Quick Draw McGraw / Homeward Bound

After a lovely light dinner provided by Kathy K, I gave Tim a call on his cell around 8PM and he answered it quickly and easily. The ban is off, you can call Tim now - he'd love to hear familiar voices. Alas, even with me, he could only manage to hold it up for about 10 minutes, so please be aware of that if you do reach him. Any time of day is fine, he says.

As we were talking, I heard the siren from the drawbridge over the Charles. "Are you outside?" "Yup, I'm out on the Esplanade (actually the Nashua Street Park) with Trevor, a new guy on the floor, and his family." So, he's getting more comfortable moving about, and that fact leads me to this announcement. We are working with the doctors and therapists to prepare for a day trip home to the Berkshires. On Monday, we will learn how to move Tim between his chair and a car seat. Combined with our walk over to the Museum of Science, we hope to develop the skills and comfort level to bring Tim home for the day on Sunday August 19. Our plan is to set up a pot luck picnic / cook out in West Stockbridge and give Tim a chance to re-connect with friends, family and familiar sites. He remains in good spirits, but admits to being a little homesick, and this trip is his brain child and should provide the cure! So, try to keep your calendars open and we will fill you in on the details as we make 'em up!

Earlier today, I had a chance to get reports from Grandpa and Uncle John, so I confirmed some details with Tim this evening. First, his hand coordination is improving. My dad observed that he is eating with an adapted fork very smoothly and efficiently. Also got some more info on the use of the Ergys 2 Bike.
http://www.musclepower.com/product2.htm
http://www.musclepower.com/pdf/ergyscar.pdf
Apparently, the machine sends a shock to Tim's leg muscles and as they contract, they pedal the bike. While this is happening, the muscles are being measured to see how much of the contractions is being caused by the electro-shock and how much is being caused naturally. It is still to early to totally understand this, but it seems (according to Tim) that at first his contractions were 100% caused by shock, but at points, he got below 70%. He is going to clarify what this means with his doctor tomorrow, but he confirmed with me that it indicates improvement. He has also started talking about post-Spaulding plans, including designing and building a custom wheel chair with Tyler and the guys. He is also thinking a Honda Passport would be a good vehicle to modify for several reasons. That's gotta kill him - I wonder if Audi will come out with something similar in the next few months? He also met with his nurse advocate today, and no big news, which is good. My folks came back to the room when therapies were supposed to be over and found him asleep around 3:15. Uncle John discovered the same thing when he called in around 4:30 or so. A tiring day, I guess.

Mail call: Aunt Merrilyn dropped a note and prayer from Asheville and Tim received cards from Rev. Allison in Seneca Falls, the Races (fresh back in West Stockbridge after vacation) and classmate Katherine from WS. "Can you feel the love, Tim?" "Yes dad, yes I can."