Yes, it's been a while since The Mighty Ted Blog has been updated and a busy time for the Mighty Ted.
On October 2nd Ted "graduated" from Marion Joy outpatient therapy having met his goals with flying colors and a "can do" attitude second to none. We cannot say enough wonderful things about all the Marion Joy staff at both Oakbrook and Wheaton. I won't name names lest someone be omitted - suffice it to say we are so grateful for all their hard work and support.
The Mighty Ted "speaker's bureau" has ended, at least for the time being with successful presentations to the students of Midwest University, where Ted participated in the GPS stroke survivor study, and in our church on Laity Sunday. Ted has had several people tell him the impact his story had on both them and, in the case of church friends, their children. It's pretty cool when you can capture the attention of a 13 year old and that they are willing to admit to their parents that the presentation moved them to tears!
Look for a post of the Laity Sunday speech (text and video) on facebook soon.
Ted has been welcomed back to work at DGPL in a new position - well actually a very old position - in the Junior room where Ted started as a temp over 15 years ago! It's a perfect match - Children's Librarian and someone who loves kids, Disney films and Wii games. He is working 18 hours per week with the goal of being back to full time by the end of November.
Acupuncture is making a BIG difference in the recovery of Ted's left side - he is walking much, much faster and often forgets to grab his cane - leaving it across the room as moves around the kitchen / main level of the house. Upstairs on the carpet still requires the use of a cane for stability. Recently we saw movement in his left wrist for the first time. It's just a matter of time before all those muscles get connected to new brain cells and he's back to playing the piano, writing with the left hand and driving with both hands (and doing his own blog updates!)
Ted's next adventure is being a "bachelor" this week as Michelle is out of town for a "girlfriends weekend". Give him a call, send a text and keep him in your prayers as he continues to recover.
Closing, as always, with our continued thanks for all the prayers and support as we make our journey back to full recovery - to our family, friends, therapists, doctors and all the others we have forgotten to mention.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
It has been pretty quiet this week -
Ted completed his second week of accupuncture and after only 3 treatments is feeling the effects as new parts of his body are waking up. A GOOD thing! He also completed his first speaking engagement as the result of the stroke - talking with College of DuPage Physical Therapy students last Tuesday evening. They were a good audience - both interested in Ted's perspective on the treatment he received / the experience of having a stroke and entertained by his talk. (The first speaker had been in a motorcycle accident and had NOT worn a helmut - "pretty messed up" guy according to Ted. Scary!)
Dr. Sharma, Ted's Marion Joy physician, gave to OK for Ted to go back to work (we already had the OK from Ted's GP, Dr. Nelson) and was pleased with the way we handled taking a vacation - getting things in place to go back to a "normal" life.
As the outpatient therapy winds down the focus is on walking without a brace, doing inclines and other somewhat tricky situations and using the left hand to grasp bean bags and other small objects. Though the control of the arm and fingers have not come back yet - the bean bag therapy works to keep retraining those brain cells!
When not at Marion Joy in therapy Ted has been busy at home using the Wii system and Wii fit to really improve his balance (Ask him about getting the fish in the Penguin Game!) and at the gym. He and Joey (the personal trainer Ted hooked up with before the stroke) work on parts of the body not stressed in the Marion Joy sessions including stretches of the left shoulder / arm and lots of squats (again without the brace). Ted was especially pleased at being able to go to the gym by himself and use both the upright and inclined exercise bikes and to navigate the whirlpool. (The swimming pool will have to wait until the left arm comes back - climbing up / down a ladder with only one arm doesn't seem to be a good idea!)
Speaking of bean bags (and we were a moment ago) all that practice came in handy at the 1st birthday party for Peyton and Jordon Bowen - the twin sons of our friends Susan (Place) and Jeff Bowen. The birthday party included a carnival with bowling, ring toss, Bozo Buckets and ... yes .... a bean bag toss. Ted scored great on the bowling, Bozo Bucket and Bean Bag Toss and shared his prize box including the tattos and pirate note pad with his assistant, Dale. We had a grand time and really enjoyed seeing how much our "adopted nephews" Peyton and Jordon have grown.
Ted continues to work to clean out his Tech Director office (15 years worth of work and other "stuff") as he gets ready to move to his new position at the library as part of the Children's Department. He says the finger play part of story time (can we say "Itsy Bitsy Spider"?) will have to wait until the left hand comes back to life.
Thanks to all for your prayers and support through these challenging times. We love you all more than we can say!
Ted completed his second week of accupuncture and after only 3 treatments is feeling the effects as new parts of his body are waking up. A GOOD thing! He also completed his first speaking engagement as the result of the stroke - talking with College of DuPage Physical Therapy students last Tuesday evening. They were a good audience - both interested in Ted's perspective on the treatment he received / the experience of having a stroke and entertained by his talk. (The first speaker had been in a motorcycle accident and had NOT worn a helmut - "pretty messed up" guy according to Ted. Scary!)
Dr. Sharma, Ted's Marion Joy physician, gave to OK for Ted to go back to work (we already had the OK from Ted's GP, Dr. Nelson) and was pleased with the way we handled taking a vacation - getting things in place to go back to a "normal" life.
As the outpatient therapy winds down the focus is on walking without a brace, doing inclines and other somewhat tricky situations and using the left hand to grasp bean bags and other small objects. Though the control of the arm and fingers have not come back yet - the bean bag therapy works to keep retraining those brain cells!
