April 29, 2007

Day 74, 75, 76
Friday, Saturday and Sunday were nice days. I had lots of birthday meals with friends, and yes the geese were placed by my soon to be 50 year old sister. Payback is going to be sweet!
Seriously, we were pleased to have a lot of by family come to the hospital to celebrate my birthday with Glenn. He was a bit nervous about it and was emotional at first, but soon the conversation among everyone had him relaxing, and communicationg with Colin and the other guys about different things. It was his first social gathiering since his stroke, so I'm glad he did so well. He didn't stay too long, but it was a big deal for me to have him there. Onward and upward.
Glenn is making more effort to speak. He is clear on "Yeah" and "No", so he will use more and more language skills every day. It is still very frustrating, but he is progressing daily. They also removed his cathetar on Saturday, so he is worrying about that too. The nurses are very supportive, and talk him encouragingly about how it will take time, and to not give up too easily. It could take a few more days to become more controlled, but it is more independance in the end.
His schedule for the week was posted on Sunday evening, so it is basically the same as last week. The therapists are going to get him to sit up on his own more and more. His OT is going to insist on a lumbar cushion. Shw didn't push it at first, but stated on Friday that now that she knows him better, she will get around to it. His back needs the curvature support, so he will have to have it no matter what he says!
'Til next time
Louise

April 26, 2007

Day 73

The great goose conspiracy hasn't cracked yet. Jackie is holding firm, but she is usually the weakest link. I'll bide my time...
No really big changes yesterday. Glenn figured out how to move around in his chair to relieve his butt, and they tried another cushion. My brother brought him a foam mattress cover that he says really made a difference for him, so we'll see what the verdict is today.
We had a few visitors who tracked us down in the cafeteria. Glenn would really like to eat something, so I'm going to try not to torment him too much until the day comes when he can. You just do stuff without realizing the impact it has, until his reaction clues you in. He really wanted some of my Greek salad, and I can't blame him. Anyway, we'll be more careful of the chip fiend.
I've been enjoying the showers, they always freshen things up. I haven't had Glenn outside for a couple of days though, so a really nice day would be good. Some farmers are in the fields, so to you I wish a good and safe spring season. Somehow I'm not missing the tension as much as I thought I would.
'Til next time,
Louise

April 25, 2007

Day 72
OK, who let the geese out? They're really cute, but what am I going to do with 50 geese ready to hold tea lights? I have my suspicions, but will have to see the face of the guilty to be sure!
As you may or may not know, I turned 50 today. My friends took me for lunch, and guess what? I was serenaded by Rory Allen! I did not expect to have that for a surprise. What a nice guy, and he can sing without a guitar in hand. He also gave me an autographed CD, which I will enjoy tremendously. He said he will be appearing at Greenall at a fund raising event in the near future, so we'll have to try to go to that.
It hits home how many good friends and what a caring family I have surrounding me. They have always been there, of course, and we take for granted the day to day gatherings, and fellowship. But in times like the Mitchell's are going through right now, you come to realize how very important it is to have such a network around you. How in the world would we ever do this, if we couldn't share the burden? I don't think I could, and my kids are coming to realize how good it is to lean on people who care. It is a huge life lesson in trusting, and caring in return. We are not alone, thank goodness, and I do really appreciate it.
Glenn continues to show amazing progress these days. It's like he got a shot in the arm the other day at the conference, and away we go. The sky is the limit, and he has more hope and determination that ever to get home. He had Chris buy me roses for my birthday, and is always and forever concerned that he not be more of a burden than possible. He is working on speech, although some of his gesturing is very clear, and words are hardly necessary. He was visiting with a couple of his co-workers, and when they started giving him a hard time about something, he just grinned at them, and started pointing at the door. They both roared, absolutely knowing that he was not going to take that anymore now than he did before!
I'm just getting ready to go to see Glenn today. I hope he had a good rest. I'll get there in time to take him for his OT session. Thanks for visiting, he enjoys the company more and more, and as he becomes more mobile and strong, the more he will be able to participate in the world around him again. He's pretty busy until 3:00, so any time after that is when he will be easy to find. If we're not in his room, chances are we're in the cafeteria.
I'll keep you posted on the geese. The sign that accompanied them said,"If 50 geese make a flock, that's a lot of flocking geese! Happy big 50 Louise!"
Hmm....I think I recognize the printing....
'Til next time
Louise

