Our insurance assigned a registered nurse to sort of "oversee" the case. She cannot do anything unless in her opinion (subject to appeal) those providing services aren't doing their job. For example, if the physical therapist isn't showing up or is incompetent the Case Manager will contact the people providing the service and either get them to shape up or lose the job to another provider.

The Occupational Therapist made her last visit yesterday; Pat's received all that the OT can do for her at the moment. I said that if to Pat that since occupational therapy has finished she could go to work and support me; she said something that sounds painful and anatomically difficult or impossible.

She did over 4,400 steps yesterday, the most since the surgery.

There's another doctor's appointment scheduled for tomorrow but she can cancel it if she feels as if it isn't necessary. We'll probably know by early tomorrow morning or late tonight.

My brother -- whose birthday was yesterday and who's having rotator cuff surgery tomorrow -- made a nice analogy. He said that recovery is like the tide: it flings you up on the beach and then drags you away and you hope that each time flings you up a bit higher until you no longer wash back out.