When not at Marion Joy in therapy Ted has been busy at home using the Wii system and Wii fit to really improve his balance (Ask him about getting the fish in the Penguin Game!) and at the gym. He and Joey (the personal trainer Ted hooked up with before the stroke) work on parts of the body not stressed in the Marion Joy sessions including stretches of the left shoulder / arm and lots of squats (again without the brace). Ted was especially pleased at being able to go to the gym by himself and use both the upright and inclined exercise bikes and to navigate the whirlpool. (The swimming pool will have to wait until the left arm comes back - climbing up / down a ladder with only one arm doesn't seem to be a good idea!)
Speaking of bean bags (and we were a moment ago) all that practice came in handy at the 1st birthday party for Peyton and Jordon Bowen - the twin sons of our friends Susan (Place) and Jeff Bowen. The birthday party included a carnival with bowling, ring toss, Bozo Buckets and ... yes .... a bean bag toss. Ted scored great on the bowling, Bozo Bucket and Bean Bag Toss and shared his prize box including the tattos and pirate note pad with his assistant, Dale. We had a grand time and really enjoyed seeing how much our "adopted nephews" Peyton and Jordon have grown.
Ted continues to work to clean out his Tech Director office (15 years worth of work and other "stuff") as he gets ready to move to his new position at the library as part of the Children's Department. He says the finger play part of story time (can we say "Itsy Bitsy Spider"?) will have to wait until the left hand comes back to life.
Thanks to all for your prayers and support through these challenging times. We love you all more than we can say!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Hi everyone -
Just an upfront warning - this is a long one as we have a couple of weeks to cover and lots of events in our lives.
First - the future
Ted's "graduation" date from Marion Joy's outpatient program is scheduled for Friday, October 2nd. Completion of the therapy paves the way for Ted's return to work the following week. He will start out part time in October with the goal of being full time in November. He has made a career decision to move from his long time role of Technology Coordinator (over 10 years) to the Junior Room as a Children's Librarian. We continue to be most grateful to all the support from the library board, administration and staff. You all are the best!
Getting back to work was just one of the goals set by Ted - another was to rejoin the bass section of our Downers Grove First United Methodist Chancel Choir. Though he does not process with the choir, Ted is back in the loft singing as his voice continues to grow stronger.
Ted is becoming a sought after speaker regarding both the experience of having a stroke and the journey back. This week he is speaking to a group of College of Du Page physical therapy students, later this month he will be talking to a student group from Midwest University in connection to the study he did earlier and to our church as part of Laity Sunday. (He's thinking of getting an agent).
As another element of Ted's recovery, he completed his first Acupuncture treatment - quite an accomplishment for someone with a strong aversion to needles. He overcame the fear and made the commitment to treatment based on the number of people who testified to the power of Eastern Medicines and what the treatment did for them - including Jerry and Michele who are fellow stroke recovery patients. Their recovery of fine motor skills is nothing short of miraculous and a convincing argument for giving the therapy a try. We were rather surprised by the discussion over diet as part of the treatment including the requirement to adopt a dairy free meal plan. (Ted is discovering the joys of alternate products including Rice Milk and dairy free "ice cream").
Now to what we have been "up to" lately -
In early September we took a much needed vacation to Baltimore including a cruise to Bermuda. (I think we told you we were planning the trip). Ted had an adventure prior to the trip due to Michelle's expired passport. Luckily Ted caught the fact that the passport was expired and made a trip into Chicago using the Blue Line and cabs to get him where he needed to be to expedite the passport renewal. He was very pleased with this accomplishment - his first "solo" trip into Chicago since the stroke and Michelle was very happy to have the documents needed to leave (and return to) the U.S!
We spent 2 lovely days in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor Residence Inn. It was our first but not our last visit to this beautiful area. We explored the inner harbor area by foot and wheel chair including a daytime visit to the Camden Yard home of the Baltimore Orioles. Though the team was in town we did not have time to go to a game but were able to "peek in" to the ballpark. (You can see pictures of the stadium and the rest of the trip on Ted's face book page). Our bargain of the trip was the Giapetto Entertainment Museum, also in Camden Yard. On game days the admission is only $1.00! We had such a good time we would have paid full price! The main focus of the museum is the history of cartoons and animation with exhibits arranged by decade. Included are a room dedicated to those comic books that we gave away / sold at garage sales after we "outgrew" them, Howdy Doodey, the Beatles and a lot of Disney posters and animation cells.
The experience was made complete with lovely meals at local seafood restaurants. We experienced our first steamed crab fest courtesy of our good friends Apichart and Trish Chalungsooth and their sons Sam and Sean. Since cracking crabs is a two-handed endeavor, Ted had to "settle" for being fed peel and eat shrimp and steamed crab by Trish and Michelle. As a late birthday treat / early anniversary event we treated ourselves to a special dining experience at "Charleston" (check out their website at www.charleston.com for sample menus). Though it is rather an understatement of Charleston's service and cuisine, the closest we can come to describing our evening is to say that Disney emulates the experience in their Victoria and Albert's restaurant at the Grand Floridian. Charleston is multiple course gourmet dining at it's finest (at least in our experience).
Though we were reluctant to leave Charleston after only 2 days, we were excited to move on to the next part of our vacation - our Junior Suite (an upgrade courtesy of a great travel agent and platinum status with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) for a 5 day cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas. Transfer, in spite of transporting the folding wheelchair and too much luggage, was made much easier courtesy of the terrific people at the Residence Inn and Apollo Transport service and the RCCL staff. Though you never want to need a wheel chair, using one certainly gets you to the front of a lot of lines (without asking!).