April 24, 2007

Day 71
This morning was foggy here, but it burned off by 10:00. We didn't have any rain here, although it rained quite a bit in Regina overnight. April showers give everything a good cleaning.
We sat in on Glenn's conference today. His team outlined the goals they have set for Glenn and it seemed to me that they must feel that these are attainable. They expect that he will eat, talk and walk. They have said that they will strive with him to achieve his personal best. It was so good to hear them outline in clear detail what we are working toward. I guess I needed to hear it. The doctor requested permission to use botox to help relieve the tense muscles on his right side in an effort to work with it. Glenn nodded his head right away, so they will proceed with that treatment. We went to the cafeteria afterward, and he was happy with what he had heard too.
Later, I was saying to Glenn that I was going to get a red car. I had wanted a red van, then car, or at least another red half ton. He spelled "tandem" and then looked at me and turned up his hand, shrugged his shoulder, and didn't have to say "well?" Man, Jackie howled. I told him I wasn't going to drive the tandem around the city, but he made his point. He's still got it.
Chris came in with his dog, and we visited for a while. Glenn was back in bed by then, and enjoyed having the pup run around his feet. The nurses really liked the pup, and most of our neighbours did too. Chris had to stop alot for people to fuss over the puppy. He didn't mind.
I'm going to have lunch with friends tomorrow, then we'll see how the rest of the day goes.
'Til next time
Louise

April 23, 2007

Day 70
Monday, 10 weeks since the beginning of this trip. What a beautiful day today. We enjoyed it, and took Glenn outside to enjoy it too. The OT adjusted his chair today to enable him to get his left foot on the ground and start moving himself around. He steers with his foot, and his hand is for extra speed. He was moving around and giggling almost. At last he could get a bit of mobility back in his control. We finally put the brakes on, and he rested a bit. Back in the room, he got a bit uncomfortable from being up so long, so after his supper we washed him up and got him back into bed.
He had a busy day, and met his new speech pathologist this afternoon. She did some assessments, and said we would meet again on Friday. No one OKed the chip thing, so I guess we'll make him wait for another taste. Tomorrow our first conference is scheduled, so we will have a better idea of what the long range plan is. Glenn has adjusted pretty well now, so I think he will become more and more busy with therapy, the thought being that the stronger he gets, the more he will do. I'm very happy with the people we have been working with. They are totally devoted to getting Glenn back to himself.
I don't see any crows circling, so never mind about that!
I stopped at Mom and Dad's for tea tonight, and they said I look tired, but other wise OK, so that was good to know. I just needed to have tea with them, and am fortunate that I still can. I hope everyone reading this is doing OK, and thank you for your interest. We're sure that we are not too close to the end of this journey, but it is not so hard to travel these days.
'Til next time,
Louise

April 22, 2007

Day 69
We had a nice day today. Glenn was in his bed when we got there today. He was watching TV and was wanting a shave. We gave him one, and then visited for a while. He got up again at 4:00. The nurses just move him from the bed to the chair without using any lifts or boards. They get him to help more all the time. He was laughing and crying. He was happy to sit with us, and Jackie started tickling his right foot. It moved quite a bit more than it has before. He looked relieved and awed (?) in a way to see that movement. He can stick his tongue out more all the time, and tomorrow is pretty full of therapy sessions. This week will be another full week of hard work and change, so we'll keep you posted.
'Til next time,
Louise
Hello!! Jackie here. Today was a very good day for dad. I hadn't seen him for a day or two, and he was much more smiley today. He acually shaved, for the most part, on his own and it was awesome to see. I'm just glad to see he is gaining some independance again. What a releif. Not too much else to say. Dad is just being himself, and worrying about his roomates comfort, more than his. He's always griping at me to turn down the tv. OH dad. But we are settling in to a new routine and new surroundings. Everyone, and I mean everyone is very nice at the hospital. All the nurses and patience are there to help. It's very nice to be out of the General Hospital. I am afraid I have grown to hate that place. But on to a new step and a new day, and a new beginning. I think that shall be all for me. Thank you all again for all your love and support through this difficult time. 'Till next time!
Jackie

