March 30th, Friday night
I can't believe it's been 5 days since I've blogged! It has been a really busy week. Jim and I are slowly recuperating and getting into the swing of things around here. Septic tank is in, muddy mess in the back yard but the rain is helping to settled everything. That is a good thing to have done. Wasn't quite the drama I had envisioned.
We saw the Infectious Disease doctor on Tuesday, we will probably have to continue the infusion meds for a couple more weeks, but not sure. We have another MRI on the 20th of April and then see the Neurosurgeon again. Saw the surgeon who did the operations yesterday and she was really please to see how the wounds have healed. She said we didn't need to see her anymore and one wound is healed enough it doesn't need a bandage, the second one just needs a small bandage and the abdominal wound just needs a wet/dry bandage until we see our primary care doctor on the 6th of April. No more wound vac to pack around or nurse to come in to change dressings! Jim is still having trouble with muscles in his back but as he walks more, hopefully that will become more strengthened.
We are doing pretty good, days we go to the doctors really wear both of us out and we are asleep by 8:00. We would love to have company, just call ahead so we will be out of our jammies. I could use some guys to come and spend a couple of hours with Jim so I could go to the store and he won't have to do his pt (physical therapy)!
There isn't too much to report since Jim is doing so well, so I may not continue this blog for much longer. We welcome your e-mails and phone calls so if you are wondering how he is be sure to contact us. I will update this blogsite after we see the doctor next week. After that it will just be getting his strength back so we can get out when the weather is better.
Jim's e-mail: jimandjudy61@msn.com Judy's: judykay45@hotmail.com
Guess it's lights out, Jim is sound asleep. Hopefully we can sleep several hours before having to get up. Love to all friends and family.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wow!! Where have I been for the last 4 days! Tonight is March 25th, Sunday
Wednesday night as I was getting ready to bring most of Jim's clothes and personal items home, his mother called and said it was snowing and sticking near Champoeg Park, so I called a neighbor and she said it was snowing in Oregon City and was supposed to get down to 30 degrees. Well, I was afraid to come home and then maybe not be able to get back to Legacy Good Samaritan, so I asked if I could stay on the couch in the family room and the charge nurse got me a cot, warm blanket and pillow and I was able to spend the night. I really appreciated their compassion and understanding. Thursday morning the wound nurse came in and took off the wound vacuum from Jim's abdomen. I have watched each time as they have changed the dressings and could not believe how much it had healed since the last change. I cried because it looked so good. The wounds have had to heal from the inside out so they would continue draining. This wound was only about the depth of a Q-tip tip. The one on his leg was just a tip of a tip. Any one need a tip, I have a few! Ha! We had to leave the vac at RIO and were given a new one to take to Kaiser, not sure if we would need to use it. We had a big cart with 3 shelves full of equipment! You cannot believe all that we needed to bring with us. Also, Jim has a new wheelchair which is lighter and easier for me to put in the back of the Suburban. Whew!! We are also very grateful for the valet parking because they are very helpful in helping to load everything and Jim too. We left leaving lots of tears of gratitude for the wonderful, caring nurses, cnas, physical, occupational, recreational and as Jim says, therapy therapists, that in two weeks gave both of us hope that Jim will fully recover and be able to walk again. They were awesome! Also, there are no strangers, only friends Jim hasn't met yet, so we made friends with a couple of roommates and other patients recovering from all sorts of injuries. We hope to be able to go back again when he has recuperated and be part of someone else's healing process.
We got through the MRI and the doctor was pleased, still some inflammation in the spine but is easing up on the nerves. We don't know until Tuesday the results of the lab work, have to see the Infectious Disease doctor then and on Thursday we see the surgeon who will probably determine if the wound vac is still needed. I think it probably won't be necessary by that time. Monday, Wed., and Friday there will be home nurses coming in to change dressings, etc. He and I are able to do the daily IV med injection. I think we'll just become a doctor and nurse and therapists!! We might even make house calls, too. You cannot, or maybe you can, imagine how many people have been involved in this process.
Gotta go to bed now, it's 9pm, because Jim (& I) have to get up a couple of times a night. The first night we were up 3 times and I was exhausted the next day. Well, actually I am still pretty tired and today was a really good day of rest. Had 1 visitor that Jim hasn't seen for quite awhile and it was fun.
