Visitation at
HealthSouth Rehab Hospital of Spring Hill
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Visitation at
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It was a cold and stormy night when we arrived in Spring Hill, Florida.
We assembled down the road a piece (as they are wont to say in Florida) and were joined by three other bike riders, Tom on the right, next to him is Miss Kittie, and on the far left is Ms Patricia who rides a Harley. Cliff tries to make Joe and Abel feel less diminutive by squatting down. Joe appreciates it. Abel scurries to the dictionary to look up the word "diminutive" and asks how to spell it. Joe answers A-b-e-l. Abel is not amused.
We ride into the facility led by Miss Kittie in the lead, and Tom on Cliff's right flank.
After the Great Chain Episode in Tallahassee, Cliff shows that he has finally removed all of the grease from his giant paws. Joe looks on with skepticism.
Joe and Cliff manage to make it past the welcoming crowd of staff, patients, and visiting dignitaries. Cliff is intent on riding through the open doorway but Joe diverts his attention, narrowly avoiding a massive collision with the spectators.
Joe has heard a lot of stories but the one about hair removal during a tornado is a new one and captivates Joe's sense of the ludicrous.
Cliff is never taller than when he stoops down to help someone. Conversely, Abel is never shorter than when he stands up next to someone, like Joe. Case in point... case proven. Despite a large crowd of welcoming staff, guests, and patients, Cliff shakes everyone's hand, trolling for contributions and donations to Amputees Across America and manages to remove three rings, two bracelets, a necklace, and one set of books written by Dr Seuss. Cliff was heard to say, "a little bit of larceny goes a long way in Spring Hill, Florida.
Abel puts on his pitiful look just before the arrival of his wife, Jerry, practicing his tales of woe and how put upon he has been at the mercy of Cliff's and Joe's inability to provide ice.
Dr Dempsey, a world class cyclist of some reknown, and Miss Kittie, a Fire Captain, tell a tale of daily courage displayed by every patient in HealthSouth. They are both inspiring to staff and patients alike and have blown away every one of us who have been privileged to meet them.
Cliff tries to play, "Pass the ball with your knees to the guy opposite you," an old game played by Cliff while attending Mining School and studying rocks. Might be why Cliff is practicing medicine. The patients love it and try their best not to pass out through lack of contact with normal human beings.
A patient hurriedly rolls up an Amputees Across America poster before Abel is able to write his life story across Joe's picture on the poster.
Cliff tries to convince Richard that he is not paranoid and he has only to ask one of the three convicted axe murderesses standing against the wall that this paranoia is totally unfounded and untrue. The three ladies in back just smile in agreement.
Joe has a tug of war and has to twist a patient's arm to convince her to will over her assets to Joe's church, run by Joe as the Right Reverend of Skullduggery.
while Abel gathers up the last of the patient clothing to be auctioned off.
Annie, our angel, laundress, masseuse, and the Clifford Clark Control Officer, is hiding with her nose in a book, hoping that Cliff will pass her by and bother someone else.
Abel tries the Ambulator and discovers the ability to take big giant steps. Unfortunately, the afternoon was over before Abel could demonstrate on Joe and Cliff the "Donkey Kick Mode" on his C-Leg.
An eventful day in a facility that definitely has their act together. Lori, CEO and Joy defined what we do best and that is to talk with patients and they made that happen. Our visit was a great success and we are grateful for the wonderful support that we received during our visit to Spring Hill.
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