I fell asleep last night without blogging. Sorry! Yesterday, Kenny got up early and stayed up till 3:00 PM. Once he began his afternoon nap, he slept through his dinner, his evening nap and his bedtime! In fact, he really had a good day yesterday except that his legs and hips are bothering him. When Jeri came to do a little therapy with him, he was just too tuckered out to do much. We need to remind ourselves that when he is up a long time and stays awake and "busy", he will need a "respite" the next day.
This morning he was ready for breakfast at 5:45. I talked him into going back to sleep for a little while. He was up and in his chair with his breakfast by 8:00 and stayed there until well after lunch. At 2:00 he decided to take a nap and slept till JeJe came in about 3:30. She flirted with him for about 15 minutes; he then decided it was time to get up again. At this time, he is still up and watching "spin the bottle" (Wheel of Fortune) and Jeopardy; he shows no signs of retiring yet. This morning Sherry, his nurse, came by and they talked for about 30 minutes. She checked his lungs and his BP. While she was here, she suggested that we find some nerf balls for him to squeeze to keep his hands from getting so stiff, He knew exactly how many he had and where they were located (before I moved everything around, of course.) Now, if we can keep the balls out of the puppies' mouths, we will be doing well.
He is moving really well getting in and out of the bed. When he came home from the hospital, he was unable to bend his left knee and could barely lift his right leg without help. He is now able to exit the bed, sit on the side of the bed, then reach the wheelchair, lift himself up and put himself in the chair. When we started, it took him 12 seconds to make the transition. Today he did it in 7 seconds both from the bed and to the recliner. He is truly the Energizer bunny!
Those of you who really know Kenny well will appreciate this. Larry bought him a new 22" flat screen TV to put in his room. We are having it connected to the cable tomorrow. He wanted to read the manual. When he was in the hospital, he wanted to read the manual that came with the bed. He wanted to find out if it was a "720". The nurse told him that the manual was locked in a filing cabinet downstairs in an office which was locked since it was Saturday. He never changes. He is always trying to educate himself. He still has the most inquisitive mind.
I hope all of you are getting something from these posts. If you would like to comment, I will read them to him. If you know of someone that I may not have included in the original email, please give them the website.
Tomorrow is another day...and surely an adventure. See y'all then...and that's no Aprils Fools joke.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
A new cure for the OOPS?
Hey, everyone! We have had a great day today. Kenny was ready to get up this morning at 7:30, so that is exactly what we did. By eight o'clock he was in his chair playing with his pills, thinking that changing how he took them might have some effect on his propensity to spill things early in the day. (Do not ask me where he got that idea.) Anyway, he fiddled with the medicine for 15 minutes. He finally ate his Maltomeal and drank his coffee and milk and then he decided to check his blood sugar, although the doc said that was no longer necessary. Well, he made the biggest mess and couldn't quite get all the tops off and back on. He also had difficulty getting the meter to work. (Operator error, he said.) He then had his Arnica massage of his legs and his feet, as well as his back and neck. He says he feels like a pretzel from lying around all the time. This is beginning to seem like the Biddle Spa to him.
My friend Jeri came in after church. She is a retired physical therapist and is going to come around a couple of times to get him started on some exercises to strengthen his legs. It is amazing what a difference just a few minutes of specific exercises did for him today. When he decided to take a nap in his bed, he got right up and got into the wheelchair smoothly and exited it in the bedroom even more smoothly. I really feel like he is making huge strides in the last few days. (They don't call me Pollyanna for nothing.) He overheard Jeri telling me that the more he is out of the bed, the more quickly he gets his strength back. I think he really took it to heart. After his nap, he was ready to get up again and eat supper. He has always grumbled about having to get back up but not this time. That is a first!
He stayed up till eight o'clock this evening so we are hopeful that his sleep will be more restful. He told me he had so many dreams last night that they kind of ran together. I wish you all could hear some of the tales he tells me, especially when he is recanting his dreams. We should write a book. He was much more alert today; he read every page of the newspaper and watched the Nascar race in Martinsville, VA, this afternoon with Casey, our oldest son, who was relieving me so that I could do a little shopping. I really do not like to shop on Sunday...I am old fashioned, that way...but my ox was in a ditch, so to speak. Our kids are great about giving me a break every now and then so that I get some other things done. Family is so important.
Speaking of family (and friends,) have a wonderful evening. I see y'all tomorrow....
My friend Jeri came in after church. She is a retired physical therapist and is going to come around a couple of times to get him started on some exercises to strengthen his legs. It is amazing what a difference just a few minutes of specific exercises did for him today. When he decided to take a nap in his bed, he got right up and got into the wheelchair smoothly and exited it in the bedroom even more smoothly. I really feel like he is making huge strides in the last few days. (They don't call me Pollyanna for nothing.) He overheard Jeri telling me that the more he is out of the bed, the more quickly he gets his strength back. I think he really took it to heart. After his nap, he was ready to get up again and eat supper. He has always grumbled about having to get back up but not this time. That is a first!
