Good progress

Mama is home as of about 6 pm last night. She is dealing with some pain, but the real issue is the injury to the tendons and soft tissue from the surgery. She is almost able to maneuver her left leg on her own but the large thigh muscles (the quadriceps and the hamstrings) both got some tendon work done during surgery and are being stubborn in their recovery. In order to get into and out of bed someone must help Mama lift her injured leg up and onto the bed or down and onto the floor. I did notice last night that she has a greater amount of control than she did just a day ago, but she still requires help. The physical therapist said that those two muscles or muscle groups take about a week to regain the strength required to control lifting and lowering the leg without assistance. So, for now, pain is not the biggest issue. Mobility will be the focus of the recovery from this point forward. Mama still has some mild pain meds available to her, but we are diligent only with taking the antibiotics, the muscle relaxers and the blood thinners. That will continue for the next four weeks. Full recovery is expected to take about 12 weeks – if we can find some home health care and an outpatient physical therapy provider. We left the hospital with both of those needs unanswered last night.

I left the house thing morning with Victoria on her way out. Erin and the kids on their way in and Grandma slated to arrive about 8 am. Victoria originally had the day off but that changed once her supervisor looked closely at the hours. She will only be required to work until 9:30 or 10 am but we did not want to leave Mama alone for any time right now. I am not entirely sure how mixing Erin and Grandma will work out, but I am sure Erin will be able to cope with anything Grandma finds to pick about. We just know that as much as Grandma loves to care for the sick and wounded, she does not have the strength or mobility to handle a crisis, should one arise. Our greatest concern at this point is Mama falling. With that in mind, all rugs have been moved, obstacles have been eliminated wherever possible and the dogs have been cautioned and scolded about getting too close to Mama when she is up. For the moment, her walker protects her from being crowded by the dogs, but I imagine, the dogs will be put outside once Grandma arrives. Having eh kids there might be good for Mama. Time will tell.

On the bright side, the home we have is nearly perfect for Mama’s current needs. Good floors that allow the walker to slide easily. Open, straight pathways throughout the house. Only one small step to navigate and that is not necessary in order to get through the house. It was built by a family who had a child confined to a wheelchair. That makes it the perfect house for us– especially right now.

Now that Mama is home and alert she can coordinate us on the finer points of caring for her plants and animals. I am sure the animals will appreciate the more intimate knowledge of their specific needs being addressed my a professional versed in their care. It may be a month before we allow Mama to venture further than the patio. I will have to be convinced that she is able to safely navigate the uneven ground around the farm before she is allowed off the proven flat surfaces of the house, the driveway or the patio. One misstep could cause a severe setback. One that neither of us would want to deal with.

She is still much in need of your prayers.