Life after Death Sentencing

Movement for 7/13/08:

• Today was the first day since she's arrived home that Mom refused the option of being wheeled in the chair all day, even when she was a little unsure of whether she'd be okay on her feet. She was adamant to try. I followed her with the chair only once, from the bathroom to the dinette in the morning. She walked under her own steam, her choice, during her morning from the bedroom to the bathroom, from the bathroom to the dinette, and from the table in the dinette to the dinette banister and down the steps. She walkered from the dinette banister to her rocker and from the rocker to the foyer banister when it was nap time, but, again, from the top of the foyer banister to the bathroom and then to the bedroom she insisted on walking, using her environment for support, under her own steam.
• The evening was more or less a repeat of her morning, minus the walk to the dinette. In the open space of the living room she used the walker; in the hall, bedroom and bathroom she used environmental support with my occasional arm through the wide-area spots.
• I was confident enough, throughout the day, in her ability to move (and, of course, stayed close enough with a helping arm at the ready) so that only once did I follow her with the wheel chair: From the bathroom to the dinette for breakfast. Otherwise, I followed her pushing the oxygen caddy and keeping a steady arm out in case she needed it; occasionally she did.
• She seems to be more confident, herself, of her ability to mobilize, thus I transferred the fan I've been keeping just outside her bedroom in the hall in order to direct cool air into her bedroom onto the top of the bureau, just in case she should become so confident that she arises in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I'm also thinking it might be a good idea if I have our electrician in for a visit to fix a few of the baseboard heater thermostats and install a plug in the hall for a night light. Might be a good idea, now.

    Today probably would have been a good day to try exercises again...but I forgot. We got busy talking and watching some shows on the History Channel about the "Biography" of the Earth and the idea slipped away. Four the next four days we'll be hosting company, so I don't imagine we'll get much formal exercise in but I'm sure she'll be up more than usual in order not to miss anything and it would be a safe bet that she'll probably move even more than usual, so I think we'll be set as far as supportive movement is concerned.