Jim is still having issues with his back, it is probably still connected with the nerve damage, and he was up quite a bit, going up and down our 3 steps and into the bathroom and kitchen. Friday was very busy with the in-home nurse and all the paperwork, showing us how to administer the IV meds, and then we needed to go to the pharmacy for something and there was no way to get there with the 213 project going on, so we stopped for a very small ice cream at the DQ drive thru and went home only to have the nurse come back and attach the new wound vac! It was pretty clear sailing to the pharmacy about 7pm. Saturday a physical therapy nurse came and explained exercises that we already had in our notebook, Jim's brother and a friend came and took Jim's Harley to put up for sale. I thought that would be a very emotional time for Jim, but he said he knew it was time because he just didn't think he had what it took anymore to safely ride. We have a different outlook on a lot of things and are willing to let go of some toys and projects.
But early tomorrow (Monday) the crew should be here to put in the new septic tank and whatever goes along with it. That should make a real big mess, but it is one of life's necessities and will get cleaned up before summer is in full swing. Pray for good weather and little rain to make it less messy for the men that have to do it.
God is good and we are recovering. Thank you family and friends for your amazing help this weekend and prayers. Miss you all, this will be another busy week, but love hearing from you. We read e-mails and texts, but are slow in answering.
Pa and Ma Gibson
Wednesday night as I was getting ready to bring most of Jim's clothes and personal items home, his mother called and said it was snowing and sticking near Champoeg Park, so I called a neighbor and she said it was snowing in Oregon City and was supposed to get down to 30 degrees. Well, I was afraid to come home and then maybe not be able to get back to Legacy Good Samaritan, so I asked if I could stay on the couch in the family room and the charge nurse got me a cot, warm blanket and pillow and I was able to spend the night. I really appreciated their compassion and understanding. Thursday morning the wound nurse came in and took off the wound vacuum from Jim's abdomen. I have watched each time as they have changed the dressings and could not believe how much it had healed since the last change. I cried because it looked so good. The wounds have had to heal from the inside out so they would continue draining. This wound was only about the depth of a Q-tip tip. The one on his leg was just a tip of a tip. Any one need a tip, I have a few! Ha! We had to leave the vac at RIO and were given a new one to take to Kaiser, not sure if we would need to use it. We had a big cart with 3 shelves full of equipment! You cannot believe all that we needed to bring with us. Also, Jim has a new wheelchair which is lighter and easier for me to put in the back of the Suburban. Whew!! We are also very grateful for the valet parking because they are very helpful in helping to load everything and Jim too. We left leaving lots of tears of gratitude for the wonderful, caring nurses, cnas, physical, occupational, recreational and as Jim says, therapy therapists, that in two weeks gave both of us hope that Jim will fully recover and be able to walk again. They were awesome! Also, there are no strangers, only friends Jim hasn't met yet, so we made friends with a couple of roommates and other patients recovering from all sorts of injuries. We hope to be able to go back again when he has recuperated and be part of someone else's healing process.
We got through the MRI and the doctor was pleased, still some inflammation in the spine but is easing up on the nerves. We don't know until Tuesday the results of the lab work, have to see the Infectious Disease doctor then and on Thursday we see the surgeon who will probably determine if the wound vac is still needed. I think it probably won't be necessary by that time. Monday, Wed., and Friday there will be home nurses coming in to change dressings, etc. He and I are able to do the daily IV med injection. I think we'll just become a doctor and nurse and therapists!! We might even make house calls, too. You cannot, or maybe you can, imagine how many people have been involved in this process.
Gotta go to bed now, it's 9pm, because Jim (& I) have to get up a couple of times a night. The first night we were up 3 times and I was exhausted the next day. Well, actually I am still pretty tired and today was a really good day of rest. Had 1 visitor that Jim hasn't seen for quite awhile and it was fun.
Jim is still having issues with his back, it is probably still connected with the nerve damage, and he was up quite a bit, going up and down our 3 steps and into the bathroom and kitchen. Friday was very busy with the in-home nurse and all the paperwork, showing us how to administer the IV meds, and then we needed to go to the pharmacy for something and there was no way to get there with the 213 project going on, so we stopped for a very small ice cream at the DQ drive thru and went home only to have the nurse come back and attach the new wound vac! It was pretty clear sailing to the pharmacy about 7pm. Saturday a physical therapy nurse came and explained exercises that we already had in our notebook, Jim's brother and a friend came and took Jim's Harley to put up for sale. I thought that would be a very emotional time for Jim, but he said he knew it was time because he just didn't think he had what it took anymore to safely ride. We have a different outlook on a lot of things and are willing to let go of some toys and projects.
