Well, clearly the dogs have not made the new dog area their home. Note to self, install a lock on the inside of the fence as well as the outside. I guess it is my fault for thinking for a second that I liked dogs and that I should be a responsible pet owner and try to play with them. As it was getting dark, I went out back to try to play with them. They played with me for half a second, then Hershey being the pig head that he is, he thought, Hmmm, I wonder what happens when I headbutt the gate. Yup, you guessed it, they smelled freedom and ran for their lives. After running a couple of blocks, I decided to go back and get some shoes. Hershey remembered the A/C and raced me home. Yup, he beat me. Since I didn't have a clue where Buster had gone I thought that maybe Hershey could help me track him down. So I clipped Hershey to the two dog leash and off we went. After we had run about a half a mile (in the wrong direction), I glanced behind me and saw Buster.... behind me. So we turned around and ran the half a mile back plus a bunch extra. Everytime I got close enough to grab Buster, Hershey would start to snarl and try to wrestle with him. Buster didn't like it so much, so he ran off again. As tempting as it was to just turn around and leave him, I was afraid he would do something dumb like try to find his previous family who are now in Hawaii or run into the street and get ran over. I finally got mad enough that Hershey and I stormed home. I am fairly certain that I ran about 2 miles tonight, boy am I tired now.
I bet you can guess what happened next. I left the door open for a few minutes to see if Buster would find his way home (I don't think he really likes us much though, so I wasn't really sure if he would come back on his own). After deciding that too many bugs were getting in, I shut the door. A few seconds later I went back to open the door and check one last time and Buster streaked in like everything was just fine and he didn't have a care in the world.
No sooner than I sat down to blog, and Pat and the EQ president came in and I had to grab the dogs quickly before they ran again. Oh the life of a pet owner. Pat, I am going on record now, when they die, that's it. NO MORE. :)
While I am ranting about dogs, here are some things that my dogs have taught each other. Why oh why can't they teach each other good habits instead of bad? I guess that is just asking to much. Anyway:
1 - Buster has taught Hershey to drink from the toilet. As soon as I stop gagging, I am going to make a sign to glue to the toilet seat to remind Pat that it must be closed every time.
2 - Hershey has taught Buster to grab any food that even looks like it might hit the floor, and with Pat, that can be a lot. Pat has lost his food to the dogs many times because he has left it on his lap.
3 - Buster has taught Hershey that it is okay not to have a bladder of steele and you can always use the excuse that you just couldn't wait. I don't think I need to elaborate more
4 - Hershey has taught Buster to bolt for the door, any door, the second it is opened.
5 - Hershey has taught Buster to wrestle, this might not sound like a bad thing, but see above when you are trying to catch them both at the same time.
We have also learned that Hershey is insanely jealous. I already suspected that because when I try to pay attention to Pat, he always tries to get in the middle. Why he likes me so much more than Pat, I'll never know. The feeling definately is not mutual. On the plus side, Hershey is learning to shake paws because Buster always gets praised for doing this. He won't do it on his own, but if Buster is doing it, Hershey will.
But as much as I like or dislike them, at the end of the day, they can bring a smile to Pat's face like nothing else, so I guess I will keep them.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Always running, never catching up
Wow a lot has happened in the past few days. We are the proud owners of a newly fenced in dog area, the dogs have mixed feelings about it (more on this in a moment). Pat has come to grips with some feelings and events from the past in a way that neither of us thought possible. I am not at liberty to disclose anything, but I know that he needs the support of strong friends and family more than ever now. He is currently at an Elders Quorom swim party, he made homemade root beer, let's see if he comes home with a tummy ache. He says he plans on drinking at least one of the gallons in the 5 gallon cooler. Hope all that rootbeer doesn't make him sink... He made me send his walker and his wheelchair with him, I would take bets on which one he is using, but anyone who knows him knows that he is most likely either using the wheelchair or having the members of the Elders Quorum carry him over their shoulders like a sack of potatoes.
I am enjoying some much needed quiet time to myself. It is so rare that I get an hour completely to myself. I have spent it attempting to find a couple of things that we need online and watching an old black and white movie. Pat hates them, so I try not to watch them too much when he is around. Pretty soon I am going to go out and run a few errands like grocery shopping. Sigh, my least favorite chore.