He stayed up till eight o'clock this evening so we are hopeful that his sleep will be more restful. He told me he had so many dreams last night that they kind of ran together. I wish you all could hear some of the tales he tells me, especially when he is recanting his dreams. We should write a book. He was much more alert today; he read every page of the newspaper and watched the Nascar race in Martinsville, VA, this afternoon with Casey, our oldest son, who was relieving me so that I could do a little shopping. I really do not like to shop on Sunday...I am old fashioned, that way...but my ox was in a ditch, so to speak. Our kids are great about giving me a break every now and then so that I get some other things done. Family is so important.
Speaking of family (and friends,) have a wonderful evening. I see y'all tomorrow....
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The oops test...
Today began very early since Kenny only was up for a short time on Friday. Friday ended up being a frustrating day for him since he seemed to not be able to hold things well in his hands. He spilled his coffee four times, I think and missed his mouth a couple of times with his cereal; he really got very irritated with himself. So this morning he asked me who was coming to see him and I told him no one in particular. "Well, what about the cholesterol test (the blood sugar test)?" Dr Sasser said that was no longer necessary. "Well, what about taking my blood pressure?" The nurse takes his BP each time she is here and it is always fabulous. "Well," he asked, "what about the "oops test"? I said, "What is the "oops test"? "The one to test if I am going to spill everything today..." What a memory and what a guy!
He awoke several times before dawn and wanted to know if it was getting up time. I told him the time; he decided to go back to sleep. So we decided to try to stay up longer today and stay up for meals then take a nap in bed, so perhaps he would sleep better tonight. Here's hoping. So far he is doing a lot of talking in his sleep. Today during the day he read every page of the newspaper, watched a bit of TV and napped in his chair for a few "cat naps". After supper, he became very lethargic and rather unclear in his speech and in his thinking. That has continued through the night so far. But we have a had a good four days in which he had a lot of clarity in his thoughts and his speech, so we cannot complain.
We have a cute picture of Papa with his Superman tee shirt on (with his oxygen aparatus as well) but I cannot figure out how to post it on the blog. Maybe one of my kids can help me do it. I think you all would enjoy seeing it. If I can learn how to do that, we will take some more photos - he gets his feet and legs massaged everyday with Arnica Gel, which he loves, and today he got a partial manicure. What a life!
Thanks for the comments. I relay them to Kenny. He is thinking about all of you. In fact this morning he and I went through his little black book, noting phone numbers of those friends who do not have email. I managed to keep him from calling them at 6:00 AM West Coast time.
At least you all can peruse the blogspot at your leisure.
Keep him in your prayers.
He awoke several times before dawn and wanted to know if it was getting up time. I told him the time; he decided to go back to sleep. So we decided to try to stay up longer today and stay up for meals then take a nap in bed, so perhaps he would sleep better tonight. Here's hoping. So far he is doing a lot of talking in his sleep. Today during the day he read every page of the newspaper, watched a bit of TV and napped in his chair for a few "cat naps". After supper, he became very lethargic and rather unclear in his speech and in his thinking. That has continued through the night so far. But we have a had a good four days in which he had a lot of clarity in his thoughts and his speech, so we cannot complain.
We have a cute picture of Papa with his Superman tee shirt on (with his oxygen aparatus as well) but I cannot figure out how to post it on the blog. Maybe one of my kids can help me do it. I think you all would enjoy seeing it. If I can learn how to do that, we will take some more photos - he gets his feet and legs massaged everyday with Arnica Gel, which he loves, and today he got a partial manicure. What a life!
Thanks for the comments. I relay them to Kenny. He is thinking about all of you. In fact this morning he and I went through his little black book, noting phone numbers of those friends who do not have email. I managed to keep him from calling them at 6:00 AM West Coast time.
At least you all can peruse the blogspot at your leisure.
Keep him in your prayers.
Friday, March 27, 2009
A day late but...
I was so tired last night that I forgot to blog! So I will update everyone today. Yesterday was a very good day for Kenny. He sat up in his chair twice, once for breakfast and then again late in the afternoon for his supper. His appetite is really very good, I think. He especially likes breakfast. He went to bed rather early last night - around 6:30 PM so this morning he was awake at 4:00 AM wanting to know who was coming today. I told him that Tammy, his Nurse's Aide, would be coming later on. He asked, "Well, what time is it?" I told him it was 4:00 in the morning; he replied,"Oh, well, I think I'll go back to sleep!" Good idea. You and I both!
We both woke up again around 7:30, which is very late for me, but I must admit, I enjoyed sleeping in this rainy morning. When I went in to see about Papa, I asked how he was doing. He replied, "Terrible. I was in an accident last night, broke my back and they're gonna throw me in the brig. I need to get home." I told him not to worry, he was home. He looked at me and asked where he got these stories. I told him I thought he had dreamed it. Then he realized that indeed it had been a dream. Later on, he had a rather frustrating time trying to drink his coffee. He kept spilling it and it really upset him. I let him know that it was no big deal. I laughed about it and he relaxed. How many of us could handle a cup of coffee in bed after a dream like that? Tammy came and bathed him and then he got himself in the wheelchair and we wheeled him into the Carolina room so he could sit in his chair to have the rest of his breakfast. He informed me that he had already ordered his toast with jam and Maltomeal with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. So...that is exactly what the chef fixed for him, with Half & Half - no milk for him except to drink. As I said, nothing's wrong with his appetite. He is very exacting about his breakfast. The other two meals he leaves up to me but he knows what he wants to begin his day.