On board ship we were able to stow the wheelchair (except for one rough day coming home) and enjoy the grandeur of the Grandeur of the Seas. Our cabin steward, Alfonso, catered to Ted's every need including a bench for the shower and extra pillows for his left arm. The ship's personnel were very courteous in allowing us to remain inside in a comfortable lounge during the required mustering drill. Nice!
Our days at sea were filled with morning and afternoon trivia contests (we won some and lost some - it's amazing in name that tune how similar ALL 70's disco songs can sound!) and reading on our lovely balcony. Didn't make it into the pool though had some nice naps and reading time in the adult solarium and out on deck.
Evenings on the ship were devoted to lovely dinners followed by shows in the Palladium Theater or South Pacific Lounge. Our dining table for 8 was expanded to 10 due to a happy "error" by the cruise line seating 2 extra persons at our table. Lucky for us that Julie and Shelly liked our table group so much they decided to stay! Conversations were varied among Julie, Shelly, Jim & A.C., Scott & Kari and Mike & Paula (who we at first thought was Twala thanks to Mike's rather pronounced Long Island accent). Our waiter Ercan made sure we were all well supplied with lovely food including sufficient chocolate supplies. Between Ercan and our head waiter cutting up his food, Ted was easily able to manage prime rib, lobster, etc. including chocolate donuts for breakfast!
After dinner we enjoyed the ship's production and comedy shows - in particular the "adult" comedy late shows. Though each of the comics got a bit "blue" at the late shows we were more amused by their comedy around word play - including the creation of verbs out of nouns. In particular - the creation, in the Nancy Sinatra hit "These boots are made for walkin", of the verb "truthin' ". ("You been lyin' when you shoulda been truthin' ") After the show we shared our favorite example with him - Karen Carpenter's "Merry Christmas Darling" and the line "I'm Christmasing with you". Stay tuned on your next cruise - you may just hear that line in a show somewhere!
We spent two days in our only port, Bermuda. On the first day we used the free shuttle to take us around the Royal Dockyards and to the Maritime Museum. Lovely area and museum but we should have taken the wheelchair. Between the distance and the heat we both got a bit overtired and were very grateful to a cab driver kind enough to take us back to the ship (for no charge!) On the second day we went back to the Royal Dockyards (this time WITH the wheelchair) for a bit more exploration and some souvenir shopping. (We decided this was not the trip to do the adventure kayaking or snorkeling excursions!) We bought an early anniversary present to our selves - a limited edition print from a lovely local artist who paints scenes of the islands and their people. We fell in love with her painting of sailboats in commemoration of the 100th (I think) anniversary of Bermuda. (Ted will be posting a picture on his face book page soon). Ted did some solo shopping (looking for an anniversary gift for Michelle) while Michelle wandered around the dockyards trying her hand at some artistic photos of the old fortifications and the ship from across the bay.
All too soon we were docked back in Baltimore then headed back home to Chicago. As always with our cruises, too short, but a wonderful vacation full of wonderful experiences, memories and new friends.
Just an upfront warning - this is a long one as we have a couple of weeks to cover and lots of events in our lives.
First - the future
Ted's "graduation" date from Marion Joy's outpatient program is scheduled for Friday, October 2nd. Completion of the therapy paves the way for Ted's return to work the following week. He will start out part time in October with the goal of being full time in November. He has made a career decision to move from his long time role of Technology Coordinator (over 10 years) to the Junior Room as a Children's Librarian. We continue to be most grateful to all the support from the library board, administration and staff. You all are the best!
Getting back to work was just one of the goals set by Ted - another was to rejoin the bass section of our Downers Grove First United Methodist Chancel Choir. Though he does not process with the choir, Ted is back in the loft singing as his voice continues to grow stronger.
Ted is becoming a sought after speaker regarding both the experience of having a stroke and the journey back. This week he is speaking to a group of College of Du Page physical therapy students, later this month he will be talking to a student group from Midwest University in connection to the study he did earlier and to our church as part of Laity Sunday. (He's thinking of getting an agent).
As another element of Ted's recovery, he completed his first Acupuncture treatment - quite an accomplishment for someone with a strong aversion to needles. He overcame the fear and made the commitment to treatment based on the number of people who testified to the power of Eastern Medicines and what the treatment did for them - including Jerry and Michele who are fellow stroke recovery patients. Their recovery of fine motor skills is nothing short of miraculous and a convincing argument for giving the therapy a try. We were rather surprised by the discussion over diet as part of the treatment including the requirement to adopt a dairy free meal plan. (Ted is discovering the joys of alternate products including Rice Milk and dairy free "ice cream").
Now to what we have been "up to" lately -
In early September we took a much needed vacation to Baltimore including a cruise to Bermuda. (I think we told you we were planning the trip). Ted had an adventure prior to the trip due to Michelle's expired passport. Luckily Ted caught the fact that the passport was expired and made a trip into Chicago using the Blue Line and cabs to get him where he needed to be to expedite the passport renewal. He was very pleased with this accomplishment - his first "solo" trip into Chicago since the stroke and Michelle was very happy to have the documents needed to leave (and return to) the U.S!
