We survived day 1 post surgery!
Brian was back to work today after his one day off after surgery! He started out the day today a little later than usual, but he still had a packed schedule. He started the day with speech today. He had a co-treat with his new speech therapist and his assistive technology speech therapist. I have kept the same plan to stay out of those appointments since I am more of a distraction than an assistance.
Following speech Brian had OT. First thing he did in that session with her was re-learn how to do a few daily get ready for the day tasks now that he only has the ability to use one arm. Rotator cuff surgery repairs come with a lot of restrictions unfortunately and Brian's arm is not to leave his side under it's own power for at least 6 weeks. Since his tear was so significant, it may even end up being 8 weeks. So this now makes getting dressed way more challenging. His OT demonstrated with Brian today and he actually did a really great job getting dressed today. Another thing Brian did in that session was shave his neck. He was saying yesterday and this morning that the hair on his neck was getting pulled by his sling. This is very difficult for him now though since he needs to use his left arm instead of the right. We also chatted about some stuff Brian can do when he is in the hospital while alone. Brian's such a people person that he doesn't enjoy solo activities which makes the times when I can't be there tough for him. But this is also something that he will need post discharge too because I will need to be able to step away to do things (like take a shower) and also to work since someone's gotta pay the bills. 😜
After OT we had PT. Today his PT had me leading the charge since we are getting to the countdown time for Brian's inpatient stay! This means they need to know that Brian will be safe with me when he is solely my responsibility. We did some walking outside on different ground surfaces to test his balance, and we also did some unexpected stairs which was great to provide some more practice for me assisting Brian. We also did a little practicing for Brian getting in and out of my car. This is something we need to really nail so Brian can get off campus + driving ability while still being in patient. We were really hoping Brian could leave the hospital for a bit over this upcoming weekend, but with his shoulder surgery, his team feels like this weekend is a bit too soon (super bummer since Lincoln's birthday is Sunday) but completely understandable.
Tomorrow has even more on the schedule so I'll have plenty to report on for tomorrow!
🤍
Comments
Post a Comment