Our daughter Jessie came by to check on him. He began to tell JeJe about his dream, expounding on a bird in a cage in the car with him when he wrecked Somehow, this bird managed to be the reason the commanding officer didn't throw him in the brig. This is obviously something that happened when he was stationed in Texas during the war. I can remember him telling me some of his exploits. As I told you all the other day, he is dwelling more and more on the events of the past, when he was younger and "in his natural prime" (to quote Tom T. Hall.) He really had an interesting life and it is so much fun to hear him talk about his memories. In fact, our Fox Television affiliate interviewed him last summer about some of his recollections. It was marvelous!
He is back in bed at the present time taking his morning nap. I may write more later. As the day progresses, it may be interesting to you all. If so, I'll let you know.
Have a great day!
PS My apologies for those of you who just received the link to this blogspot. I somehow sent it to my "waiting to be sent" file instead of "send now". I just discovered it when I went on Kenny's email to re-send and realized my goof!
We both woke up again around 7:30, which is very late for me, but I must admit, I enjoyed sleeping in this rainy morning. When I went in to see about Papa, I asked how he was doing. He replied, "Terrible. I was in an accident last night, broke my back and they're gonna throw me in the brig. I need to get home." I told him not to worry, he was home. He looked at me and asked where he got these stories. I told him I thought he had dreamed it. Then he realized that indeed it had been a dream. Later on, he had a rather frustrating time trying to drink his coffee. He kept spilling it and it really upset him. I let him know that it was no big deal. I laughed about it and he relaxed. How many of us could handle a cup of coffee in bed after a dream like that? Tammy came and bathed him and then he got himself in the wheelchair and we wheeled him into the Carolina room so he could sit in his chair to have the rest of his breakfast. He informed me that he had already ordered his toast with jam and Maltomeal with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. So...that is exactly what the chef fixed for him, with Half & Half - no milk for him except to drink. As I said, nothing's wrong with his appetite. He is very exacting about his breakfast. The other two meals he leaves up to me but he knows what he wants to begin his day.
Our daughter Jessie came by to check on him. He began to tell JeJe about his dream, expounding on a bird in a cage in the car with him when he wrecked Somehow, this bird managed to be the reason the commanding officer didn't throw him in the brig. This is obviously something that happened when he was stationed in Texas during the war. I can remember him telling me some of his exploits. As I told you all the other day, he is dwelling more and more on the events of the past, when he was younger and "in his natural prime" (to quote Tom T. Hall.) He really had an interesting life and it is so much fun to hear him talk about his memories. In fact, our Fox Television affiliate interviewed him last summer about some of his recollections. It was marvelous!
He is back in bed at the present time taking his morning nap. I may write more later. As the day progresses, it may be interesting to you all. If so, I'll let you know.
Have a great day!
PS My apologies for those of you who just received the link to this blogspot. I somehow sent it to my "waiting to be sent" file instead of "send now". I just discovered it when I went on Kenny's email to re-send and realized my goof!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wine and Dine
Wow, I feel like I have rested for the first time in months. Last night, Kenny slept the whole night without incident. The nurse and I have decided that getting him up and in his chair is really good for him and, like a child who spends a lot of time outdoors playing, he really sleeps well afterwards. He slept nearly 12 hours and awoke this morning ready to eat breakfast. He ate it in stages, just like he used to: coffee, then fruit, more coffee then cereal, except he had a bath thrown in between the second coffee and the oatmeal. Afterwards he went back to sleep and slept most of the day.
At 6:00 PM he was ready to get up, go to his chair and eat dinner. He is now able to get himself into and out of the wheelchair with only a little help from us. Glory! Once he was in his chair, he decided to celebrate with a glass of wine. He commented that he was hungry for the first time in a long while. He is a member of the "clean plate club" tonight; he all but licked his plate since we had lamb chops and mashed potatoes. The pups really had little to clean off his plate this time.
The highlight of his day, however, was when Larry set up a conference call early this morning with his grand niece and her husband. Mike (McGinty) was in Seattle and Laura, his wife was in Denver. Mike had called last night but Papa was sleeping so soundly that we were unable to awaken him. He was so tickled to talk to Mike and Laura, to find out how everyone in the family is doing. Mike and Laura, thanks so much for loving him so much. He is so proud of all of you. He was telling me a few weeks ago that he feels very lucky in his nieces and nephews (grand and otherwise) and he is so proud of all of their accomplishments.
I was talking to his nurse this morning when she came by to check on him and we were saying that it always seems like we are taking three steps forward and two steps back. I think yesterday and today have been " three steps forward and one step back" days. I love it!
Sherry, his nurse, felt really good about his condition at present. All of his vitals were good. We finally took him off of the oxygen since he kept pulling it off in his sleep. He is taking very little pain medicine, other than Rapid Release Extra-Strength Tylenol. In addition, a close friend is a physical therapist and she is going to drop by and show me some excercises that I can use to help him strengthen his legs. He is surely the "comeback kid". He surprises us everytime. I will say that I hope we can help him get a bit stronger so that he can stay out of bed a little bit longer during the day. We do not expect him to be able to do a lot of getting around but if we can move him in the wheelchair without tiring him out, then he can enjoy the TV and newspaper and maybe even begin to do a little reading again.
