We had a very special reader today, as Linda was able to log in from the hospital and catch up on her back story. Hey there, Linda!
Hopefully she'll be able to log on soon and put in some updates of her own :-)
Until then, she wanted me to let you all know that she is getting some practice in with using her cane instead of a walker, so she can be done with that soon. They're having her work on going up and down stairs and try to use her CPAP machine at night, all in the hopes of (drum roll please) sending her *HOME* late next week. Can you believe that?
There is still a lot to be done before she can come home, but she's making great strides in rehab. She's walking much better than she was on Sunday when I saw her, and I was surprised then by her ability. Things are changing fast!
Also, we brought Scruffles up for a visit for the first time, and they were quite happy to see each other. We're praying that it won't be long until they're back together full time.
Showing posts with label rehab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rehab. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Movin' on Up!
Linda is out of the ICU! Woooooohoooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She spent her first full day on the Rehab floor yesterday, and is poised to take the place over! She's still in the same hospital, but in a totally different area, where all of the patients are there for long-term physical rehab. Linda's getting all different kinds of therapy, and it adds up to several hours a day. It makes me tired just thinking about it, and I'm sure I'm not the only one!
Today she let us know that she can wear her own clothes and shoes, and she needs them for her exercises, so Anya and I brought some up for her. (Alicia had packed them, and did a wonderful job, throwing in some extras that were very welcomed. Big hand for Alicia!)
While we were there, we got to watch part of a P/T session. They had her walk down the hall (she used a walker, but only for balance) and lay on a large adjustable, elevating gym mat. The mat was pretty neat, she could do all of the "floor" exercises, without having to get down to or up from the floor. She's rockin' and rollin' and really wants to get back to her old level of intensity. It's good to see her moving so much, after all that time when she could only lie there.
She's eating in the dining area with the other rehab patients, so she can meet some other people now. The Neuro-Trauma ICU was an amazing unit, but it isn't really designed for patients like Linda, who have social needs as well as medical ones.
Hopefully in the next few days we'll find out more about how long Linda will be in this segment of her treatment, and what may come next. She had a battery of tests of Friday, but they haven't been analyzed yet. When they are, the docs and the folks from all the different branches of therapy will meet and hammer out a treatment plan.
The updates will probably be a little fewer and farther between while she's in rehab. She's not able to do her own updates yet, but she doesn't have the time or need for us to visit her daily like we did when she was in the ICU. Plus, blessedly, things aren't happening with nearly the intensity they used to! We'll still keep you updated as often as we can, though.
Thanks again for everyone who's been praying for Linda and sending positive thoughts. They're all making a real difference in her life!
She spent her first full day on the Rehab floor yesterday, and is poised to take the place over! She's still in the same hospital, but in a totally different area, where all of the patients are there for long-term physical rehab. Linda's getting all different kinds of therapy, and it adds up to several hours a day. It makes me tired just thinking about it, and I'm sure I'm not the only one!
Today she let us know that she can wear her own clothes and shoes, and she needs them for her exercises, so Anya and I brought some up for her. (Alicia had packed them, and did a wonderful job, throwing in some extras that were very welcomed. Big hand for Alicia!)
While we were there, we got to watch part of a P/T session. They had her walk down the hall (she used a walker, but only for balance) and lay on a large adjustable, elevating gym mat. The mat was pretty neat, she could do all of the "floor" exercises, without having to get down to or up from the floor. She's rockin' and rollin' and really wants to get back to her old level of intensity. It's good to see her moving so much, after all that time when she could only lie there.
She's eating in the dining area with the other rehab patients, so she can meet some other people now. The Neuro-Trauma ICU was an amazing unit, but it isn't really designed for patients like Linda, who have social needs as well as medical ones.
Hopefully in the next few days we'll find out more about how long Linda will be in this segment of her treatment, and what may come next. She had a battery of tests of Friday, but they haven't been analyzed yet. When they are, the docs and the folks from all the different branches of therapy will meet and hammer out a treatment plan.
The updates will probably be a little fewer and farther between while she's in rehab. She's not able to do her own updates yet, but she doesn't have the time or need for us to visit her daily like we did when she was in the ICU. Plus, blessedly, things aren't happening with nearly the intensity they used to! We'll still keep you updated as often as we can, though.
Thanks again for everyone who's been praying for Linda and sending positive thoughts. They're all making a real difference in her life!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day 21 : Moving on up (soon, or not!) and no more trach!
Great news today, Linda's lungs are looking clear and much improved today. She's going to be getting rid of the trach! That's one item I know she won't miss, although it served her very well over the last 3 weeks. I asked her if she wanted to keep it as as souvenir, but she declined...
Otherwise, she's in good spirits. She told Brian and I that she's overall very positive, only occasionally upset, and is motivated to work hard to get better and get home!
We're getting very close to changing phases from acute surgery and post-surgical care to rehabilitation and therapy. This is great news that we've been preparing for at least a couple weeks. I believe she will be moving on in a couple days or so.
On the other hand, hospitals have their own rhythm and gait to them, and it's just best to go with it sometimes - we are still not certain just what type of care will be best for Linda and exactly when she will be ready to go, but Brian and I took a tour of the most likely place today. It's what's known as an LTAC (Long Term Acute Care), which is designed for stays of 25-30 days on average and focuses on therapy and rehab more so than a short term acute care hospital would (where a typical stay is 5-7 days). So what we really know for sure is that we don't know exactly where or when, but that moving from this hospital to therapy/rehab is going to be a huge improvement and will help her get back to the life that she had.
