I guess I will just start every post now with an apology regarding not having posted recently...and I am sorry! In some cases, it is a "no news is good news" situation...for the most part, Dad is stable, and slowly but surely recouperating. Let me back up here, and fill everybody in...
I think that I wrote about Dad moving from Plano Specialty Hospital to Reliant Rehabilitation. But, on second thought, maybe I didn't. Anyway, Dad moved from PSH to RR...PSH was a long term acute care facility, and he was really pretty bored there, as those of you who went to see him can attest to. And by bored I mean at times completely delirious and disoriented. It was partially the pain meds, partially the move, and partially the lack of stimulation, but when he started insisting that Bob Dylan was talking to him from a helium balloon that a friend had brought him, we knew we had to get him busy. There was some therapy, but not as much as there would be in a rehab, and while he battled a lot of pain there when he started the PT, he made great progress and was shortly sitting up in a wheelchair for a few hours at a time. Since the pain is focused in his pelvis (remember...shattered and reconstructed) and his ribs (just broken and slowly healing) this sitting up was a big deal! As a result, his doctors felt that he met criteria for inpatient rehab. We were all really happy about that, because we knew on a rehab unit he would be more engaged, less discouraged, and working harder on getting home at last. And hopefully less disoriented and confused, because all joking aside, it kept me up at night wondering and worrying if he was just losing his marbles, and if my dad, the man we all know, was just slipping away forever because of all of the trauma. I am happy to say right now that this is not the case. But I digress...
We moved Dad to Reliant Rehab and within a day or two he came down with a terrible infection that completely wiped him out. His potassium is all messed up, he is dehydrated and weak and deconditioned. Now the fun part is that because he can not tolerate three hours of therapy at this time, he no longer meets criteria for Reliant, and has to be moved...again. To the dreaded "skilled nursing facility"...a nursing home. My mom and I were ready to head downtown and pick the highest mix master, or maybe the Trinity River Bridge, and just make a Thelma and Louise type exit. A nursing home? You all know my dad. Can you see him in a nursing home? We were really upset, worried and panicky that night. This was Tuesday night, I believe. Yes. So, we had the name from his case manager of a skilled nursing facility that "didn't look like a nursing home", and so we went yesterday to check it out.
Wowza, he wasn't kidding. Mom and I managed to find the absolute Rolls Royce of facilities for dad to be in, from the skilled nursing level he needs right now, all the way through to the rehab he will get back to as soon as he is physically able, until he is able to come home. The place is called a "medical resort" and let me tell you, if it is half, and I do mean half, as nice as it seems to be, it is the perfect place for dad to get better. He is scheduled to transfer today, and once he is settled and has a room and a phone number, I will post it along with the address.
Before I sign off, I have to say that I cannot stress enough that getting cards and things in the mail is a huge highlight of his day. If you have sent a card or a photo or flowers, my heart is eternally grateful to you. These things cheer him immensely! And of course, the phone calls are great. He has been really tired and wiped out lately, but you know dad, he needs to stay connected. So keep it up, I love every single one of you that reads this and is still thinking about and/or praying for my dad. Keep my mom in those thoughts and prayers, too, if you don't mind. This has been absolute hell for her. She did go back to work part time a couple of weeks ago, and that is good for her, but emotionally she is still a bit frail. Who wouldn't be?
Absolutely WILL update once this (hopefully!) final move is done.
Namaste.
Christene
I think that I wrote about Dad moving from Plano Specialty Hospital to Reliant Rehabilitation. But, on second thought, maybe I didn't. Anyway, Dad moved from PSH to RR...PSH was a long term acute care facility, and he was really pretty bored there, as those of you who went to see him can attest to. And by bored I mean at times completely delirious and disoriented. It was partially the pain meds, partially the move, and partially the lack of stimulation, but when he started insisting that Bob Dylan was talking to him from a helium balloon that a friend had brought him, we knew we had to get him busy. There was some therapy, but not as much as there would be in a rehab, and while he battled a lot of pain there when he started the PT, he made great progress and was shortly sitting up in a wheelchair for a few hours at a time. Since the pain is focused in his pelvis (remember...shattered and reconstructed) and his ribs (just broken and slowly healing) this sitting up was a big deal! As a result, his doctors felt that he met criteria for inpatient rehab. We were all really happy about that, because we knew on a rehab unit he would be more engaged, less discouraged, and working harder on getting home at last. And hopefully less disoriented and confused, because all joking aside, it kept me up at night wondering and worrying if he was just losing his marbles, and if my dad, the man we all know, was just slipping away forever because of all of the trauma. I am happy to say right now that this is not the case. But I digress...
We moved Dad to Reliant Rehab and within a day or two he came down with a terrible infection that completely wiped him out. His potassium is all messed up, he is dehydrated and weak and deconditioned. Now the fun part is that because he can not tolerate three hours of therapy at this time, he no longer meets criteria for Reliant, and has to be moved...again. To the dreaded "skilled nursing facility"...a nursing home. My mom and I were ready to head downtown and pick the highest mix master, or maybe the Trinity River Bridge, and just make a Thelma and Louise type exit. A nursing home? You all know my dad. Can you see him in a nursing home? We were really upset, worried and panicky that night. This was Tuesday night, I believe. Yes. So, we had the name from his case manager of a skilled nursing facility that "didn't look like a nursing home", and so we went yesterday to check it out.
Wowza, he wasn't kidding. Mom and I managed to find the absolute Rolls Royce of facilities for dad to be in, from the skilled nursing level he needs right now, all the way through to the rehab he will get back to as soon as he is physically able, until he is able to come home. The place is called a "medical resort" and let me tell you, if it is half, and I do mean half, as nice as it seems to be, it is the perfect place for dad to get better. He is scheduled to transfer today, and once he is settled and has a room and a phone number, I will post it along with the address.
Before I sign off, I have to say that I cannot stress enough that getting cards and things in the mail is a huge highlight of his day. If you have sent a card or a photo or flowers, my heart is eternally grateful to you. These things cheer him immensely! And of course, the phone calls are great. He has been really tired and wiped out lately, but you know dad, he needs to stay connected. So keep it up, I love every single one of you that reads this and is still thinking about and/or praying for my dad. Keep my mom in those thoughts and prayers, too, if you don't mind. This has been absolute hell for her. She did go back to work part time a couple of weeks ago, and that is good for her, but emotionally she is still a bit frail. Who wouldn't be?
Absolutely WILL update once this (hopefully!) final move is done.
Namaste.
Christene