Thanks for all the prayers. We can feel them. They sustain us. Talk to y'all tomorrow.
At 6:00 PM he was ready to get up, go to his chair and eat dinner. He is now able to get himself into and out of the wheelchair with only a little help from us. Glory! Once he was in his chair, he decided to celebrate with a glass of wine. He commented that he was hungry for the first time in a long while. He is a member of the "clean plate club" tonight; he all but licked his plate since we had lamb chops and mashed potatoes. The pups really had little to clean off his plate this time.
The highlight of his day, however, was when Larry set up a conference call early this morning with his grand niece and her husband. Mike (McGinty) was in Seattle and Laura, his wife was in Denver. Mike had called last night but Papa was sleeping so soundly that we were unable to awaken him. He was so tickled to talk to Mike and Laura, to find out how everyone in the family is doing. Mike and Laura, thanks so much for loving him so much. He is so proud of all of you. He was telling me a few weeks ago that he feels very lucky in his nieces and nephews (grand and otherwise) and he is so proud of all of their accomplishments.
I was talking to his nurse this morning when she came by to check on him and we were saying that it always seems like we are taking three steps forward and two steps back. I think yesterday and today have been " three steps forward and one step back" days. I love it!
Sherry, his nurse, felt really good about his condition at present. All of his vitals were good. We finally took him off of the oxygen since he kept pulling it off in his sleep. He is taking very little pain medicine, other than Rapid Release Extra-Strength Tylenol. In addition, a close friend is a physical therapist and she is going to drop by and show me some excercises that I can use to help him strengthen his legs. He is surely the "comeback kid". He surprises us everytime. I will say that I hope we can help him get a bit stronger so that he can stay out of bed a little bit longer during the day. We do not expect him to be able to do a lot of getting around but if we can move him in the wheelchair without tiring him out, then he can enjoy the TV and newspaper and maybe even begin to do a little reading again.
Thanks for all the prayers. We can feel them. They sustain us. Talk to y'all tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Up and at 'em...twice
Kenny surprises us again. He had a lousy night last night. He was delusional most of the night. But at 8:00 AM today, he told me he wanted to get out of bed to eat breakfast. Wow! Larry helped him out of bed and Kenny practically put himself in the wheelchair. He is getting a little of his strength back. He ate breakfast in his recliner, watched TV and read the paper. We put him back to bed about 11:00 AM and he slept the rest of the day. Then he announced that he wanted to get in the chair for dinner. He actually did put himself in the wheelchair and stayed there to eat dinner. Then he got in his recliner and watched "spin the bottle" (Wheel of Fortune) and then proceeded to drop into a deep sleep from which I was afraid we would never awaken him. Getting him into the wheelchair and into the bed was like getting a limp noodle to cooperate. Ah, well...three out of four times isn't too bad!
I learned a valuable lesson last night (or early this morning) when Papa thought he was outside and wanted to come in and get in his bed. Instead of trying to convince him that he was already in bed, I offered to take him in the house and put him in bed. He said, "Oh, that's much better."
I also learned that when he is so agitated in the middle of the night, rubbing his forehead or his hand or his chest soothes him and singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" puts him into a gentler sleep. With just a little more effort on my part, his anxiety was eased and he was able to relax and sleep for a while. All of this made me aware of other aspects of caregiving that I was failing to provide for Kenny. I hope to do better from now on.
Thanks to all of you for tuning in to Hangtown Red's blogspot. See you tomorrow evening.
I learned a valuable lesson last night (or early this morning) when Papa thought he was outside and wanted to come in and get in his bed. Instead of trying to convince him that he was already in bed, I offered to take him in the house and put him in bed. He said, "Oh, that's much better."
I also learned that when he is so agitated in the middle of the night, rubbing his forehead or his hand or his chest soothes him and singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" puts him into a gentler sleep. With just a little more effort on my part, his anxiety was eased and he was able to relax and sleep for a while. All of this made me aware of other aspects of caregiving that I was failing to provide for Kenny. I hope to do better from now on.
Thanks to all of you for tuning in to Hangtown Red's blogspot. See you tomorrow evening.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Those were the days my friend...
Papa is beginning to slow down. He has slept most of the time the last two days and is reliving by-gone eras and experiences. His dreams are focusing on the past like the Phoenix convention last week, the trip on the rented Cabin cruiser the other day and the " Idaho Springs" dream the other night. All of these events were a part of Kenny's life years ago as a top NAPA salesman, when he attended many conventions (we have enjoyed the stories about those conventions for years) or when Larry was young and they had the Trojan Cabin Cruiser that gave them many wonderful weekends of family fun. The "Idaho Springs" dream reminded me of his stories about when he was a young, wild stud in the hey day of his youth in Denver. I know that those days were much more exciting than today. I don't blame him, I'd go AWOL too.
Mercy Hospice gives the family a very well written booklet to help us prepare ourselves for what is ahead and what to expect. It has been of immense help to us. We are beginning to realize that Papa may not be with us as long as we had hoped. Please keep all of us in your prayers as we enter this new phase of our lives and his. It is our hope that we will be a comfort to him and that he will not face death with fear but rather with a sense of expectation.