We spent 2 lovely days in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor Residence Inn. It was our first but not our last visit to this beautiful area. We explored the inner harbor area by foot and wheel chair including a daytime visit to the Camden Yard home of the Baltimore Orioles. Though the team was in town we did not have time to go to a game but were able to "peek in" to the ballpark. (You can see pictures of the stadium and the rest of the trip on Ted's face book page). Our bargain of the trip was the Giapetto Entertainment Museum, also in Camden Yard. On game days the admission is only $1.00! We had such a good time we would have paid full price! The main focus of the museum is the history of cartoons and animation with exhibits arranged by decade. Included are a room dedicated to those comic books that we gave away / sold at garage sales after we "outgrew" them, Howdy Doodey, the Beatles and a lot of Disney posters and animation cells.
The experience was made complete with lovely meals at local seafood restaurants. We experienced our first steamed crab fest courtesy of our good friends Apichart and Trish Chalungsooth and their sons Sam and Sean. Since cracking crabs is a two-handed endeavor, Ted had to "settle" for being fed peel and eat shrimp and steamed crab by Trish and Michelle. As a late birthday treat / early anniversary event we treated ourselves to a special dining experience at "Charleston" (check out their website at www.charleston.com for sample menus). Though it is rather an understatement of Charleston's service and cuisine, the closest we can come to describing our evening is to say that Disney emulates the experience in their Victoria and Albert's restaurant at the Grand Floridian. Charleston is multiple course gourmet dining at it's finest (at least in our experience).
Though we were reluctant to leave Charleston after only 2 days, we were excited to move on to the next part of our vacation - our Junior Suite (an upgrade courtesy of a great travel agent and platinum status with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) for a 5 day cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas. Transfer, in spite of transporting the folding wheelchair and too much luggage, was made much easier courtesy of the terrific people at the Residence Inn and Apollo Transport service and the RCCL staff. Though you never want to need a wheel chair, using one certainly gets you to the front of a lot of lines (without asking!).
On board ship we were able to stow the wheelchair (except for one rough day coming home) and enjoy the grandeur of the Grandeur of the Seas. Our cabin steward, Alfonso, catered to Ted's every need including a bench for the shower and extra pillows for his left arm. The ship's personnel were very courteous in allowing us to remain inside in a comfortable lounge during the required mustering drill. Nice!
Our days at sea were filled with morning and afternoon trivia contests (we won some and lost some - it's amazing in name that tune how similar ALL 70's disco songs can sound!) and reading on our lovely balcony. Didn't make it into the pool though had some nice naps and reading time in the adult solarium and out on deck.
Evenings on the ship were devoted to lovely dinners followed by shows in the Palladium Theater or South Pacific Lounge. Our dining table for 8 was expanded to 10 due to a happy "error" by the cruise line seating 2 extra persons at our table. Lucky for us that Julie and Shelly liked our table group so much they decided to stay! Conversations were varied among Julie, Shelly, Jim & A.C., Scott & Kari and Mike & Paula (who we at first thought was Twala thanks to Mike's rather pronounced Long Island accent). Our waiter Ercan made sure we were all well supplied with lovely food including sufficient chocolate supplies. Between Ercan and our head waiter cutting up his food, Ted was easily able to manage prime rib, lobster, etc. including chocolate donuts for breakfast!
After dinner we enjoyed the ship's production and comedy shows - in particular the "adult" comedy late shows. Though each of the comics got a bit "blue" at the late shows we were more amused by their comedy around word play - including the creation of verbs out of nouns. In particular - the creation, in the Nancy Sinatra hit "These boots are made for walkin", of the verb "truthin' ". ("You been lyin' when you shoulda been truthin' ") After the show we shared our favorite example with him - Karen Carpenter's "Merry Christmas Darling" and the line "I'm Christmasing with you". Stay tuned on your next cruise - you may just hear that line in a show somewhere!
We spent two days in our only port, Bermuda. On the first day we used the free shuttle to take us around the Royal Dockyards and to the Maritime Museum. Lovely area and museum but we should have taken the wheelchair. Between the distance and the heat we both got a bit overtired and were very grateful to a cab driver kind enough to take us back to the ship (for no charge!) On the second day we went back to the Royal Dockyards (this time WITH the wheelchair) for a bit more exploration and some souvenir shopping. (We decided this was not the trip to do the adventure kayaking or snorkeling excursions!) We bought an early anniversary present to our selves - a limited edition print from a lovely local artist who paints scenes of the islands and their people. We fell in love with her painting of sailboats in commemoration of the 100th (I think) anniversary of Bermuda. (Ted will be posting a picture on his face book page soon). Ted did some solo shopping (looking for an anniversary gift for Michelle) while Michelle wandered around the dockyards trying her hand at some artistic photos of the old fortifications and the ship from across the bay.
All too soon we were docked back in Baltimore then headed back home to Chicago. As always with our cruises, too short, but a wonderful vacation full of wonderful experiences, memories and new friends.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go (soon)
As the summer winds down and students go back to school Ted is on target to go back to work in September - assuming his Doctors and the wonderful staff at Marion Joy rehab agree. But before going back to DGPL, since our summer was "interrupted" and we were not able to take a vacation, we have a short getaway next week. Thanks to "hoarding" of American Express and Mariott rewards points plus an unused Airline Ticket ( a trip that was cancelled due to Ted's stroke) we are headed to Baltimore for a couple of days before going on a Royal Caribbean (RCCL)Cruise (yes, for those of you who know us - ANOTHER cruise) to ..... Bermuda. Oh.. and thanks to RCCL's Platinum Membership and a great travel agent we are traveling in style - having been upgraded to a Junior Suite. (SWEET).
