Lightning: I don't think that is entirely true, Timber. You are teasing me to play, aren't you?
Mom: I know exactly what you are up to, Timber. But you KNOW gentle play is fine, but no rough housing.
Timber: OK. We'll just sit here quietly.
Later. . .
Timber: You can't blame a guy for trying, right?
I really need to have some fun - after all I AM a Siberian Husky with lots of energy.
How about I just wait with him?
ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz. . .
Poor Timber - anyone want to come play with him?
Some of you had some questions about how things are going with Mom's arm. Well, as we told you in yesterday's Ussie post, she has stopped going to her occupational therapy twice weekly sessions because of concerns about Covid-19. The facility is still open and is operating at half staff in order to put more distance between workers and their clients. They are also disinfecting EVERYTHING in the room. The facility is in the same building as her surgeon, and there is a strict protocol observed at the door for anyone entering, including the big questions about the virus, temperature taking, sanitizing dispensers every few feet. But it is still scary given the ages of our parents. So her therapist has told her to just keep working hard on her exercises to maintain or improve her mobility. Here is a photo of some of her tools (a.k.a. torture equipment:)
She has to roll that ball up the wall as high as she can stretch her arm and hold it for at least 30 seconds. Then she rolls it down to eye level with her palm flat on the side of the ball and leans her body into the ball forcing her arm to bend at the elbow. She holds that for another 30 seconds and then repeats the whole procedure at least five times. The dowel has a 1 lb. weight (a piece of 3/4" pipe with caps on the ends duct taped to the dowel). She lies on the floor and extends the pole up straight with her palms facing out until she feels a good pull in her arm, holds for 30 seconds, then lowers to her forehead, holds for 30 seconds; then repeat up and down, this time to her nose for another 30 seconds; and then repeat up and down, this time to her chin for another 30 seconds; repeat the whole sequence 5-10 times. Then repeat the whole sequence another 5-10 times (three reps per time) with her palms facing in.
In addition, there are six more exercises she does with no special equipment that involve the straightening and flexing of the arm repeatedly with multiple holds and multiple repeats. That black thing in the middle of the photo is her splint. It was molded to her arm specifically and is designed to force her arm to straighten. She wears it twice a day for 30 minutes. It does seem to be helping. But the flexing of the arm isn't moving along as much as she would hope.
There is still no weight bearing or resistance movement allowed, something to do with her triceps. That is why she can't take us for walks; if we started to pull too much, she might unwittingly try to rein us in with that arm. She sees the surgeon again in a couple of weeks (April 20). Hopefully he will see progress and let her do some weight and resistance. We still don't know when she will feel comfortable enough to go back to the facility for therapy.
And then the whole cycle of all those exercises have to be done 3-4 times a day!!!
Sorry to be so long winded, but that's where things are right now.
We hope you are all coping well, abiding by the whole social distancing plan, and remaining safe and healthy.
Woos, Lightning and Timber
