Tonya slept very well last night thanks to a sleeping pill and got about 8 hours of uninterrupted. The nurses psyched Tonya up for the big day it wasn’t hard to convince her lots of energy was necessary and she needed to eat.
Her morning menu was bannana, french toast and “weird” little sausages. tonya ate them all. The preliminary evaluation (apparently they will not allow me to post here) began with putting Tonya in hip high cotton/elastic support stockings much like what Kobe and Allen Iverson wear on their arms and Wade wears on his legs in the NBA. For non NBA fans they’re just super high tech support hose. They then gave Tonya an abdominal binder to help support her core. The abdominal binder is a soft cottony Velcro girdle….with memory. Oh yeaaaaaaah! The hospital gown came off rand was soon eplaced by Tonya’s pg-13 red pajamas with farm equipment apellets and all of a sudden she was put her in a wheel chair. Tonya spent the rest of the day going from wheel chair to exercises and then back to bed. She did this 3X today. She is going to wear the girdle and stockings 24/7. I am trying to see wha tI can do with the pajamas
Most of the day was evaluation tests. Tonya’s complete range of motion, strength, dexterity was monitored e.g. how far she could lift her arm (good right, okay left) , how far she could bend her elbow (good both sides aka the chicken dance) , how far she could bend her wrists (right side very good, left wrist not good…yet). Next they tested her finger dexterity e.g, could Tonya touch her index finger to her thumb and thumb to each finger (right side yes, left side no). I had prepared Tonya for the sobriety test back in the ICU and in post-op and was not surprised she passed with flying colors. (Let’s hear it for designated drivers!) Then Tonya’s lower body was tested. They tested her strength in the buttocks, quads, hamstrings, calf’s and toes. Her right side performed pretty well. Her left side is faintly strong in her buttocks and hamstring and the rest of the muscles are off-line. However there is much sensation all over her left leg and from head to toe. This means there is sensitive registered information flow from her feet to her brain. The CNS and its ability to reconnect is not something you can predict.
I believe in a 100% recovery and the only variable is time.
Today’s Highlights :
blood pressure is 105/64….the first reading over 100 most likely due to a switch off the hard stuff to Tylenol PM (taken at AM and PM)
Tonya is wearing pajamas not a house coat
Tonya is in a great mood.
A first bowel movement in the foreshadowed photos on the homepage. Tonya was able to smell the roses. Thanks Ralph, Jake and John!!!!
Today’s Lowlights:
A bathroom incident involving her first bowel movement not to be divulged in this forum but involving a large man with the requisitie strength to maneuver Tonya into position.
Tonya’s left shoulder had spasm’s and she needed a second pain pill for the day.
Tonya continues to ask Dr. Johnson about when she will be better and expect to be out of her. Tonya was discouraged that the Dr. could not provide her with much clarity on that. Maybe Tonya needs to learn to turn that part of her mind off.
