Month: October 2016

Weekly Updates 10/28/16

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Robbie and Lynn using Snapchat to send me pictures when we visited Tulsa a few days ago. Robbie is doing good.
We are still waiting on approval from our insurance for more PT for him. Until we can get clearance, I found a program at our gym with a personal trainer to work with him. Hopefully it will be enough to keep his leg from regressing. 
We finally have approval from the state department of deaf and hearing for Robbie’s hearing aids. I’ll contact Hearts for Hearing next week, so we can start the process of ordering new hearing aids.

What Would Margaret do? 10/21/16

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My mother’s name was Margaret, so when I told my sisters that I was fighting our insurance, they had good advice for me. What Would Margaret Do? You have to know my mother to understand this. She was 100% German and was able to get her way with persistence. She also had many great expressions that our children called…”grandmaisms”… 

I spent the day making phone calls, following up with people, and pushing for Robbie to be able to continue physical therapy. I talked with several people with United Health care, MD Anderson, and our PT.  Everyone has instructions from me on what they need to get together. One person got her instructions in person today, since she didn’t call me back all day.

It is pretty obvious that Robbie doesn’t have a usable leg yet. The problem is time and every week we wait, his leg gets worse and it isn’t something that can easily be fixed. I also called all the hearing aid people again.

First Solo Drive Since his Leg Surgery 10/16/16

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Robbie drove to the neighborhood grocery store to pick up some items for our lunch. We made his Great Aunt Betty’s famous meatloaf today. 
Meat Loaf
From Robbie’s Great Aunt Betty Riechers
2/3 c. Cracker crumbs 
1 c. Milk
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs (beaten)
1/4 c. Onions (diced)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Sage
Mix all ingredients together and form two loafs. Place in casserole or bread pan. Cover with sauce made by combing 3 T. brown sugar, 1/4 c. ketchup, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1 tsp. dry mustard. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hr.  
We normally cut the main recipe in 1/2, but still make the same amount of sauce for the top. 

New Haircut 10/15/16

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Robbie had a great week! He continues to do computer programming part time for Navico, which he enjoys. 
He is still waiting on his hearing aids due to slow paperwork. We are also fighting our insurance, so he can continue PT. Obviously we would like him to continue until he is able to walk without crutches.  

A Walk in the Park 2015 & 2016. 10/10/16

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Robbie and I went for a walk in the park after his doctor appointment today. The weather is beautiful and we had fun spending time together. I posted pictures from today and last fall.

Foot Update: The infection is gone, but his foot (especially his big toe) continues to be swollen. The specialist we saw today wants us to check with MD Anderson next month to see what they think. His guess is that the surgery is causing circulation issues in his foot.

Driving Instruction

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Robbie has started specialized driving training to learn how to drive with his new leg.  Since he doesn’t have feeling below his knee, it is a challenge to drive. The instructor is starting with training him to use his right leg, but if that doesn’t work, he will equip the car with a left foot gas pedal.  Baby steps towards being independent again.  

Flatire Restaurant 10/2/16

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Robbie and Jim at Flatire Resturant tonight. We thought it was a good choice after our week. They have great hamburgers and s’mores. 
Robbie and I had a flat tire on my car this week leaving us stranded for awhile until the friendly road side assistance pair showed up.