Friday, March 29, 2019

Keith at Encompass Rehab, Friday

UPDATED 9:30 PM, Friday, March 29, 2019

(missed) PM, Thursday, March 28, 2019

I had planned to write here when I got home from visiting Keith in his new-temporary home, but I was tired, and Holly was home with stories, and I forgot. Sorry.

It's a big room, people are energetic and attentive all around him, and he was going to have a shower, when I left. When I got home, he had texted that the shower went well.

Oh! I forgot to say that finally, that last day he was in the hospital (Thursday) he finally agreed to keep his phone and glasses.

8:39 AM, Friday, March 29, 2019

Another shower already! Part of the therapy is helping him regain skills and the ability to take care of himself so they can send him home.

Their target date for release is April 5, next Friday. Good, I guess, because that's the day the new mattress is arriving, in the morning.

He has three hours of therapy scheduled every day. This shower and him dressing himself is part of it, today. He said he dressed himself this morning for breakfast. I saw him stand up to transfer from a wheelchair to the shower chair, and he stood up on his own for maybe 20 seconds, holding to a door, but not a walker. They didn't send that walker with him from UNMH.

9:30 AM, Friday, March 29, 2019

Unexpected problem. Finally I was able to try to get tangles out of Keith's hair. For over two weeks, I've been carrying spray detangler and a very forgiving comb, in my backpack. So today, I tried. I couldn't get more than a few ends out of this:


After I tried with fingers for a while, and was not making it better, Keith suggested maybe giving up and cutting it. I thought about how difficult it would be for him to take care of it even if I did somehow manage to untangle it. He had another physical therapy session in less than an hour and a half. It just so happened that one of the few things Keith had asked me to bring from the house yesterday was a little pair of scissors, very sharp Fiskars, from his bathroom. He said cut it, so I started working on that. The big mass of tangle came off without even dropping hair. Then I trimmed the rest up.


The texture of what's left is really soft, and it's various colors.
The beard had been trimmed before the implant surgery on Wednesday.



"It will grow back."

Keith had a big breakfast and doesn't even want the Chobani yogurt drink I brought. He had eggs with cheese and green chile, a bit of French toast, coffee, cranberry juice, some fruit cup. The coffee gave him low blood pressure, seems, but he didn't get dizzy. All that dizziness and nausea from standing up and doing things at the hospital isn't happening here. Very cool.


9:30 PM, Friday, March 29, 2019

After Devyn's gym class, I took her to see Keith, and we met the rest of her family there (Kirby, Destiny, and the little-baby Kirby). We arrived just as they did. The purpose of the gathering was so that Keith could see this special announcement:


I had known for a whole three hours or so, myself. :-)



Notes on the weekend, March 30 and 31

13 comments:

Suzanne Perkowski said...

You look great! Nice to see your smiling face!

Unknown said...

Keith! You look awesome!

Unknown said...

Keith! You look awesome!

Unknown said...

I had to give a friend who had been hospitalized the same haircut last year. I hope he's home and I can visit briefly before I leave on the 9th, but illI certainly understand if it doesn't work. Thanks for the continued good news ❤️

Carolyn Pihl said...

Looks very handsome to me!

Sarah Turner said...

Wonderful to see his smiling face! Hope to see you both in person in the coming weeks. -Sarah T.

Sarah Turner said...

Wonderful to see his smiling face! Hope to see you both in person in the coming weeks. -Sarah

Unknown said...

We here in Northshield are dancing for joy! Dane and Susan wishing all the best!

Anonymous said...

He's looking great !! So happy for you and your family! The hair can grow back, for sure, but he also looks really good as is ( young Viking style: clearer resemblance to Marty in this photo, too). Onwards and upwards๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ
Sukayna

Unknown said...

Vaclav says , ‘he looks great!’ And I agree. Awesome progress and a new look! So good.

Sadie B. said...

I love all of this! Kieth is looking handsome as ever! And it will grow back. :)

JeanC said...

Doing imaginary cartwheels of joy for all the good news. Keith looks great! Thank you for the updates. - Jean

Unknown said...

Omg! Keith you look fantastic! I'm very cheered up by your progress with your rehab. I can't wait to see you standing tall and give you a huge gentle hug!