Day 38 (5/16)
Dear Sue Progress Report(PR) followers,
Tonight we need you all to pray for a procedure that Sue is having done very early in the morning. At 3:30, when I arrived, Sue and I met with two gals from AMH who spelled out what decisions had to be made today in order for Sue's Physical Therapy Treatment to continue. Sue had to weigh all the options and I helped her, as well as her own primary doctor, Dr. Leonid Magidenko, who Sue has the up most confidence in (as well as I).
Hopefully the procedure is only temporary until Susan's throat heals, only time will tell.
Sue had a good morning in PT, met with the OT and the ST. She was fully dressed when I arrived(nice to see her in clothes instead of a hospital gown).
Today brought more get well cards and a letter and a "singing Giraffe" that's neck goes up and down when it sings. It is so nice to have so many admirers.
In conclusion, Thank all of you for all you do, have done and continue to do. It makes one so proud with all this outpouring of friendship and love, Sue feels it and appreciates it. Some day she will show you how much, but right now she needs your prayers to help her through this difficult time in her life.
Good Night and G_D BLESS all of you!
Jim, your humble scribe
PS: Susan says,"What more can happen to me"?
PPS: Just for you TuD's... Today at 3 PM Sues sugar was only 500. They gave her 7 units. I asked them to check her sugar at 6:15, because they only check every six hours. Her sugar came down to...479. They will check at 9 and then give her insulin.
Hospitals are dangerous for Diabetics.
A couple mornings ago, Sues sugar was 37 when they first checked it in the AM. According to Sue, pure bedlam was carried on by the AM crew. I asked Jim the nurse and he said he has never seen a 37 in a conscious person.
Thought you would like to see this.
Jim, the scribe
Day 39 (5/17)
Hi,
Susan had the procedure about 12 or so. She was back up and in her room around 2PM. What was the most exciting thing was being asked if she wanted a shower at 5AM and returning to her room around 5:40. This was the first shower since being in AMH. The procedure went well and the nose tube is gone. Sue will not have any food or liquid by mouth for the foreseeable future. Sue must do exercises to improve her throat muscles and she is being coached by a Speech Tech.(ST).
Thank you for all your prayers today, they surely worked wonders.
Good Night and G_D BLESS!
Jim, the humble tired scribe
Days 40 & 41 (5/18 & 5/19)
Hello fellow Sue PR followers,
Yesterday, Saturday, when I came home late from the hospital, my cats Maggie and Zorro told me that I was spending too much time on the computer and not enough in front of the TV. So Saturdays report was not written. Nothing was new anyway, so it was just as well. However, many of you stopped me in the CBOI building today and asked if I sent one last night and I got some emails and phone calls asking me if everything was OK with Sue? Can not take a day off! I must sit down and have a heart to heart talk with my 4 legged fur balls.
Sue is having PT in the AM and OT in the PM. This has happened on Saturday and Sunday. Sue is having pains in her abdomen and is wearing a white in color support Stretchy thing to give her stomach time to heal properly. Sue is having all manner of doctors come visit her in the mornings. Sue tells me their names, what kind of doctor they are and what they are telling her. Sue has a lot to tell me when I come to visit.
We talk about her condition and Sue wants to know what is new in our local area. When someone calls and she speaks to them, she asks the correct questions about that persons family. What I am trying to say is"her head is clear". She does get depressed about her condition, but after 41 days in the hospital, who could blame her? I try to brighten her day by being positive about all she should be able to do once she is home. I am sure it is most overwhelming to her as she lies around or sits in a chair by herself. I am only there a little each day, so I can understand how something small can be blown up to make her think the worst.
If any of you want to write her a note about how you are looking forward to her coming home and why you are looking forward to that day, I would suggest dropping her a line. You could type it on your computer, print and mail it or just forward it on to me and I could print it and bring it in to the hospital. I think this lift from any of you would help her psychic immensely. I really think she needs to hear/read from her friends, fellow Bridge Players, TuDiabetes e-mail buddies, fellow CBOI friends she has made in Sisterhood, any of you would be welcomed.
That is all Doctor Wartenberg has to say tonight.
Good Night and G_D BLESS you.
Jim, your Humbled Scribe
Day 42 (5/20)
Hi everyone,
Just a note about Tuesday. I will be working at the polls all day and all night. Therefore, there will NOT be a Blog on Tuesday. Now you know.
Today, was not too good for Sue because when she complained about a pain she was having, the nurse gave her a "very" strong drug that made the pain go away, but made her "spaced out" and very, very tired. She was able to work with all three (PT,OT and ST), but as soon as she could, she nodded off. I observed her in PT and I think she did everything well, slow but steady. This has been so hard to come back from, I don't know where she gets her strength to push herself forward.
Today she said "I am not getting any more cards". In today's mail, we received two. Thank you for Sue. I told Sue, that a lot of cards came while she was out of it and we could read the ones we have again (frankly, I don't know where to put any new ones as her card "chains" are so full).
