Sunday March 10. 2012

No physical treatment or occupational therapy until 3:30 today, but it has been one busy morning!  I spent the night at the Green Gables House 1/2 a block away and it was a very nice and interesting experience.  Met a lady who is receiving treatment for six weeks and her daughter who called me "Grandma" which made me feel at home.  Another mother was staying because she had a 2lb preemie who is up to 3lbs and is so cute and looking good.

Oops! Got company, gotta go.

March 10, 2012  "Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord!"

We finally made it!  We are at Legacy Good Samaritan on about 22nd & Lovejoy.  Got the ok to come yesterday about 2pm, so if you felt ignored because we were not answering our phones it was because we were busy movin' out!  We had been at Kaiser so long that it was kinda sceery leaving the safety of the place and all we have been dependant on.  Kinda like leaving ST. Louis, MO for the Oregon Territory.  As soon as we got here the Wound nurse came in, assessed the wounds, and repacked them with a seaweed pack on one and a silver pack on the other two!  I have heard she is pretty awesome and we are anxious to see the wounds again on Monday when she comes back.  Jim feels like this is where he needs to be as they are working his bum off.  He's been walking, has a really comfortable wheelchair to be up in ( the recliner he had at Kaiser was just not comfortable for him).  The food is awesome!  Everyday is a new menu with really good different things to choose from, all fit to his diabetes.  3 choices for breakfast, 2 for lunch & dinner.  Salisbury steak, broiled tilapia, Asian chicken salad, lasagna with Italian sauce & all the trimmings.  I am going to have to get on the stick and start making some good stuff or Jim will want to stay here.

Yesterday and today have been really busy and Jim is pretty tired, so please do not be offended if we don't answer your calls.  We have family coming up today that haven't been able to be here very often.  They need to see that their dad and grandpa are doing so much better than the first and last time they saw him when he was first admitted and diagnosed. 

I am able to stay at the Green Gable House 1/2 block away when I want to.  Still need to go home to keep up with things.  "Someone" keeps coming into the house and dropping things all over the family and bedrooms!  Thank you, David and Angie for mowing the lawn.  Glad I was there to see you personally.  We miss you, but know you have your hands full at home.  Looking forward to seeing you and the girls today.

Thank you all again for your love and prayers.  Pray that his bladder will wake up and quit being lazy so he can go on his own again.  Those of you who have not seen him for a few days would be surprised to see he has skinny legs again.  His appetite is really good, he's sleeping well and thankful for every new day.

March 8, 2012   9:30pm

Well, Pa is asleep, Ma is soon there.  This has been a long journey, and we start on another road tomorrow.  This morning the neurosurgeon came in, pulled the tubes, dressed them and told Jim he could take a shower.  He loved that, almost 4 weeks since he has been able to take one.  I think it was the nurse who came in and said he thought we would be going to Rio today, we figured it was to be soon.  So I packed up all our earthly goods (it seemed like it anyway), trotted a load down to the car and guess who had no keys.  Thankfully the nice ladies in the gift shop said they would watch my things while I went back to the 2nd floor and got the keys and more stuff.  Got it all in the car when I get a text from Jim saying that we weren't going after all.  Wanted an ultra-sound to check on blood clot in his leg.  So I dug around in my suitcase for some clothes for tomorrow and decided I needed some comfort food so went to the cafeteria.  This was getting on toward lunch and I needed a drink!  Jim thought I was gone a long time so he texted me and asked if I was sitting on the curb crying! 

Looks like we are out of here tomorrow and I will have to finish this in the morning.  I am unable to keep my eyes open and it will be time for vitals any moment.  He's doing good, but will need prayer still.  Love you, thank you.

March 7th, 2012  6:30am on the ? day of the next 50 years!

My mind isn't working very well this morning.  Someone was up roaming the hall in the middle of the night - yup, he took 75 steps with the help of his lovely young nurse!  Didn't even wake me until he came back and announced very proudly he had just walked halfway to the nurse's station and back.  Took a quick nap and announced that he was planning his day.  So at o'dark thirty we set up his shaving and toothbrushing at the side of the bed and he did it all by himself and I shaved the back of his neck.  If you know Jim very well you know by this time it was difficult to tell where his head hair ended and his back hair began, but I did my best and he looks incredibly handsome to me!  By the time he gets out of here he will look like he's had a full body wax. 

