personnel came in. The thing that freaked me out was the calmness that everyone had. I know it is their job and they encounter this daily. You want to scream "MOVE FASTER!!!!!" You notice other people walking by with their lives in full tact while mine is falling apart. I'm sitting in the hallway across from the room watching the activity the best I could....I just knew it was bad. They took him down to ICU to consult with the stroke team. They got my belongings and took me to the downstairs waiting...
Wow. Wasn't March the longest month ever? It seemed to drag on and on. But here we are. April. We passed our two year mark since Michael's series of strokes. It came and went without little notice, as our thoughts are more with the millions of people who are affected by COVID-19. We cannot fathom the pain and suffering so many people are experiencing. It's heart-wrenching. March 26th was Michael's official last day of "work" as he had been on the district payroll until then. We are so grateful for the dozens of his colleagues who collectively donated just over a year of sick leave so we could postpone the inevitable for as long as possible. Now we are a couple of retired folks! Not quite in the mood to celebrate, as this was not exactly entered into under ideal circumstances. But we have had two years of practice and we enjoy our carefree days. We have already perfected the art of napping...that's for sure. All our facilities here are closed, s...