Coming Home

The physical therapist at the rehab center told DH yesterday that he thought DH would be released on November 7 and come home! Excitement! Happiness! Pleasure! It will be so good to have him home!

Every day in physical therapy he is increasing his strength and endurance. He is walking up a full flight of stairs in the rehab and walking down a full flight of stairs. That means he will have no difficulty getting around our bi-level home.

We have discovered that the type of walker that we have at home is not going to be the design that the therapist recommends. Another walker will have to be purchased. I am fairly sure that the insurance will pay for it.

Last night I delivered the next installment of t-shirts to DH. Everyone in rehab has been commenting on the different shirts he wears so I brought some different ones to him. It is a way to get him and the people around to interact. This is probably the hardest change that has taken place in his life since he was disabled. There has to be something he can be involved in that will continue this interaction. MIL and I have told him over and over to "get a hobby", but this is difficult because he has always been a worker and had very little play in his life other than his gun collection and scuba diving. Each of these are very expensive to support so with our financial circumstances being what they are these are not a possibility. We are going to have to work harder on this.

Again I must thank all of you for your prayers for DH. I believe that you and others who have prayed made a miracle happen.

Moving On

DH continues to recover day by day. It is incredible to see the progress that he is making. I think his return home this week is a little aggressive, but hope to have him home by November 7. The dogs really miss him and spend as much time with me and as close as possible. I miss him too, but at least I get to visit him.

Last night we were talking about his driving and I told him that if he continued the way he is going and our family doctor agrees, I would be willing to be his passenger when he drives. He asked me when I started being worried about his driving and I had to think, but sometime in May he started to be more of a worry about driving for me. I hope he can get his driving privileges back. He would be much happier.

That is all for today. Please continue to pray for caregivers, dementia patients and their families.

Moving forward

DH is really making strides in his physical therapy. At this rate they may send him home much sooner that we had expected. His only requirement will be handling the steps in the bi-level we live in and taking care of the dogs while I am at work.

Last night he said that I had aged a year since he gotten ill. If he only knew how much this has taken out of me. I am exhausted all the time. Even with a good night sleep, I am still running on empty. Thank God we have the week in Gatlinburg coming up. I need the R&R very much and to be able to spend it with DH will be an added bonus.

I just got an e-mail from my sister-in-law from my first marriage. She has adopted two young children from Liberia. She and her husband are missionaries. She is also looking after the 3 children her daughter has as DD is pregnant and having a hard row to hoe this time. This is the SIL that everyone thought was a yahoo. She has turned out to be a very wonderful woman.

Just wanted to post an update.

Bless all of you for your continuing prayers.

Getting better every day

DH was up and sitting in the chair when I got to the hospital yesterday. Each day when I visit I see progress. I see a positive attitude and a total connection with the world around him. Today will be the first day of real physical therapy. Friday he was having low blood pressure because of the number of days flat in his bed. Today will be different, I know!

I am slowly getting back to a more even keel myself. I actually did some work around the house this weekend. Not nearly enough to catch up with where I was when DH got so sick, but a little bit that hadn't been done.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. Prayer does work and you have proven it!

You would not believe the difference

DH is in a quality hospital/rehab center and within 15 minutes of arriving his entire attitude and well being changed. Instead of being sick he was recovering. The difference was amazing. The people at the new location care. They were on top of the meds immediately and had no trouble going over the meds and dosages. They haven't missed a single dose or had the incorrect amount. I truly believe the other place was selling drugs that should have gone to the patients!

DH is in therapy right now. The therapist that evaluated him yesterday afternoon had him walking up and down the hall with a walker and indicated that DH was not to spend much time in bed. DH must be walking or sitting in a chair, instead of vegging in the bed. Hooray! Finally someone who knows and cares about recovery.

DH is sharper than he has been in weeks. We discussed his reaction to the treatment he has received since the ambulance ride. Initially he was angry when he realized that we had put him on a ventilator. He was the one to make the decision to turn off the machines when his father was so ill. He never wanted to be hooked up to machines. Now a few days later he realizes that we made a decision based on the background of his wishes. He also knows that in the future all factors will be taken into consideration before any medical intervention is done. That he wants DNR under extreme circumstances I understand and will follow, but if he can recover the way he is now, intervention will occur.

We are going to Gatlinburg for a week in early November. He is excited about it. He is already making plans on locations he wants to visit. This is an excellent sign. I am so happy and relieved that these two weeks are over and at the same time these two weeks have brought us closer together. Not a nice way to make a marriage stronger, but stronger our marriage is.

Thanks for the prayers. Please continue to pray for all who need prayers. It doesn't matter what your religious background is, you have a entity that you believe in even if it is only a "High Power" and your prayers are heard.

Getting out of that ____ hole

Today DH will be getting out of his current rehab and into a quality facility. Last night they didn't give DH his pain medication and then lied. He said this morning he could tell the difference once they gave him the morning dose. I am going to find out the process for filing a complaint with the government about this rehab/rest home facility. There are going to be some heads rolling!

I will take some FMLA time to make sure the move goes well.

Thank you again for all the prayers and continue to pray for all patients who have dementia. It is a scary time for them as they loose contact with everything they remember.

Transfer approved

DH will be transferred from the rehab center to the hospital/rehab center tomorrow. I think the people at the current center are in a tizzy. Maybe they have never had a patient transferred away from them before. They seem to think that we are mis-treating them when the shoe is on the other foot. I hope that they learn to properly treat their patients in the future. We may have been the first to complain about the treatment. If they keep it up we won't be the last.

Thank you for your prayers!