The dogs are out in the back getting accustomed to their new home. Last night was the first time that we took them out there, and they seemed to love it. Of course it was about 75 and the sun was down, so it made a big difference. When we put them back there, Hershey just ran around and around as fast as he could. Buster also ran around, but he kept getting scared when Hershey jumped over him like a horse jumping over a stile. They started to wrestle and play and thoroughly enjoy themselves. When I tried to put their leashes on to take them back inside, Hershey was willing and I was able to get his leash on. When I turned around to get Buster, who has been an outside dog most of his life, he was lying on his back in the grass with all four paws up in the air. He looked like a king lying on a large comfortable bed and it took several tries to get him up. He kept trying to crawl on his belly to avoid going inside.
Today is a slightly different story... I put them back there around noon as we are trying to work them into things. I must say that it is about 95 degrees outside. They have shade and water, but not quite the comfort they are used to. Pat and I left to run a few errands and when Hershey heard the car pull up, he started to frantically bark to let us know that he was still back there. I decided to go run the hose on them to see if I could get him to stop barking. The second the gate was open, they both bolted past me and I was the one who got soaked with the hose, trying to stop them. By the time I had gotten back around to the front of the house, they had bolted insde and were both laying in front of the air conditioning in the living room. While I appreciated the point they were trying to make, I love the peace and quiet too much to let them stay. It took several attempts to get their leashes on and the entire trip to the backyard they were both doing their best to drag me back inside. I might not be very strong, but I am a lot more stubborn than two teenage dogs, even if they are stronger. They made several escape attempts as I shut them back inside the gate, but since I knew their plan, their attempts were foiled.
When the EQ president came to pick up Pat, they started barking again, so I went after them with the hose once more. This time I started the water raining in before I opened the gate, so we had a few quick moments that closely resembled a childhood family game called "running through the sprinklers since we can't afford a pool", but with more amusement on my part than theirs. I figured that the water would help them cool down a bit, so I sprayed them a lot more than I normally would. Since then, it has been blissfully silent from the back. I hope that doesn't mean that they are trying to dig their way out or like they did with the chain link dog run, chew their way out.
Why again did I get a dog? Oh yeah, because I love Pat and Pat loves dogs. I guess there is nothing more to say. :)
I am enjoying some much needed quiet time to myself. It is so rare that I get an hour completely to myself. I have spent it attempting to find a couple of things that we need online and watching an old black and white movie. Pat hates them, so I try not to watch them too much when he is around. Pretty soon I am going to go out and run a few errands like grocery shopping. Sigh, my least favorite chore.
The dogs are out in the back getting accustomed to their new home. Last night was the first time that we took them out there, and they seemed to love it. Of course it was about 75 and the sun was down, so it made a big difference. When we put them back there, Hershey just ran around and around as fast as he could. Buster also ran around, but he kept getting scared when Hershey jumped over him like a horse jumping over a stile. They started to wrestle and play and thoroughly enjoy themselves. When I tried to put their leashes on to take them back inside, Hershey was willing and I was able to get his leash on. When I turned around to get Buster, who has been an outside dog most of his life, he was lying on his back in the grass with all four paws up in the air. He looked like a king lying on a large comfortable bed and it took several tries to get him up. He kept trying to crawl on his belly to avoid going inside.
Today is a slightly different story... I put them back there around noon as we are trying to work them into things. I must say that it is about 95 degrees outside. They have shade and water, but not quite the comfort they are used to. Pat and I left to run a few errands and when Hershey heard the car pull up, he started to frantically bark to let us know that he was still back there. I decided to go run the hose on them to see if I could get him to stop barking. The second the gate was open, they both bolted past me and I was the one who got soaked with the hose, trying to stop them. By the time I had gotten back around to the front of the house, they had bolted insde and were both laying in front of the air conditioning in the living room. While I appreciated the point they were trying to make, I love the peace and quiet too much to let them stay. It took several attempts to get their leashes on and the entire trip to the backyard they were both doing their best to drag me back inside. I might not be very strong, but I am a lot more stubborn than two teenage dogs, even if they are stronger. They made several escape attempts as I shut them back inside the gate, but since I knew their plan, their attempts were foiled.
When the EQ president came to pick up Pat, they started barking again, so I went after them with the hose once more. This time I started the water raining in before I opened the gate, so we had a few quick moments that closely resembled a childhood family game called "running through the sprinklers since we can't afford a pool", but with more amusement on my part than theirs. I figured that the water would help them cool down a bit, so I sprayed them a lot more than I normally would. Since then, it has been blissfully silent from the back. I hope that doesn't mean that they are trying to dig their way out or like they did with the chain link dog run, chew their way out.