Yesterday he accidentally pulled the nephrostomy tube from his kidney in an effort to move himself up in the bed. The doctors decided today not to re-insert it. One reason is that he would have to be hospitalized to do it and that in itself is a danger to him. Everytime we take one of these stop gap measures, it compromises other areas of his health. Also, the nephrostomy was not draining much urine from the kidney which may indicate that the kidney is beginning to shut down. The bladder is still functioning well so I do not think they anticipate a bladder challenge at the present time. Today, like yesterday, he ate and drank very little, and slept most of the time. He is constantly in conversation with either his dreams or visions that he alone sees. (I would not dare say that he is imagining these things. I just simply cannot see them.)
Tomorrow may be more of the same or it may bring new developments and/or challenges for him and for us. Please pray that we will be up to the challenge.
Mercy Hospice gives the family a very well written booklet to help us prepare ourselves for what is ahead and what to expect. It has been of immense help to us. We are beginning to realize that Papa may not be with us as long as we had hoped. Please keep all of us in your prayers as we enter this new phase of our lives and his. It is our hope that we will be a comfort to him and that he will not face death with fear but rather with a sense of expectation.
Yesterday he accidentally pulled the nephrostomy tube from his kidney in an effort to move himself up in the bed. The doctors decided today not to re-insert it. One reason is that he would have to be hospitalized to do it and that in itself is a danger to him. Everytime we take one of these stop gap measures, it compromises other areas of his health. Also, the nephrostomy was not draining much urine from the kidney which may indicate that the kidney is beginning to shut down. The bladder is still functioning well so I do not think they anticipate a bladder challenge at the present time. Today, like yesterday, he ate and drank very little, and slept most of the time. He is constantly in conversation with either his dreams or visions that he alone sees. (I would not dare say that he is imagining these things. I just simply cannot see them.)
Tomorrow may be more of the same or it may bring new developments and/or challenges for him and for us. Please pray that we will be up to the challenge.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
"Why, You dirty, double-crossing rat..."(James Cagney)
Last night, I felt like I was caught in the middle of a Jimmy Cagney movie. Kenny has started talking in his sleep; last night he must have been dreaming about some of those old movies that he loves to watch. He sounded just like Cagney or Bogart. He dreamed a lot but slept poorly, which meant that today he has been a little out of sorts. He had a really fine Sunday breakfast - waffles, bacon and eggs "up". Our friend Jeri came over and sat with him while we went to church. Since Jessie, Glenn, Chad and his friend Jordy and their girlfriends came over with lunch, we thought it would be great to have Papa up in the chair. Well...maybe a poor decision. He had challenges getting in the wheelchair due to his willfulness and then when we got him out of his chair to put him back in the wheelchair, his foot got caught and it was very painful. He was glad to get back in his bed to take his nap. He is really weary of the bed but is unable to stay up for very long so we are trying to find ways to ease that discomfort. I think I am going to talk to Hospice about possibly getting a physical therapist to help him with the leg cramps that seem to plague him.
Hyrtha's cousin, Joe Rozada, called tonight and Kenny was delighted to talk to him. He enjoys company but after a poor night's sleep, today was too much for him, I think.
We begin week two tomorrow. I hope to become better organized and to keep all my plates spinning in formation rather than in haphazard patterns. I will say that I am becoming more proficient at changing the changing sheets, diapers, bedpads and blankets while the patient is still in the bed as well as using the remote control to the hospital bed. This time last week, I was incapable but I seem to be a quick study or maybe it is a case of "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." Anyway, I am much more comfortable with my job now than I was a week ago. I might add that it helps that Kenny has accepted his limitations with more grace than most.
We thank so many of you for your prayers for Kenny and for us. We have felt them and could not have come this far without them. Last Sunday, our priest, in his sermon, said "God frequently gives us more than we can handle, but He never gives us more than He can handle." It was a timely reminder that while we may not be up to the task, He is. He is our source of strength and hope.
Stay tuned....
Hyrtha's cousin, Joe Rozada, called tonight and Kenny was delighted to talk to him. He enjoys company but after a poor night's sleep, today was too much for him, I think.
We begin week two tomorrow. I hope to become better organized and to keep all my plates spinning in formation rather than in haphazard patterns. I will say that I am becoming more proficient at changing the changing sheets, diapers, bedpads and blankets while the patient is still in the bed as well as using the remote control to the hospital bed. This time last week, I was incapable but I seem to be a quick study or maybe it is a case of "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." Anyway, I am much more comfortable with my job now than I was a week ago. I might add that it helps that Kenny has accepted his limitations with more grace than most.
We thank so many of you for your prayers for Kenny and for us. We have felt them and could not have come this far without them. Last Sunday, our priest, in his sermon, said "God frequently gives us more than we can handle, but He never gives us more than He can handle." It was a timely reminder that while we may not be up to the task, He is. He is our source of strength and hope.
Stay tuned....