So, that is all I have at this time. I asked the Nurse how long she expects Sue to be in this program before being released. The Nurse said she felt that Sue would be in the program for at least another week. So your guess is as good as mine. it all depends on how strong she gets, how much she can accomplish there and how well she could manage at home.
It sure would be nice not having to make that trip everyday. But I want her to come home when she is truly ready for that challenge.
Good Night and G-d Bless!
Jim, the scribe
Day 44 (5/22)
Dear Wonderful Sue followers,
First let me apologize for telling you on Mondays Blog that the 20th was the 41st day. I erred, as it was the 42nd
day. So today is the 44th day. Yesterday, the 43rd day, there was no posting as I was working as Judge of Elections at the 9th district, Northampton polling location. My day was thus. I awoke at 5 AM and opened up the polls for my workers at 6 and closed the polls at 8PM, counted the ballots, drove to Doylestown to turn in all the paper work, stopped at a Party to get the results of all 18 districts and then went home arriving at 10:30. Quite a long day, it would be very hard to somehow squeeze in visiting Sue.
Now the "Great", "Good" news about Sue, the patient. When I arrived this afternoon, Sue was in a great mood, thanking me for coming and telling me she missed my visit yesterday. She had decided to give her "all" to beating this thing and getting out of the hospital. We were talking about all this"positive energy" that was in the room, when a gal named Laura walked in, introduced herself and started telling us the following. Laura said that there was a meeting about Susan an hour before her visit where all gathered agreed that Susan, if the progress she showed up to yesterday, would continue, would be going home on Wednesday, May 29th. (I hope that sentence made sense).
The light at the end of the tunnel, it seems, is brightly lit. Susan has been in the rehab at AMH since May 14th. In the 8 days(the 14th -21st), Susan has showed a lot of promise, completing all that is asked of her. She has worked with the PT, the OT and the ST. Only her throat needs more work;exercise, exercise and exercise.
What more can I say? We both have to learn a lot of new things in home care, we will have good instructors and plenty of visiting nurses.Our cats will be happy to see their Mommy. My car will be happy to stay in the garage. My friends that we both have made in Abington Memorial Hospital, will just have to do without us. But not to get too far ahead of ourselves, let each day come and let us Pray that each day is a better day for our Dear Susan!
So in closing, Thank All of You for All You Do, it has meant a lot to US and we will be eternally grateful.
Good night and G-d Bless!
Jim, the very tired Scribe(sure was dragging today after yesterday)
Day 45 (5/23)
Hi everyone,
We are now being taught how to administer various tasks for Sue's new feedings. Not being able to eat or drink by mouth requires new lessons on how to do things at home that have been previously carried out by the Nursing staff.
Sue looked great today, a little overwhelmed by all that we are learning and eager to go home. The Doctors keep on coming early in the AM and Sue has lots of questions to ask them.
Other than that, not much is new. I stopped at PT on my way to Sue's room and asked Paige how Sue did today. It was like asking"Tony the Tiger from Kellogg's"...GREAT was the response.
Sue uses a drinking straw to pick up pieces of paper and coins. This is done in Speech Therapy (ST). You put one end of the straw in your mouth and you suck in or up to cause a vacuum to pick up a flat penny or a flat quarter. Try it if you have the time or the curiosity. Sue had her second shower last night (wow, two in 44 days, a record)
Sue said that they have run out of subject matter in OT (Occupational Therapy).
Sue has lost a lot of weight. Nothing fits like it used to. Hopefully, she will gain her strength back and her weight.
Sue got a bunch of new cards today(yesterday's mail to our house) and a cute"made by Grandson Jack" flower drawing using pipe cleaners for stems. Also in this envelope was a bendable plush Sun Flower from Melanie and a very cute get well card with a picture of Jack enclosed. And some brave soul, HW, sent a card directly to the hospital and the volunteers actually delivered it to the right room. Will wonders never cease?
I am getting tired, wonder why???
Please PRAY for Sue's throat to heal in the weeks ahead. We have so much to be thankful for from all the Prayers already said.
Good night and G-d Bless!
Jim, the Scribe
Day 48 (5/26)
Dear Followers of Sue,
Today was the first time I took Sue outside in the sun with a wheel chair since she came to the hospital.
That is all that is new, Sue progresses nicely with all her Therapy's and Wednesday is just days away.
This might be my last blog as I have been fired by the subject matter for being too "personal". I don't think I have over stepped, but someone does. So, if nothing is new, I will report when we come home how things are going.
I will miss our little one sided chats, but it has been a mental release for me to sit down and punch the keys, reread and add punctuation and restructure my input.
So from all of our family to all of yours, G-d Bless and good night.
Jim, the scribe
Day 49 (5/27)
Dear Loyal Friends of Sue,
Today is memorial Day. As a veteran serving from 1962-1968, I can appreciate this quiet day of remembrance.
So many of you wrote me today, telling me you look forward to my nightly Blog, that I have unfired myself.
