A lot has happened in the last week.
Chris got the tracheotomy tube out on Christmas Eve and was able to enjoy a somewhat pureed Christmas dinner the following day.
Having asked for his laptop, it was apparent that Chris wouldn’t want to stay put in hospital much longer and on Monday 28th he was released from hospital to trial staying at home overnight. Under this system Chris would stay at home at night, but come into the hospital during the day for necessary treatment.
In the event, Monday’s sleep was a little short and Jan had to bundle Chris back into the hospital in the wee smalls on Tuesday morning. After a little more recovery and seeing the various specialists they were given the all clear for him to be released from hospital and for any necessary care to be performed at home. At one point it looked like they were going to have to travel to west Auckland for rehabilitation but a better alternative has been found.
Since getting home, Chris has been able to (slowly) negotiate the stairs on his own, bathe, and also made a trip up and down the steep drive to retrieve the mail. Jan drove him down to the velodrome where they stayed for about an hour, walking and catching up with a few people down there.
Chris is enjoying home cooked meals again and seems very happy to be back at home in an environment where he can rehabilitate in familiar and comforting surroundings. It has yet to be confirmed how much help will be forthcoming through ACC both in rehabilitation and home help but that should be sorted in the coming days.
As indicated earlier in the blog, the easiest time for Jan would be while Chris was still in hospital. Now she will be kept very busy looking after Chris and accompanying him through the steps to come. In that regard, if you find yourselves with a bit of free time on your hands and can help out with little chores about the house please drop a line to Jan, and visitors are welcome in the afternoons.
Chris is still finding getting a good sleep challenging, but if he doesn’t get too tired through the morning and can stretch through the day without a snooze, he is better placed to have a decent sleep through the night.
He has more of his familiar look about him every day, and in spite of the fact it seemed his early recovery was drawn out, it is still a relatively short time since the accident and we can be thankful for that.
Thank you to everyone who has given their time, energy, support and good wishes over this time. I’m sure Chris hopes to be back in your circles again very soon.
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