A New Week Ahead

Kristine moved into her room at the physical rehab center on Friday. The center is brand new, remodeled from the hospital that had previously occupied the space. It's design utilizes modern accents that are more hotel than hospital and the staff has been extra helpful and hospitable. Kristine's mood changed for the better once she settled into the new location, partly a result of the new, calmer environment but mostly due to being out of the hospital after 9 days.

Since we checked in Friday afternoon we essentially got the weekend staff. As a result Kristine's rehabilitation schedule was limited for the first few days. The physical therapists were able to work with her for about an hour on Saturday and two hours on Sunday, short of the approximately three hours of therapy per day that she can expect during the week. Kristine has been getting cramps and spasms in her functioning right leg as the muscles shorten from inactivity. The pain has been coming on more frequently and has grown more severe. Because of this pain in her leg she has been eager, if not impatient, to start moving her body regularly. The pain has also exacerbated her anxiety and depression.

We did have a chance to speak with Kristine's primary doctor here at the center on Friday before she left for the weekend. The doctor was able to give us some clarity on how long Kristine's in-patient stay might be. Based on her current condition and assuming she progresses normally she can expect to stay for about 3-4 weeks. The doctor and her resident explained that the major muscle groups at the shoulder and hip joints are often the first to regain mobility followed by the minor muscle groups in the fingers and toes. They also said that it is almost always the case that the leg muscles come back before those in the arm. So by all estimations Kristine's path to recovery is advancing as expected.

Kristine's father and sister headed back to Michigan on Sunday morning. Monday Kristine will begin a regular routine and Kristine's mom and I will start to work out a routine of our own. I have been staying the night in the hospital and at the center, but as you can image chair sleeping coupled with regular waking for bed pan duty is taking its toll. We all have to start trying to achieve some normalcy, "some" being the operative word. Our goal for this week is to reestablish control through more structure rather than reacting to whatever is thrown our way.