Food From God's Wonderful Earth

Dad got to eat "real food" yesterday. He got to eat cantaloupe and pineapple and from what I've heard was in heaven!!!!!! He has been able to attend therapies every day since he has his blood transfusion. He still doesn't have a great deal of energy but compared to the fact he wasn't able to do therapy at all before the transfusions this is a hugh improvement.

Mom continues to recover from the flu. From what Matt tells us half of Richmond seems to have come down with this stuff. We are very lucky that Dad has not gotten it.

Terry did not have a chance last weekend to see Dad so she is making the trip to Richmond today. It is still rainy and yucky so I hope she is VERYYYYY careful going over Afton Mountain. Hannah is extremely upset at her mother (me) for not taking her to Richmond this weekend. Since Mom isn't feeling up to company I didn't want to have too many people descending on Dad and, while I know it sounds selfish, I've used all my sick leave and I don't want to take the chance of getting anyone in the family sick and having to be off work. I have one more week of work and then I'm off until after Easter so I keep telling myself that it's o.k. to take one weekend to get some very sorely needed chores done.

I want to thank everyone who has called and checked on Dad and who are following the blog. I have a list of people who I feel I need to call personally and I apologize to everyone who I've not called this week. It has been a busy week at work and I find I am not working at my usual speed and efficiency because part of my brain is always on the folks. Some days I come home so tired and when the choice is a nap or the phone I have been choosing the nap. Sorry everyone.... I'll try to do better this week.

The blog this morning is rambling.... again sorry everyone. As you can probably tell, my part of the blog reflects my mood and current emotions, which are normally pretty close to the surface. This morning my mood is just like the blog, rambling...... I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I will write more once I get a report from Terry today. God bless you all!!!!!!!

The Vampire Strikes Again

First, my brother's blog from yesterday is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. It spoke to how we are all feeling. I am teaching Hannah to play bridge and she has already said she will help Grandpa play when he gets home. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful child.

They gave Dad two units of packed blood cells last night. His red blood cell count was below normal, his white cell count was slightly up, his hemoglobin was wayyyyy down, as was his albumin. Mom indicates Dad was anemic before he had his stroke but after everything he has been through it appears the anemia is much worse. They are running tests just to make sure he does not have an infection. Hopefully the blood will give him the energy he so desperately needs to get on with rehab.

Everyone in the family has had the stomach flu and now Mom has it. Mom is tired too from everything that has happened over the past couple months. Mom has been such a trooper and I think we have been so focused on Dad we sometimes forget about Mom. Please have Mom in your prayers too.

I will call this afternoon to check on Dad and will post an update on the blog as soon as I hear.

Thank you all for your prayers

3/25/09 -- Expectations and Bridge

Last night I saw Dad for the first time in two weeks.  (I've been away, traveling on business and taking care of things at home in Massachusetts.)  As a bonus, I got to see my Uncle T. C. and Aunt Dorothy, who were also in Richmond visiting Mom and Dad.

First, a word about Sheltering Arms.  This was my first time there, and I have to say I was impressed.  Dad's room is very nice, and the staff seems totally on top of things.  I particularly enjoyed meeting Nurse Wanda, who not only appears to be very competent, but can match Dad story for story. 

Turning to Dad,  I spent an hour and a half just sitting and talking with him.   The cadence of his speech and the timbre of his voice still betray the effects of the stroke, but everything he says is completely understandable.  Mentally he is pretty sharp.   When we talked, it was very much a back-and-forth conversation; the first real conversation I've had with Dad since we spoke on the phone two nights before his stroke.  We talked about U.Va. basketball (he does not understand why they fired Dave Leitao), about the AIG bonuses (is there anyone not talking about that?), about what my wife and kids are up to, and about all the cards, letters and well wishes he's received.   The best moment came when he told me he was looking forward to playing bridge with Mom, Anne, Matt and me, although "my plays might be a little slow."  After everything that's happened over the last six weeks, it's hard to describe how good it felt to be sitting there just casually chatting with him.   It was a joy.

