{Karlton Bontrager}

The shuttle service between the hospital downtown and ISIS does not run on weekends so I told Karlton I would take the earliest public bus that runs at 9:31 on Sundays. I thought I would surprise him by catching another line which left the Octogon at 9:10, arriving at ISIS at 9:35. When I arrived he said: “I thought you would be here at 8:00. Dad’s already called and I’ve already had my breakfast and my shower.” Oh, well!!

Yesterday was a rainy day and a lazy kind of day. Karlton mentioned that he likes the weekend because the physios don’t come bother him and he enjoys being lazy. He listened to his music and soon said he would like to check his e-mail if I would read it to him. It wasn’t long until he said he was very uncomfortable because he was supporting all his weight on two points on his bottom. How easily we forget that we can shift our weight, wiggle around in our seats and not even think much of it. So our session in the computer room didn’t last too long.

One of his favorite nurse’s aides was on duty and talked him into walking to the dining room. He was quick to agree and with our support he walked there and sat down in a chair. Soon it got too noisy for him so we took him back to his room.

After lunch, a couple of his friends came by and again he took a little “stroll” with them. They wanted to take him outside for a while but the weather was too cold and wet. I have to remind myself all the time how much energy it takes him to walk even a wee bit. Later as he was resting in his recliner he said he didn’t want to take a nap because he had a hard time going to sleep the previous night. I was just going to the kitchen to cook something for him so I had a nurse roll him in his very BIG recliner to be near me. I had to keep talking to him, clanking pots etc. to keep him awake. I guess the effort paid off because when Jennifer and Alec called him at 6:30, the nurses told them that he was fast asleep!!

Karlton is able to stay awake most of the day now. He is alert, witty, sarcastic, and is always telling me that my English is not very good and that I need to take classes to learn to communicate better!! I guess the old Karlton is slowly emerging!!