After two weeks at Harborview I transferred to Anderson House in Shoreline and have settled in very comfortably here. Ah Anderson House. Peace and quiet reigns. It is definitely a place to convalesce and I’ve been making marked improvement every day. The people are kind
and responsive, the food is homemade and tasty, and it is close enough to home in Ballard so that it is convenient for Marijane to visit.
My bed is situated close to a large window that overlooks the facility’s backyard and I can see a green corridor with trees, bushes, and rockery. The very kind maintenance person has hung a bird feeder and a hummingbird feeder just outside of my window to increase the activity out there.
Over my bed a two-tiered triangular shaped clothesline arrangement has been installed (originally inspired by Caycee) and dozens of pictures brought here by friends and attached with small clothes pins hang from this impromptu display system. I have further personalized the room by draping Tibetan prayer flags along the nearest leg of the overhead triangle and hanging pictures from home on the walls.
My bed is situated close to a large window that overlooks the facility’s backyard and I can see a green corridor with trees, bushes, and rockery. The very kind maintenance person has hung a bird feeder and a hummingbird feeder just outside of my window to increase the activity out there.
Over my bed a two-tiered triangular shaped clothesline arrangement has been installed (originally inspired by Caycee) and dozens of pictures brought here by friends and attached with small clothes pins hang from this impromptu display system. I have further personalized the room by draping Tibetan prayer flags along the nearest leg of the overhead triangle and hanging pictures from home on the walls.
My days at Anderson House are fairly well regimented with several sessions of in bed workout for arms, legs, and core (as well as special focus on hand strength and range of motion), blocks of time with physical therapy and occupational
therapy, practice getting out of bed and into a wheelchair, plus time for three square meals (this convalescence stuff takes a lot of energy!), catching up on email, making phone calls and visiting with friends. The days have flown by.
We have made two return visits to Harborview as well. The first visit focused on my hands and very thankfully the doctors allowed me to move away from full arm casts. With three-quarter casts I am able to feed myself, brush teeth, comb
hair and otherwise greatly increase self-reliance.
The second visit focused on my feet, and the doctors replaced splints with more permanent protection. My right leg has a full-on cast and my left leg is in a removable boot. Apparently there's enough damage in the right leg that they want continued complete immobility, but they have instructed physical therapy to remove the boot from my left leg once a day and begin very gentle manipulation of the ankle joint; no more than 10 degrees or so in any direction. Coming out of the boot feels fantastic and the gentle manipulation was initially a little freaky but represents no significant increase in discomfort.
The second visit focused on my feet, and the doctors replaced splints with more permanent protection. My right leg has a full-on cast and my left leg is in a removable boot. Apparently there's enough damage in the right leg that they want continued complete immobility, but they have instructed physical therapy to remove the boot from my left leg once a day and begin very gentle manipulation of the ankle joint; no more than 10 degrees or so in any direction. Coming out of the boot feels fantastic and the gentle manipulation was initially a little freaky but represents no significant increase in discomfort.
The next scheduled visit to Harborview is in the first week of September, two weeks hence, and who knows what they'll decide at that point. Very likely it will all depend on what the x-rays reveal. Fingers crossed that everything is mending as the doctors anticipate.
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