Monday, July 1, 2013

I should not be on the computer, but....

It has been a long, long time since I last posted.  As the docs say, Dave will always get better.  But, as we all know, he will never be the same person he was before.

How am I doing now?  Quite some time ago, I came to the realization that if I think of Dave as a 15-year-old boy, we will get along just fine.  He can drive, he can do math, he can go grocery shopping, he can even research some things on the Internet.  He does not understand all he reads, he lacks the motivation to start even the simplest of tasks, and I shouldn't expect him to wash clothes or dishes without explicit instructions.  If I want him to do something, I have to dictate each step.  Otherwise, he will wash the clothes, but not fold them.  Fold them, but not put them away.  You see how it goes.

How is Dave doing?  Well, I enrolled him in karate.  It gives him something to look forward to twice a week.  It makes him talk with other people.  It makes him do something physical.  He has to figure out how many more classes he needs to take before his promotion, and make certain he actually goes.  In many ways, karate has been good for him.

Then he broke his leg.

Mind you, accidents happen in any sport.  I don't believe the break was related to his stroke in any way, shape or form.  The truth of the matter is that he had poor posture while practicing a twisty tossy move, and the net result is that his ankle dislocated and his leg broke in two places.

Still, because he has been laid up, he has had limited access to the refrigerator.  Which means I get to be a mean mommy, and make him eat properly.  After all, he can't go out and buy his ice cream and sodas anymore, and I won't do it for him.  He has last at least 20 pounds in the last two months, and has gone from a 2X to an XL.  His pants have probably dropped a few sizes as well, but since we have to get his shorts on over the cast, we haven't tried to figure out what fits him down there yet.

And, because he can't hide from me (by going downstairs and 'doing laundry' - that is, watching TV), I get to make certain he takes his meds like he is supposed to.  I bought him one of those day/night pill organizers, and that seems to be working.  Since his meals are now well-regulated, we were able to drop one of his diabetes meds.  And I have him on all sorts of supplements to encourage bone growth.  At his last check-in, we saw bone growth consistent with a younger, non-diabetic patient, so I guess something is working.

Anyhow, back to running the business.  Not much time for chit-chat these days.