Visitation at
HealthSouth Mid America Rehab Hospital
in Overland Park
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Visitation at
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In the process of checking out of his room in Topeka, still a bit groggy from only 14 ˝ hours of sleep, Luke started the day by locking himself out of his room without shoes, cell phone, luggage, and wallet. After wrangling up some food and loading AJ’s 194-pound suitcase in the truck, Luke and the AAA traveling circus was off to Kansas City. We arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at Mid-Atlantic Rehab Hospital of Overland Park to an overwhelmingly large crowd of patients, news teams, an Army-National Guard Honor Guard, therapists, family, and friends waiting in the heat for our arrival.
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 As we moved inside, AJ and Luke find seats in the crowd and distance themselves from Joe who is squatting down and saying he’s an Abel impersonator.
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 AJ defends poor, absent Abel and gets chastised with a stern finger point from Joe. Joe, ever an authority figure (because he’s older than dinosaur do-do), yells at the audience when they start throwing wadded up medical tape during his rendition of “Hunka-Hunka Burnin’ Love.”
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Luke puts his hands on his hips and warns little Billy that, if he uses the taser, he’ll send all the leg-snatching monsters to his house and they’ll take eat his legs in the middle of the night. Little Billy decides to think it over while the crowd looks on anxiously. They’ve always wanted to see someone get tasered up close and personal.
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When Little Billy decides to hold off on hitting the button, Luke thinks it’s time for everyone to get out of their wheelchairs so he can show them how to soft-shoe. He begins his demonstration to an obviously impressed crowd.
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Next, Joe decides to show the multitude how to raise his hat by blowing through his thumb. Using his breath he only succeeds in giving himself a giant noggin. Luke is overheard mumbling that Joe has an enormous cranium without any help.
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 AJ then leads the crowd in a knee-slapping version of “B-I-N-G-O” which results in Joe not being impressed, as she has all the patients howling like hound dogs on a full-moon night.
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 Only the table decorations remain after Joe/Elvis’ singing, AJ’s tasering demo, and Luke’s dancing demonstration. One patient almost took one as a reminder, but then thought better and wanted to forget the whole event.
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 When the day came to an end, Joe/Elvis tried to talk the sole survivor of the event into giving him the peanut butter and ‘nanner sammich off her dinner tray that would be arriving shortly. She replied casually with, “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog. If you take my sammich you’ll be doing the jailhouse rock”
Kristen DeHart (CEO) and Jennifer Kiehl (DMO), you and your staffs shine. A wonderful arrival, an excited and hyped audience, and wonderful patients. Our third visit to Mid America, this one was absolutely the best ever. Thank you and thank your anonymous donor for the luxurious rooms. You have always done it right and we love visiting you. See you next year.
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