I apologize for the break. All has been well. The syncope episodes ended when we withdrew one of my meds. I was accepted into the Young Stroke Survivors program and have been doing three hours of therapy five days a week plus group sessions and a few extra therapy slots mixed in. It has been intense. I could have blogged a few of my accomplishments (and did post some to Facebook), but I didn’t have energy to say anything else so I waited. Therapy here has been fantastic! I have done so much and I am doing more than I was before the syncope with accomplishments including:

• Standing for 15 minutes with left leg braced and limited right hand support.
• Walked 50 feet over 5 sets of 10 with some back support and leg braced
• Left arm raised to 90 degrees
• 10 reps of sit to stand. Several with just me and zero therapist help.
• Left wrist mobility to straight
• Left fingers extending better
• Walked 56 feet twice with left leg braced and some help moving it
• Stood for one minute with no support. Just my legs.
• Improved my scooting by learning to properly lean and haven’t my the confidence to do it.
• Learned arm exercises to do at home
• Learned leg exercises to do at home
• Learned E-stim to do at home
• Moved my left wrist all by myself – no right hand assistance

Now it’s homeward bound and I feel ready. I decided to use Rehab Without Walls to do about 15 hours of at home therapy each week including six hours each of physical and occupational. They seem willing to tailor my program so I think it will be better than the longer, but less focused, therapy I was getting at CNS. I may go back to CNS later.

So we are on to the next phase of our adventure and I get to be at home with Rachel. After me staying inpatient for 52 of the past 54 weeks we have some catching up to do (and quite a bit of video to watch). I’ve missed her and she has the hard end of this. As my counselor at CNS Dallas said “You have one goal: kick ass in therapy and Rachel has the rest.” I am grateful without bound for my Wonderful Wife Rachel.

Aiming to do updates more often with progress reports. Brandie says I’m going back to work in person on February 14; I think that’s a little aggressive. My goals:

• Deerfield reunion in June
• Road trip to my niece’s wedding in July
• Walking (with assistance, preferably just trekking poles) to the old Live Oak on my HOA trail
• Getting enough strength and left arm function to cook and assist Rachel.
• Back to work

Here’s to a 2025 that leaves 2024 as a distant memory.