Why again did I get a dog? Oh yeah, because I love Pat and Pat loves dogs. I guess there is nothing more to say. :)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Rainy days and Mondays
When I came home today, I got ths shock of my life. For a moment, I thought I had walked into the wrong house. Not only did Buster have a spa day, but my husband had managed to get the living room, bathroom, and part of the kitchen cleaned. I really didn't recognize the living room for a moment. His aunt and uncle came over to give Buster a bath and haircut and decided to help Pat surprise me. Not only did they clean up, but they did some rearranging of the furniture and it looks great. The best part of the day was hearing Pat talk about how tired he is now and how different it feels to be in a clean house. Now if we can only build on this momentum... I guess we will see how he does while I am at YW tomorrow night. I am still pretty speechless about the whole thing. I offered to take some pictures so that Pat could "remember" what it is supposed to look like all the time, but Pat declined. Pat wants the world to know that he finally met his housecleaning goal. If Pat didn't get upset by the bald comparison, I would start calling him Mr. Clean.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20ish walks
*walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 10 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he begs for mercy
* working on sitting without plopping, throwing himself on the chair, or missing the chair
* making the home look like a castle (or at least the rooms he missed today)
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20ish walks
*walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 10 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he begs for mercy
* working on sitting without plopping, throwing himself on the chair, or missing the chair
* making the home look like a castle (or at least the rooms he missed today)
Two altos, a tenor, and a bass
This morning I woke up to the very interesting sound of our dogs singing a song. I don't know why, but I think SuperPat was doing something. I can't say that I have ever woken up that way before, or that I really want to ever again. We would not make a very good choir, because we only have two altos, a tenor, and a bass. Guess we will have to get working on that. :)
Pat did a great job with his walking at church today, I felt kind of bad because he had to do an extra lap around the church. I was sustained in my new calling but I won't be set apart until next week. I bet Pat wishes we had figured that out before he walked all the way up to the Bishop's office. Oh well, good practice for the 2K that we hope to walk at the end of the month.
Pat also got a chance to walk quite a bit at the family picnic this afternoon. It was actually quite comical to watch him walking on the grass. He would walk like normal for a few steps, then because the grass was a little lumpy, he would end up taking a few steps with the walker just hanging in the air because it was scarier to set it down on uneven ground than to walk without it. (Mind you, I was not holding on to him, but I don't think he knows that). I always knew that he could walk without his walker, it works kind of like Dumbo's magic feather. Maybe I will paint it baby blue so he will have a stronger desire to get rid of it. But that might send a different message than I intended, so maybe not.
He did actually experience one fall on the grass. I was (for the first time) true to my word to not catch him because I knew the ground was soft enough that he probably wouldn't be very damaged by expriencing the natural consquences of not using the proper walking form. He was pretty disgusted about it, but most of his family didn't seem to notice, so that was alright.
On the way back to the car, he started to fall a few times but when I reminded him that I would not be catching him, he must have believed me because he corrected the problem without any assistance. One truly spectacular save involved him standing straight back up from a half crouch similar to what you do when you are sitting down on a chair. My goal for this week is to take him back to the park and get some video of him walking from the side so that he can see what he truly looks like and maybe get rid of the old man slouch that is usually responsible for his falls.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20 some walks
* walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 6 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he can't move his abs anymore
* Help Aunt Christie give the dogs a bath and a haircut (yep, still waiting for this one)
Oh and one more thing, SuperPat wishes to give a very special shout-out to Darth Tator. "Darth, prepare to be hash browns".
Pat did a great job with his walking at church today, I felt kind of bad because he had to do an extra lap around the church. I was sustained in my new calling but I won't be set apart until next week. I bet Pat wishes we had figured that out before he walked all the way up to the Bishop's office. Oh well, good practice for the 2K that we hope to walk at the end of the month.
Pat also got a chance to walk quite a bit at the family picnic this afternoon. It was actually quite comical to watch him walking on the grass. He would walk like normal for a few steps, then because the grass was a little lumpy, he would end up taking a few steps with the walker just hanging in the air because it was scarier to set it down on uneven ground than to walk without it. (Mind you, I was not holding on to him, but I don't think he knows that). I always knew that he could walk without his walker, it works kind of like Dumbo's magic feather. Maybe I will paint it baby blue so he will have a stronger desire to get rid of it. But that might send a different message than I intended, so maybe not.