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Two for one
Yesterday came and went and I completely forgot to blog. However, today I have been anxiously waiting to get online. Yesterday was a so-so day. It was good in that the Nurse's Aide, Tammy, that we all love dearly, came early and Kenny had her undivided attention for nearly an hour. She bathed him, changed his sheets and treated him like a king. He was pretty alert most of the day but he spent a lot of time sleeping. Late in the afternoon, he gave us a scare. He had his eyes open, a goofy smile on his face and was talking gibberish. Larry and I both thought he had a "spell" of some kind. I even called the doctor. Then, when we tried to change his position in bed, to get him to eat, he shouted at us, "Why in the Hell did you wake me up. I was dreaming about being in the Buffalo Brewery in Idaho Springs and they changed my table!" Well, I had to call Dr. Sasser and apologize for panicking! We had an otherwise uneventful night.
Today (Saturday) began early for Kenny. He was awake at 7:00 AM and wanting his coffee. His mind was just clear as a bell. He had his fruit, his Maltomeal and wanted to get up and get in his chair. Larry was able to get him in the wheelchair and we wheeled him to the den to watch TV, while I changed his sheets and gave him a clean "tall tee gown" (his night shirt made with a "tall tee shirt" split up the back to the shoulders. Much better than a hospital gown.) He watched TV and took his morning nap for two and a half hours in his chair. He has napped off and on most of the day but has awakened each time lucid and speaking clearly. I went to the house warming for my daughter-in law's mama's new house and when I showed him the plate of goodies that they sent home with me for him, he said, "That looks like a great supper. I just have that and a glass of milk and , of course, my Frosty...with some sliced almonds, please." My gourmet patient. I just revel in days like today. It gives us such joy to spend a day with him when he feels fairly well. Kenny is such an amazing man. He never forgets a face and seldom a name. He may feel positively ill, but if someone comes to see him, he rises to the occasion. He calls them by name, asks about each member of the family, asks detailed questions that show how acute his memory and his people skills are.
People have been so kind to us - bringing us food and sending him cards, calling and offering to sit so that I can get away to do some chores or shopping. Members of our church community have been quick to volunteer to shop for us or sit while we shop or sit so we can go to church together for a change. God has richly blessed us.
Well, tomorrow is another day, and maybe...another adventure.
Blessings~
Today (Saturday) began early for Kenny. He was awake at 7:00 AM and wanting his coffee. His mind was just clear as a bell. He had his fruit, his Maltomeal and wanted to get up and get in his chair. Larry was able to get him in the wheelchair and we wheeled him to the den to watch TV, while I changed his sheets and gave him a clean "tall tee gown" (his night shirt made with a "tall tee shirt" split up the back to the shoulders. Much better than a hospital gown.) He watched TV and took his morning nap for two and a half hours in his chair. He has napped off and on most of the day but has awakened each time lucid and speaking clearly. I went to the house warming for my daughter-in law's mama's new house and when I showed him the plate of goodies that they sent home with me for him, he said, "That looks like a great supper. I just have that and a glass of milk and , of course, my Frosty...with some sliced almonds, please." My gourmet patient. I just revel in days like today. It gives us such joy to spend a day with him when he feels fairly well. Kenny is such an amazing man. He never forgets a face and seldom a name. He may feel positively ill, but if someone comes to see him, he rises to the occasion. He calls them by name, asks about each member of the family, asks detailed questions that show how acute his memory and his people skills are.
People have been so kind to us - bringing us food and sending him cards, calling and offering to sit so that I can get away to do some chores or shopping. Members of our church community have been quick to volunteer to shop for us or sit while we shop or sit so we can go to church together for a change. God has richly blessed us.
Well, tomorrow is another day, and maybe...another adventure.
Blessings~
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Beautiful Dreamer...
Today (yesterday actually) was a much calmer, much more tranquil day. Kenny slept most of the day. I woke him up to a cold washcloth on his face, to eat breakfast and take his medicine. Bless his heart! Dr. Sasser told me later on in the afternoon that if Papa didn't wake up, forget the meds. So I guess no more cold cloths in the morning.
He has had considerable pain today. In fact this is only the third time I have had to give him any Methidone, but today he needed it twice. The Hospice chaplain, Lee, came by this morning to meet Papa and us. He will be such a comfort to all of us. I cannot say enough about Mercy Hospice; their volunteers offer to come in and give us some "leave time" of an hour or so to get some personal things done, his nurse's Aide, Tammy, came by this morning to deliver some more diapers and stayed to help me change him and move him in the bed. I have only had a four day personal relationship with these folks but I am already indebted to them.
Our youngest grandson, Benjamin (aka Robin Hood), was in the Tom Thumb Wedding this evening and one of my dearest friends, Ann, who is a retired RN, and my sister Margaret made it possible for Larry and me to attend. They each took an hour's shift with Kenny while we went to the "wedding". Friends and family have really been (and will continue to be) a Godsend to us.
When we arrived home, he was sitting up in the bed, talking to Margaret and ready for some soup and crackers and, of course, some pound cake with ice cream and chocolate syrup. It was so wonderful to see him alert and talking after an entire day of mostly sleeping, heavily. Once he went back to sleep, he began his "stream of conciousness" rambling. As I write this, I can hear him mumbling in the background.
Please keep Kenny and us in your prayers. Pray that God will ease his pain and that He will give us wisdom and patience each day. God bless each of you.
To be continued....
