Dad moved back to rehab today. After much thought and deliberation we decided it was most important for Dad to be placed at a rehab facility close to the family. Today Dad was moved to Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Center in Mechanicsville right outside of Richmond. The Center is about five minutes from Matt's house. Matt can visit daily, Mom can stay with Matt as needed, and the rest of us can visit on weekends --which is about all we could do with him in Charlottesville anyway.
Dad left UVA Hospital a little after 2p.m. and the trip went well. Mom and Matt where there to meet him when he arrived and they report he was in fine spirits. They left him very tired from the trip but content. He will rest this evening and start therapy tomorrow. One encouraging note-- when the doctor examined Dad's swallowing he said it was almost instantaneous. Hopefully it won't be long until Dad can start eating again.
Matt and Mom are on their way home to Millboro. Hopefully they will make it before the bad weather sets in.
Dad's new address:
Charles Hileman
Room 106
Sheltering Arms
Memorial Regional Medical Center
8254 Atlee Rd.
Mechanicsville, VA 23116
Thursday, March 12
Wednesday, March 11
Just Call Dad John Cameron Swayze
For the ones of you who are too young to remember John Cameron Swayze (and most of you probably are) he was a TV commentator who was also the pitch man for Timex watches. The Timex slogan was "takes a licken' and keeps on ticken'." Well, that's our Dad. In the past month he has had a major stroke, suffered the indignities of many medical tests and procedures, had no food or water by mouth (a biggie in terms of comfort level), c diff and a resulting MAJOR surgery, been on a ventilator, had a bad reaction to major surgical incisions, mega doses of strong antibiotics, and has had to lay in a lonely hospital room 24 hours a day. AND HE KEEPS ON TICKING. He is weak but they feel he is capable of returning to rehab instead of going to a nursing home to recuperate and then on to rehab. I don't know many 81 year old men who could endure what my father has done.
Mom and Matt met with the doctors yesterday and everyone at the hospital is in agreement that he is capable of going on to rehab. We are exploring options now and they are testing Dad to see if all of the c diff is out of his body. He will still be on isolation for a while but this sounds like a "piece of cake" compared to c diff. All Dad wants though is to go home. Hopefully when he gets to rehab and has something to occupy his mind (and body) he will not have so much time to think. Every day he is improving. My daughter, Hannah, who seems to have a way of knowing these things, says he will be home by Easter and will be able to go to church on Easter morning. That gives us 33 days. Let's all pray Hannah's prediction comes true.
(if you want to see John Cameron Swayze in action he has several commercials on You Tube)
Mom and Matt met with the doctors yesterday and everyone at the hospital is in agreement that he is capable of going on to rehab. We are exploring options now and they are testing Dad to see if all of the c diff is out of his body. He will still be on isolation for a while but this sounds like a "piece of cake" compared to c diff. All Dad wants though is to go home. Hopefully when he gets to rehab and has something to occupy his mind (and body) he will not have so much time to think. Every day he is improving. My daughter, Hannah, who seems to have a way of knowing these things, says he will be home by Easter and will be able to go to church on Easter morning. That gives us 33 days. Let's all pray Hannah's prediction comes true.
(if you want to see John Cameron Swayze in action he has several commercials on You Tube)
Tuesday, March 10
3/10/09 -- 30 Days Later
Today marks 30 days since Dad suffered his stroke. In some respects, that month has passed so quickly that it seems like only a couple of days; in other ways, it has moved so slowly that it feels like at least a year.
The past 30 days have been very much a roller coaster ride for Dad and my family. There was the early exhilaration of Dad's initial rehab going so well, following by the heartbreaking series of events that resulted from the infection. (For me, the worst word in the English language will from now on always be "complications.") Hopefully, like a real roller coaster, the dips will now get smaller and smaller, and Dad will settle into a rehab marked by steady progress and an eventual return home.
Through it all, a constant source of comfort and strength has been the cards, letters, blog comments, and other good wishes from our extended family and Dad's many friends. We read them all to Dad, and he very much appreciates them. As do we all.
The past 30 days have been very much a roller coaster ride for Dad and my family. There was the early exhilaration of Dad's initial rehab going so well, following by the heartbreaking series of events that resulted from the infection. (For me, the worst word in the English language will from now on always be "complications.") Hopefully, like a real roller coaster, the dips will now get smaller and smaller, and Dad will settle into a rehab marked by steady progress and an eventual return home.
Through it all, a constant source of comfort and strength has been the cards, letters, blog comments, and other good wishes from our extended family and Dad's many friends. We read them all to Dad, and he very much appreciates them. As do we all.
Sunday, March 8
Quick Update
It was great. I got to see Dad two days in a row. I noticed improvement from yesterday until today. They were supposed to start physical therapy at the end of last week but they haven't had a chance to start it yet so, unfortunately, he is not having the chance to gain any strength back. Everything is healing wonderfully though !!! If he continues to improve he'll be up and dancing in no time.
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