We are anxiously waiting today for the doctors to tell us when we are going to Rio Rehabilitation.  It is located near 22nd and Burnside and you can click on this website: www.legacyhealth.org/rio for the address.  Be sure to call me so you know for sure where we are.  Jim's # is 503-969-2452, mine is 503-969-2449.  We are up for visitors, but if you call then you won't come in when he's in the middle of his bath or some other quite interesting procedure!  He has another MRI scheduled for March 22nd and then a follow-up with the Infectious Disease doctor after that.

I'm thankful every day that he is moving forward so well. (you know, this all is sounding very familiar - if I am repeating myself please forgive me because I don't read my blog - and I think I've misplaced my brain someplace).  I was at the post office yesterday to get an envelope to send some mail to someone and asked for postage and started to leave and the postman said, "Ummm, mam, you need to pay for that."  I said, "Well, I wasn't going to steal it." and he said, "Yes you were."  Ha, ha, ha! Then I went to the car and brought in a package that I needed to find a mailing box for, found it, got back in line, got to his station where he rang up the price of the box and the postage, I slid my card in the little machine and he handed me my receipt and thanked me.  I said to him, "Don't I get any change?"  He looked at me like maybe I was an escapee from some institution, and immediately I said, "Oh, I thought I paid with a $20 bill!"  Ha, ha, ha!  I go to this same post office enough that I think he already has me pegged as being just a bubble off level anyway, so he didn't call anyone to take me away.  How long will I be able to convince people that it's my husband's illness that has me this way?  I think I had better find a new post office until this blows over.

 Thanks to all of you who are helping to get some things done to get him ready for home.  You are much appreciated and I hope we can show our appreciation to you some day in the near future.  Since he is walking so well there will be less to do than originally anticipated. 

Those of you, my friends and family, that are struggling with your own illnesses and problems, I am praying for mercy and grace and God's comfort and peace.  We don't always understand, but we have a God we can trust.  Proverbs 3:3-5  "Trust in the Lord always and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."  Have a blessed day.  Is it snowing out there?!

March 5th, 2012   Day 24

 Oh, nuts!  I just about had today's blog done and something happened and it's all gone! 

Yesterday was a busy day, several visitors, thank you.  Today has been an interesting day.  Began with the surgeon coming in to check Jim out and tomorrow they are going to pull the tubes out of three of the open incisions on his right thigh and abdomen so they can tell how much they are healing.  The nurses that change the dressings are saying that they are healing nicely.  The hospital coordinators are encouraging a move to rehab on Wednesday but I'm not sure the surgeons think that Jim is ready.  He needs the tubes out first and there is the one on the left that may come out tomorrow because it has a different type of drain.  All very interesting.  He has lost a lot of fluid and his legs look like legs rather than tree stumps now. 

We appreciate the visitors we've had even though Jim still falls off to sleep now and again.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to just sit and watch him.

It was another red letter day.  Jim is able to sit up on the edge of his bed all by himself (still needs a little lift getting legs back up, but that is a big accomplishment as he couldn't even pick his feet up to walk 3 weeks ago.  He also, took 6 steps, sat down and rested, got up and took 15! more steps toward the door.  Said he was going home.  That took a lot of effort and he has been drifting off to sleep all afternoon.  Said he thought he could lick a momma cat today, instead of 3 kittens yesterday.  He has been a trooper all through this ordeal.  Never complains, not even about the food.

You Thursday night guys and you know who you are, are going to be eating tofu pizza and sugar free candy from now on!  The cafe where Jim has coffee with his buddies are next on his list.  But I think the D Q is still on his ok list, just has to be a child size butterscotch dipped cone.

It has been an experience being sheltered in here.  We don't watch tv and if we do turn it on, we realize nothing has changed, just the names.  Temperature is a constant 71 degrees, people wait on us, it's kinda like Hawaii.  Naaaaaaaah!

We'll keep you up to date tomorrow as the moving date is on the near horizon.  Visiting hours are pretty strict.  You can check the place out by going to: www.legacyhealth.org/rio.

