Nice stormy weekend

Rob is doing really well. He seems to have made it through this last infection with flying colours, although it was very unpleasant for him. We’ve had a good long weekend together, and he is really making big steps and making up for lost time. Tonight he was really moving and stretching his left leg and that is a big step to be able to stand, and hopefully walk soon.

Thursday was a bit of a stressful day. Rob has been at Heliomare for 3 weeks in a “proof time” to make sure he was strong enough for the full rehabilitation program. We were busy the entire day with evaluations and meetings with all of the therapists and the doctor (it felt a bit like an all day job interview for both of us!). At the end of the day we were very relieved to hear that they feel confident they will be able to help Rob and that he can stay for the full program. We had been concerned because of the recent infection, but they seem to have seen how far he came despite it.

It looks like Rob might be able to start coming home for weekends in 3-4 weeks, but of course, that all depends on how things go in the next weeks. So the first big goal is set, and Rob is very eager to move forward and come home for weekends –we are hoping for Halloween (30/31 October). If there is one thing we have both learned through all of this, it is to take every day as it comes. If he keeps fighting as hard as he has, I think he will be able to do it and finally get home!

They estimate that Rob will be at Heliomare for about 3 months. From there he can continue his rehab more locally while staying at home. I think the positive effects of being home and in his own environment will do wonders for him. We’ll have some modifications to make at home (and our lifestyle), but I think we will manage with a little tenacity and creativity. So, Rob has set his second big goal of trying to get home permanently before the Christmas/New Years holidays.

Warning! We just found out that as a precaution, Rob will be in in quarantine a few more days. He is very disappointed. I will update the Bezoekers (vistors) page when it is safe to visit him again.

He will be so happy to be able to get out and around Heliomare and be able to do the full program. He’ll also be really happy to see visitors again. It’s been really hard on him to be cooped up in the room all the time with very little contact with others. He asked me to take this picture of his “Quarantine” sign (note that he is outside of the room for this picture).

Luckily, they have let him get out away from Heliomare with me, as there were very few risks for others outside the clinic being infected. The nurses and therapists have been great with him, and very sympathetic to his situation. Overall, I am in shock and awe that he could manage it so well and still maintain such a positive attitude. It really makes you appreciate what freedom is, especially when limited like that after already having been through so much.

The weather is really starting to change now, and you really see it on the North Sea coast. We were lucky with some nice sunshine on Friday and jumped on it and went to probably the last nice terrace visit of the season. Rob is starting to nibble at some normal food, but only to taste it, because he has some swallowing problems. Luckily, there are a few of his favourite Dutch treats that the insides are of the right pureed consistency that he can enjoy a bit of the sense of taste without too much risk [Bernadette -- don't worry, I watch him like a hawk].

On Saturday we took our first drive in a wheelchair taxi to the hotel, because the weather turned stormy and it is up on a really high sand dune that I was a bit nervous about navigating, especially on the way down. We hung out in the hotel room for a while with Jansen and then had a nice time at the restaurant with a stunning view of the sea.

It’s really nice that the local restaurants really try hard to accommodate the needs of the Heliomare clients, and they have all been wonderful to us both (thank you everyone at Hoge Duin and Zeeduin). My timing was not great, and it took some time to get back to Heliomare with the taxi, but we had a great time, and Rob did great at being active all day without a rest. I’m getting better at logistics, and I hope our next outing will be a bit easier for Rob.

Today, on Sunday, we also had another nice day at a restaurant watching a stormy day outside. Just being able to enjoy things together again has been so special. We really are appreciating all of the wonderful family, friends, and “things” we have in our lives and are looking forward to our future. Although things are going to be different, we both agree that is also a wonderful challenge to find what is inside of us to move forward and have a good life together.

We’ve also spent a lot of time talking about the last 4 months and processing all the time Rob lost. It is now week 18 of the odyssey, and from piecing it together, we think it is only the last 6 weeks (early September) that Rob really remembers. Overall, I think that it is just as well that he does not remember most of that time, but I do think he wishes he remembered all of the visits from family and friends. I took many pictures and kept a diary for him, and I think that helps.

I showed Rob the blog today and he was stunned with all of your comments. Thank you all for all of your support and well wishes — they really do help. It will also help to hear from all of you over the coming months and encouraging him onwards. Every comment, no matter how silly or short, helps (really!). I hope in the next week or so he can login and start replying himself. At the beginning, I will be typing, but it will be his words. E-mails are a bit too challenging now, so please use the blog if you can.

And in closing, again more Jansen pictures (oh, no, more pictures of the dog!). I don’t have that many exciting pictures of us, but Jansen is all go, and a fun diversion and chronicler of it all from the sidelines.

He has been a good road warrior with all of this. All I need to do is look at the car and he jumps in. Tonight I spilled his food and he had his initiation into a McDonald’s hamburger for dinner (is that animal cruelty?). I had a good laugh when we got home and he no longer fit through the dog/cat door (maybe it’s time for SlimFast!).

He loves his walks on the beach, and discovered seagulls this weekend. It’s pretty funny watching his attempts to go after them, and he never gets closer than 10 meters before they fly away en mass – poor guy. He did a bit better at tackling one of the beach buggy sails, but ditched the Dutch bike on the beach to go after more seagulls.

N.B. Excuses for the bad pictures in this post. Jansen and I got a bit overzealous on the beach last weekend (overwhelmed by massive waves) and my camera is loaded with sand and won’t work. Until I sort things out, photo’s are from my mobile phone – ugh!