Good News, Bad News

Today was Dave's ortho doctor's appointment. The good news is that his bones are healing nicely, and in the words of the doctor, he's healing like gangbusters!  Must be all the calcium, yogurt, and ice cream I have been pushing on him. Dave's knee is starting to bend more when the swelling is down and he has special exercises to do to keep it bending. Plus the words he really wanted to hear were said..."You can start to bear weight on your leg and begin to learn to walk again!" However in the next sentence, the doctor told him the bad news that one of the screws in his arm is starting to back out, so he will need to have more surgery. He should not do any weight bearing on the arm until it is healed (about a month) and then the plate and screws will be removed. He has to be very careful because it can cause nerve and tendon damage, and he has already been experiencing some pain recently. We do have the go-ahead to head back home, but we will really miss Dr. Martin and his staff.

So we will forge ahead with our plans to fly north on Friday. It's been a godsend to be able to recuperate here in Daytona and we can't thank my family enough, along with all our friends that stopped on their way through. Our friends up north are already rallying and have our house ready to move back into, with heat and water on and food in the fridge. We're ready for new challenges and anxious to get settled in and see everyone!

Rest and Heal

I think that Dave is getting tired of hearing "rest and heal." We haven't been in the pool as much as we would have liked, because the weather has been cooler than normal. On nice days like yesterday the pool water temperature struggles to reach 75 degrees. It's good to keep the swelling down in his leg though.

We have had several cruising friends northbound from the Bahamas stop at the marina to visit and see how Dave is progressing. It has been wonderful for us both to see you all!

Tuesday is the day we find out from the doctor, what the next plan of action is. Hopefully he will be healed enough to start physical therapy and begin to walk again. Today is the six week anniversary of the fateful accident day, and even though recovery seems to be going slowly, he certainly has come a long way since his fall.

One week from today we will be traveling back home. In a way it will be great to be back, but then again we will have many new challenges to overcome. Until that time though, we will continue having some excursions (I should rename them exertions) and water therapy when possible. Then when he's resting with his leg elevated, he's not napping, he's healing!

The Excursion

I dropped my two patients off at the grocery store while I did a bit of clothes window shopping. I couldn't resist taking a photo of them. Dave with his injuries and Mom with her leg cellulitis made me lovingly think, "the lame leading the lame."

Two Good Sports



One Stroke At A Time

The pool water is warming up and Dave had a very successful and encouraging SWIM yesterday! It was hard to coordinate his strokes because of his injuries being on opposite sides, but he did it! A bit sore today, but he's ready to do this therapy daily now. Being in the water is where he thrives.

" Look Ma, no crutches!" Temporarily though.

Now these are definitely smiles of accomplishment!

Not Just 'Bugs'

My brother Rick took us to an unusual car show at a local restaurant yesterday. All the vehicles were Volkswagens! I didn't think it would be very interesting, but I sure was mistaken. There were all sorts of eclectic cars, vans, trucks...and people.

A resto-mod Bug with removable hard top.

Dave wants his wheelchair to be equipped with wheelie bars. We should have traded his wheelchair for this shopping cart! 

A Safari Transporter (we think), with a frame for a canopy soft top.

Genuine Rat Rod VW Busses from the 1960s. I think they were driven here on their own power, but it doesn't look like it.

Note the beautiful fold-out windshields on many of these vehicles.

This long muffler looks like it's from a motorcycle.

There were Bugs of all vintages and conditions.

This van was equipped for any roadside emergency.

 LOOK, we're having fun! This was our favorite...A sweet and low Micro-Bus with all opening side windows.

 This pole dancer was a period accessory for the antenna.

 Then the guys found this cool old stationary engine in the back of a pick-up truck.

 VW Westfalia camper conversion vans were not only here, but also in use in many of the local campgrounds.

There were several different clubs and VW car groups from all over Florida displaying their vehicles, making this a great event!

A Tad Chilly

WooHoo! The water in the pool was cold but Dave made it in, slowly but surely. It was difficult to figure out how to even maneuver down the steps and into the deeper end. He said it felt really strange with a bit of weightlessness. I'm sure each day will get better and he will develop a method so he can get stronger.

The cautious descent.

Look at that smile of accomplishment! Or perhaps he's just got the look of "IT'S COLD!"

Long Road To Recovery

Today's xrays and doctor's appointment revealed that Dave's femur shows only minimal healing. That means that he cannot bear weight on it for at least the next three weeks. The doctor also said that Dave needs to really work his right arm and wrist so that it straightens out and doesn't get scar tissue. The good news is that not only is it okay to go swimming in Mom's pool, but the doctor encouraged it! What a good way to get his strength back.

So for now we wait and hopefully heal. Plans are to head home at the beginning of May for physical therapy. The weather is beautiful and the pool is inviting, although only 73 degrees. Oh well, it will good to help get all the swelling to go down in his leg.