14 – Final Destination – Home

Albert and I finally arrived home.  After a 30 minute drive, we pulled into the driveway. Albert was extremely happy to be home. I parked the car and got the wheelchair out of the trunk. I helped Albert into the wheelchair and wheeled him into the house. Our hallways were more than wide enough for the wheelchair, but Albert didn’t want to use the wheelchair in the house but wanted to use the walker that his doctor sent home with him. This walker was like no walker that I had seen before. Because Albert is 6’ 2’’ he had a very tall walker.  There was an armrest for him to place his left arm on because of the paralysis in his left arm and hand. On the right side of the walker, there was a handle that he could hold onto.  The walker was wonderful because it allowed Albert to keep his balance as he walked.  

Albert stood up in the hallway after I brought the walker inside and using the walker he stood, situated both arms and hands, and then he walked to the bedroom and got into the bed with a little help from me. 

Albert saw that there were many things that he could not do, but he decided within himself that there were some things that he could do.  Once in the bed, Albert grabbed the tv remote and immediately started watching television. He remembered some things from the past like the channels and times that his favorite tv shows were on, he knew directions and how to get to the house, and he knew the words to songs he had listened to in the past, church and R&B.  But there were some things that Albert couldn’t remember.  He knew faces, but he could not remember names. Albert didn’t know my name and he didn’t know the names of his children, grandchildren, or his brothers. Albert remembered numbers and he could add and subtract. The brain is a serious organ.

Many people sent Albert get-well cards which he opened and read. Albert’s doctors and I were not sure that he could read the contents of the cards, but he held those cards close to his heart, looked at them often, and made sure that he brought them from the hospital to rehab, and from rehab to the house. 

The first days at home were an experience. In the hospital and in rehab Albert was given three hot meals a day.  I knew that there was no way that I could do this, but I would give it my best shot. This worked out for the first few weeks because Albert only wanted to each certain foods. The first weeks Albert was home, he wanted oatmeal. Oatmeal for breakfast, oatmeal for lunch, and oatmeal for dinner, which were three hot meals a day.  The oatmeal was prepared with an abundance of brown sugar and cream. His sweet tooth was amazing. After the first weeks, he wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Yes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This continued for the next two-to-three weeks. The third thing he wanted was bagels and cream cheese. Bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Albert’s eating patterns reminded me of our children’s food choices when they were toddlers. They wanted one thing and they wanted it all the time, but they didn’t get what they wanted. I talked with Albert’s doctors and they said that his food choices fine and I should let him eat what he wanted to eat and as long as he was eating healthy foods. 

So long to making three hot meals a day. I fed Albert what he wanted to eat.