He did actually experience one fall on the grass. I was (for the first time) true to my word to not catch him because I knew the ground was soft enough that he probably wouldn't be very damaged by expriencing the natural consquences of not using the proper walking form. He was pretty disgusted about it, but most of his family didn't seem to notice, so that was alright.
On the way back to the car, he started to fall a few times but when I reminded him that I would not be catching him, he must have believed me because he corrected the problem without any assistance. One truly spectacular save involved him standing straight back up from a half crouch similar to what you do when you are sitting down on a chair. My goal for this week is to take him back to the park and get some video of him walking from the side so that he can see what he truly looks like and maybe get rid of the old man slouch that is usually responsible for his falls.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20 some walks
* walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 6 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he can't move his abs anymore
* Help Aunt Christie give the dogs a bath and a haircut (yep, still waiting for this one)
Oh and one more thing, SuperPat wishes to give a very special shout-out to Darth Tator. "Darth, prepare to be hash browns".
All Fenced In
Today Melissa got to drive a truck. It was very different than the van or the Geo, but fun all the same. A family friend(s) has agreed to build a fence in the backyard so that our dogs can go from being inside dogs to outside dogs. This may be a bit of a wakeup call for them as they both think that they are people and like to sit on the couch to watch TV. I wonder if Darth Tator has been trying to teach them in hopes of luring SuperPat to do the same. Sadly this is much more effective than we would like.
After some reflection, I wonder if it would be possible to build a grab bar on the inside of the fence, that would allow SuperPat to walk around the perimter of the yard to practice his walking. Hmm, will have to consult the expert(s) on this one. Anything to get him moving more is greatly worth it.
After returning the truck to Lowes, we had a chance to visit my favorite scrapbook store which is sadly closing its doors forever. The best deal of the day, scrapbooking brads that are shaped like Gis (pronounced Gee and means a karate uniform for the uniformed like myself. SuperPat, please note that I understand now, no need to tell me another 15 times :). I have never seem them before and Pat thought I was having a heart attack because I got so excited about them when I saw them. Let's just say that the scrapbooking world does not have enough supplies to handle the 3000+ Tae Kwon Do pictures that Pat's family has saved for him.
Can't wait for tomorrow, we are planning to spend a little time with Pat's father's side of the family after church.
After some reflection, I wonder if it would be possible to build a grab bar on the inside of the fence, that would allow SuperPat to walk around the perimter of the yard to practice his walking. Hmm, will have to consult the expert(s) on this one. Anything to get him moving more is greatly worth it.
After returning the truck to Lowes, we had a chance to visit my favorite scrapbook store which is sadly closing its doors forever. The best deal of the day, scrapbooking brads that are shaped like Gis (pronounced Gee and means a karate uniform for the uniformed like myself. SuperPat, please note that I understand now, no need to tell me another 15 times :). I have never seem them before and Pat thought I was having a heart attack because I got so excited about them when I saw them. Let's just say that the scrapbooking world does not have enough supplies to handle the 3000+ Tae Kwon Do pictures that Pat's family has saved for him.
Can't wait for tomorrow, we are planning to spend a little time with Pat's father's side of the family after church.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Striving for success
Today thinking of Darth Tator got SuperPat's blood boiling. He got up and contemplated the world while doing his laundry. He was so fueled by thinking of Darth that he quickly knocked out all 20 walks. Speaking of walks, it was pretty easy for SuperPat. He says the walks yesterday and today were a piece of cake, chocolate to be exact. He was a mountain of strength as he stood for 7 minute stretchs 3 times today. He prepared for the standing by doing 4 superman stretches in bed. I think he was afraid that we would demote him from SuperPat to Patman if he didn't start earning his keep. Aparently he did not get thirsty as he did not attempt to get water himself today.
Goals for tomorrow:
25 walks
stand for 10 minutes 4 times today
oodles and oodles of stretches
Until tomorrow, this is Patman signing off.
Goals for tomorrow:
25 walks
stand for 10 minutes 4 times today
oodles and oodles of stretches
Until tomorrow, this is Patman signing off.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Gifts from Ed and Linda
Yesterday I got the chance to learn more about Pat's parents from his grandmother and uncle. It was a great opportunity for me and I am so glad that I had a chance to get closer to them as well as his parents. I know that Pat has a hard time thinking about his family without wishing that he could go back. His family always talks about how much he is like his Dad, and I think that he takes it as a negative sometimes and other times just thinks that they mean that he physically resembles his dad. But yesterday, I found out a little more of what they mean by this.
