Busy Week

The time here at MD Anderson Cancer Center has been flying by this week. We have been so busy with PT, OT, group therapy, learning new stretches and exercises, getting paperwork to insurance companies and orders to rehabilitation centers, trying to stay rested, moving to a new room and getting relief from being in the hospital with little outings in a wheelchair around the hospital and outside. Time flies when you are having fun. Roger made it down to the big therapy gym in MD Anderson a couple times this week. He started walking with a cane alone Friday and he's super excited about it. You can watch a video of him walking with a cane for the first time below and click on this link to see more videos of him at MD Anderson.



We went over some home activities with the OT to remind ourselves how to get him in and out of the shower and bathtub, what assistive devices we may or may not need and all those other household things until he's able to do them safely and completely alone. He's doing more and more by himself as rehab suggested to help him get back to normal which will help his rehabilitation. We even got a date in Friday night by attending the Rotary House's T.G.I.F. movie night. It was so nice to get "out" and sit on a couch together beside each other. For two hours it felt like we weren't at a hospital. It was great. We have also been given the opportunity to talk to other patients and their families while we have been here and learn about them and their cancer stories encouraging them and they encouraging us in return. It's amazing to me how many people from all over the country we have talked to who had a surgery somewhere else then came to MD Anderson for their second surgery because their cancer returned in the same place or came back somewhere else. It seems the general consensus has been don't mess around and go to the specialists for whatever it is you are dealing with. And for all of these people that's been MD Anderson.

We both can't believe the weekend is here and Roger only has four more days until he's discharged from the hospital. We are both excited and eager to get back home and get started with outpatient therapy and rehabilitation in Austin. Roger is not only ready to regain all the movement he lost but get more mobility and strength to do things he hasn't been able to do for the past five years like cycling and maybe running again. I'm hoping we can throw some dance lessons in there also. :)

We are looking forward to animal assisted group therapy Saturday and friends visiting this weekend. We have to thank God for an amazing week. We have so much to be thankful for.

~ Holly