Saturday August 8th

rehab day 66

September 3rd. Mark it on your calendar. That is the day -- unless something happens -- dad will be coming home!!!!

Happy Dance!

(why isn't my happy dancer dancing? )



Week before last I took dad to see the doctor. She gave him some samples and said if it worked to stay on the medicine. I took the samples and the note to the head of nursing where dad is staying. Dad started on the medicine that night. After a few days we decided it was working and I told dad's nurse M to make sure that he was kept on the medicine, fax whoever and he assured me he would take care of it.

A few days ago I checked with the 2nd shift nurse and she had nothing to say he was on new medicine. NOTHING. Nothing anywhere in his chart. I grabbed the head of nursing as she walked by (great timing D!) and she looked at dad's chart and everywhere else. Nothing. She was so mad she couldn't even speak. She assured me she would handle it and would be talking to nurse M. I am so glad I gave the samples and doctor's note to her instead of to nurse M. I was afraid if I didn't something would happen. Well something did happen BUT since head of nursing had seen/handled it it was easier for her to know what was (or wasn't) going on.

D put the fear of God into nurse M and when he saw me nurse M apologized up one side and down the other. D said that nurse M would have to take a few days off if he messed up again.

Keep those prayers going up for dad and me.

Kathy

PS: Mr MC, they are "manly" curtains, the paint color I picked out maybe not so much -- but the curtains are manly!

Friday May 8

Last night a little before midnight I got a call from the hospital. They were moving dad into a room down stairs. It isn't TICU (no bed available there) but something they call IMU. (after looking around the internet I think IMU stands for Intermediate Medical Unit, which is a step down from ICU)

The move is good for several reasons. First it means dad is doing well enough to get out of ICU and the nurse he had today in IMU is EXACTLY what dad needs. I know he won't have her everyday but let me tell you she is great with dad. Nurse N is good with talking to dad and getting him to do things. Including -- are you ready? -- getting dad to eat! Yup, dad had his first food in 50 days today. It's all soft foods and mostly like baby food but it is a start. I am so thrilled that he is able to start eatting.

Daddy is still confused and tried all day yesterday, most of the night and most of today trying his best to get out of the bed. His hands are still in restraints which is good because I think he could get himself out of the bed, of course he would fall and land in the floor, but he has gotten both feet off the side of the bed already.

But basically dad is doing really good (from where he was just a week ago). He still has problems with some confusion and remembering the day before. If you visit or send mail he is in IMU room 164.

Keep those prayers going up for dad and me.

Kathy

Friday April 24

Yesterday they put dad on CPAP because he just wasn't breathing with the ventilator (sounds weird but that is close to what they told me). They left him on the CPAP from like 8 AM yesterday until 11 AM today. Dad's blood pressure started going way up so they switched him back to the ventilator and his blood pressure went down some. He has slept a lot today, I think being on the CPAP for so long -- while good for him -- just wore him out.

Today dad is following commands better Nurse D said. He still gets really agitated at times so they have had to give him some Versed, and Nurse D doesn't think the Precedex is doing dad much good. I just don't know. I know they can give him some Ativan and I tried to tell the nurse that it might help his blood pressure come down some. Nurse D said she didn't think the blood pressure was up because of agitation so she was giving him everything else in the world.

The thing is that the nurses rotate within ICU and some within ICU3 (where dad is) so he never has the same nurse more than 4 days in a row then he may get that nurse again in another week or not. Each nurse treats dad different, one notices something might be working and another nurse sees it differently. I really wish dad could have the same nurse/s more consistantly. I think his care would have better continuity if they did.

Still those teeny tiney baby steps. A step forward and 2 steps back. But overall dad is doing lots better than he was say just a week ago. But he still has a long way to go.

Keep those prayers going up for dad and me, and Aunt Betty.

Kathy