Two of the things that I love the very most about Pat are traits passed down from his parents. From his mother, Pat inherited a great heart, a desire to help anyone anywhere at anytime, and a deep love for all people. From his father, Pat inherited a desire to protect and preserve the things that are very precious to him. Because of these unique gifts from his parents, Pat doesn't try to keep tight control on those he loves, but instead is willing to share with everyone that he meets. I love hearing him talk about his beliefs with everyone that he knows, it often surprises me when he starts bearing his testimony in unexpected places but he almost always gets a positive reaction from it and it is great to see him getting a little stronger each time.
I feel so blessed that his parents are willing to share him with me. I can feel them rooting for him from the other side and I know that he is showing them his forgiveness and love as he is getting on with his life in positive ways.
Two of the things that I love the very most about Pat are traits passed down from his parents. From his mother, Pat inherited a great heart, a desire to help anyone anywhere at anytime, and a deep love for all people. From his father, Pat inherited a desire to protect and preserve the things that are very precious to him. Because of these unique gifts from his parents, Pat doesn't try to keep tight control on those he loves, but instead is willing to share with everyone that he meets. I love hearing him talk about his beliefs with everyone that he knows, it often surprises me when he starts bearing his testimony in unexpected places but he almost always gets a positive reaction from it and it is great to see him getting a little stronger each time.
I feel so blessed that his parents are willing to share him with me. I can feel them rooting for him from the other side and I know that he is showing them his forgiveness and love as he is getting on with his life in positive ways.
Monday fever
This morning Pat says that he started out the day kind of slow, but gained momentum throughout the day. He had to face some hard facts about his former life that kind of shook up up his whole perspective of himself and his family. But onward and upward with courage and strength.
So how did he do on his goals?
- 5 Superman stretches, plus a bunch of other stretches given by his PT. (boy is he going to be sore tomorrow)
- 15 walks
- 1st time with the water, it went on the floor right away so he put it off til tomorrow.
- Almost got the kitchen done in time to scrapbook, but not quite
So goals for tomorrow
- 18 walks
- build endurance: stand for 10 minutes without the walker without falling
- lots of stretches
- walking with the cup without any water, to get used to it. :)
- scrapbook
Next up: Infinity and beyond...
So how did he do on his goals?
- 5 Superman stretches, plus a bunch of other stretches given by his PT. (boy is he going to be sore tomorrow)
- 15 walks
- 1st time with the water, it went on the floor right away so he put it off til tomorrow.
- Almost got the kitchen done in time to scrapbook, but not quite
So goals for tomorrow
- 18 walks
- build endurance: stand for 10 minutes without the walker without falling
- lots of stretches
- walking with the cup without any water, to get used to it. :)
- scrapbook
Next up: Infinity and beyond...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Playing catch up
Now that my migraine is finally gone (knock on wood) I thought it would be good to catch up. Pat says the last few days of walking were excellent, he only fell once. He says that he fell when he was trying to work on carrying a glass of water. Now the suspicous part of me wonders if the water got spilled and he slipped on it or if he fell and then the water spilled. :) I guess that we will never know.
Walking at church today was pretty good but he is still trying to get used to his new shoes. He managed to get extremely tangled on the rug both going into and out of the church today. He would have gone down but I caught him... I know, I know, if I keep catching him, he will never do it on his own. But it seems so cruel to catch him out of instinct and then let go. But I guess I should learn to participate in the catch and release program.
Goals for tomorrow:
15 walks
Carry a cup of water to the living room to get a drink
Get the kitchen completely clean, so my wife will give Breaking Dawn back
Work on my scrapbook some more
Melissa - remember to post on the blog.
Hershey and Buster are supposed to be getting haircuts tomorrow, can't wait to see what they look like with much less hair. :)
Walking at church today was pretty good but he is still trying to get used to his new shoes. He managed to get extremely tangled on the rug both going into and out of the church today. He would have gone down but I caught him... I know, I know, if I keep catching him, he will never do it on his own. But it seems so cruel to catch him out of instinct and then let go. But I guess I should learn to participate in the catch and release program.
