The Blog of mamapolo

This will be short, as time is short.

My husband's status improves every day - but we have much distance to cover. It is astounding how muscle tone disappears so rapidly when one is in bed nearly 24/7 for over a month.

He is so thin and frail, and has virtually no strength in his legs - although his hands, powerful from his musicianship (violin, mandolin, banjo) and his millwork (he produces the telegraph key he invented in our basement and markets it).

The last few days in the hospital and now at the rehab, two physical therapists wrest him from the bed and place him before a walker, then one guides him from the side while another follows behind with a wheelchair in case of a sudden collapse. He walked fifteen steps today, the last few causing his arms and legs to tremble violently. He sat for a few minutes, then walked fifteen steps back.

Progress is gauged by inches, but it is progress.

My internet was down for a couple of days - and since the caregivers I have hired to help me watch him 24/7 to make sure he doesn't hurt himself cost $15.00/hour (which was actually a bit of a deal!) - I am taking a 12 hour shift myself, and I planned it badly from 10 am to 10 pm - which leaves me almost no time to do stuff in the real world during business hours - and less energy.

Still, 12 hours of paid help is $180 a DAY. You see why I am encouraging him to get better FAST.

He still occasionally drifts to the left of reality, but not as often and not as far. When he is in a different place than I am, he gets annoyed at my stupidity because I can't see what he sees.

Anyway - when I got the internet back up today - my inbox was jammed with unanswered emails and alerts from EP - 32 all told, 25 of them from EP-ers. The red letters at the right of my profile page clarioned "New mail!" "New story comments!" "New photo comments!" "New gifts!" "New greeting cards!"

Where we are can be a very lonely place at times, and the knowledge that 'strangers' all over the country took the time to celebrate with me, to offer reassurance, to promise continued prayers...there is no price for that.

Thank you all.

Be good to each other - there's no internet reception at the rehab, and I won't be around much for a bit. I checked out that 'wireless anywhere' access they've been touting, but one has to promise one's first born and sacrifice a goat to obtain it.

So I'll miss you - but I'll be around sometimes - and sometime soon I will be back.

Mama