The big event was the check-in with the physical therapy that happened at 11ish this morning. We spent a few hours going over Susie’s health, what equipment we have, and if the house is safe for Susie–it is. For example, we have a shower chair and a hand unit for one of our showers, and an emergency push button she wears all the time. I have also moved the furniture out of the way, now Susie has a clear path with her walker.
I felt that Bill, from Legacy and a Physical Therapist, expected Susie in much worse shape. The questions covered problems we are glad not to have. The stroke was not in the higher brain function but was in what we can call wiring in the lower brain. This means that Susie cannot get her leg to move sometimes, but only her leg walking movement is impacted. Susie does not have the typical loss of function from a higher-function right-side stroke.
Please understand that I have had to help here and there as she gets suddenly tired or is not moving well. I try to have her do everything until she can’t or gets stuck, and I need to come and help her. The risk is that when she is stuck, she is getting weaker as she is practically walking and standing on one working leg. I need to get there before she falls. We have had no close calls–I am paying close attention.
Now that they have done the initial assessment and officially declared that Susie could be helped by their therapy, we will see PT twice a week and some occupational therapy. That is the first step in a journey we have begun. Tomorrow is the meeting with Susie’s primary doctor, and we hope to get the paperwork for my paid leave from the doctor so I can continue that part of the journey forward.
Starting from the beginning, I was up about 7ish as I was tired from yesterday. I did less cleaning today, but I did get things ready for the PT folks. The leather couch was half-cleared off and clean. The bathrooms and showers, while not sparkling (yet), are clean enough. The toilets and sinks are all good. Most of the items were off the floor except in the room where I work. That is still a wreck. I am piling more stuff there as I have to find a home for the various items or, as is happening a lot, it will go away–especially if it is a magazine (even the lovely model building and wargaming miniature zines that I often can’t resist, sniff). Most, if not all, of the information, is now online; I need to get digital.
I made pecan scones this morning. I was out of milk so I used cream instead. Yes, on the strange world of Covid-19 I have cream and not milk. They turned out quite nice, very moist. This is one of mixes from King Arthur Flour.
I had the groceries delivered today from Safeway.com. All the normal supplies. I put them away. Now I have milk!
I had two hot dogs in buns cooked in the microwave with just yellow mustard—one of my comfort foods. Susie had cereal and yogurt.
Susie received flowers from my mother and sister today. Susie is surrounded by flowers. She loves flowers. When we were in college, I would get her a single rose often daily. We grow lots of roses now.
Susie and went for a drive after the PT in Air Volvo. We both wanted out of the house, but with infection rates Covid-19 exploding, we just drove around the Beaverton Area for a few hours. It was nice to just chat and look, and I got to drive Air Volvo.
I almost did not get off my street. There are cars packed on both sides in one place near the entrance to our road. My neighbors came too fast on to our street and then had to pull over rather suddenly to avoid a low-speed head-on crash with Air Volvo. A large pickup followed. We could have done a famous Oregon low-speed three-car pile-up, but I stopped quick as I saw it happening, and the pick-up had room on 209th to stop. I, being a good neighbor, smiled and waved at them. Susie had other words for them but managed to avoid any hand movements that would belie our friendliness.
Dinner was at our local Taco Bell. I was surprised that they had people standing out in the rain and taking orders. The order takers had a flip chart with the items available, and you just order from a human standing in our Oregon weather–very strange. I was also told that the Mexican Pizza (which is neither, but I liked it) is no longer served. I got a burrito and a taco. Susie had three tacos (she kept on back and had it for a snack later in the evening). We ate them in the Air Volvo and watched the sunset in the Taco Bell parking lot; why not?
I tried to clean-up the fireside room where I work now. The shelves in the old bookcase suddenly tipped-over, dumping the books shelves and what-not on the shelf and leaving me a bit shocked. I decided that I am out of focus and will try again tomorrow. It is now worse than I started.
I moved on to my Kickstarter after having books raining on me (head shaking). I have a new board game, Cleopatra and the Society of Architect, that was delivered yesterday, and it needed some work. It comes with magnets to help hold the palace and temple you literally build in the game. I have to install them. I managed to get most of the magnets oriented right, except for two. After breaking two blades and nearly gluing the magnets to my fingers, I managed to get everything to work. There is a poor quality instruction video on this. I assembled the temple and palace and showed it to Susie. It looks amazing. I will try to play a game tomorrow and gets some photos.
I also received another Kickstarter project today. Architects of the West Kingdom is a newish worker placement game and resource management game, and Meeple Source created painted little wooden two-dimensional workers and artisans for the game. The painted meeples, both in images of men and women doing choirs, were a bit expensive, but we play this game often, and the more human look to the meeples will help the players feel the medieval theme stronger. I find the more abstract the tokens and pieces in a game, the less I feel the theme, and I often lose track of the theme. It just becomes a math problem or engine building experience for me. And maybe now Evan will feel guilty for arresting my nice little guy and gals (not a chance)…
More than thirteen hundred people died from Covid-19 today in the USA.
I went with Amazing Grace as there are some new versions, and I went with the Pentatonix video.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 