The Chip Fiend

Yesterday I think dad was getting more and more used to the new place. I (Dale) went in for a couple of minutes after work, but didn't stay for long, because I'm still feeling quite under the weather, and dont want to get Dad sick yet. He was quite adamant about not getting sick too, but he wasn't quite being rude to me about it. That's all right though...I understand what he means when he waves and points and the door ;). But yeah, mom had given him a potato chip to lick so that he can get a little practice at sticking his tongue out, and he's actually getting a lot better at that. Unfortunately, the potato chip is not a part of his allowed diet, and the nurses had come in to give mom and dad crap for this apparently horrible breach of etiquette and procedure. But now dad has remembered how much he likes his snacks, and by the time I came in, he was already jonesing for another taste of those chips. We'd be sitting there, just kinda chatting it up, and noticing that he was pointing at something. It didn't take long to realize that it was the bag of chips that he was going after, and it seemed no amount of telling him no could curb his craving. It was kinda funny to see, and just one more piece of dad that's come back to us now. Hopefully they'll have him munching away on all his favorite snacks before too long, because I think that little taste mom gave him was more of a torture than a treat until he can have more. Anyway, I'll leave this one at that for now, and mom will probably be on here soon to give a more complete update. I just kinda felt like sharing this little story. Later all.

April 20, 2007

Day 67
We're getting settled, and are getting used to the routine, although that is not in stone yet. The physio time was shifted, so I missed that session, but I got there for the OT session. Glenn was just having a crying day yesterday. He said he was fine, but the crying just kept coming. He worked hard in the OT session, and I chatted with an elderly gentleman who was originally from Zehner area. I don't know if they appreciated us talking away about mutual aquaintances, but we weren't too noisy, and Glenn settled a bit. They wrapped his arm with a hot wax compress, which he said felt good. They are really going to get his right arm loosened up, and are starting to pull out a few stops. He can sit up by himself better all the time, but was getting a sore butt, so we'll have to watch that.
After his therapy, Glenn went to bed for a while, then got up for supper. We had some company, so after he was done his supper we went to the cafeteria and had a nice visit. He was still crying a bit, but also laughed at the stuff we were talking about, so something was working itself out yesterday. I would expect that he will be more calm today, but we'll have to see. There are no therapy sessions on the weekend, so we'll do some stretching, and generally catch our breaths this weekend.
'Til next time
Louise

April 19, 2007

Later same day
Glenn was pretty tired today, but our noisy neighbour was gone. We went with him for his OT evaluation, and he cried most of the way through it. They laid him down, and he relaxed a bit, but wanted to go to bed soon after we got back to the room. We put a movie in, and he finally snoozed off. We left and had a tea. While we were there, we saw John leaving for the day, so we yelled at him, and he came over to say hi. He didn't know that we had moved, so we'll try to hook up for a few meals now. When we got back to the room, Glenn seemed a bit better. The nurses washed him up for the evening, and we watched another movie with him. He told us to go, so we were just packing up when Chris and Aryn came in. We left him to visit with them. He is getting settled into his routine, so next week should go easier. One of his therapists from the General stopped in to see him yesterday, so that was a nice surprise. We are very well treated in Wascana, and it is nice to look out over the park instead of the houses around the General. We were just thinking how much harder this would be if we lived farther away from a major centre. We can drive to and fro without much thought other than Glenn. I thank everyone who is helping and praying for us again. It is comforting to know how many people care for us all.
'Til next time
Louise

