Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Point

As a part of his rehab, Clark gets to go on outings 1-2 times a week. For his first outing we went to The Point restaurant at the Huntsman Center. An underground walkway connects the University Hospital and the Huntsman Center so Clark was able to walk much of the way. I did notice even more how thin he is. When he is standing you can see how baggy his pants are. It's not hard to notice when they almost fall off. Thankfully Kate was wearing a belt and offered it to Clark. She said he needed it more than she did. So with pants cinched tight, he was on his way. I was very impressed by how well and how much he was able to walk.Going on outings is not only a chance for the patients to get out, but also allows the therapists to evaluate them in everyday situations. Clark was encouraged to do everything for himself including ordering his food, carrying his tray, opening containers, etc. He did well with all of this. Clark stood reading the chalkboard menu for quite sometime, trying to decide what fine meal he would get to taste. He chose a grilled chicken sandwich but wondered what else came with it. He wasn't going to get dessert but when he saw an enticing piece of Red Velvet Cake he couldn't resist, then ended up with two desserts. I think his eyes were bigger than his stomach, which doesn't take much right now. He ate half of the chicken breast, a pickle, and a few bites of a cookie. The cake was packaged up to be enjoyed later. His therapist asked him if he knew how much his meal cost and to help lead the way back to test his cognitive thinking. Again, he did well.On the way back, a nurse or doctor (I'm not sure who she was) passed us in the hall. She took a double take at Clark and said, "Oh! Wow! How are you? It's so good to see you doing so well. You just made my day!" Seeing Clark makes many people's day lately. Myself, Kate and Eric, Taylor and Austin, and many others who visit say how great it is to see him doing so well. For awhile, I would leave feeling heavy and depressed but with Clark's improving condition all our spirits are lifted.

Clark is noticing some side effects from his medications. His face is swollen, he has lost a lot of hair, and he shakes. Since he will be on Prograf for the rest of his life, he hopes these symptoms will level off as his body adjusts. He said he is in little to no pain anymore.

23 comments:

Cher said...

Oooooh! What a beautiful sight! And such a beautiful video! Maybe I should say handsome, instead. What a handsome man, out for a stroll. Look at you!

You've done such a great job and overcome so much. Keep it up. We're all watching, and cheering, and continue praying for a speedy recovery and renewed health. Hope you are having an awesome day.
XOXO

Anonymous said...

Can I just say that when I am feeling a little depressed and getting a "whoa is me" attitude, I read Clark's blog and say to myself "buck up girl" then slap myself in the face because my life is not that bad. I don't think I could ever be as strong as Clark and fight like he has fought. Round after round, climbing hill after hill, getting up after each fall and still have a smile on his face for a picture.

The courage and strength is an inspiration. I know I have said it before, but he is an inspiration to me.

Keep on fighting Clark...I know you are impacting more people's lives than you know.

Watertown,SD

kate larson said...

Thank you so much for asking me to be apart of your lunch outing. I was so excited, I was like a kid on Christmas eve. It's so fun to see the wonderful progress you are constantly making. I can't get up there enough to see you, you instantly put a perma smile on my face. Eric feels the same way! Keep up the great work!!! We love ya more than you know.....

Stephen said...

Talk about making one's day!

Man! This post did my heart good.

Thumbs up, for you, Clark.

Anonymous said...

CLARK IS WALKING!! :)
this gets everybody excited. seeing that video made my day. so glad to see that you are doing so well clark! keep up the good work and we are all here in watertown cheerin you on. keep gettin better and see you round!

Karla said...

All I have to say is "Wish I could have stayed for the Brownies that YOU made"!!!

It was so good to see YOU, and watch you work out in rehab. You did better than I would have in the balancing, weighted ball tossing, etc. But yes, your butt has disappeared, so now you look more like a traditional Larson/Kimble Guy!!!

Kate and I had so much fun dashing from the airport up to the U of U, valet park, come see you, buy The Mom a Starbucks, then back to the plane w/8 minutes to spare. Piece-O-Cake just to see you and how well you're improving each day!