We leave Baltimore harbor on Saturday, have a day at sea (we LOVE sea days) then 2 days in Bermuda another sea day then back in Baltimore and flying home before the anniversary of 9/11. We are REALLY looking forward to some fun in the sun (please no hurricanes), spa time and being waited on.
For the past 2 weeks Ted continues his busy therapy schedule with Marion Joy, Wii Fit at home (Michelle occasional joins in - very fun) and working with his personal trainer at the gym. He is working with Janet Bowen, his yoga instructor, and took a class from her Master Trainer, Chase. Ted , Janet and the other instructors present at Ted's session learned a lot from the treatment given to Ted by Chase. Ted is looking forward to meeting with acupuncture specialists once we return from our trip. Chase and Janet are very strong in their recommendation that Ted begin acupuncture ASAP. We continue to hear great success stories from those who have used this therapy . We celebrated Ted's 56th birthday many times over (and expect a few more celebrations - on the cruise and we have a few more restaurant birthday club cards to use before they expire!) Ted's birthday week started out by attending Village Players in Oak Park's production of Sunday in the Park with George directed by our good friend Kevin Long. (Commercial: Don't miss this one - great actors and a wonderful production. The show continues through the end of September). Even Ted's assistant Dale G. (who we "dragged" with us to the show) loved it and is really starting to "get" Sondheim (or so he says). After the show we had a lovely dinner with Kevin, Gina and Adam Long at a nearby Italian restaurant. All in all a lovely afternoon and evening.
In true fan devotion, we made a journey to Evanston and Northwestern University ( a 2 hour drive thanks to both road construction and the fact that you cannot "get there from here" - the expressways don't connect in a logical fashion) for "Diva, Diva, Diva" starring 9 time Joseph Jefferson Award (the Chicago equivalent of a Tony for those of you from other areas) and very GOOD friend Alene (that's pronounce AL Lene) Robertson. She, Paula Scrafono and Hollis Resnick presented a wonderful program in which each performed the numbers that made them famous Chicago Divas as well as duets and trios. A great evening! (too bad it wasn't closer to our house!).
That takes care of Sunday and Monday -- whew! The rest of the week was lower key - Ted took treats (some chocolate chip cookies made by Michelle) to the folks at therapy.
We were entertained by friends - a lovely dinner hosted by Sharon Place enjoying the good company of Sharon along with Sandy Roberts (thanks for the birthday cake!) and Don and Sheila Jacklich and brunch with John and Marilyn Gillam after church on Sunday. We enjoyed entertaining our new friends Michael and Ross and Cindy and long time friend Steve Ziedler. (Another commercial - Steve and Mr. Z's Grocery in Lombard provided the meat - yummy chicken breasts. Go there and talk to the butcher. He will be your new best friend!)
On a final note, Ted has been making regular trips to the library including conducting interviews for the third member of their technology team in preparation for Ted's return to work.
We continue to bless you all for your good wishes, prayers and support.
We leave Baltimore harbor on Saturday, have a day at sea (we LOVE sea days) then 2 days in Bermuda another sea day then back in Baltimore and flying home before the anniversary of 9/11. We are REALLY looking forward to some fun in the sun (please no hurricanes), spa time and being waited on.
For the past 2 weeks Ted continues his busy therapy schedule with Marion Joy, Wii Fit at home (Michelle occasional joins in - very fun) and working with his personal trainer at the gym. He is working with Janet Bowen, his yoga instructor, and took a class from her Master Trainer, Chase. Ted , Janet and the other instructors present at Ted's session learned a lot from the treatment given to Ted by Chase. Ted is looking forward to meeting with acupuncture specialists once we return from our trip. Chase and Janet are very strong in their recommendation that Ted begin acupuncture ASAP. We continue to hear great success stories from those who have used this therapy . We celebrated Ted's 56th birthday many times over (and expect a few more celebrations - on the cruise and we have a few more restaurant birthday club cards to use before they expire!) Ted's birthday week started out by attending Village Players in Oak Park's production of Sunday in the Park with George directed by our good friend Kevin Long. (Commercial: Don't miss this one - great actors and a wonderful production. The show continues through the end of September). Even Ted's assistant Dale G. (who we "dragged" with us to the show) loved it and is really starting to "get" Sondheim (or so he says). After the show we had a lovely dinner with Kevin, Gina and Adam Long at a nearby Italian restaurant. All in all a lovely afternoon and evening.
In true fan devotion, we made a journey to Evanston and Northwestern University ( a 2 hour drive thanks to both road construction and the fact that you cannot "get there from here" - the expressways don't connect in a logical fashion) for "Diva, Diva, Diva" starring 9 time Joseph Jefferson Award (the Chicago equivalent of a Tony for those of you from other areas) and very GOOD friend Alene (that's pronounce AL Lene) Robertson. She, Paula Scrafono and Hollis Resnick presented a wonderful program in which each performed the numbers that made them famous Chicago Divas as well as duets and trios. A great evening! (too bad it wasn't closer to our house!).
That takes care of Sunday and Monday -- whew! The rest of the week was lower key - Ted took treats (some chocolate chip cookies made by Michelle) to the folks at therapy.
