August 27, 2006

No beeping, so I think we’ve got that problem solved, thanks to the Rogers!

I haven’t had to help Gary with his bowel program for several weeks now, but I did this morning. Remember how I told you theoretically it takes about twenty minutes? Well, evidently that’s when you don’t have flap restrictions and can do it sitting up and use gravity to your advantage – Gary typically takes a half hour, though one time it took fifty minutes. It took an hour and a half this morning, though I only had to help the last twenty minutes or so (ready for some bathroom humor? How did the mathematician treat his constipation? He worked it out with a pencil.) “By the way, Happy Birthday,” Gary said during the procedure. “Gee, thanks, what a present,” I replied. We both started laughing. Then he asked me to bring him breakfast in bed because he wanted to do a wet run. I told him something was wrong with this picture ;-).

Breakfast finished, we did the wet run. For the first time, Gary transferred to and from the shower bench using the transfer board and me just supervising. That went fine, but we haven’t figured out what he would do with the wheelchair if he were to try to shower on his own (which won’t be for some time, though); he would need to push it out of the way so it wouldn’t get wet, but not so far that he couldn’t get it back to him; maybe the OT when she comes to our house, as she’s said she would, will have some suggestions.

It still takes a lot of effort for him to shower, so I helped him with it, doing a little bit more than usual, actually – we were expecting someone to come for a housekeeping interview at 11, and it looked like we were going to be cutting it close (that person never showed up).

Instead of him transferring back to the bed after the shower, he stayed in the chair and I dressed his flap and got his t.e.d. hose and pants on him that way, him helping. I don’t think it took any more time, and it saved us a couple transfers, so that was good to learn. After this, I half-joked I needed a nap now. He said, “Poor pookie – you can write on your blog how much fun you had on the morning of your birthday.” ;-)

I heard the answering machine go off, and I recognized my sister Janet’s and brother-in-law John’s voices singing Happy Birthday, so I picked up. We talked for a time, and I found out it was they who had sent the flowers I had missed delivery of yesterday – I’ll look forward to getting them tomorrow, and also to something from my mom, which Janet said was also coming.

Janet said she was amazed Gary was back at work already. She then pointed out that the fact that he was was due to me as well as him; I hadn’t thought about it quite that way, so that made me feel good. Janet and John then talked to Gary for a bit.

After the call, Gary handed me a letter he had written for me a couple weeks back and had saved until now, the gist of it being what it means to him how I have devoted myself to seeing that he gets back to as much of a normal life as possible, and that he knew before the accident that I loved him but he hadn’t realized how much and he hoped to repay me in some way (adding, without me having an accident or something too of course!). The letter made me cry.

(He also told me he bought me some pairs of drawstring cargo pants, which are what I wanted, and that he would buy me a new mattress when I decide what one I want.)

Janet Rogers came over with a Hav-A-Heart trap that John Hinrichsen had found in his attic (and may belong to Donna Bennett). She also brought some sunflower seeds and showed me how to set the trap -- let's hope the beastie goes for it.

Two people came for housekeeping interviews in the afternoon; they both seemed promising, but we’ve made no decision yet.

Later in the afternoon, Gary smiled prettily and asked me if I wanted to take him out for ice cream for my birthday. I gave him a look. “Remember, this is a day for you,” he said. “YOU got to help me with my bowel program, YOU got to help me take a shower, YOU got to bring me breakfast in bed, YOU get to take me out for ice cream, and YOU get to make me dinner.” Funny guy.

(He did note that he would have taken me out somewhere had that made sense, and he did choose something simple – pasta – for dinner, and made his own salad.)

Joe and Dolores called just at that time, so we talked for a while about mattresses and chipmunks and drains and this and that, and then I took Gary out for ice cream.

In the evening, my little sister Di called – so again I got Happy Birthday sung to me. After we talked for awhile and as we made to end the call, she told me to go do something I enjoyed. I told her it was time to go and help Gary stretch. “Do it joyfully,” she said. We laughed.

So, anyway, that’s what I now plan to do. And later, after I help Gary prone, because I get up later than he does, I will joyfully watch a little Remington Steele before going to bed.

Thanks to those of you who sent me birthday greetings!