The Cuckoo's Nest

Saturday morning, Walt was sitting in his wheelchair staring out the window when I arrived. He wanted to get into bed because he said he wasn't doing anything anyway. So we went on a chair ride of the 5th floor of St' Mary's. We suited Walt up in a gown and gloves and were off--slowly because Walt used his arms to push the chair about the first 20 feet. Then he told me to push instead.

As Rick mentioned here previously, the trauma rehab unit is no Disneyland--it feels a bit like the institution portrayed in the book/movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." For example, while pushing Walt's chair down the halls we overtook a woman who was pushing her twenty-something son in a wheelchair as well. As we passed by them, I heard a sound and then felt an impact on my buttocks. The woman's son had a plastic pistol that shoots small, non lethal projectiles. I had been wounded. I briefly entertained the thought of arming Walter with some sort of non-lethal weapon like a plastic bedpan and then doing some sort of jousting with wheelchairs. Instead we continued our tour around the not-so-sweet smelling halls then returned to his room.

I showed Walt the same pictures that I have been showing for the past few weeks. He enjoyed them and said that he had not seen them before. Although Walt wasn't cheerful he was talkative. He told me about puking on his shoes earlier in the week, he told me about the time that he had met Bennett when he was finishing a bike ride around Lake Ontario, and he told me about taking walks at Kodak where he would see dozens of deer. He asked me what my name was and said that he knew another "Cornell". I told him that that was me. He asked me how I new Corrine (via hospital visits) and he said that she had been a big help. He complained about the lack of stations on the hospital TV--someone has to ween him off that crap. He is still frustrated and concerned about his physical state and needs reassurance from visitors that he is moving ahead.

At 11 AM Walt and his physical therapist left for the rehab room where he had a workout scheduled. I missed the first part of his rehab because just as he left for his workout, Patty called his room and I talked with her for awhile exchanging updates on Walt. Thus I don't know if he had a chance to work on his walking or not. But I was there for his resistance routine in which he used a weighted bar (3 pounds) to do various curls and presses. His therapist was very nice--all the staff was very nice. Walt perked up when one of the doctors interviewed him--I didn't get her name but for those of you who may recognize her she was small and may be of Asian-Indian heritage. He respected her!

After the workout I pushed Walt to the dining room where there was a cafeteria style meal (ugh) waiting for him. I left him then, telling him to enjoy his lunch to which he replied, "one can only hope" or something equally dry.

I left a camera with Walt to use to take pictures of visitors and hospital staff. He took a couple of me and his nurse Kathy. Please remind him to take your picture when you visit. As always, I encourage everyone to visit. It is sad to see him alone--I think that it is at those times when he feels the outlook is darkest. Go there to see him and shed some light.