Bozgratch

I’m chuckling because dad slept through most of the transfer from Toledo Hospital to The Arbors. The nursing staff was so gentle with him gettiing him set for the journey, the ambulance team was really nice with him and when he arrived at the Rehab facility they had a flower in his room and were all ready for him.

Unfortunately he’s sharing a room — first time for dad in a LONG while.

The intake nurse was better’n some and not as good as some — but she was reasonably gentle considering how many things she had to do on intake.

The room is not as posh as the hospital’s room — but there he was in a (literally) brand new room – that addition was only opened scant weeks before he arrived. This has a 50’s feel — but is refreshed and newer than that. Seems clean. Seems sanitary. Big difference having one’s own loved one IN the room than just inspecting the facility.

We had forgotten his partial at the hospital so after I got him settled in I ran back to the hospital and decided to leave him settle in a little — meaning sleep. There was a short time during intake when he seemed disoriented — but after he heard my voice and we talked for a while he seemed better. By the end of the day his voice was so quiet I could not make out much of the few words he was saying. so I don’t really know his reaction — but he was asking what was for dinner, and when I reminded him he’s still on tube feeding all he said was “oh.”

From where he was a week ago he’s made a lot of progress, but I still feel sorry for him. Such a proud, wonderful man laying in bed with people having to do everything for him. And now they are all strangers. For a while it had been people he’d at least gotten to know. Now to start all over again.

Tomorrow they begin evauation. After 1 week we are to have a family consult — reviewing his evaluation, his progress (what there may be in the first week), his attitude towards the rehab work, etc. — and then try to set some plan in place. Am going to try getting over there early tomorrow. Will spend as much time there over the next 4 days as I can — need to assess how they handle him, and how he’s handling the change. After that I’ll find some more sustainable schedule.

Other than that — from our point of view today was a good day.

Hi all,

The Great Move is scheduled for 3:30pm today.

Dad’s new address will be:

Arbors at Sylvania

7120 Port Sylvania Drive

Toledo Oh 43617

ROOM: 403-1

So, if you want to send cards to him — that’s a direct address.

I am not including the phone number.  I strongly suggest NOT trying to telephone him.

He is still TOO WEAK TO PICK UP A PHONE.

He might not even be able to FIND THE PHONE WITH ARMS THAT AREN’T VERY COORDINATED AT THE MOMENT.

I’ll be camping out on the rehab doorstep for the interim. Our plan is to give him several weeks at rehab to just see how he progresses.  Not until then will we even begin to think about longterm prognosis.

One sure thing is that everyone heals at their own pace.  When we see how he actually deals with their rehab , whether he finds within the resolve and determination to try to get better, then we’ll begin to think about longterm solutions.

We obviously want to see him return home if at all possible,  but whether that’s in the cards or whether he’ll need some alterative longterm plan we can only wait to see.

Some restorative sleep, regular therapy, better surroundings, wheelchair rides (I hope) and we’ll see how much determination he has to get back home.  Peg and I are optimistic that this place is the best atmosphere, the best treatment, and the least transport for him back to the hospital if that should be necessary from among the options we had.

<<I’m just hoping that with a number like 403 that it isn’t
going to be close to another noisy refrigerator
which has been the bane of Frank’s existence
these last four weeks.>>

Another note on the positive side, now that he’s recuperating a little his obstinate German side is coming out a little.  He is actually signalling when something is too much – which after so long is a really positive side.  That stubborn streak will continue to show itself as he gains strength — whether for good or not we can only observe as it happens.

Thursday AM and we’re waiting to hear whether he goes to Arbors today.

They did give him a little more IV fluid early in the am (before I got here).

We put him in a different diet formulation.  I spoke with the nutritionist yesterday about the fact that his stool was so fluid and asked her to “talk” with the phys. and inquire about whether they thought fiber or a diet change would help him stool less often with less pain.  We’re hoping that this change will be less corrosive to his bottom and a little less painful.  Time will tell.  Because it’s a different formulation they are also increasing the volume from 40 ml/hr to 70 ml/hr.

Diana called and will be in to see him a little later this morning.  It’s a blessing to dad to see her.  I can imagine how happy he’ll be to see Peg, Katie, Mel & Mike if they can make it at the end of next week.

On a philosophical level, this hospital duty once again serves to put into perspective the really important things in life.  We all get involved with our lives, with the coming and going, with our plans and goals, with our jobs and our family and we take the simple things for granted…. the simple things we cannot live without. Literally!

Young people laugh and joke about how much time geezers spend talking about pee and poo…..  And yet without a good urine output you die.  Without the ability to  process food through your body you die. Simple things.  Things that polite society puts aside as being crude and dirty…. yet they affect us all, and when we have problems with THEM all the other plans in life come crashing around our head and we find ourselves sitting in a hospital hoping, hoping, hoping that we can get them sorted out and back to normal.

If nothing else this stay with Frank has made me a lot more humble… As wonderful as this life is, it’s a gift from God that bears daily thanksgiving!

A Christian never stands taller than when he/she is on their knees.  And there’s no reason not to take that literally.  Our polite society discounts the value of bended-knee prayer but we’re only the poorer (spiritually) because of it.

Am waiting to see OT/PT and Speech — am assuming they’ll be in today.

nurses:  Jillian & Jacob