But early tomorrow (Monday) the crew should be here to put in the new septic tank and whatever goes along with it. That should make a real big mess, but it is one of life's necessities and will get cleaned up before summer is in full swing. Pray for good weather and little rain to make it less messy for the men that have to do it.
God is good and we are recovering. Thank you family and friends for your amazing help this weekend and prayers. Miss you all, this will be another busy week, but love hearing from you. We read e-mails and texts, but are slow in answering.
Pa and Ma Gibson
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
March 21, 2012
This is, hopefully, or sadly, our last night at Rio Rehab. Jim is recuperating nicely, except for a muscle that gives him a lot of pain in his back. It inhibits some of his physical therapy but they are giving him some excellent stretching excercises to do at home. We will be having in home physical therapy for a week I think and an inhome visiting nurse to make sure we know how to do the IV meds. Tomorrow will be the big day, leaving here by 11 for a 12:30 MRI, then the neurosurgeon will see us and home we go. Hopefully, the traffic will still be decent and hopefully there will be no snow.
Tonight we are going out for Chinese food with another patient and the recreation therapists. It is about a block away. Trying to figure out what Jim can eat, his diabetes numbers are in the normal range so we may be able to control it with his diet as soon as his body is all healed up. He is lookin' good, lost about 40lbs. I think he is going to recuperate pretty fast when he gets home.
Will fill you all in tomorrow night or Friday morning on how tomorrow goes. Please continue to pray for a good report and maybe we won't have to take the wound vac home with us. It is worth it's weight in gold, but heavy to pack (about the size of a Bible & the weight of a dictionary).
Happy Spring,
Judy & Jim
This is, hopefully, or sadly, our last night at Rio Rehab. Jim is recuperating nicely, except for a muscle that gives him a lot of pain in his back. It inhibits some of his physical therapy but they are giving him some excellent stretching excercises to do at home. We will be having in home physical therapy for a week I think and an inhome visiting nurse to make sure we know how to do the IV meds. Tomorrow will be the big day, leaving here by 11 for a 12:30 MRI, then the neurosurgeon will see us and home we go. Hopefully, the traffic will still be decent and hopefully there will be no snow.
Tonight we are going out for Chinese food with another patient and the recreation therapists. It is about a block away. Trying to figure out what Jim can eat, his diabetes numbers are in the normal range so we may be able to control it with his diet as soon as his body is all healed up. He is lookin' good, lost about 40lbs. I think he is going to recuperate pretty fast when he gets home.
Will fill you all in tomorrow night or Friday morning on how tomorrow goes. Please continue to pray for a good report and maybe we won't have to take the wound vac home with us. It is worth it's weight in gold, but heavy to pack (about the size of a Bible & the weight of a dictionary).
Happy Spring,
Judy & Jim
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
March 20, 2012
I don't know what day of the next 50 years it is, I have lost count, there is barely enough time to think and then it's time to go home and fall into bed exhausted! Jim is doing better than me I think, he is getting more strength and stamina every day. He is still having trouble with his back pain, but he thinks it is muscular rather than from the spinal cord infection. He is going to be released from Rio Rehab Thursday morning to go for an MRI at Kaiser and visit to the neurosurgeon. It will be a long day and we will probably be pretty tired by the time we get home. Jim hasn't been home since the 17th of February and he is anxious to be home and we are both anxious about being home and away from the security of this place. Both hospitals, doctors, nurses, cna's and cleaning people have treated us with the utmost kindness and sensitivity and we are very, very appreciative. Our family has been awesome and prepared our home so it will make Jim's return easier to navigate throughout the house.
Thank you to all our friends too, you have kept us prayed up and all your offers of help are mightily appreciated. We will need help for sure when the weather straightens up. Friday, our first day home we are having our septic tank replaced! What fun, but we are not sweating the small stuff, we are just happy to be able to watch the "poopy" process together! We will look forward to your calls and visits, just let us know before coming over as Jim will probably need extra rest from having to rely solely on me most of the time. We will be having in home nurses for IV checks and wound dressings. On the 27th we are supposed to see the Infectious Disease doctor and hopefully the infection will be cleared up. The wound vac is awesome, but the machine is a little cumbersome and heavy.
We will try to keep everyone up to date, but blogs may be rather infrequent depending on our schedule. We probably won't be out and about for a couple of weeks, depending on how Jim is doing. We don't want to expose him to too many germs yet and until he feels comfortable walking. He will be going home with a wheelchair and walker and still is quite wobbly in the knees.
Praying for Spring to bring some sunshine so we can get out and do some walking.
