Another great day at rehab

10:13pm

I couldn't get to rehab until 5pm today, so I missed seeing Taylor working out. What a bummer....especially after Taylor told me about his day.

After his regular workouts, the physical therapist had him stand from a sitting position. She had HIM stand - no help. He stood up, then sat, stood up again and sat again. Later, using a tall walker that is designed to allow him to use his forearms to help support his weight, he walked approximately 50', turned around and walked back completely unassisted. Last week he took 15 steps. Today he walked 100'. MAJOR improvement. He was obviously very proud of himself, and he should be. Those are both really big accomplishments for him. He said he felt like a sober Drunk trying to walk.

During his 2 hour midday break, his girlfriend Jessica came to visit. Her total round trip drive time took longer than the time she had available to visit, but she had to get back to get to work. He is very lucky to have her.

This Thursday we're hoping to get an appointment with an ENT to see about getting the Trach out. He has an appointment at 2pm with his Neurosurgeon in Lakeland to check on his healing from surgery and to see about getting the collar off. Hopefully, his neck fracture has healed well enough to get it off. Since he'll be a mile from his ENT, we're crossing our fingers that he can go there after his first appointment and get it out.

He wants the Trach out in the worst kind of way. We do too. I've already warned him that once speaking becomes easier, we're just going to sit back and listen. There is no sweeter sound now than to hear him talk, but it takes a lot of his energy to get the air past the Trach and over the vocal cords. Once that big hunk of plastic is out of his throat, it will come much easier. I told him when he runs out of something to say, I may just have him read the newspaper to me so I can listen - and enjoy.