Oro Valley, Arizona
Hey everyone, Richard here...
Lisa and I are having a calm, quiet weekend. Poppy and Mimi (my dad, Michael and Sherry) extended a business trip to Anaheim, California and are treating their grandson to Disneyland.
The trip gives me a chance to catch up you all up on how well things have gone this spring. Lisa is continuing the stable, comfortable, safe condition she’s maintained since getting home. Lisa has been unable to regain the ability to communicate that we’d hoped for, but we have gotten pretty good at reading her reactions to keep her stable, safe and comfortable.
Lisa’s Tucson physiatrist (the Neuro-Rehab specialist) has continued the work of Dr. Kwasnica in adjusting the different medicines to control Lisa’s spasticity. The results in reducing the stiffness in Lisa’s muscles have been impressive. We are able to move Lisa’s limbs much more easily and she can sit in her chairs without sliding out from her being so stiff. This has made it easy for her to sit in the kitchen while I’m fixing dinner with the help of our two year old Sous Chef.
Lisa continues to reap the benefits of her new bed, the Hill-Rom Total Care Sport bed. It rotates her from side to help keep her lungs clear and skin healthy. It helps turn her on her side and even turns itself (kind of like “transformers”) into a great big well-padded chair so she can sit up and enjoy the incredible views out of our bedroom patio doors when it gets too warm to sit outside. We’re still fighting with the insurance company to pay for it, but there’s no question it has been worth the cost. Lisa’s not had anymore skin or lung problems since she’s gotten this amazing piece of equipment.
Lisa’s daily routine goes something like this: we wake up listening to National Public Radio news and Michael’s quiet breathing. After her morning meds and treatments Lisa finishes the tube feedings that provide her the nutrition that keeps her healthy and strong. We (Patrice and I) use the ceiling lift to transfer her safely and smoothly to her shower chair and give Lisa a chance to sit on our patio to enjoy the morning songbirds and smell of the star jasmine we planted on both sides of our master bedroom patio.
Next, Lisa gets her shower, with the modification we made to our house; she can be easily rolled into our super-duper shower with its 7 spray heads and get a real spa experience. Later Lisa gets range of motion therapy and a chance to rest for a bit. After her nap and afternoon meds and treatment it’s back into the ceiling lift and a trip downstairs into her regular wheelchair.
If Lisa has an outside appointment the great folks at Oro Valley’s Coyote Run (public door-to-door wheelchair transportation) will pick Lisa and her caregiver Patrice up and take them to her doctor’s appointment or even shopping and back! Patrice always brings a “go-bag” to make certain Lisa has necessary equipment and medicines should a need arise. Getting out and about during the week is also fun! For most of her needs though, folks come to Lisa and she is able to meet them downstairs in her home.
When there are no visitors or appointments, Lisa will sit with Patrice studying for one of her online college courses or they’ll watch “chick flicks” which, by-the-way, I can’t sit through. Once I hit the door after picking up our 2-year old Godzilla, Lisa comes into the kitchen with me while I make dinner, usually with Michael helps push his mom’s wheelchair. He wants to help and I let him.
Later we’ll watch a little sponge bob square pants (if you don’t know, don’t ask) or Michael will yell, “book!” prompting a hard look from me, followed by him lighting up a heart-melting smile and whispering “please?”. At the moment, we’re working through an illustrated “treasure island.” by this time Lisa’s back upstairs with us and we’re all winding down getting ready for a restful night and the next day’s adventure.
Springtime has turned into a wonderful season for us here in the desert. The weather is truly wonderful and the blooming plants, trees and cactus make you wonder if someone dropped LSD into your coffee with all the strange shapes and colors.
Spring started with Michael’s birthday in February on the 10th fo
llowed by Easter with beautiful church services and Michael’s first Easter egg hunt. We celebrated Lisa’s birthday in April and mine a couple of weeks later (I’m still so much older than she is!) in May. The highlight of mother’s day for us was Michael’s handmade (literally) gift for mommy.
What m
akes these times so special are the members of our family and friends wh
o’ve stood by and supported us through thick and thin. Lisa’s beloved nephew Collin, who used his spring break to travel to a troubled and impoverished town in Mexico to serve others and then called Lisa to share the story with her, Jim and Ann, our guardian angel neighbors, Jack and Napua, Michael’s godparents who are always calling in with love and support, and Poppy and Mimi, without whom we couldn’t make it a week helping make sure Lisa’s son is surrounded by folks who love and protect him and his mother.
We still have challenges ahead; I’m hoping to get Lisa back into hyperbaric therapy and eventually a wheelchair van to make weekend outings possible for us as a family. Lisa’s condition is unchanged. I know for some that’s disappointing, and in a way, of course, it is. But from where we were just a year ago, (just take a look at those updates) we are in such a much better place, that I truly feel we are blessed. So we’re going to keep plugging away, making the most of each day God has given us, together. r (Richard Wintory - 20 May 2008)
For more information or comment please email:
Michael
mlwintory@msn.com
Hey everyone, Richard here...
