Dad is back home

Dad stayed at Kernan for 11 days. Mom and I picked him up around 5:00pm today. He was all ready to go, but he had dinner first at Kernan since I arrived a bit late. Evening traffic. Mom drove Dad back, and by the time I arrived at the house, Dad had already brushed his teeth and gone to bed.

Dad has to continue taking his anti-seizure medication (Keppra) and steroid (Florinef/fludrocortisone acetate), but no more salt tablets and apparently no anti-clotting medication. It's been recommended by his current therapists that Dad have 2-3 times per week of speech and occupational therapy, and 5 times per week of physical therapy. In terms of priority, Mom, William, and I agree that it's speech therapy because it includes memory and communicating. On Sat, Mom and William watched Dad do a group exercise, and Dad moved the best out of everyone there, bouncing a ball while walking around the gym. Although the therapists recommended 24-hour supervision, it seems that Dad can do most activities independently (eating, brushing teeth, going to the bathroom). He can tell time and move around pretty well. He's gained strength in the right leg/foot. What he needs to work on is comprehending multi-step instructions and expressing himself through words more easily. He cannot drive now and may still need at least 2 weeks before going back to work. Every day Dad speaks more and gets stronger. We're still trying to determine where Dad will get his outpatient therapy, but will know soon.

Dad was in a very good mood yesterday, probably because he could finally leave the hospital. It's hard to get very good rest while in the hospital. I brought some KFC so that we could have a picnic outside for Labor Day. OK, I tried to get some of the grilled chicken, but they ran out so I got the original recipe. Dad had 3 pieces of chicken and then had some of the dinner at 5pm. There's definitely no problem with his appetite. He does tend to eat a bit fast though since the head injury. We just remind him to slow down because it may have caused some of the stomach aches he's been having lately.

William will stay home with Dad tomorrow and walk with him for some exercise.