We were entertained by friends - a lovely dinner hosted by Sharon Place enjoying the good company of Sharon along with Sandy Roberts (thanks for the birthday cake!) and Don and Sheila Jacklich and brunch with John and Marilyn Gillam after church on Sunday. We enjoyed entertaining our new friends Michael and Ross and Cindy and long time friend Steve Ziedler. (Another commercial - Steve and Mr. Z's Grocery in Lombard provided the meat - yummy chicken breasts. Go there and talk to the butcher. He will be your new best friend!)
On a final note, Ted has been making regular trips to the library including conducting interviews for the third member of their technology team in preparation for Ted's return to work.
We continue to bless you all for your good wishes, prayers and support.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea
This week's update brings a couple of fun things relating to Ted's therapy.
Part of the work on regaining use of the left hand is to do various gripping and squeezing exercises with a soft exercise ball. We found the perfect item for at home therapy in a Christmas gift of a few years ago - the "Abby Normal" brain from Mel Brooks' musical "Young Frankenstein". Thanks Laura and Jonathan.
Ted was able to connect with personal trainer Joey at X-Sport Fitness (the gym where Ted has a membership) and they are working up a plan to have their sessions supplement those with Marion Joy and build on the exercises from the rehab sessions. Ted cannot wait to get back to swimming and doing regular workouts at the gym.
This past week also brought a checkup with Ted's neurologist. Dr. D (as we call him since we can neither spell nor pronounce his last name!) is pleased with Ted's progress telling Ted to keep on doing what he has been doing. We expect Ted's checkup in December to be their last meeting and for Ted to be fully transitioned to his regular physician at that time. By the way - Ted was pleased to be able to drive out to the appointment and back (in Warrenville) with no assistance from Michelle. That's the longest trip he has taken by himself thus far and quite an accomplishment.
Our social life continues to be busy. Ted and his assistant Dale try to "hang out" at least once a week to talk work and "other stuff".
This must be the week for parties on lakes. On Wednesday, we had a wonderful time at Cynthia and Jim Rogers' place on Third Lake with our Las Vegas friend Sharon Tiesdell-Smith who was in town. The night out on the boat for drinks and munchies and the brats off the grill were all just wonderful. (Though we realized we should have used a bit more mosquito repellant - itchy the next day!). Great friends and great fun! On Friday, we celebrated the 50th birthdays of our good friends Linda and Lou Carouso who threw a combined party in the Glen Ellen Boat House on the lake in the park district. Though we were in the boat house this lake was a bit small for anything beyond paddle boats! Again - a grand time with good friends.
The upcoming week is already very busy starting with church followed by theater on Sunday as we go to see Kevin Long's production of "Sunday in the Park with George". (Hm .. there's that lake theme again). Monday brings a trip up to Northwestern University to attend their production "Diva, Diva, Diva" highlighting the talents of Alene Robertson, Paula Scorfano and Hollis Resnik singing the songs that made them Chicago's greatest divas. While we don't look forward to the drive we love hearing Alene perform (along with Paula and Hollis).
On Tuesday night Ted and Kevin Long and some of the St. Patrick's High School Alumni with whom Ted and Kevin did shows at St. Pat's will be getting together for dinner before the boys head back off to college. Wednesday Ted's work group is celebrating the August Birthdays at a local Thai restaurant. As for the rest of next week - we will probably spend it recovering!
That's all for this week dear readers. Thanks, as always for all your support.
Tune in next week for the restaurant reviews and the latest adventures of the Mighty Ted.
Part of the work on regaining use of the left hand is to do various gripping and squeezing exercises with a soft exercise ball. We found the perfect item for at home therapy in a Christmas gift of a few years ago - the "Abby Normal" brain from Mel Brooks' musical "Young Frankenstein". Thanks Laura and Jonathan.
Ted was able to connect with personal trainer Joey at X-Sport Fitness (the gym where Ted has a membership) and they are working up a plan to have their sessions supplement those with Marion Joy and build on the exercises from the rehab sessions. Ted cannot wait to get back to swimming and doing regular workouts at the gym.
This past week also brought a checkup with Ted's neurologist. Dr. D (as we call him since we can neither spell nor pronounce his last name!) is pleased with Ted's progress telling Ted to keep on doing what he has been doing. We expect Ted's checkup in December to be their last meeting and for Ted to be fully transitioned to his regular physician at that time. By the way - Ted was pleased to be able to drive out to the appointment and back (in Warrenville) with no assistance from Michelle. That's the longest trip he has taken by himself thus far and quite an accomplishment.
Our social life continues to be busy. Ted and his assistant Dale try to "hang out" at least once a week to talk work and "other stuff".
This must be the week for parties on lakes. On Wednesday, we had a wonderful time at Cynthia and Jim Rogers' place on Third Lake with our Las Vegas friend Sharon Tiesdell-Smith who was in town. The night out on the boat for drinks and munchies and the brats off the grill were all just wonderful. (Though we realized we should have used a bit more mosquito repellant - itchy the next day!). Great friends and great fun! On Friday, we celebrated the 50th birthdays of our good friends Linda and Lou Carouso who threw a combined party in the Glen Ellen Boat House on the lake in the park district. Though we were in the boat house this lake was a bit small for anything beyond paddle boats! Again - a grand time with good friends.
The upcoming week is already very busy starting with church followed by theater on Sunday as we go to see Kevin Long's production of "Sunday in the Park with George". (Hm .. there's that lake theme again). Monday brings a trip up to Northwestern University to attend their production "Diva, Diva, Diva" highlighting the talents of Alene Robertson, Paula Scorfano and Hollis Resnik singing the songs that made them Chicago's greatest divas. While we don't look forward to the drive we love hearing Alene perform (along with Paula and Hollis).