Otherwise, she's in good spirits. She told Brian and I that she's overall very positive, only occasionally upset, and is motivated to work hard to get better and get home!
We're getting very close to changing phases from acute surgery and post-surgical care to rehabilitation and therapy. This is great news that we've been preparing for at least a couple weeks. I believe she will be moving on in a couple days or so.
On the other hand, hospitals have their own rhythm and gait to them, and it's just best to go with it sometimes - we are still not certain just what type of care will be best for Linda and exactly when she will be ready to go, but Brian and I took a tour of the most likely place today. It's what's known as an LTAC (Long Term Acute Care), which is designed for stays of 25-30 days on average and focuses on therapy and rehab more so than a short term acute care hospital would (where a typical stay is 5-7 days). So what we really know for sure is that we don't know exactly where or when, but that moving from this hospital to therapy/rehab is going to be a huge improvement and will help her get back to the life that she had.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
DJAMST in to see Linda
Davin and the all the kids and I were healthy enough to get in to see Linda today. She calls just DJAMST, because it's all of our first initials in order (Davin, Jen, Anya, Maya, Sage and Tiernan.) Her room in the ICU is pretty small, but it's still larger than our pop up camper, so we made it work for about 20 minutes. Then the kids and I cleared out so Davin could have some 1 on 1 time with his mom.
Linda was on her Passy-Muir valve again, and this time she was talking like a champ. She's still on the quiet side, but she can belt out full sentences and complex thoughts. It was really good for the kids to be able to hear her, I think they are feeling much better about how she's doing now.
She had some advice for all of us. She wants us to stay active and keep our bodies in good shape. Also, to know to remember that God made us, and that we can rely on Him to help us.
She also told us that she's SHOCKED at how weak she is. Because she spent the first week and a half or so just laying in bed under sedation, and she hasn't been able to do much since then, she's lost a lot of muscle mass. She still doesn't remember how long she's been in the hospital (19 days) and so it's even more surprising to her how much muscle she's lost. So, to sit up, get to a standing position and walk a few steps to a chair is tremendously difficult for her now. The P/T folks are working her out a couple of times a day now, and hopefully she'll be strong again soon.
A bit of bad news today; we don't have her glasses! We have her reading glasses! I've noticed that she can't see the items taped on the walls, or the clock, etc, and I wasn't sure why. Today she told us that she's got the wrong glasses. They're better than nothing, but she can't see anything farther away than an arm's length. Since Brian and Alicia have looked in every nook and cranny in her house for her glasses, and we know her coworkers have checked all over the office, we believe her glasses may have been lost in the ER. We need to find her eye doctor and see what it will take to get her a replacement set. Poor thing!
Also, because the incision from her brain surgery is healed up, and the ventriculostomy is out, they said they can wash her hair later today. This will be her first real shampoo since the aneurysm. She looks fine, but she's had blood and betadyne and everything else in her hair, and I bet she doesn't even realize how much better that will make her feel to get clean. Yay for shampoo!
BIG NEWS!!!! Her nurse stopped Davin and started to tell him about the process to move her to a rehab center. It's good to get more information about this, since it could be happening soon, maybe even in the next week! We don't know how long she'll be there, but it's a big step on the way to going home.
Linda was on her Passy-Muir valve again, and this time she was talking like a champ. She's still on the quiet side, but she can belt out full sentences and complex thoughts. It was really good for the kids to be able to hear her, I think they are feeling much better about how she's doing now.
She had some advice for all of us. She wants us to stay active and keep our bodies in good shape. Also, to know to remember that God made us, and that we can rely on Him to help us.
She also told us that she's SHOCKED at how weak she is. Because she spent the first week and a half or so just laying in bed under sedation, and she hasn't been able to do much since then, she's lost a lot of muscle mass. She still doesn't remember how long she's been in the hospital (19 days) and so it's even more surprising to her how much muscle she's lost. So, to sit up, get to a standing position and walk a few steps to a chair is tremendously difficult for her now. The P/T folks are working her out a couple of times a day now, and hopefully she'll be strong again soon.
A bit of bad news today; we don't have her glasses! We have her reading glasses! I've noticed that she can't see the items taped on the walls, or the clock, etc, and I wasn't sure why. Today she told us that she's got the wrong glasses. They're better than nothing, but she can't see anything farther away than an arm's length. Since Brian and Alicia have looked in every nook and cranny in her house for her glasses, and we know her coworkers have checked all over the office, we believe her glasses may have been lost in the ER. We need to find her eye doctor and see what it will take to get her a replacement set. Poor thing!
Also, because the incision from her brain surgery is healed up, and the ventriculostomy is out, they said they can wash her hair later today. This will be her first real shampoo since the aneurysm. She looks fine, but she's had blood and betadyne and everything else in her hair, and I bet she doesn't even realize how much better that will make her feel to get clean. Yay for shampoo!
BIG NEWS!!!! Her nurse stopped Davin and started to tell him about the process to move her to a rehab center. It's good to get more information about this, since it could be happening soon, maybe even in the next week! We don't know how long she'll be there, but it's a big step on the way to going home.
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