Marjorie, my mother in law, is improving. Yesterday she complained about the food and how they do things, which is a sure sign that she wants to come home as soon as possible. An occupational therapist met us in Marjorie’s room at 9:00 am yesterday, Saturday, to help us understand what Marjorie can and cannot do and how we can help her to do what she needs to do, like going to the toilet. They are still using a sliding board, which is something I do not want to have to use. I am not very big, but I am strong for my size. Even so, I am not able to lift Marjorie and the sliding board does not seem very reliable to me. Too easy for a slip to occur. I want Marjorie to be able to push herself up with her arms onto her one good leg and pivot to the toilet with my assistance. I have to call tomorrow to ask if they can keep her at Cardinal Hill and work with her until she is able to do that. At least she is not on the catheter any longer.

This morning I got the wheelchair out of the garage and sat in it and wheeled around the house. The chair will not fit in the bathroom door, but it fits every other door. We can take the door off the bathroom and then it will fit. But still no room in there for me to help Marjorie on and off the toilet. I think we will have to use a bedside commode.

We can do a skintilizing here at the club in lieu of a shower. I want to install a shower here at the club but we have other priorities first. We had a fantastic handicap accessible shower at our original location. Too bad we could not afford the rent.

Marjorie will not be able to sit at her favorite spot on the sofa and watch TV after dinner as she did before. I tried to maneuver from the wheelchair onto the sofa with only one leg and it was impossible. I would have to lift her to help her on and off the sofa and I can’t do that. So we are thinking of purchasing a little television for her bedroom and she can go from the wheelchair into bed after dinner. I am sure she will be tired after being in the wheelchair all day at the club. One wonderful thing about Wheels…they provide door to door wheelchair transportation. My mother in law loves riding the Wheels bus.

I want to find a really nice cushioning system for the seat and back of the chair. And I wonder if there is a way it can become like a recliner so she can rest in it. My wonderful friend, Erma, who I met because of the first ad I placed in the Hamburg Journal, has asked a gentleman from her church if he can build a wheelchair ramp for us and he said he would for just the cost of the materials. What a good work for a godly man to do!

May God bless your week ahead.