Physically, well, Dad still has some real challenges.   On the plus side, he seems to be using the left side of his face much more and, as Anne has noted in previous posts, when he feels good and motivated he makes progress in his rehab.   On the other hand, he still has very limited use of his left arm and hand, and it is clear that he lost a lot of muscle tone during his last stint in the hospital.   My overwhelming impression was that he is very, very tired.  It seems like a long way back to the self-reliant man we all knew.      

As I drove home, I thought a lot about how important it is to enjoy what we have with Dad right now, and to be realistic in our expectations about his rehab and how fast and far it may progress.  "Miracle" is a much overused word these days.   But the more I learn about the severity of Dad's stroke and about the infection and surgery he subsequently endured, the more convinced I become that the fact he is with us at all is, if not a miracle, as close to one as I ever expect to come.  That realization has made me appreciate even more the chance to sit and talk with him, to listen to a story I've never heard, to laugh with him at a bad pun, to hear his advice on what sports my son should play. For me, for right now, those are gifts enough.

   

Weekly Team Meeting Time

Matt just heard from the rehab case manager. They had their weekly team meeting about how Dad is progressing. Sounds like there wasn't a whole lot of news but what there is, is good. They indicate Dad is making progress in all therapies. He is having some difficulty with speech because, when he talks so much, he is "pocketing" his food and then can choke on it. He was unable to complete therapies yesterday due to low blood pressure. They think his pressure was low because he was a little dehydrated. His blood sugar has also been very low several times. This is why we are glad he is in a acute rehab--they have the experience and facility to deal with medical issues as arise. Nothing more was said about a discharge date.

It is so nice to have a little bit of "quiet" for once. Hopefully Dad can continue with his progress and life can slow down for everyone.

Oh What a Difference a Week Can Make

This has been a wonderful weekend. First, my husband has been in "Food Heaven." We came to Millboro on Friday night and ate at Cracker Barrel on the way. Saturday morning on the way to Richmond we stopped at the Mill Creek Cafe for breakfast and then today we are headed out to the Maple Festival. All of this eating though made us late, as usual, to see Dad on Saturday. It was definitely worth the wait though. Dad is doing wonderfully. As Hannah would say, "AWESOME."

Dad was lying down when we got there.  Mom was at his side. Both looked rested and well. We talked to Dad for over two hours and only toward the end did he seem to tire a little. The first biggie we noticed was his ability to use his left hand. Hannah brought him a picture she had placed in an envelope. He was able to use his left hand to pick up the envelope and open it. Next, Dad was able to talk about the effects of his stroke and what is ahead in terms of therapies. He still hasn't quite made the connection of, "the harder you work the faster you'll get home," but he's getting there. 

Joe and I have been listening to a book on tape about the Korean War. Dad was full of stories about being a lieutenant in the army in charge of supply trucks and other vehicles. He told a great story about being the only vehicle unit in Korea that was unable to supply General Eisenhower with a jeep on his trip to Korea because it was too cold to get any of the jeeps started. That sounds like Dad. There has hardly been a major event in Dad's life where there has not been a vehicle snafu. He also told about a major inspection one time and several of his vehicles were dirty. Being ingenious Dad came up with the idea of having several of his best "goof offs" take the vehicles for a ride while the inspection was going on. What he didn't plan on were these men bringing the vehicles back, charging through camp, in the middle of the inspection. Poor Dad.

Dad's concentration is so much better it is hard to believe. He continues to talk wayyyyyyyy to much during therapies but I would rather have him talk too much than not be talking at all. You can still tell his brain is working very hard to compensate for the deficits caused by the stroke. Considering his right brain is basically "swiss cheese" from all the matter that died due to lack of oxygen it is amazing how well he is doing.

Toward the end of the visit, the physical therapist came to visit Dad. They worked on swallowing and Dad got to drink some water. I never realized how many muscles were involved in swallowing and how easily you can lose the muscle tone. The therapist indicates their goal is to have Dad eat a pureed meal by the end of the week.

They initially estimated Dad would be in rehab about three weeks. This gives up two more weeks to go. I can't wait to see how much progress he will continue to make. As always, thank you all for your prayers and cards. Dad's room looks like a hallmark store. All of these wonderful cards cheer him up, makes the room festive and every time someone comes in and comments on a card it gives Dad a chance to tell a wonderful story about the person who sent it. Without your prayers I do not believe Dad would be here today. He, and the whole family, are blessed.