Wow.... I can now pee without help!!!

Yesterday I gained my independence!  I was placed on independent status.  I can get up and out of the bed, stand up, move around, get dressed, walk the halls, etc. without having to wait for someone to come watch me.

Therapy continues to push my knee to new heights.  I was placed on the NuStep machine.  This is a recumbent type bike/stepper that works the legs and knees without strain on the back.  I have it really loosening up the knee joint.  I need to get the knee to bend.  I have not used the knee correctly for.... well, years.  They measured my degree of bending when I first started.  It was close to 65 degrees of bend.  After 10 minutes of bending and pushing, I was at 75 degrees.  A second round in the afternoon and I could push the knee to almost 80 degrees.  If I can keep this up, I may be a normal person by spring.  Lots of work ahead.

Dave Gehman came in just before supper.  He is the pastor of my church and has visited three times in the short time I have been here.  He asked what I needed and my concerns about the snow and my driveway were discussed.  I usually plow my driveway.  But not usually this early.  I never even thought about plowable snow.

The process to get me home is this... staples out on the 18th, home evaluation where I go with an occupational therapist who looks for issues... so we have to be able to get into the driveway and then get out of the vehicle and into the house without falling.  Then, I am cleared to go home!  Brian comes home on the 21st, so I need to be home then!

So the church has been put on call to keep my driveway usable.  I am so grateful.

Sheila came by to visit.  The weather and life in general have kept her from visiting often.  But I have been busy with therapy that by evening I am ready to chill.

I am really getting ready to be at home.  I have stories about things inside a nursing home.  I will share them later.