Wheelchair Life

 After we got home that day, Home Health Care delivered a wheelchair to use for as long as we needed it.

We all became accustomed to it and Ben's new situation.

I had expressed to Angie my great concern about keeping Ben completely off of his feet.

Would it be a battle every day?

Would he be angry that we wouldn't let him walk since he was no longer in pain?

When I was home alone with him and he was taking a break from his wheelchair, how would I be able to do anything that required me to leave his side?...make dinner?  answer the door?  prepare his lunch?  use the bathroom?  (Angie shared with Maggie some of my concerns and apparently, in a prayer she asked a blessing on me that I "would be able to use the bathroom" 😂)

My sweet sister suggested a family fast that Ben would somehow understand his need to stay off of his feet and be content for the duration of his healing period.  Everyone was so kind to participate and from the very beginning, all the way through till the end of his non weight bearing time (which ended up being 10 weeks, but we will get to that later), Ben was an angel.  That is not to say that he NEVER tried to stand but whenever he did, which was rare, we were able to easily redirect him and distract him with something else.  It was truly miraculous!  In the beginning I felt like it was just too good to be true and that he would probably get more restless as time went on, but that was not the case.  I would try to explain to people how amazing it was and always chalked it up as a miracle but I feel like a lot of people just didn't understand how truly miraculous it was.  I will always be grateful for Angie's suggestion, for the faith of my family members and for the blessing that followed.

We created a little Ben nest with the couch and our big chair.  He seemed pretty happy in it.

My dad built a sweet tray to clamp onto the arms of the wheelchair so Ben could have all of his things in front of him.  It worked great and kept him happy in his chair for multiple hours at a time.

I caught Ben lining up his cars on the very edge of this pillow one day.

Uncle Jo bought a ball that you strap onto your wrist and is connected to a bunjee so it comes back to you!  That was fun :)

Our friend Charlotte started coming to visit regularly.

Look at this happy guy!

He was so content and cooperative!  

He was either like this or in his wheelchair or bed for 10 full weeks!

For the first month (during summer break) I would get him fed and ready for the day in his bed and then move him to his wheelchair for about 4 hours...sometimes 5.  Then I would move him to his nest for the rest of the day. 

That was our routine and he was such a trooper through it all!