Goals for tomorrow:
15 walks
Carry a cup of water to the living room to get a drink
Get the kitchen completely clean, so my wife will give Breaking Dawn back
Work on my scrapbook some more
Melissa - remember to post on the blog.
Hershey and Buster are supposed to be getting haircuts tomorrow, can't wait to see what they look like with much less hair. :)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Hump Day
Well, hump day has gone pretty well for our Superhero. He managed to get in 9 walks, plus two bonus walks up and down the stairs going to see his therapist. I finally convinced him that Velcro is not really a bad word when it comes to shoes so he got a new pair of walking shoes. Believe it or not, he actually wore the sole off one of his previous walking shoes because he had done so much walking. The new shoes fit his orthotics so much better.
He has already landed on his bum in them though. We were taking a test walk in the store and I was just holding his hands pretending to be his walker while he took a few steps. He decided that he wanted to walk on my feet more than he wanted to walk on his own and when I asked him to get off, he decided to stand on one foot (the one still firmly planted on my foot) while he appologized. I let go with one hand to try to push him off my foot (boy is he heavy, the non-slip feature of the shoe is not so appealing when it is your foot you are trying to slip it off of) and that made him laugh so much that he started to get really off balanced. After trying to get him right side up for a few minutes, I decided it might be easier just to let him go to the floor and then pick him up so I eased him down to the ground. I decided he might need a few moments to regain his composure anyway since he still hadn't stopped laughing from how my face looked while he was stepping on my foot. I tried a few times to pick him back up, but since he wasn't trying to help, he just kept spinning around on his back like a turtle that has been flipped on its shell. Needless to say, not only did we leave with the shoes, but also a healthy helping of dirt ground into Pat's clothes. I don't think the people at Big 5 really knew what to think about us.
So goals for tomorrow:
12 walks
try again with the water - maybe just a half a cup today
10 perfect sit to stand and then stand to sit
6 superman exercises (got to prepare to make some french fries out of Darth)
He has already landed on his bum in them though. We were taking a test walk in the store and I was just holding his hands pretending to be his walker while he took a few steps. He decided that he wanted to walk on my feet more than he wanted to walk on his own and when I asked him to get off, he decided to stand on one foot (the one still firmly planted on my foot) while he appologized. I let go with one hand to try to push him off my foot (boy is he heavy, the non-slip feature of the shoe is not so appealing when it is your foot you are trying to slip it off of) and that made him laugh so much that he started to get really off balanced. After trying to get him right side up for a few minutes, I decided it might be easier just to let him go to the floor and then pick him up so I eased him down to the ground. I decided he might need a few moments to regain his composure anyway since he still hadn't stopped laughing from how my face looked while he was stepping on my foot. I tried a few times to pick him back up, but since he wasn't trying to help, he just kept spinning around on his back like a turtle that has been flipped on its shell. Needless to say, not only did we leave with the shoes, but also a healthy helping of dirt ground into Pat's clothes. I don't think the people at Big 5 really knew what to think about us.
So goals for tomorrow:
12 walks
try again with the water - maybe just a half a cup today
10 perfect sit to stand and then stand to sit
6 superman exercises (got to prepare to make some french fries out of Darth)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Today I...
Goals for today were:
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time): Walked twice, once to get inside Texas Roadhouse, once to get out.
Work on getting a drink of water: Well he got some water, but it was delivered by the waitress. :)
Pat is still pretty focused on what he ate for dinner so he is having a hard time giving an update on his progress today. :) Let's just say I think he ate more than his weight... It was amazing that either of us could walk out to the car. Good thing walking is his goal, not loosing weight. He did say however, that he noticed a lot of people passing him today while he was walking, and it seemed to bother him quite a bit to be the granny driver. While he didn't get many walks in, he mananged to untangle himself from the rug quite nicely, carry on a conversation with the wait staff while walking, and boost himself up into the booth. What he wouldn't give to be an inch or two taller. While he is not making the progress strength wise that I would like, his ability to manuever himself in and out of tight situations is getting so much better. A situation like the rug trying to give him the smack down would have knocked him down for the count a few months ago, now it is hardly an obstacle.
We just want to say that our friends who stopped by to wish Pat Happy Birthday today are so amazing. We are so blessed to have been born into such wonderful families and to be able to adopt those of our own choosing as well. We certainly couldn't do much of anything without your support and concern.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
To walk 11 times (20 feet)
To try to get a glass of water with the walker without spilling any on the dogs
Read the first 100 pages of Breaking Dawn
Scrapbook some more pictures (I mean work on family history. Scrappin is just too girlie).