On Tuesday night Ted and Kevin Long and some of the St. Patrick's High School Alumni with whom Ted and Kevin did shows at St. Pat's will be getting together for dinner before the boys head back off to college. Wednesday Ted's work group is celebrating the August Birthdays at a local Thai restaurant. As for the rest of next week - we will probably spend it recovering!
That's all for this week dear readers. Thanks, as always for all your support.
Tune in next week for the restaurant reviews and the latest adventures of the Mighty Ted.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Shut up and drive
As I write the update today Ted is at the Summer Place's closing performance of "Kiss Me Kate", somewhat of a milestone as this performance closed the run of not only the show and the 2009 Summer Place season but Summer Place's residency at Naperville Central High School. Though I was not there to hear it, I'm sure that Ted did another great job of the pre-curtain announcement and letting the audience know to stay tuned to the Summer Place website for details of next season. In other Summerplace news, a good time was had by all at last week's Kiss Me Kate Singalong. The group was small but what was lacked in numbers was made up in enthusiasm. Though Ted wishes his singing voice would come back quicker the rest of us think he is doing very well.
This week marked the end of the Midwestern Stroke Study with Ted. He turned in the GPS belt with all the data for the last time and, on Wednesday, went back to Marion Joy for another 6 minute timed test. Ted almost doubled the distance he could cover since the first test though it was still very challenging for both Ted and Sara (sometimes known as "Drill Sergant Sara") to be quiet during the test.
Ted is really enjoying the fact that he is now free to drive, taking himselt to Starbucks, the barbershop for his summer "buzz cut" and the DGPL library (to visit, pick up more videos, books and some Wii games) and both of us to Church and out for lunch when we feel like a special treat. Note on the "buzz cut" - he came home with a totally shaved head figuring it would take longer to grow out than the buzz and feeling a bit like Yul Brenner and Daddy Warbucks! (Works for me).
Speaking of special treats, since August is Ted's birthday month he has been getting birthday cards from various restaurants (with a special birthday discount, thank you very much). On Friday night we took advantage of his White Fence Farm gift indulging in Fried Chicken, Corn Fritters and all the rest of the "fixin's". After dinner we headed out to one of our favorite first run movie theaters to see "Julie and Julia". For anyone who loves Julia Child, it is well worth the price of admission (even at first run prices!). Great film and some interesting insights about Julia's early career and some of her mannerisms on the early cooking shows. (We won't spoil it for you - just go see the film then go to your local library and pick up her early "French Chef" series on DVD. Great fun).
Therapy, both at Marion Joy and at home via Wii Fit, continues. The left arm is still very slow to come back with movement in the fingers and more ability to grip with the thumb and first finger but no piano playing yet. They tell us the fine motor skills are the last to come back and to be patient but it is very hard at times.
We continue to keep the faith and know that all of you do as well. Thanks for your prayers and your comments both via this blog and via Ted's facebook page. If you are a facebook friend, thank you. He absolutely loves your comments, notes, etc. (If you are not and are on facebook, please "friend" him. He would love to have you in his network).
I don't "do" facebook but am on Linked In so ... see you there.
Michelle (and Ted)
This week marked the end of the Midwestern Stroke Study with Ted. He turned in the GPS belt with all the data for the last time and, on Wednesday, went back to Marion Joy for another 6 minute timed test. Ted almost doubled the distance he could cover since the first test though it was still very challenging for both Ted and Sara (sometimes known as "Drill Sergant Sara") to be quiet during the test.
Ted is really enjoying the fact that he is now free to drive, taking himselt to Starbucks, the barbershop for his summer "buzz cut" and the DGPL library (to visit, pick up more videos, books and some Wii games) and both of us to Church and out for lunch when we feel like a special treat. Note on the "buzz cut" - he came home with a totally shaved head figuring it would take longer to grow out than the buzz and feeling a bit like Yul Brenner and Daddy Warbucks! (Works for me).
Speaking of special treats, since August is Ted's birthday month he has been getting birthday cards from various restaurants (with a special birthday discount, thank you very much). On Friday night we took advantage of his White Fence Farm gift indulging in Fried Chicken, Corn Fritters and all the rest of the "fixin's". After dinner we headed out to one of our favorite first run movie theaters to see "Julie and Julia". For anyone who loves Julia Child, it is well worth the price of admission (even at first run prices!). Great film and some interesting insights about Julia's early career and some of her mannerisms on the early cooking shows. (We won't spoil it for you - just go see the film then go to your local library and pick up her early "French Chef" series on DVD. Great fun).
Therapy, both at Marion Joy and at home via Wii Fit, continues. The left arm is still very slow to come back with movement in the fingers and more ability to grip with the thumb and first finger but no piano playing yet. They tell us the fine motor skills are the last to come back and to be patient but it is very hard at times.
We continue to keep the faith and know that all of you do as well. Thanks for your prayers and your comments both via this blog and via Ted's facebook page. If you are a facebook friend, thank you. He absolutely loves your comments, notes, etc. (If you are not and are on facebook, please "friend" him. He would love to have you in his network).
I don't "do" facebook but am on Linked In so ... see you there.
Michelle (and Ted)
Monday, August 3, 2009
You could drive a person crazy!
Good news!
