The Future

On Monday before I left Harborview, we got to talk to the rehab doctor. Of course he was reluctant to make any promises for this particular patient, but we asked him if, for patients with this sort of injury, what we had pictured for the future was a reasonable expectation. He said "Yes."

So we are expecting that other than using a chair and having a rather complicated way of handling waste products, Dad will be able to live a relatively normal life: go to church, go to grandkid's sporting events, go to movies, do many of the things he loves to do. There will be a hard transition period, and certainly some pieces of the old life will not be coming back, but the new life can be pleasant and rewarding.

He and Mom have requested that, as soon as he is medically cleared for take-off, he be transfered to Bellingham for rehab. No one is willing to predict how long this wait will be. My secret (well not secret if I post it here) hope is that he will be back in Bellingham by his birthday, January 12th. They will start rehab and physical therapy at Harborview of course, and then move him when it is appropriate.

I'm still mustering up the energy to describe our experience at Harborview. It was rather a trauma unto itself.