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time): Walked twice, once to get inside Texas Roadhouse, once to get out.
Work on getting a drink of water: Well he got some water, but it was delivered by the waitress. :)
Pat is still pretty focused on what he ate for dinner so he is having a hard time giving an update on his progress today. :) Let's just say I think he ate more than his weight... It was amazing that either of us could walk out to the car. Good thing walking is his goal, not loosing weight. He did say however, that he noticed a lot of people passing him today while he was walking, and it seemed to bother him quite a bit to be the granny driver. While he didn't get many walks in, he mananged to untangle himself from the rug quite nicely, carry on a conversation with the wait staff while walking, and boost himself up into the booth. What he wouldn't give to be an inch or two taller. While he is not making the progress strength wise that I would like, his ability to manuever himself in and out of tight situations is getting so much better. A situation like the rug trying to give him the smack down would have knocked him down for the count a few months ago, now it is hardly an obstacle.
We just want to say that our friends who stopped by to wish Pat Happy Birthday today are so amazing. We are so blessed to have been born into such wonderful families and to be able to adopt those of our own choosing as well. We certainly couldn't do much of anything without your support and concern.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
To walk 11 times (20 feet)
To try to get a glass of water with the walker without spilling any on the dogs
Read the first 100 pages of Breaking Dawn
Scrapbook some more pictures (I mean work on family history. Scrappin is just too girlie).
29 years young
A long time ago on a planet very close to our hearts a superhero emerged. He was a man of unparalleled strength, wisdom, and handsomeness. By day to the outside world, he appears to be a shy, humble man whose body is caged in a wheelchair. But to the inside world and those who really know him, SuperPat is revealed. His strong biceps and even stronger mind are a match for any problem that comes his way. His secret weapon is his walker of doom which strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies as they hear him clunking down the hall. Fortified by his daily dose of chocolate, he vows never to stop until he has taken down the dreaded Darth Tator. When he is able to run, he knows that he will be able to smash Darth into tator tots. Darth enjoy life as a couch potato while you can because when you hear a clunk, clunk, clunk; you know SuperPat is on his way.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nobody likes a Monday
Well the week didn't start off as well as we would have liked. But I guess you have to start small and work your way up.
Goal recap:
Make no mistakes - Pat fell on his behind. He says he was leaning back too far. After he fell, he gave up for the day.
10 walks - walked about 20 feet 7 times. If only the dogs could talk to confirm this. :)
No falls - see above
Getting a drink of water - did not work on it. Maybe tomorrow.
Goal for tomorrow:
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time)
Work on getting a drink of water
Pat says he was not impressed with himself, especially when he landed on his rear end. Melissa declines to comment.
Goal recap:
Make no mistakes - Pat fell on his behind. He says he was leaning back too far. After he fell, he gave up for the day.
10 walks - walked about 20 feet 7 times. If only the dogs could talk to confirm this. :)
No falls - see above
Getting a drink of water - did not work on it. Maybe tomorrow.
Goal for tomorrow:
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time)
Work on getting a drink of water
Pat says he was not impressed with himself, especially when he landed on his rear end. Melissa declines to comment.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Daily Progress
Today was Sunday and Pat had the chance to walk at church. He also got to walk again when we went back to see the Bishop that evening for an interview. Unfortunately, we discovered that the church was locked after we walked up to the doors, so Pat had the chance to hold onto the doors while Melissa ran around the church to see if any were open. It was a great leg strengthening exercise, even if Pat didn't enjoy it very much!