April 19, 2007

Day 66
Hi, I'm back! Just had to reset the router, so that was pretty easy to do. I reset the modem, but didn't think to do the router too. Next time I will.
Dale is applying to enter the school of journalism, and I think he should do well, as he can write very well. Those were excellent posts, and he was happy to do it for us. It just so happened that he was visiting when all that stuff was happening, so he could give a first hand accout of the happenings. Last week was peaceful in many ways, and full of social obligations for me, and a good thing we waited until this week for the move, because it was a bit traumatic. Tuesday was definitely a day of hugely mixed emotions. I got the call that Glenn would be moving before 8:00 AM. I still am shakey when the phone rings at slightly odd hours. I had appointements, so we took care of business, then shortly after lunch went back to the hospital to see if Glenn had moved, and if he had, to say good-bye to the staff. Everyone there was thrilled that Glenn had moved, so we then went to Wascana, and found our way to Glenn. He was not happy. Just think how nervous he was. He said he cried all the way over. (They took him by ambulance). We were able to have him put into a wheel chair, and were welcomed and given the tour by a very entertaining man. Glenn settled down, but once he got back to bed, his neighbour started to do his thing. Glenn was angry, and at one point asked me what was he gonna do? I told him that the old guy couldn't help it and that he would probably go to sleep soon. We stayed later, and tried to help him to get to sleep. He was in an old bed, so I told him we would get him a mattress cover. He also wanted a TV, so I told him we would get one the next day. He pulled up his strenghth from within as only Glenn can do, and resigned himself to a long night. I didn't sleep really well either.
Yesterday was a new day however. I got there at 9:00 AM, and was pleased to see Glenn looking fairly well rested. They give the patients a scrub in the morning, so he wanted a shave. I gave him one and we were set for the day. After he had lunch he went for assessment in the physio dept. He was busy looking and told me he was nervous. His physios were very good, and talked him through the stretches, and explained that they were mostly checking things out. We went for a walk, went outside, sat in the cafeteria, watched some TV in the solarium and generally got the feel of the new place. They had replaced his old bed for a new one, so we don't have to get a mattress cover. The nurses were busy, and Glenn sat up for quite a long while. They commented that if our neighbour was going to continue to be so noisy, that they would see about moving either Glenn or him, so we'll see what happens. We got his TV and set it up. I signed up for cable, so he should be hooked up shortly.
We were excited for the move, and yet it was so hard to do. Everything is new again, and how he manages to cope so well is still a wonder to me. Chris asked if they could bring their little dog in, and got the OK from the staff. Jackie and I are going in today to be there for Glenn's assessment with the OT's. It was good to have a bit of a break this morning and get some of the bugs worked out of the system. I found myself missing writing out the events, so this is really beneficial for me and the kids to do.
We're almost ready to leave, so I'll sign off for now, and pick up the story later.
'Til next time,
Louise

April 17...Part II

Dale again, broadcasting live(?) from here...I got nothing. Anyway, we made the move to Wascana today, so to say that Dad had a long day was to be putting it mildly. He's a little disconcerted, as anyone would be, to be spending his first night in a new place after growing so used to the General. It is definately a nice shift though...no more hospital stink! Hurray! And it is, on the whole, a much quieter environment. Dad was stressing pretty bad, so his right side was really spasming again towards the end of the day, plus his new roommate (yeah, he's sadly no longer alone) is...well...persistent. He's an elderly chap who had a stroke of his own some time back. He is pretty much constantly chattering, and crying out for help. Its got Dad pretty annoyed, and quite upset, but hopefully everyone will get used to the change before too long, and everything will be cool again. Its good that he's there so they can really begin his therapy in earnest, and hopefully we'll be starting to see more improvements again, but for now, we're all just adjusting. I guess if you would like to come and visit, you could probably get in contact with mom and she'll give you the 411. I'm not sure if she's planning on having it open visiting like it was at the General right away, or if she's going to try to keep it limited until he gets a little more settled, but I guess she'll let everyone know what's up. Ok, I guess that's it for tonight...I think i used up my quota last night, so I gotta cut this one short(ish). I'll just leave you to imagine the type of farewell that my mom would leave you, as I can't really remember, and all I'm coming up with is fairly cheesy and decidedly 'un-metal' (got to keep up appearances after all), so farewell, and we'll talk to ya soon.
The Dale

April 17th...probably Part I

This is Dale again, and this one needs to be short, because I'm on my way to the doctor's office, but I just got a call from mom saying that Dad will be moving to Wascana TODAY!!! So, if you're going to make the journey into town to visit, it might be best to put it off for the day, as we're not sure when today he will be moving, or where exactly he will be. But we will let you know as soon as possible so everyone can come check out the new digs. Til next time.
The Dale