Ted passed his Marion Joy Driving Certification on Monday, got approval from his Dr., we got the Vibe equipped for one-handed driving (spinner knob and cross-over turn signal) on Friday and Ted took his first solo drive since April 26th. The folks at Starbucks are very happy to see him back on the road. (Of course those of you who are his facebook friends already know all this!)
As if that was not enough excitement for one week (or has it been 2 weeks since the last update?) we also became Cosco devotees last week. (For those of you who don't know about Cosco it's similar to Sam's Club and much closer to our house).
We joined a week ago Friday and have already made several shopping trips - the biggest purchase being the Wii and Wii Fit. It's a lot of fun (Ted enjoyed watching me make a fool of myself on the downhill ski slalom - he's getting very good at it) and Ted has been hitting new levels of expertize every day unlocking more and more fun balance games and other programs. He is getting to be quite the expert on Wii Sports bowling but baseball and golf will be a bit of a challenge until the left arm and fingers are more functional.
We are looking into acupuncture as a possible additional therapy - we have met several people who believe it has been a great help to them.
Excursions included the Naperville Summer Place production of Kiss Me Kate at North Central High School. It's a great production - both looking and sounding great. Hard to believe last night was only their 2nd performance. (Go see it next weekend if you are in the area - worth your time!) Ted, as board president, did the opening Welcome / Pre-Curtain Speech. Good to see him on stage again. His speech therapists would have been proud to hear him using the S.L.O.B (Speak Slowly, Loudly, Over Articulate and Breath) - he was easily understood all the way to the back of the house!
We plan to join the cast next Wednesday for their Kiss Me Kate Singalong. Expect it to be a lot of fun!
We had a delightful time this past week when our 10 year old Godson (Evan Weiger) spent the night with us (well .. with his Uncle Ted) before he and his family left on their vacation to Florida. Evan and Uncle Ted had a grand time down in the "man cave" staying up late, watching movies and eating popcorn. We were quite amused (and relieved) that Evan was more interested in James Bond's chase scenes than the "gushy stuff" in "Golden Eye". Both Uncle and Godson agreed they would do it again before Evan goes back to school in the fall.
Other visitors included our dear friends Tom and Judy Ringo, from Long Beach, Indiana, who were kind enough to come over on a day trip. We had a great time catching up on all their trips and just being good friends.
In between therapy sessions, which continue to go well, and our other activities we live and die with our Chicago Cubs (At the moment I write this they are tied for 1st place with the Cardinals -both teams lost on Sunday- but who knows what tomorrow will bring?). We continue to appreciate all the love and support we receive from all of you - those we see in church and other parts of our lives, those we "see" on facebook and those who keep up with us via the blog.
Though we may not say it directly, know that we are so very grateful to all of you!
Michelle and "The Mighty" Ted
Ted passed his Marion Joy Driving Certification on Monday, got approval from his Dr., we got the Vibe equipped for one-handed driving (spinner knob and cross-over turn signal) on Friday and Ted took his first solo drive since April 26th. The folks at Starbucks are very happy to see him back on the road. (Of course those of you who are his facebook friends already know all this!)
As if that was not enough excitement for one week (or has it been 2 weeks since the last update?) we also became Cosco devotees last week. (For those of you who don't know about Cosco it's similar to Sam's Club and much closer to our house).
We joined a week ago Friday and have already made several shopping trips - the biggest purchase being the Wii and Wii Fit. It's a lot of fun (Ted enjoyed watching me make a fool of myself on the downhill ski slalom - he's getting very good at it) and Ted has been hitting new levels of expertize every day unlocking more and more fun balance games and other programs. He is getting to be quite the expert on Wii Sports bowling but baseball and golf will be a bit of a challenge until the left arm and fingers are more functional.
We are looking into acupuncture as a possible additional therapy - we have met several people who believe it has been a great help to them.
Excursions included the Naperville Summer Place production of Kiss Me Kate at North Central High School. It's a great production - both looking and sounding great. Hard to believe last night was only their 2nd performance. (Go see it next weekend if you are in the area - worth your time!) Ted, as board president, did the opening Welcome / Pre-Curtain Speech. Good to see him on stage again. His speech therapists would have been proud to hear him using the S.L.O.B (Speak Slowly, Loudly, Over Articulate and Breath) - he was easily understood all the way to the back of the house!
We plan to join the cast next Wednesday for their Kiss Me Kate Singalong. Expect it to be a lot of fun!
We had a delightful time this past week when our 10 year old Godson (Evan Weiger) spent the night with us (well .. with his Uncle Ted) before he and his family left on their vacation to Florida. Evan and Uncle Ted had a grand time down in the "man cave" staying up late, watching movies and eating popcorn. We were quite amused (and relieved) that Evan was more interested in James Bond's chase scenes than the "gushy stuff" in "Golden Eye". Both Uncle and Godson agreed they would do it again before Evan goes back to school in the fall.
Other visitors included our dear friends Tom and Judy Ringo, from Long Beach, Indiana, who were kind enough to come over on a day trip. We had a great time catching up on all their trips and just being good friends.
In between therapy sessions, which continue to go well, and our other activities we live and die with our Chicago Cubs (At the moment I write this they are tied for 1st place with the Cardinals -both teams lost on Sunday- but who knows what tomorrow will bring?). We continue to appreciate all the love and support we receive from all of you - those we see in church and other parts of our lives, those we "see" on facebook and those who keep up with us via the blog.
Though we may not say it directly, know that we are so very grateful to all of you!
Michelle and "The Mighty" Ted
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