Love to all, Pa and Ma Gibson
I don't know what day of the next 50 years it is, I have lost count, there is barely enough time to think and then it's time to go home and fall into bed exhausted! Jim is doing better than me I think, he is getting more strength and stamina every day. He is still having trouble with his back pain, but he thinks it is muscular rather than from the spinal cord infection. He is going to be released from Rio Rehab Thursday morning to go for an MRI at Kaiser and visit to the neurosurgeon. It will be a long day and we will probably be pretty tired by the time we get home. Jim hasn't been home since the 17th of February and he is anxious to be home and we are both anxious about being home and away from the security of this place. Both hospitals, doctors, nurses, cna's and cleaning people have treated us with the utmost kindness and sensitivity and we are very, very appreciative. Our family has been awesome and prepared our home so it will make Jim's return easier to navigate throughout the house.
Thank you to all our friends too, you have kept us prayed up and all your offers of help are mightily appreciated. We will need help for sure when the weather straightens up. Friday, our first day home we are having our septic tank replaced! What fun, but we are not sweating the small stuff, we are just happy to be able to watch the "poopy" process together! We will look forward to your calls and visits, just let us know before coming over as Jim will probably need extra rest from having to rely solely on me most of the time. We will be having in home nurses for IV checks and wound dressings. On the 27th we are supposed to see the Infectious Disease doctor and hopefully the infection will be cleared up. The wound vac is awesome, but the machine is a little cumbersome and heavy.
We will try to keep everyone up to date, but blogs may be rather infrequent depending on our schedule. We probably won't be out and about for a couple of weeks, depending on how Jim is doing. We don't want to expose him to too many germs yet and until he feels comfortable walking. He will be going home with a wheelchair and walker and still is quite wobbly in the knees.
Praying for Spring to bring some sunshine so we can get out and do some walking.
Love to all, Pa and Ma Gibson
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
March 14, 2012
What determination, I can't believe it! He went up 4 steps today and back down. It was a rather grueling day because he spent the morning waiting for a Vac bandage. It is a sponge affair put into the wound taped over and then it vacuums out the wound so it will heal faster. I am amazed every day what he goes through and still keeps his sense of humor and never feels sorry for himself. He is always thanking the doctors and nurses and complimenting them on how hard they work and how much he appreciates them. I thank God every day for his progress. We have almost everything in place for him to come home. Tomorrow, Thursday, is our meeting with everyone involved so we will have a better sense of when. Again, we want to thank everyone for their kind wishes, prayers, and visits and all the hard work they have put in so he won't have to worry about the things he won't be able to get to for awhile.
Thanks for all the kind comments regarding the picture of "grandpa and his girls". Maybe we can get the boys to sit still long enough to get one of them. We have been so blessed. We love our family so much and are proud of each and everyone of them.
We are praying and thinking of you our there that are not feeling well or are dealing with a painful situation. Remember, you are loved with an everlasting love by our Heavenly Father.
In case you can't tell, I am a little emotional and melancholy tonight.
Judy
What determination, I can't believe it! He went up 4 steps today and back down. It was a rather grueling day because he spent the morning waiting for a Vac bandage. It is a sponge affair put into the wound taped over and then it vacuums out the wound so it will heal faster. I am amazed every day what he goes through and still keeps his sense of humor and never feels sorry for himself. He is always thanking the doctors and nurses and complimenting them on how hard they work and how much he appreciates them. I thank God every day for his progress. We have almost everything in place for him to come home. Tomorrow, Thursday, is our meeting with everyone involved so we will have a better sense of when. Again, we want to thank everyone for their kind wishes, prayers, and visits and all the hard work they have put in so he won't have to worry about the things he won't be able to get to for awhile.
Thanks for all the kind comments regarding the picture of "grandpa and his girls". Maybe we can get the boys to sit still long enough to get one of them. We have been so blessed. We love our family so much and are proud of each and everyone of them.
We are praying and thinking of you our there that are not feeling well or are dealing with a painful situation. Remember, you are loved with an everlasting love by our Heavenly Father.
In case you can't tell, I am a little emotional and melancholy tonight.
Judy
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
March 13, 2012 WE DID IT!!!!
