{Karlton Bontrager}

Thursday, 12th September, I stopped by the bank to get a certified deposit slip for ACC and also got an add on phone card for Karlton before I went up the hill to ISIS. When I arrived, a student nurse was with Karlton asking him all kinds of questions – I must ask her what sort of questionnaire she was going through when she comes back on Monday.

After lunch, Nina and Sam stopped in for a visit. Both Karlton and I were pleasantly surprised to see them so early in the day. After some time, a PT came to work with Karlton. She wanted to take him outside since it was a beautiful warm day. The visitors and I went along and watched Karlton step up on curbs, walk across grass, make his way between/through trees and walk on uneven terrain. Once after Karlton had gone up the curb and onto a grassy area there was this great THUMP and a BANG! It was Sam! He had fallen flat – face down. Apparently he was trying to copy Karlton and somehow tripped and fell. What a relief to know he wasn’t hurt, and we all had a big laugh.

I am always reminded that we take everything for granted when I see Karlton stop and think to see which leg he must use when going up or going down a step/incline. Sometimes he makes a mistake when he is not concentrating, and he loses his balance and almost falls. That’s why he wants someone near him all the time.

Karlton was very tired in the evening. I think fresh air and the unfamiliar exercise exhausted him. He asked for his medication fairly early so he could go to sleep for the night. He is steadily getting better and stronger, but there is still much room for improvement.