April 16th

Hello, Dale here. I'm sort of writing in lieu of mom for the moment, because (surprise surprise) she's having computer troubles at home. But she's not being rude or neglectful, she wanted me to let everyone know that. She's also having trouble with her email, so that's the same story there. Anyway, today was a pretty good day all around. The weather was great, so dad got to go for a little journey in the great outdoors...but the wind was a little chilly for him so he couldn't really take too much. Hopefully it'll stay this nice so he can visit outside more often...because we all know how pleasant it is to spend all your time in that stale hospital air. Anyway, we also received a bit of really good news today as well; They have assessed dad for the move to Wascana, and have given him the thumbs up. We're just waiting on a bed to open up now, and it'll finally be time for a change of scenery. They were also working on dad's swallowing some more today, with some thickened cranberry juice (they didn't say what they thickened it with, but I'll tell that part of the story later). When he took to that well, they gave him some applesauce too, which was even thicker...so it might not be too terribly long before he's eating real food again and they can get that damn tube out of his belly. Anyway, he also had a very very good day in therapy. When mom and jackie got up to his room, he went right for the letter board and kept spelling out 'w-a-l-k' over and over again. They were a little confused because he kept shaking his head when they asked if he wanted to go for a walk. It must have been a little frustratng for everyone, cause Jackie said "I swear, if you spell walk one more time..." in a quasi-threatening fashion...you know her. Anyway, finally he expanded his thought a little, and they got it; He was saying he walked! I guess they had him take a couple of steps in the therapy room, which is huge news. Des and I got there a little later in the afternoon, when dad as just getting settled into bed, and for some reason he was being very giggly. This is what caused us to wonder just exactly what they had thickened that juice with...what sort of novelties had he been consumming? But yeah, it was real good to see, it was probably the most himself he's been since the start of this whole ordeal. Just being a pain like dad is. It was actually really funny...he just kept cracking up and couldn't seem to contain himself at all. He was making us sit his bed up, then 5 minutes later lay it back down...he urged Jackie to, for reasons we will never understand, move a plant from by the door to by the window...laughing all the while. So it was really good to see our goofy dad being our goofy dad again. Anyway, I think I may be rivalling mom's novels here with this one, but we had a good day, and its nice to be able to share so much good news. So yeah...good stuff. I guess we'll see what tomorrow has for us, and run with it. Thanks for reading, praying for, and thinking of us.
The Dale

April 11

Day 58
Well there's really nothing new to report, I had just logged on the internet to try to get my email, but I can't get into the server. I don't know what is going on, but maybe there is trouble in the system, because I have logged on from this computer before. It's a bit frustrating, but really more of a bother. Sorry if you are waiting for a reply, I can't seem to do anything right now.
Glenn is feeling better and better, and one of the nurses told me today that he is ready for Wascana, so I guess we are waiting for the assessment. That may not happen anymore this week, as it is really busy, and probably backlogged from the long weekend. He is getting lots of help, and rushing at this time is not necessarily the best thing. He told us today that he may not even have to have a big bandage over his trache wound the next time thay change it, so he is healing quite quickly. They also x-rayed his right shoulder to see if there is any thing other than the tone causing trouble. We hadn't heard anything, so that is usually a good sign of all clear. We are waiting for a nice day to go outside, maybe the weekend will give us a break.
We had a nice batch of company, and Glenn likes to go to the cafeteria to be with us for a coffee break. He was tired today, so we didn't stay long. Dale was helping Glenn look at the programs on the laptop, and I think that took a fair bit out of Glenn, and you will be happy to know that he still knows all. He will be typing away soon, and was getting better at using the touch pad and mouse, so we will set it up more for him now. It is good to see him concentrating on it so intently, although he is still distracted easily.
Ha, I said I didn't have much to report, and here I've rambled on quite a bit anyway. The kids and I are doing well, and are happy to be with Glenn as much as possible. He laughs quite a bit now, and doesn't cry quite so much, although that will happen for a while as his injury heals and he regains that control. We had some sad news in the family, and I told Glenn today that one of his cousins has passed away. He cried of course, but really took it quite well. I didn't know if I should tell him, but decided that it would be best if he heard it from me rather than from someone else. The funeral will be soon, so I'll keep Glenn posted on when. Life does go on, and we are trying to keep up with events as they come along, be they happy or sad. It keeps the normal in life.
'Til next time
Louise

