Day 70

Even I am impressed by that number!!!

It is easy to forget the "big picture" when you are living so close to it every day. His nurse tonight is Dave....who hasn't been here since his first few days. When I said something about Stan's talking, he was surpised he COULD talk. Believe me! Talk, he can do!!

Today Stan was "beat up" "pummeled" "pushed this way and that" "thrown around like a rag doll" etc...these are his words. I think he does feel that way....some of it could be done much gentler, but mostly it is done with care by caring persons. But to be helpless and have to endure whatever is dished out must be difficult. Especially for someone used to DOING things.

I did notice a difference in the tone of the OTs voice and mannerisms shortly after I arrived in his room today. That made me glad and sad. We have heard the way some of the employees speak of other patients, and wonder how they speak of Stan in our absense. Many of them seem to really like him and do treat him with such wonderful gentleness and care....and joke with him, etc. I don't know what to think. I did suggest he try to endure the OT and not respond with negative comments...in order to teach her God's love. He has said more than once she barks out orders like a drill sergeant. Janice (a friend) did say today that she wished her son's therapist had been more agressive with her son....that she is sure he would have progressed faster. (He was badly burned in an accident.)

We are trying to encourage Stan to "try harder" so he can come home. He is still in what is considered ICU here. But his medical needs are reducing rapidly....so hopefully we will figure a way to have him home soon.....which is a relative term, meaning maybe 3 to 5 weeks??? He did get the bandage off his trach hole today...and it does look good. Katie is the only one who took me up on the challenge, so I guess I'll need to clean that suction thing good and proper before presenting it to her!! I think she was pretty close to "right on," too!

Andy brought him a chocolate frozen custard today. I fed him about ten bites, and he loved it. I hope that was okay. They did "regress" him back to thick liquids today....something about aspiration worry.... I don't know if something happened. I didn't think he took straight water very well, but the small sips of coke didn't seem to bother him. He would only have about five sips a day.

He is sleepy a lot during the day, and they take that as a sign he isn't strong enough for long therapy sessions. They do tire him out, but the sleepiness comes from NOT getting enough sleep, too. When you are constantly being turned, repositioned (very important, of course), poked, fed, pricked, given meds, blood pressure taken (he said to go ahead and take it....he was tired of it), you don't get much chance to do more than a quickie nap, if you're lucky. None of the deep sleep that the experts insist we need. And added together per day, I doubt he gets any where near 8 hours. The turning, to him, would constitute a lot of exercise. He does get very tired with his therapy sessions and his eating.

But in all fairness, the poking, prodding, and moving are very necessary for him to improve enough to go home. Even tho there are times I wish he could be treated more gently, they mostly do treat him like a real person....

He is being "threatened" with another shower tomorrow. This is a very difficult procedure for him......it is for the aide and me, too....but way more for him. I really think he may have bruised a rib last time. That sling is very tight and unforgiving...he can't move himself in it, of course, so if he is hurting or uncomfortable... c'la vie! (I do need to look that up....not sure I've spelled it correctly...French for "that's life"! Maybe C'est la vie.....that makes more sense.

I sound very complaining tonight. I don't mean to be.... he is making such great progress, I THINK! He did manage to take about four bites of fruit cocktail BY HIMSELF today with the "drill sergeant" monitoring him. He does complain a lot that his right thumb hurts. I wish there was a way to know exactly what is going on there. She even had a velcro strap with a loop on it to hold a spoon that she placed around his hand...to try to take some pressure off his thumb. It didn't seem to work as well as holding the weighted spoon.

I need lots of prayers to decide what to do about our living quarters, and other preparations needed to bring him home. I need to start to prepare NOW. So thank you all for your prayers on my behalf!

Love, M