Boot camp for the pelvis!

A shortish missive from Síle about Síle. 

I will be discharged from the fabulous Summit Rehab Center on Friday December 2nd. My days are busy. I have mandatory PT for 3 hours a day. Then I have so called bed exercises which I do at least 3 times a day. Add in how long it takes to actually get out of the bed or chair and you get the picture. I have a broken pelvis which will heal on its own but is " bloody painful" if I don't move just right. One week post surgery my elbow is improving nicely. I can now dress myself which is thrilling! (Don't  ask how long it takes). I navigate the Center with my walker and get more proficient every day. The gym is terrific  but when I am there, we are working so hard there is no chit chatting or any such foolishness. We are all too busy concentrating on our exercises . The therapists, nurses , doctors etc are also fab.

Thank you to everyone for all the love and support. I can hear your cheers when I navigate a tricky manouver!  After I return, I'd welcome visitors. 

And now for the good part. Pictures. And the excellent news that Jutta and Greg are now proud parents of Lukas. 

Nóra, Úna and Ainaté on Thanksgiving 

Jutta, Greg, and Lukas 

Úna

New Digs

This dispatch is coming to you from the 3rd Floor at Summit in Oakland. My mom was accepted to the acute rehab facility and will be here for 1-2 weeks. The social worker at Alta Bates emphasized the rather strict criteria they have for patients here so when she returned a few hours later to say that my mom had been accepted, Nora said she felt like she'd gotten into Harvard.

Ralph oversaw the transfer from Alta Bates this morning and while there have been some understandable hiccups that come with an intake day at a new facility, we're getting settled in. The room is new, spacious, and once again has a view of SF and the Golden Gate Bridge (I wonder what they could get for this place on Craigslist...).

While here, my mom will get a minimum of 3 hours of physical and occupational therapy each day to rebuild her strength. They take a holistic approach to rehab so also have a social worker, a nutritionist, therapy dogs, and apparently even someone to cut your hair (my mom asked about getting a touch up on her hair color too). The goal here is to emulate the outside world as much as possible, so they have patients get dressed in their own clothes in the morning, go to the dining room for meals, and try to have as much of a routine as possible. She was nervous about moving over here but overall feels good about the care and work she'll be doing in order to get home as quickly as possible.

And now for some pics of Úna. I can't share my favorite from today, but suffice to say that little missy discovered if she flashes her bum at me I will laugh pretty hard so she has returned to that joke-well more than once...

Minor setback but cute pics

Returning home from a birthday dinner for Ainate on Wednesday evening (carrying a chocolate cake, of course!), my mom took a tumble and fractured her elbow and a pelvic bone. She was brought to the ER at Alta Bates and is now ensconced in a room on the 6th floor with a view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. 

We had a visit from the orthopedist today and she'll have surgery on her elbow on Sunday. Fortunately the fracture in the pelvic bone is small enough it will heal on its own. Assuming all goes smoothly with the surgery, she'll stay in the hospital for another day or two and then be discharged. 

All things considered, the patient is in very good spirits and has been eager to get up and out of the hospital bed when she can. She'll be in quite a bit of pain for the next little while but so far all signs have been positive. Obviously being in the hospital the week of Thanksgiving was not in the original plan, but we are making due and are happy to be in the care of Dr. Cecchi and his, ahem, charm, the orthopedist Dr. Zwahlen, and the rest of the staff at Alta Bates. 

And now... some Úna pics since that always makes everyone feel better and smile.