Outings

Mark had a day of outings yesterday. He had an appointment at the University Hospital to see the doctor that reconstructed his eye/lid. The doctor seemed very pleased with his work.

Prior to the appointment Mark and his parents visited Finlay Market which is a favorite. I'm not sure what they had to eat but I'm thinking Homemade Sausage??

It is sure nice to see Mark up and about.

Clean-up and Pack-up

While Mark is staying at the long-term care facility, his parents are sorting, cleaning, and packing up Mark's house. It's a big job for the folks and also stressful on Mark. There were parts and pieces to over twenty bikes, various exercise equipment, CD, records, etc. to organize and make decisions about. They are hoping to sell the house soon or else it will go into foreclosure. Still waiting to see where the best spot for Mark's next move might be.

Their hope was to be back in Nebraska for Thanksgiving but without a feasible housing/support option for Mark he'll be staying in Ohio for now. He is continuing to get stronger and slowly the function is returning to his hands. He was able to snap the lease on and off of his dogs during a recent visit with them. In therapy he is walking for a good hour and pedaling on the recumbent bike.

Mark really appreciates hearing from friends and family. It's a big adjustment for him to move and figure out what to do with himself. Martha and John appreciate your support as well. Being away from Nebraska and their usual support network makes this process more exhausting and difficult.

Sleeper??

You look pretty alert to me.. maybe you can explain why they call you the sleeper on Ragbrai??

Continuing to Recover

Mark has made some good gains in the past weeks. He is up to walking for 30 minutes at a time, with a single-point cane to help with balance. Pain and weakness continue to plague this hands.

He still has some medical appointments with the maxillofacial, neurosurgery, oculoplastic, and orthopedic doctors. Down the road a little farther will be some neuropsych testing. Mark is complaining of some difficulty with concentration.

There is a lot for Mark to figure out about his house in Cincinnati, further rehab, and living location. He is very grateful to John and Martha for their help with these decisions. Martha is hoping this week to talk to the long-term care facility to help determine a possible discharge date.

Today Mark is making a road trip up to Grandma Kate's (Mark's maternal grandmother) old house to visit his dogs: Lucy, and Jack-O. They are being boarded there by the renter. Those two dogs have been the center of his life lately so I'm sure he is missing them dearly.

Above is the most recent photo of Mark visiting with the Lee's. With Martha and John visiting this week hopefully I'll have a few more photos to share.

If you have a minute or two please send Mark an e-mail to lift his spirits and show your support.

adavidson@cinci.rr.com

Folks

Mark Andrew and his parents posing for a photo before their departure back to Nebraska. Martha and John plan to return in November to Ohio, and possibly bring Andrew back to Nebraska at that time.

Medicaid requires that you live in the state in which you are applying for coverage so until he doesn't require daily therapy he will have to stay in Ohio. Once he is living in Nebraska he can apply for Medicaid there and hopeful take part in some more rehabilitation. Anyone have any good suggestions? Or know of any good programs?

Thankfully the physical improvements are continuing. There are still many questions to answer and lots of unmet needs. Stay tuned and thanks for the support!

Quick note, long visit

The doctors appointments were very long. They did do the cervical x-rays and recommended at least four more weeks in the collar. Andrew will revisit the doctors about in about 4 weeks again.

Steady

Andrew is making steady progress with his recovery. He is now walking with a single-point cane and maintaining his balance much better. Tomorrow Andrew has some doctor appointments back at university so he'll see how the spine is healing.

Martha and John will be helping him to the appointments and staying for a little longer to figure out the next step. No firm plans yet.

I know Andrew has a list of people that he would like to thank! (we'll work on that) He really appreciates the visits, calls, cookies, treats, cards, and donations. The support means so much to him.