The shakes and swelling will subside once your body adjusts to the new norm, and your activity level increases. You looked GREAT!

Hugs from Billing where I am visiting Kris and Kevin, then back to SLC for 2 hr layover and home again.

Party On, Clark!

Love and Good thoughts,
K from St. St George

Sheri said...

What a great picture to see Clark in jeans and a T-shirt vs. the hospital gown! Truly God is good. Keep your faith, continue to be strong. God has given you a second chance, you are alreayd using to impact the lives of others. What a courageous man you are Clark Kimble.

God Bless!

Anonymous said...

Clark,

You are certainly a fighter! Seeing you up and walking made my day and brought me to tears all at the same time. You have come so far, I bet it is nice to be back in your own clothes rather than those sexy hospital gowns! Keep up the good work. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers daily.

terri said...

Alleluia! To see you walking after having endured months of surgery trauma and almost daily life threatening experiences is phenomenal. The healing process of the body is an amazing gift. Congratulations. We look forward to visiting you at Kellen and Kristin's. What a great family you have.

Marc and Terri Purles

Bart said...

Clark, it was great being able to talk to you today. Its been 3 long months. I was so glad to hear your voice even though it is still a little weak but things are coming together for you and that is all that matters. The strength, hair, and voice will come back to you in time. Keep up the great fight you have been enduring and come out the biggest winner. I was also so glad to hear you say that you knew we were there right after your operation and once again it is great to have you back. Love ya bud. Bart

Janeanne said...

Hi Clark,

Wow! Keep moving forward. It only gets better from here.

You look almost well enough to post a blog. :)

Have a great day!

T + 2 said...

He looks fantastic! I'm so glad to see him doing so well!

Ricky said...

what a wonderful sight!!! good to see you doing so well clark always in our thoughts and prayers!! love you

Dessie said...

CLARK!!!! Its is so awesome to see how far you've come and all the progress you continue to make. Keep it up and soon you'll be out. Thinking of you often

Jennie Bitz said...

Clark,

I always knew you were amazing. But to see that video just proves that you truly are a superman. I had goosebumps all over when I watched it. You look great and looks like you are doing great. Take Care

Anonymous said...

Clark,

Just another step in the rehabilitation process and soon you will be walking out the door and returning to you regullarly schedule life. Glad to see you are progressing so well and that you have good friends and family by your side as you make these steps fprward back into the world.

Andrew of the Kansas Kimbles

Janeanne said...

Good morning, Clark. Here's my daily greeting to wish you a happy, productive, fun, busy, awesome day!

Anonymous said...

Looking Good Clark!! Keep up the good work. Thinking of you every day. Roxie

Unknown said...

Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Great to see you up and about! We knew you could do it Clark! =) Great job and can't wait for you to be able to be home with your family and dogs!

Janeanne said...

It's another new day, already! I can only imagine that each day you are getting more prepared to resume life on the outside. Keep working hard. And, remember that lots and lots of people are pulling for you. Love ya!

The Markerts said...

Happy tears streamed down my face when watching you stroll the hall. Such a simple task that we take for granted, until times like this when we're reminded of how precious life is. I'm SO happy for you and your family to have conquered this enduring battle. Reading your blog may at times feel like you're stuck on the same paragraph, but it's true that you bring inspiration to many, many people across the nation; myself included. Great job, Clark! I hope to see the video of you exiting the hospital in the near, near future!
An inspired stranger from OK,

Janeanne said...

Good morning, Clark. It's almost Halloween. You've been up to a lot of tricks, so hope you get some great treats, too.

Have a spooktacular day!

AdriansCrazyLife said...

Glad to see you are improving so much and are getting up and around a bit. That's got to feel so good after so many weeks of being in a hospital bed. I've been keeping tabs on you through this blog and we've had our church (Community of Grace Presbyterian) praying for you. Did you get the CD I sent up with Kate? Mandisa's Freedom. It's one of my favorites.

Hope you continue to get better and don't have to do the bone marrow thing - yuck!

Adrian (Karla's sis)