Those of you suffering from colds right now, get better and I will be praying for you.  Take care of yourselves.

Love you,
Judy

March 3,2012 Day 22 into the next 50 years!

Just want to thank all of you for your continuous prayers for Jim. He is recovering nicely from his surgery, all his blood work is coming back normal and everyone is pleased with his progress. He has been working on regaining strength in his legs and upper body and is standing and taking 3 steps to the chair, where he sits for about 2 hours. Then 3 steps back to his bed. He probably will not need the Hoyer Lift anymore and may be moved to a different room for someone who may need it. Every move closer to the exit is a welcome blessing. He had trouble sleeping last night so he is doing alot of sleeping today. Our daughter, Shelly, is back for the weekend just to make sure he really is improving and that I am not "sugar coating" anything. I appreciate all of our friends and family being considerate of his need to rest and heal. I hope you don't feel I am keeping you away intentionally, I would love to have a huge party up here and be thrown out, but we can have that when he is finally well enough to entertain at home. Summer BBQ's will be a time to party! We are anxious to share our Hawaiian experience. It is so beautiful there.

Maybe Monday we will find out when he may be able to go to Rio Rehab. I think once he is there and they push him as much as he is able, he will progress quickly. He wants to go home, but there is no way I can have him there until he is able to stand and walk on his own. The Care Coordinator will come to the house and assess what we need to bring him home. Probably some hand rails for the 2 or 3 steps we have. Easier access to his bathroom, some handrails there and a new, higher toilet. Oh, heck, lets just remodel the whole house while he's not there to nix me! I will probably be asking for your help, I am known for tearing down things and cleaning up the mess, but not so much for putting back together although I am a great go-pher! This has been a most humbling experience for Jim as he usually doesn't ask for help. He has been so appreciative to all who have been here and offered help. His brother has been an excellent help trying to keep my suburban running.

For those of you suffering your own losses and pain please text me and I will pray for you. It is so meaningful that so many church families were and still are praying for his complete recovery. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

February 29th Wednesday  Day 19 of the next 50 years.

Sorry to everyone waiting for 3 days for me to let you know how Jim is doing.  I couldn't remember how to get to my blog (!) and google wouldn't tell me my password.  I had to wait for our daughter to come bail me out again!  It's been a busy, busy 3 days and I will try to catch you up.  Sunday nite he came off Progressive Care and critical care list to the 2nd floor.  Monday morning the liason from Rio Rehab came in and discussed possibly being transferred the next day.  Wow! I got all our things packed up ready to go Tuesday when they would discharge.  Tuesday the physical therapy lady came in and got Jim to sit up on the edge of the bed, then transferred to the recliner, did some arm strengthening exercises with his left arm.  They had just that morning put a picc line in for his antibiotics when he left here.  Then she asked him to try to lift his bottom off the chair by hanging onto the walker, just to work on his strength and up he stood all by himself!  The look on his face was awesome to behold.  He surprised himself as much as us and we all burst into tears.  Then he sat down, caught his breath and did it again!  Alright!  We are ready to get outta here and get rehabilitated.  Our daughter and her husband decided it was time to go home and get back to work, so off they went.

The infectious disease doctor decided they needed to go in and drain off as much of infection as they could so an ultra-sound this morning connected the infection in the leg and deep in the right side of the abdomen together.  This afternoon he went to surgery and had 2 incisions in the rt thigh and 1 in his lower rt abdomen, they drained as much as they could get to and now he has drain tubes for awhile  Tomorrow the radiologist will come in and drain the smaller back areas.  Jim is feeling a lot of pain in the incision sites but should feel some relief on his right side now.  Yesterday he was almost tubeless and now he is back to several. 

This has been almost surreal and I am still trying to absorb how critical it is and what a long road we have to go, but I know our God is in control and we are trusting Him to carry us through.  Will leave you with one of the verses given to him:

"This I command of you to be strong and courageous, do not be discouraged or afraid, for the Lord your God is with you." Joshua 1:9

Will let you know when he is up to visitors.  Right now the docs want him to rest and regain some strength back.  Thanks to all of you.