Dad posting here again. I've had a bit of time away from the hospital as the final days of Uncle Bob visiting were upon us and it was getting down to crunch time to get the downstairs of our home emptied out and begin preparing it for Claire's return home.
Keep in mind, Claire likely will be in Rehab for another 3 to 4 weeks, but we've got a lotta work ahead of us to get this thing ready for her. So, while Karlee stayed at the hospital with Claire, and after Uncle Bob helped move most of the furniture upstairs and unfortunately had to depart back to California, I was left with the task of moving the rest of the furniture out to the garage and actually make it all fit!! Well, I succeeded and have almost the entire downstairs emptied and gutted right down to the concrete slab. I say almost all of it because the kitchen and guest bathroom, for the most part, are still intact. The linoleum flooring is going to be a bugger to pull up and after doing all the carpet, pad, tack strip and baseboard removal I needed a break. Plus, we still need the kitchen in a working order, so I have to get creative with how I handle the tearout there too. Hmmm.
These photos are just of the front room and the living/dining room area. In the bottom right picture you can see a dark doorway. That doorway leads to what will now be Claire's new bed/bath area. Originally built as the guest bed and downstairs bath, we're thinking we will probably modify it to be one full suite with only that front archway acting as the primary door as its width won't need to be modified. The doorway then to both the bath and the bedroom will be taken back all the way to the walls and ceiling to give it a more open feel. The bath, as small as it is, absolutely has to be opened up as it will have to be changed to be as wheel chair friendly as possible.
***sigh***
Oh, the work to be done that I never imagined I would ever have to do.. Ever!
In the meantime, while I was at home playing with deconstruction of the home, Karlee was at the hospital with Claire, focusing on getting her better and helping her progress. There were improvements, I am happy to report! Claire has developed some voluntary movement -albeit slight- in her legs. More to come on that in a later post (we have a video to put on here but I don't have it with me right now). Overall, Claire is doing very well at focusing on working hard to, as we say, "make her legs wake up" and through all the frustration she has with this ordeal, typically has a smile on her face by the end of the day.
We have a family meeting with the doctors, therapists, and social worker on January 12th to discuss more of a roadmap of what we are to expect and how to prepare for Claire coming home. During that meeting we should find out what will and will not be covered by insurance, what resources are available out there for us to tap into for financial assistance, and likely a more clear time table for when to expect Claire to return home.
As always, when I get more information, you'll get more information.
Your doing an awsome job Chris.
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