Lisa and I are having a calm, quiet weekend. Poppy and Mimi (my dad, Michael and Sherry) extended a business trip to Anaheim, California and are treating their grandson to Disneyland.
The trip gives me a chance to catch up you all up on how well things have gone this spring. Lisa is continuing the stable, comfortable, safe condition she’s maintained since getting home. Lisa has been unable to regain the ability to communicate that we’d hoped for, but we have gotten pretty good at reading her reactions to keep her stable, safe and comfortable.
Lisa’s Tucson physiatrist (the Neuro-Rehab specialist) has continued the work of Dr. Kwasnica in adjusting the different medicines to control Lisa’s spasticity. The results in reducing the stiffness in Lisa’s muscles have been impressive. We are able to move Lisa’s limbs much more easily and she can sit in her chairs without sliding out from her being so stiff. This has made it easy for her to sit in the kitchen while I’m fixing dinner with the help of our two year old Sous Chef.
Lisa continues to reap the benefits of her new bed, the Hill-Rom Total Care Sport bed. It rotates her from side to help keep her lungs clear and skin healthy. It helps turn her on her side and even turns itself (kind of like “transformers”) into a great big well-padded chair so she can sit up and enjoy the incredible views out of our bedroom patio doors when it gets too warm to sit outside. We’re still fighting with the insurance company to pay for it, but there’s no question it has been worth the cost. Lisa’s not had anymore skin or lung problems since she’s gotten this amazing piece of equipment.
Lisa’s daily routine goes something like this: we wake up listening to National Public Radio news and Michael’s quiet breathing. After her morning meds and treatments Lisa finishes the tube feedings that provide her the nutrition that keeps her healthy and strong. We (Patrice and I) use the ceiling lift to transfer her safely and smoothly to her shower chair and give Lisa a chance to sit on our patio to enjoy the morning songbirds and smell of the star jasmine we planted on both sides of our master bedroom patio.
Next, Lisa gets her shower, with the modification we made to our house; she can be easily rolled into our super-duper shower with its 7 spray heads and get a real spa experience. Later Lisa gets range of motion therapy and a chance to rest for a bit. After her nap and afternoon meds and treatment it’s back into the ceiling lift and a trip downstairs into her regular wheelchair.
If Lisa has an outside appointment the great folks at Oro Valley’s Coyote Run (public door-to-door wheelchair transportation) will pick Lisa and her caregiver Patrice up and take them to her doctor’s appointment or even shopping and back! Patrice always brings a “go-bag” to make certain Lisa has necessary equipment and medicines should a need arise. Getting out and about during the week is also fun! For most of her needs though, folks come to Lisa and she is able to meet them downstairs in her home.
When there are no visitors or appointments, Lisa will sit with Patrice studying for one of her online college courses or they’ll watch “chick flicks” which, by-the-way, I can’t sit through. Once I hit the door after picking up our 2-year old Godzilla, Lisa comes into the kitchen with me while I make dinner, usually with Michael helps push his mom’s wheelchair. He wants to help and I let him.
Later we’ll watch a little sponge bob square pants (if you don’t know, don’t ask) or Michael will yell, “book!” prompting a hard look from me, followed by him lighting up a heart-melting smile and whispering “please?”. At the moment, we’re working through an illustrated “treasure island.” by this time Lisa’s back upstairs with us and we’re all winding down getting ready for a restful night and the next day’s adventure.
Springtime has turned into a wonderful season for us here in the desert. The weather is truly wonderful and the blooming plants, trees and cactus make you wonder if someone dropped LSD into your coffee with all the strange shapes and colors.
Spring started with Michael’s birthday in February on the 10th fo
llowed by Easter with beautiful church services and Michael’s first Easter egg hunt. We celebrated Lisa’s birthday in April and mine a couple of weeks later (I’m still so much older than she is!) in May. The highlight of mother’s day for us was Michael’s handmade (literally) gift for mommy.What m
akes these times so special are the members of our family and friends wh
o’ve stood by and supported us through thick and thin. Lisa’s beloved nephew Collin, who used his spring break to travel to a troubled and impoverished town in Mexico to serve others and then called Lisa to share the story with her, Jim and Ann, our guardian angel neighbors, Jack and Napua, Michael’s godparents who are always calling in with love and support, and Poppy and Mimi, without whom we couldn’t make it a week helping make sure Lisa’s son is surrounded by folks who love and protect him and his mother.We still have challenges ahead; I’m hoping to get Lisa back into hyperbaric therapy and eventually a wheelchair van to make weekend outings possible for us as a family. Lisa’s condition is unchanged. I know for some that’s disappointing, and in a way, of course, it is. But from where we were just a year ago, (just take a look at those updates) we are in such a much better place, that I truly feel we are blessed. So we’re going to keep plugging away, making the most of each day God has given us, together. r (Richard Wintory - 20 May 2008)
For more information or comment please email:
Michael
mlwintory@msn.com
