Russ Canick’s Recovery Blog

This is just to say HI!

Russ did not have therapy this week. He has a small pressure sore on the bottom right edge of his right foot. The Doc said it is a deep bruise. He is elevating his foot and just taking it easy. It is looking much better today.

Russ has been very blest not to have had any sores so far. We are hoping this is the first and last one!!!

Sandie

This has been a most challanging year to say the least! Russ has come such a long way from that first phone call on the afternoon of June 6, 2009! I can still feel my heart beat the way it did when I first got the call of the accident, and then the waiting for Kelly to call back with the details of where they were taking Russ!

I want to thank Kelly once again for his quick actions on getting Russ the help he so badly needed! You are my super hero!

Russ has been and was so blest even when the accident first happened. He had no head trauma, and for that I am so very thankful. Heavenly Father was watching over him even then, as he still is now.

Russ has come such a long way, and with his new chair his desires to continue on grow stronger every day!

Russ has some wonderful therapist at Immanuel and to them I want to say Thank You! You have been so super supportive of Russ, and you tolerate our family very well!!!

I also want to thank all of those at Madonna, who helped us as a family, when the situation for us was the worst we could possibly think of. You all taught us so well on SCI and recovery, and supported us on our down days and laughed with us on our up days! You will always be in our hearts.

I could ramble on that is forsure, but you have read enough of my thoughts this past year! I want to thank you all for your kind words and love that we can feel from you.

Sandie

Russ has had a super great day! His power assist wheelchair is here and he is doing really good with it. Lauren and Rob were both very surprised and pleased with his ability to make it go so smoothly.

This has been a long time coming….

Russ just continues to move forward. His new chair did bring a tear to my eye. I am just so impressed by his spirit to succeed and the desires of his heart. As we all know he will have this chair conquered in no time.

Life is good today

Sandie

Russ is just waiting for his new chair….it seems like it is taking forever!

Today Russ worked more on his arms. Lauren wants him to be able to lean side to side and back and forth in his chair for pressure releases, and so today was more working out.

You are all more than welcome to come out to Russ’ therapies. We go on Tuesdays starting at 1:00 – whenever!

We love you all, and thank you for all of your continued prayers!

Sandie

Yesterday Lauren worked with Russ’ left arm. She placed a finger brace on his pointer finger and with her supporting his left arm he was able to use a laptop! We have found that in order to use a laptop mouse you need your body heat for the mouse. Russ was able to use the mouse with the aide of the brace!

Once Russ gets the mobile arm supports back on his chair he will be able to use them to support his arms! We were hoping that they would be able to have the new supports for his chair yesterday, but they were not ready yet. The right arm support has been really great with making his right arm strong.

Tuan did more strength building with Russ. His healing level is up to C7. That affects his shoulder blade muscles and the strength in them. This shows that Russ his healing way above his level of injury.

Life is good and Russ just continues to heal.

This last picture is of Russ and myself during one of his rest periods in therapy.

Have a great day!

Sandie

Yesterday was another really great one for Russ…..Tuan had Russ stretching and sitting, and then was working with his legs….if you think of how you look when you lean over to stand up, that is what Tuan was doing with Russ. He was leaning him over and pulling him up in a leaned over position so that he was standing up on his feet….Russ said he could feel tingling in his legs…His legs were sore and tired last night, and if you think about this for a min. you will realize that he has feeling in his legs!!!

Russ got a letter from the insurance company on Monday, and they have approved the new wheelchair!! Now we just have to wait the next few weeks until it gets here, so yesterday Lauren had Russ working with a machine to strengthen is arms for pushing his chair…

Life is good!!!

Wishing you all a very happy Mothers Day! Where would you be with out your Mom?

Sandie

Russ had a good day at therapy. He felt a bit challenged by the new exercises that Lauren had him doing. She was working with him today on being able to roll over. While laying on his left side and using the “loops” she was working with him to be able to come up onto his left elbow. He felt very challenged and we reminded him that all of his “new” strengths started out very tiny.

Russ really did have a very good day. We are waiting for both arm supports to come in for his chair, and then we can work on more strength building at the house. Lauren is also going to have someone re-read the insurance forms about his outpatient care. We really want him to have more days a week!

I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful Omaha weather! I can hardly wait to start planting my garden!

Sandie

Russ had another great day at therapy!

Tuan had him sitting more and now working with leaning side to side and to the front and being able to sit back up straight. Tuan wants Russ to be able to get in and out of his new chair with out the aid of the lift!

The gentleman in charge of the therapies there at Immanuel saw Russ sitting by himself, and he was very taken back. He was so very excited to see his progress! I told him that Russ was ordering a power aide chair, and that almost brought tears to his eyes….I showed him the video that I still have on my phone of Russ in the power aide chair….

Russ continues to work so very hard to get to this new goal of his! We are all so very happy and excited for him!

Sandie

Today was a great day at therapy! Russ was able to try out the Power Assist Wheel Chair…he was awesome!!!

Russ told me that last night he felt like it was Christmas Eve, he was so excited to try out the chair that he couldn’t sleep!! He is just amazing, and I just love him so very much….

His therapist Lauren has just been wonderful. She is so very excited and happy for Russ. In this picture she is only helping Russ to balance, he did all the pushing by himself.

Lauren and Rob, the wheel chair guy, are going to start working on getting Russ his own chair!!!!

Life just continues to be great, and Russ just continues to fight for everything that he can…he is my inspiration!

I hope that this blog continues to bring all of its readers happiness….

Sandie

Russ had a “fun” day at therapy this week! Lauren had him playing Connect 4! He is doing really good at grasping a hold of small things.

Lauren has made him a tenodesis brace that helps Russ be able to hold the items. We have it at home and we are going to continue to help him get stronger!

Tuan worked with him on his balance! He was sitting for 8 mins at a time and he does just great! Tuan also had him swinging his arms like as if he were pushing a wheelchair…..He did great!

The plan for next week is to have Russ sit in a power assist wheel chair, and push!!! Lauren also had Russ hang his arms off the side of his chair and do the same pushing movements!!!! Russ is really excited….

As far as going back to work goes…..that is put on hold until whenever…..no big deal, we will just help Russ get stronger!

Have a great day!

Sandie