Livin’ at the La Jolla Beach House
We are at the rental house. Veronica was anxious about the ride home. She said that it wasn’t as bad as she worried it could be. She is now slowly rocking in a recliner.
Day: January 26, 2018
Leaving
Fr. Coffey stopped by to visit. It was nice to see him again. The nurse brought in discharge papers. We are going to be leaving the hospital soon. Please pray that the dizziness isn’t unbearable on the ride home and that I can give Veronica all that she needs at the house.
Walking and Resting
After a good lunch this afternoon Veronica has spent more time walking and resting. She also got a chance to take a shower. She said she feels clean and better. She is fighting the dizziness and pain with all of her strength which a lot.
Lullaby
This is one of the hospitals that plays a lullaby over the intercom whenever a baby is born. The intercom is also used to inform the “code team” when they are needed. It makes me happy to hear the lullaby, and I find solace in the fact that it happens much more often than a code call.
Took a Stroll With My Wife
Veronica slept for more than an hour after the PT and OT appointments. Because the PT was happy with her progress I am allowed to walk with her. We walked “around” the floor twice with a stop in the lounge to do some vestibular exercises, she is now in bed relaxing.
Self-care
The OT came in as the PT left. They went through a number of self-care exercises. The OT was very happy with everything that Veronica was able to do. The OT said that Veronica has met all of the OT goals, so now there will just be PT going forward. Both the PT and OT have encouraged her to try to go through her “normal” daily routine. It is hard to recognize what her own self-care routine is among the things that she does for our family every day.
Swagger
Veronica just had another appointment with the PT. She walked further than all of the other days combined. The PT had her walk without holding onto him or the railing. At first, it was slow going, but she started to get her natural gait back moving her arms as she walked. While on this epic journey, she went up and down a flight of steps! I am so proud of her. The PT also opened the shades in the room completely.
This is where Veronica went on her epic journey. The white door goes to the stairwell where she practiced walking on the steps.
Balance
Veronica knows that the more vestibular work she does the sooner she will get her balance back, and hopefully minimize her dizziness. She is very driven to fight through the vestibular struggles. She, the nurses and the doctors have found a drug combination that helps her feel less pain however it causes her to feel tired and groggy. She has asked the nurses today to lower the dosage of the pain medication, so she has more time to work on her balance and the dizziness.
Leaving?
This morning Veronica discussed with the doctors plans for her to leave the hospital. When Veronica gets more of her balance back, they will put together a plan. I am in the on-deck circle! She seems to have improved last night as much as she did the previous night. The pain and dizziness continue to persist.