He has had considerable pain today. In fact this is only the third time I have had to give him any Methidone, but today he needed it twice. The Hospice chaplain, Lee, came by this morning to meet Papa and us. He will be such a comfort to all of us. I cannot say enough about Mercy Hospice; their volunteers offer to come in and give us some "leave time" of an hour or so to get some personal things done, his nurse's Aide, Tammy, came by this morning to deliver some more diapers and stayed to help me change him and move him in the bed. I have only had a four day personal relationship with these folks but I am already indebted to them.
Our youngest grandson, Benjamin (aka Robin Hood), was in the Tom Thumb Wedding this evening and one of my dearest friends, Ann, who is a retired RN, and my sister Margaret made it possible for Larry and me to attend. They each took an hour's shift with Kenny while we went to the "wedding". Friends and family have really been (and will continue to be) a Godsend to us.
When we arrived home, he was sitting up in the bed, talking to Margaret and ready for some soup and crackers and, of course, some pound cake with ice cream and chocolate syrup. It was so wonderful to see him alert and talking after an entire day of mostly sleeping, heavily. Once he went back to sleep, he began his "stream of conciousness" rambling. As I write this, I can hear him mumbling in the background.
Please keep Kenny and us in your prayers. Pray that God will ease his pain and that He will give us wisdom and patience each day. God bless each of you.
To be continued....
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Up, Up and Away
Well, this has been an eventful day, beginning at 4:00 AM. Papa decided that he would make the great escape from his bed (now bear in mind, he is unable to stand or walk.) I had checked on him three times between midnight and 3:00 AM. He was carrying on his "stream of conciousness" conversation (s) while he was sleeping. At 4:00 I noticed the decibels had risen somewhat and I walked through the door to find him at the foot of the bed, with his legs hanging off of the bed in the space between the bedrails and the foot piece. He had thrown all the covers on the floor as well as his gown. He wanted out of the d***bed. I finally convinced him that he could not walk therefore he could not get off the bed. Then he announced that he was cold and that I should give him some decent covers. He finally went to sleep at 5:00 AM, as I got up.
Today the Hospice nurses aide came over and bathed him and we changed his sheets and he had a nice clean body and a nice clean bed. It had to feel really good to him. The Hospice nurse comes twice a week, at least, to check on him and us and to answer any concerns we may have. What a blessing that is for us.
This afternoon, he decided that he really wanted to try to get in the wheelchair and go to the Carolina room to sit in his recliner, read the paper and watch TV. Whoa, Larry managed to get him off the bed and into the wheelchair and then into his recliner. This is a real milestone for all of us. We are so pleased that we were able to accomplish this. He needs to be able to stay awake more during the day so that he (and I) can sleep at night. Please pray that we will be able to do this each day for at least an hour or so.
Each day we are blessed with Kenny's presence in our lives. His grandchildren and great- grandchildren are thrilled to have him home so that they can visit whenever they want. It got so wild in his cottage this afternoon that the dogs had to be banished to the yard for the rest of the day. Poor babies.
Our greatest concerns for Kenny at the present time center on his congestive heart failure which is rearing its ugly head again and this hallucinating which, instead of getting better, is getting worse. The doctor, as of today, doubled his Lasix, hoping to ease the fluid retention and perhaps ease his croupy cough. Since Kenny is on very few opiates for pain, the thinking is that the hallucination is not due to drugs but rather something else. While it is amusing to find out that today we are aboard a rented Cabin Cruiser, it actually is worrisome. We have found that we have little option but to go along with him since there is no convincing him otherwise. I wonder what our adventure will be tomorrow....
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
There's no place like home
Kenny was diagnosed with bladder cancer and underwent three surgical procedures in early December and then fell and fractured five ribs four days before Christmas. After a gloomy December and New Years, Kenny gradually began to bounce back. He was able to get off of all opiates for pain and slowly began to regain his strength. He was not able to walk but did begin to push the wheelchair to the bathroom and then "pedal" his way back to his recliner where he sat and watched TV, read the paper and did his crossword puzzles. His sharp mind reappeared and he once more blessed us with his incredible memory and story telling.
Kenny developed an infectious bursitis in the bursa in his left elbow and began to run a rather high fever on Thursday March 5th. He was hospitalized that morning in the Progressive Care Unit of Conway Medical Center so that he could receive close attention due to his age and the precarious state of his general health. He remained on intravenous antibiotics for 5 days. During the time of his hospitalization, it was discovered that his kidney function was deteriorating, which indicated that the stent inserted in the ureter of the right kidney in December was beginning to close. It was decided that it was an opportune time to recheck the stent and at the same time check the condition of the bladder.
The doctor was unable to remove the old stent and could not insert a new one to the side of it due to "kinks" in the ureter itself, so it was decided, after a great deal of anguished considerations by his internist, to try to have the radiologist insert dye into the ureter to facilitate the insertion of a new stent. This procedure failed and the surgeon at that point went through Kenny's back and inserted a tiny catheter with an external drain attached to a bag, a nephrostomy.