Yesterday during physical training Jim and I practiced 3 times getting him into the car. Set up his walker, make sure his wheelchair brakes are on, take the pack off the back, take the leg supports off the chair, get him to a standing position (he does this very well, just needs to build up those leg muscles again), position his posterior on the seat (our car is a little tall, who would have thought that for him) but he does it, help him lift his legs into the car, make sure his seatbelt is on, shut the door, take the seat off the chair, take the leg supports off the chair, fold the chair up and watch me put it in the back of the suburban (I am in pt too building up muscles I haven't used in awhile), get in, seatbelt, start the engine, turn on the lights, put it into drive, turn on the windshield wipers because it is snowing like crazy and PRAY like crazy that I get him to Kaiser on time for 2 appointments! We did it and arrived safely back at Rio where we did it all in reverse (kinda), the wind was biting cold up on the wheelchair access floor of the parking garage. We even made a quick McDonald's drive-thru and he ate his lunch and I had nuggets. Nutritious! By the time we got back he was exhausted, and so was I. Had a little nap and then Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy all afternoon. We will sleep well tonight.
Talk to you tomorrow. Everyone have a good evening and thanks for checking in on us.
Judy & Jim
Yesterday during physical training Jim and I practiced 3 times getting him into the car. Set up his walker, make sure his wheelchair brakes are on, take the pack off the back, take the leg supports off the chair, get him to a standing position (he does this very well, just needs to build up those leg muscles again), position his posterior on the seat (our car is a little tall, who would have thought that for him) but he does it, help him lift his legs into the car, make sure his seatbelt is on, shut the door, take the seat off the chair, take the leg supports off the chair, fold the chair up and watch me put it in the back of the suburban (I am in pt too building up muscles I haven't used in awhile), get in, seatbelt, start the engine, turn on the lights, put it into drive, turn on the windshield wipers because it is snowing like crazy and PRAY like crazy that I get him to Kaiser on time for 2 appointments! We did it and arrived safely back at Rio where we did it all in reverse (kinda), the wind was biting cold up on the wheelchair access floor of the parking garage. We even made a quick McDonald's drive-thru and he ate his lunch and I had nuggets. Nutritious! By the time we got back he was exhausted, and so was I. Had a little nap and then Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy all afternoon. We will sleep well tonight.
Talk to you tomorrow. Everyone have a good evening and thanks for checking in on us.
Judy & Jim
Monday, March 12, 2012
Somebody tell me what day this is! Ok, looks like March 12, 2012.
It has been a really busy day for us. At least we didn't have to be out there battling the wild weather!
Hopefully, we won't have to deal with any snow in the morning. Jim has an appointment back at Kaiser which I think is a little silly, but we do what we need to do. It was pretty easy physical therapy this weekend, kind of a teaser, but today he had a really full schedule. One of his wounds was a bleeder this morning so they had to repack and put a pressure bandage on it and then lay still all morning. It behaved after that and off to pt we went. Exciting news is that the therapists helped us to go from a wheelchair, to the walker and into the car! We practiced 3 times and so if the weather is decent I will be taking Jim to Kaiser in the morning. I have been pushed beyond things I thought I could do, but want Jim to be home soon and become independant again. Never should we take our lives for granted, it can change in a heartbeat. Jim is doing so well, he's his usual funny self and all the nurses think he is great.
Congratulations to the new mommy and daddy, Jody & Bradley. Saw a picture of Autumn Joy. She is definitely a keeper. Can't wait to hold her.
Love to all our family and friends. Probably won't be a blog until tomorrow night. Pray for safe travel. Thanks to all our awesome family that are doing things we won't be able to do for a long time. We are very grateful.
It has been a really busy day for us. At least we didn't have to be out there battling the wild weather!
Hopefully, we won't have to deal with any snow in the morning. Jim has an appointment back at Kaiser which I think is a little silly, but we do what we need to do. It was pretty easy physical therapy this weekend, kind of a teaser, but today he had a really full schedule. One of his wounds was a bleeder this morning so they had to repack and put a pressure bandage on it and then lay still all morning. It behaved after that and off to pt we went. Exciting news is that the therapists helped us to go from a wheelchair, to the walker and into the car! We practiced 3 times and so if the weather is decent I will be taking Jim to Kaiser in the morning. I have been pushed beyond things I thought I could do, but want Jim to be home soon and become independant again. Never should we take our lives for granted, it can change in a heartbeat. Jim is doing so well, he's his usual funny self and all the nurses think he is great.
Congratulations to the new mommy and daddy, Jody & Bradley. Saw a picture of Autumn Joy. She is definitely a keeper. Can't wait to hold her.
Love to all our family and friends. Probably won't be a blog until tomorrow night. Pray for safe travel. Thanks to all our awesome family that are doing things we won't be able to do for a long time. We are very grateful.
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