Moving Experiences & Coach Mark

03Dec - Today our friend Shilpa moved from the ICU to the Step-down unit! I helped her Mom take down the many wonderful cards that have arrived for her and pack up her personal belongings. Sapna had to leave for work, so I stayed to help finish the move and morning activities. I follow the 3 nurses who move her bed and IV pole as I push the cart of her things and took a short video of our move down the hall and around the corner to her new digs. We didn’t know it at the time of the move, but our friend Mark was residing right next door in the Step-down unit. 

Carman, Jess & Pat
(reviewing her program chart)

At Physio, we were ecstatic to welcome Jess back after her sojourn in the hospital battling an infection. This is the first time that she and Pat have been at physio together since Pat returned post-transplant. She and Carman worked really hard on their programs. Carman has in fact, started doing extra work for his buddies. An extra squat for Mark, extra steps for Phyllis and an extra 2 minutes on the treadmill for Shilpa, until they all return post-transplant, to show off how well their new lungs are working.

When we finished at Physio, Carman and I went to see Shilpa and arrived just in time to take a walk with her and the physio therapist. As we moved into the hall (me pushing the wheel chair behind her) a waving arm caught my attention and I turned to see Mark’s smiling face and big thumbs up for Shilpa! Needless to say, Carman didn’t make the walk with us (he had, after all, just finished a full physio session). He stopped his Rollator at Mark’s door, put the brakes on and plunked himself down on the seat for a visit! Shilpa, the PT and I returned from our circuit around the whole unit and could hear them chatting and laughing as we rounded the corner.

Not 30 minutes later, we looked into the hall and saw Mark rolling by on his bed, waving regally  as a porter and a nurse moved him downstairs to the regular transplant ward. Next step after that is home!

Exciting times!

04Dec - Dj was to come for a visit this week, but was knocked flat by a sinus infection. We had planned for our nephew, Mark, to come and coach Carman at Physio and we would do some errands. It was best for her to stay home in Ottawa and get better and Mark came for lunch and then to Physio to coach Carman anyway. We picked up Jess & Carla on the way to TGH, so Mark was in for a double dose of tall tales and fabrications from Carman & Jess regarding what they can and can’t do during physio (it’s mostly about the talking while biking and not minding their O2 sat levels). Mark’s been thru this before though, so I’m confident he’ll not be drawn in by their innocent looks!

While they are at physio, I take the opportunity to drop in on our friends Heather, Shilpa and Mark, who are all now on the same floor. Heather’s room is closed, so I’m not able to see her today, and when I stop by at Mark’s room, all is in darkness and he is having a much needed nap. I move along to Shilpa’s room, where we do a fresh hair do and speak with the speech therapist about talking and potentially eating solid (although pureed) foods once they remove her trach (which should be today, yeah!).

With this good news in hand, I return to meet Carman and Mark and find that all has gone well at Physio. In fact, Mark reported that the session went so smoothly, he’d be happy to return to keep Carman on the straight track any time!

Thanks Mark!

Funky Physio Feet
Shilpa, Kristy & Carman
in their new kickers!