One of the challenges that we face with Kenny's health issues is that his health is so precarious that care has to be taken so that one action does not have a domino effect on other conditions. Case in point, he developed bleeding and clotting in the bladder which in turn plugged the catheter. Needless to say that exacerbated the situation. The nephrostomy was doing well but the large catheter from the bladder had to be irrigated with saline solution to try to ease the bleeding from the bladder so that he could eventually be able to have the catheter removed and void on his own. Then he could go home. This whole kidney-bladder episode ate up 8 more days before they were comfortable sending him home.
Yesterday, March 16, we came home and Mercy Hospice came with us. It pains me to say that we fear that all of his good days are behind him. He appears lucid much of the time but in actuality he hallucinates a lot. He carries on conversations with all of you, more than likely. One day at the hospital, he was in wonderful spirits, but unfortunately he thought he was in a hotel in Phoenix, at a convention, of all things. He even told Jessie and Savannah (our daughter and granddaughter) that they needed to change clothes before going to dinner. He told the nurse that if he had to drink a lot of fluids that was fine. He was sure that they had some wine at the convention. He even asked me if Larry and I were staying at the same hotel he was. So he passed the entire day in great spirits, but, in LaLa Land. But, hey, he was happy and so were we.
Kenny is finally in his own bed (albeit a hospital bed) and he is eating well...especially his homemade Frosty every afternoon and his "made from scratch" pound cake for dessert after supper. He is a joy to care for most of the time, though he does have his stubborn moments. (He wouldn't be Kenny if he didn't.) He has adjusted to losing his independence better than we had expected. He gracefully accepts others doing for him things that he has done for himself his entire life. We all know how difficult that is.
Today's post has been necessarily long. The ones in the future will not be. We wanted to bring each of you up to date on his condition since, at the end of very long days at the hospital, neither Larry nor I had the energy to read or send emails. One of us will post the day's happenings in the late evening so that you do not have to wait to hear from us or to email us. I will warn you that I am new to this and I am a little unsure of how you respond to this...or maybe you don't. Jessie got me started and I guess she will fill me in on what to expect.
God bless each of you. You are special to us and to him. Please keep him and us in your prayers so that his last days (many we hope) will be comfortable and happy.
Blessings to all of you.
Ginny & Larry
Kenny developed an infectious bursitis in the bursa in his left elbow and began to run a rather high fever on Thursday March 5th. He was hospitalized that morning in the Progressive Care Unit of Conway Medical Center so that he could receive close attention due to his age and the precarious state of his general health. He remained on intravenous antibiotics for 5 days. During the time of his hospitalization, it was discovered that his kidney function was deteriorating, which indicated that the stent inserted in the ureter of the right kidney in December was beginning to close. It was decided that it was an opportune time to recheck the stent and at the same time check the condition of the bladder.
The doctor was unable to remove the old stent and could not insert a new one to the side of it due to "kinks" in the ureter itself, so it was decided, after a great deal of anguished considerations by his internist, to try to have the radiologist insert dye into the ureter to facilitate the insertion of a new stent. This procedure failed and the surgeon at that point went through Kenny's back and inserted a tiny catheter with an external drain attached to a bag, a nephrostomy.
One of the challenges that we face with Kenny's health issues is that his health is so precarious that care has to be taken so that one action does not have a domino effect on other conditions. Case in point, he developed bleeding and clotting in the bladder which in turn plugged the catheter. Needless to say that exacerbated the situation. The nephrostomy was doing well but the large catheter from the bladder had to be irrigated with saline solution to try to ease the bleeding from the bladder so that he could eventually be able to have the catheter removed and void on his own. Then he could go home. This whole kidney-bladder episode ate up 8 more days before they were comfortable sending him home.
Yesterday, March 16, we came home and Mercy Hospice came with us. It pains me to say that we fear that all of his good days are behind him. He appears lucid much of the time but in actuality he hallucinates a lot. He carries on conversations with all of you, more than likely. One day at the hospital, he was in wonderful spirits, but unfortunately he thought he was in a hotel in Phoenix, at a convention, of all things. He even told Jessie and Savannah (our daughter and granddaughter) that they needed to change clothes before going to dinner. He told the nurse that if he had to drink a lot of fluids that was fine. He was sure that they had some wine at the convention. He even asked me if Larry and I were staying at the same hotel he was. So he passed the entire day in great spirits, but, in LaLa Land. But, hey, he was happy and so were we.
Kenny is finally in his own bed (albeit a hospital bed) and he is eating well...especially his homemade Frosty every afternoon and his "made from scratch" pound cake for dessert after supper. He is a joy to care for most of the time, though he does have his stubborn moments. (He wouldn't be Kenny if he didn't.) He has adjusted to losing his independence better than we had expected. He gracefully accepts others doing for him things that he has done for himself his entire life. We all know how difficult that is.
Today's post has been necessarily long. The ones in the future will not be. We wanted to bring each of you up to date on his condition since, at the end of very long days at the hospital, neither Larry nor I had the energy to read or send emails. One of us will post the day's happenings in the late evening so that you do not have to wait to hear from us or to email us. I will warn you that I am new to this and I am a little unsure of how you respond to this...or maybe you don't. Jessie got me started and I guess she will fill me in on what to expect.
God bless each of you. You are special to us and to him. Please keep him and us in your prayers so that his last days (many we hope) will be comfortable and happy.
Blessings to all of you.
Ginny & Larry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)