Melissa's thoughts on the day:
Pat did a fantastic job walking today. We started out the day a little later than we would have liked, so we needed to hurry when we got church. When Pat was walking down the hall, his strides were straight and even and he didn't hit his ankles together like he normally does. After discussing it, we decided that he was walking so much better because he wasn't thinking about it. I think sometimes his brain gets in the way of his feet and he tries to think things through way too much. When we got to the chapel, I had a heart stopping moment when Pat started to tip forward a lot and it looked as if he was going to do a face plant. At the same time I quickly stretched my hands forward in a desparate attempt to catch him, one of our friends jumped up off the bench in an attempt to stop him also. Thankfully Pat was unaware that we were trying to catch him so he righted himself and kept walking. Proof that Pat doesn't need as much help as he needs to walk, he just wants it. Kind of like Dumbo's feather. :) When we sat down and I asked him if he thought he was going to fall, he didn't even know what I was talking about, even though he had been at a 45 degree angle with the floor. What an improvement from the Black Friday incident, Daniel I think it is safe to take Pat out again. :)
His thoughts on the day:
I didn't fall or get tired, it was a good day. I need to walk faster though, it takes a long time to get places that I need to go. I think that my walking has improved, my wife pointed out that I was able to catch myself without even knowing that I was in danger of falling. I feel more confident and cool when I walk. I can't wait to show you all what I am capable of.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* Make no mistakes
* 10 walks
* No falls
* Work on getting a drink of water for myself without spilling any while using my walker
Melissa's thoughts on the day:
Pat did a fantastic job walking today. We started out the day a little later than we would have liked, so we needed to hurry when we got church. When Pat was walking down the hall, his strides were straight and even and he didn't hit his ankles together like he normally does. After discussing it, we decided that he was walking so much better because he wasn't thinking about it. I think sometimes his brain gets in the way of his feet and he tries to think things through way too much. When we got to the chapel, I had a heart stopping moment when Pat started to tip forward a lot and it looked as if he was going to do a face plant. At the same time I quickly stretched my hands forward in a desparate attempt to catch him, one of our friends jumped up off the bench in an attempt to stop him also. Thankfully Pat was unaware that we were trying to catch him so he righted himself and kept walking. Proof that Pat doesn't need as much help as he needs to walk, he just wants it. Kind of like Dumbo's feather. :) When we sat down and I asked him if he thought he was going to fall, he didn't even know what I was talking about, even though he had been at a 45 degree angle with the floor. What an improvement from the Black Friday incident, Daniel I think it is safe to take Pat out again. :)
His thoughts on the day:
I didn't fall or get tired, it was a good day. I need to walk faster though, it takes a long time to get places that I need to go. I think that my walking has improved, my wife pointed out that I was able to catch myself without even knowing that I was in danger of falling. I feel more confident and cool when I walk. I can't wait to show you all what I am capable of.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* Make no mistakes
* 10 walks
* No falls
* Work on getting a drink of water for myself without spilling any while using my walker
How it all began
It all began from Pat's desire to walk again and his family's desire to help him. Being the great brothers-in-law that they are, Daniel and Reed wanted to do more than just talk to help out. The talk started as all good talks do, with food. Daniel proposed a wager concerning a meal at he and Pat's favorie eating establishment and Pat was in. Then Reed hit on Pat's other soft spot by suggesting that some money come into the bargain. So how does this all work for Pat? If he makes the finish line at the end of the year, he gets some pretty awesome rewards.
The Dream:
* To be able to walk using only the support of his own two legs and his trusty walker (or cane if he desires)
The Rewards:
* Dinner for two (Daniel and Pat) at RoeAnn's
* $100 in Pat's pocket
* A slimer, lighter Reed (15 lbs lighter to be exact)
* Bragging rights for life
* The party of a lifetime at which Pat will donate all of his wheelchairs and medical equipment to a wonderful cause, some one else's dream to walk.
The Payoff:
* Pat must purchase dinner for Daniel at RoeAnn's
* Pat must complete 200 push-ups
* A new challenge and goal, because we will never give up
The Deadline:
* The end of the year
He knows his goal is lofty, but with such a fabulous support system as Pat has, there is no way that he can possibly fail. So do you believe that he can complete the challenge? Feel free to weigh in and tell him what you think.
The Dream:
* To be able to walk using only the support of his own two legs and his trusty walker (or cane if he desires)
The Rewards:
* Dinner for two (Daniel and Pat) at RoeAnn's
* $100 in Pat's pocket
* A slimer, lighter Reed (15 lbs lighter to be exact)
* Bragging rights for life
* The party of a lifetime at which Pat will donate all of his wheelchairs and medical equipment to a wonderful cause, some one else's dream to walk.
The Payoff:
* Pat must purchase dinner for Daniel at RoeAnn's
* Pat must complete 200 push-ups
* A new challenge and goal, because we will never give up
The Deadline:
* The end of the year
He knows his goal is lofty, but with such a fabulous support system as Pat has, there is no way that he can possibly fail. So do you believe that he can complete the challenge? Feel free to weigh in and tell him what you think.
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