Day 32

Burt’s bloggers apologize to all for going dark last night but exhaustion hit a peak. We’re back up and running and with a new feature… Video!

Yesterday started for Burt with his early PT and OT sessions. He had his initial class at Commode University and made sure the family knew they didn’t need to show up too early for a front row seat. Afterward Burt had his session with Mike and his magic e-stim machine. The electronic stimulator fires the muscles in Burt’s forearm in hopes of reconnecting it to his brain.

Cousin Leslie, who had flown in from San Francisco, was heading up from New York in a rental car. Like her sister Wendy, Leslie received another shitty GPS system. The Stern girls don’t have good luck with them apparently. Ms. GPS was firm in her wish for Leslie to take I-90 up to the Berkshires. Leslie, who had spent some formative years in New Jersey, was not ready to go back yet, even to pick up the interstate.  She insisted on continuing up the West Side Highway towards the Taconic. Leslie’s GPS finally got its revenge by directly her on a tour of Harlem. Connie and David received a call mid-morning from Leslie, new speeding ticket in hand (no points), letting them know that she would get there at some point but was going to be a little more assiduous about following those pesky little signs.

But everyone was in attendance later in the day for the showstopper. Burt was up on his feet and, with help from his extraordinary PT team, was taking his first steps. That’s right folks… walking. He isn’t doing it on his own and it is an exhausting process for him, but it is an incredible beginning. As Burt said, “I take a step with my right, then they schlep the left.” With each step, he was getting better. His PT team supported him from the back and front while also facilitating movement of the left foot.

First, he circumambulated a table; his hip and right hand leaned against it for support. The Sterns cheered him on. He looked over and asked, “you want to see my clog dance?” Next, Burt walked along a wall in the rehab gym, his hip against a railing, his team moving with him every step of the way. As Burt stepped along the wall, an extraordinary thing happened, Burt’s left knee kicked in and he straightened it himself. His PT Pati said, “that's it!” And his other PT Bonny responded, "he did it didn't he?" This is a vital part of the return of the walking function. Unfortunately, right after this Pati lost her contact lens and the moment was overshadowed as attention shifted to locate it. Burt, ever the gentlemen, was careful not to take another step until it had been found, he was also glad for the rest. Afterward Burt and his team ventured off the walls and walked out into the middle of the room before Burt finally took his well-earned rest. As Burt rolled back to his room, he remarked, “I’ve had my head in enough middle-aged boobs to last a lifetime.”

Later in the afternoon, Burt’s friend Lonny came by to visit. Lonny is also a world-renowned acupuncturist who had been treating Burt for a while. The Stern’s had asked around within the hospital and none of the doctors had a problem with it but weren’t sure about the liability. Lonny told David that what he done in other cases was come in as a friend and just close the door for a private visit. Burt was understandably a little wary of any alternative technique not cleared by his doctors. But Connie got it cleared by Burt’s physiatrist. Everyone still kept it quiet, just in case. Lonny spent 45 minutes with Burt and focused on general flow points as well as the left arm and his neck (for the swallow). Connie, David and Leslie waited down the hall. Lonny said that Burt was very responsive which is a great sign and shows that acupuncture might help.

Later on, as Burt rested after the long day, he reflected, “I was worried that when you guys were down the hall, and Lonny was down the hall, that some nurse would come in and find me lying here with all these nails sticking out of me and all I’d be able to do is shrug like ‘I don’t know how this happened.’”