Sue went outside in the nice breezy air and sat in her wheel chair taking in the suns rays. We did this for about a half hour and then went back inside. We talked about layouts of the furniture in our home, how Sue wanted arm chairs to get into and out of more easily and moving of some pieces to make it easy to move the walker. This morning and tonight,when I came home, I had Steve McGill (friend and neighbor)come over and help move things from one floor to the next. This is much easier to do with two people.
Sue is learning, learning and learning. She feels much better handling the various items she needs to know about when we are away from the hospital and the Nurses. Yes, we will have visiting nurses when we are home, but the majority of helping Sue will be on me. I am planning to spend a full week of being with Sue night and day until we have a routine that works for us; repetition, repetition and repetition.
I took down the cards from the plastic chain I had made for this event. Sue looked over the cards once more and found ones she had not remembered seeing. The Get Well cards keep on giving.
Well, the hour is getting late, so I will pull the plug on my thoughts and end the Blog that was not supposed to be.
Good Night and G-d Bless.
Jim, the rehired scribe
Day 50 (5/28)
To those of you who are hanging onto every word of Sue,
Learning and more learning. More new faces and more questions. More knowledge to insure a smooth transition.
It is invigorating and stimulating. Sue and I are now taking over the duties of cleaning the tube and feeding and crushed pill taking. There is so much to learn in a very short time, but we are grasping the techniques. It is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it is doable.
I walked around the hospital saying goodbye to some very fine people. We met some incredible doctors and heads of departments. We were served by some very good nurses who did their job well. I will sure miss not seeing these people, but I am sure to go back and visit.
Sue is walking better, doing all that is asked of her and more.
Sue is working diligently on her throat exercises, using all that she has learned.
Occupational Therapy is also going well. They had her take off her socks and shoes so that they could watch her put them back on. Simple things for you and me, but after being so sick, now on the road to recovery, a most difficult task.
And that sums it up. I have to be at her room by 9AM on Wednesday, go to all her classes and then watch her have her last meal at the hospital. We hope to be on our way HOME by 1PM. Then, all the delivery people and nursing staff will follow. It should prove to be a hectic day. Some of you have mentioned visiting us and bringing over food. Please, no food and no surprise visits. We have to start a routine and that will take time. I will let you know when the visits can start. As I have stated many times in this blog, Susan can not eat or drink by mouth, therefore, please NO FOOD. I don't need it either. I have people cooking for me and my refrigerator is full. I appreciate your love and support, but please let us breath for a while. I know you all mean well.
Not to get into anymore trouble with talking about "personal" stuff, I think I should pull the plug and stop my rambling.
Good night and G-d Bless.
Jim, the scribe who rambles on
PS. One Half Day remaining, keep our fingers crossed and prayers coming
Days 51 and 52 (5/29 and 5/30)
Wednesday 51 and a half at Hospital May 29
Wednesday 1/2 at home May 29
Thursday day 1 at home May 30
Dear Friends,
Hectic!! That is all I can say. When I would visit Sue in the hospital for 4 or 5 hours, that would be mostly work and talking.
Now that she sleeps and eats at home, there is hardly a moment for myself.
A typical day starts at 6:30 and ends at 11:30. It is very complicated but doable. I have great friends who offer their help, but unfortunately, it is all on me. Occasionally I reach out and ask a dear friend, SM, and he has been great.
There is not much to tell, because I don't have the time to write it. So please be patient with me until Sue and I can work out a schedule that allows us to "breath". We take a phone call now and then, but we are so busy that we can not answer every one as we are involved with pill taking or eating. It is hard to explain, so I won't. Trust me, someday, I will sit down and let you know what is going on.
Susan is well, but weak(and that is understandable) and I am like the energizer bunny.
Got to go now, thought I would sneak away while Sue took a well deserved nap.
It is Friday, 5:08 PM and I sat down to type this at 4:56 PM
Jim, the Hectic Scribe
Day 3 at home (5/31)
Dear Friends,
It seems I talk too much. When I was a salesman a thousand years ago, you tried to get the customer to buy by saying the pitch over and over again till you heard yes. My Dad, also a salesman, once told me you don't hear the word"no" until it is said 20 times. Well,Friday, I was asked to please stop talking(the polite version). I was trying to get Sue on a schedule and also help. this did not work as I was up later then the previous two nights. However, I did manage to lie down whenever I had an opportunity. I did go to the store or on an erand twice on Friday, both times leaving Sue "alone". Don't worry, I do ASK HER IF i SHOULD CALL SOMEONE TO SIT WITH HER (sorry, I hit Caps lock by mistake).
Sue just had an off day and this is Saturday morning and we got off on the"right foot"this AM. Sue is napping in front of the living room TV laying in her favorite recliner(used to be her Mom's, Kay).
Just wanted you to know that this process takes time. There is a great deal of frustration on both sides and we have to "work it out". It feels like she has been home for a month, but it is only 2 1/2 days from Wednesday at 2:20PM trough Friday the 31st.
We have accomplished much and are trying hard to make it "smooth".
This is more then I wanted to write, got to go, LOVE all of you for your offers of HELP and SUPPORT.
Jim, trying to keep the lips together, scribe