THE NEXT STEP

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow, October 27th, is Dick's scheduled discharge from the in-hospital rehab to an outside rehab facility.

My sister in-law Rosemary and I took on that task this past week and toured four places near our area of town. I had my brother,Roger, working on the computer to check the ratings , so we have made this a family affair.
I have to say it is interesting to go into these places and observe the overall atmosphere and personalities of the staff and clients. We came away knowing Dick needs to be in an "up" place that presents the feeling that those there are aiming to go home. I realize many are long term but only two gave me a feeling of hope and not resignation to what life has handed them.  At first I was drawn to one that is not more than 4 miles away but had a " niggly" feeling about it that I could not really identify. The other one is The Health Center of Windermere . It is only  7 miles away, the same distance from the hospital only a more direct route out I-4.

I generally go in the afternoon and stay until he is ready for bed, so will miss the traffic that highway generates. The place is very nice, has two therapy rooms that are large and bright, and a positive feeling.

Dick is improving. He can now get himself up to a standing position with minimal help and is beginning to stand alone for a short minute or two. He still has no use of his left side but has greater trunk strength which will help him in the walking and strengthening of his legs and hips. He is able to pivot into his wheelchair and get to a sitting position on the bed with minimal help. His speech is improving in volume but needs to slow down when he reads out loud. He continues to be very tired so the therapists have been  doing the strenuous work in the afternoon so he can rest in the morning and do the ST first.

The best news of the week was that he can now eat regular food, so I went out and got him some cheese enchiladas, refried beans, and guacamole. He ate it all and grinned the whole way through. Then Rosemary brought him some of her homemade applesauce which really tastes like pie without the crust.

We continue to be encouraged and blessed by all the prayers, cards, and visits that have come our way .Thank you for being a major part of the Lord's healing heart and mercy.

Dick will be at the Health Center of Windermere
4875 Cason Cove Dr.
Orlando,FL 32811
407-420-2090