day 62

Stan was put on "chopped" food today, but it didn't go over very good. I'm not sure if it was the work of chewing or because he wasn't feeling very well. His blood pressure was "out of sight" and they kept medicating him to bring it down so he was also very sleepy. He says his neck hurts a lot. I don't know if that makes his BP go up or just what does it. At one time it was 200+ over 129..... It was better when we left tonight, but he sure didn't eat much. They take him off the tube feeding during the day now, but put him back on it over night. He had chopped pork roast, mashed potatoes without much gravy, and "Believe it or not" mushy spinach for lunch. I think I have fixed cooked or canned spinach ONCE in our married life. I don't mind it, but it is one vegetable he does not like. So of course, he ate none of it. The pork was very dry and he couldn't chew it. It was cut really small, so I was surprised. He ate about half of his potatoes. For dinner he had meat loaf and chunks of potatoes, a very soupy but lumpy dish of carrots, some fruit cocktail, red jello, and juice. I tasted the potatoes. They were cooked exactly like I like them, but he likes them smashed up with a fork and then with gravy. But when I took a bite it was so peppery hot I was shocked. I took another small bite and it didn't seem so spicy. I am not sure if it was something in the meat loaf or what. He did eat about five bites of spuds and meat loaf, and maybe 3 of carrots, and ONE bite of pear out of the fruit cocktail, and after that we just did the jello and the juice. I don't know if the spicy bothered him, he was just too tired to chew the other and his tongue didn't seem to work as good (which may have just been because he was medicated more and made tired.) At any rate, he didn't get very many calories today, so I hope the tube feeding tonight is sufficient.

He didn't get the trach out because of his unstable BP. They don't want to take it out and have something go wrong.

Both the phyical therapist and the ocupational therapist worked on him a little at the same time. He was just too tired to cooperate, so they decided to quit "early."

Pete, Isaac, Cannon, and I left about 3:30 to go to Costco to eat and get some groceries. Seated at a table a little ways from us was a young man with a "Peter Parker" hair cut and glasses. Cannon (age 2) said, "Daddy, look! Spider man!!"

Stan does enjoy having the little guys around. He wants to hold them, so we need to remember to put them in his bed when his right side is "available." He has a pic in his left arm still with three tubes hanging out of it, so that would NOT be a good side for them, plus his stomach tube is on the left side. But it should be all right for them to sit by him on the right. When he was in the hospital for his cardioversion ...back before the stroke... Luke would sit on his bed and help him eat his salad. I don't know which of them enjoyed it more.

I forgot to tell you that yesterday Pete gave Chuck one of his specialty hair cuts .... Yul Brenner/Howie Mandell style. Paula took John home in a hurry tonight before Pete could get at him with the clippers.

Kathy got back today. She and John had gone to Soldotna for 3 days for a hockey tournament. His team WON!!

I do enjoy all the encouraging notes and scripture reminders. I don't think today is a "set back." We were warned there would be some down days.

Sorry I don't have any "improvements" to share today. But again, like Scarlett says, "Tomorrow is another day."

Love, M