April 9 & 10

Day 56 & 57
Holiday Monday was a nice day for us. Chris, Aryn and Aryn's parents came and found Glenn and me in the cafeteria, so we had a drink together. Glenn enjoyed the talk and is looking so much better each day that it its remarkable. He was in his chair a good 4 hours, and when we got back to bed he had a work out doing arm and leg stretches. He also worked with his mouth swabs to help open and close his mouth, which is also improving every day.
Tuesday we woke up to blizzard like conditions, but Jackie and I drove in to the city, and kept an eye on the weather. We left a bit early, just so we would be driving in the daylight. Glenn seems much more calm, and waved at us as we left, understanding that the roads could be tricky. He has been able to use his call button, so that gives us all a great deal of comfort, knowing that he can get help if he needs it.
We had a bit more company, and fired up the laptop to watch a movie. He was watching us bumble around with it, so next time he will get to operate it! It is so good to see him interested in these things again. His distress is less, and he isn't so uncomfortable because he can suffle around on his own. He scratches his face, and gestures better all the time. Yesterday, Colin had asked him something about computers, and Glenn was answering with the letter board. We got a bit confused, but finally got his message through. I said "Whew!" just as Glenn made a swipe at his brow, indicating "Whew!" I called him a smarta-- and he just laughed. He's definitely still there inside, and is breaking out more each day!
He was in a smaller wheel chair today, and told us that it was more comfortable to sit in. He was back in bed when one of the OT's came with a wheelchair, and said that it should be left in his room. I said I thought his chair was in the bathroom, which it was, and she stopped and said "oh, wrong family! " As she was leaving she added that she was making sure that her two favourite bums were in the two best chairs. We were amused, and happy to hear they are taking such good care of Glenn.
Wascana is going to assess Glenn soon, so we will hear if we will be moving. We'll let you know as soon as we can. He looks so much better it's hard to believe. Tomorrow is supposed to clear in the afternoon, so I hope this is the last of the nasty weather for a while. It would be nice to take Glenn outside, but patience is the name of the game.
'Til next time
Louise

April 7 & 8

Day 54 & 55
It's been a busy weekend, and also a peaceful one. Glenn did a bit of therapy yesterday, and had a few more visitors to break up the day. Chris brought Glenn's mom up to see him again, and she was very impressed at how much he has improved since last week. Colin stopped in before his gig, and we wished him luck. Dale and Jackie were up in the afternoon, so Glenn had a room of visitors when I left for supper. He is becoming a favorite I guess. When I got there, I looked at the nurses at the desk to say hello and guess who was sitting there keeping them company? Yep, there was Glenn in his chair behind the station, going through a Staples catalogue, while the nurses worked around him. What can I say? They felt bad because he had been sitting in his room alone. What a guy!
Today he was watching TV in his room when I got there. He wanted to brush his teeth, and have a shave. I gave him his mouth swabs, and then got out his toothbrush, which was interesting because he has a bit of a problem spitting on command. We got his mouth cleaned up, then went for a stroll around the unit. We sat in the sun at the south window, and went back to the room. We had some company, and when he was back in bed, he again asked to have a shave. He let me shave him with the electric rasor, and I did alright, he looked better.
We didn't do any stretches, while I was there anyway, and we enjoyed watching Raymond. We were holding hands and just being a couple for a change. It felt good. He waved goodbye to me when I left, so I hope he has a good rest tonight. We will do a few stretches tomorrow to help keep the tone down in his arms and legs. Tuesday will be back to work at full therapy. He's more and more himself. It's great to see and be witness to the amazing power of the mind and spirit.
'Til next time,
Louise

April 6, 2007

Day 53
Glenn is doing very well without the trache tube. He is breathing easily, and doesn't have to cough as much. He had a good day, and was up in the chair for 4 hours. We had quite a bit of company, and he really seemed to enjoy it. He does cry at first, but gets control, and pays close attention to what is being said. I asked my good friends to help with stretches over the long weekend, and they put him through a few paces. This will help keep him from stiffening up over the long weekend. I think they are monitoring him pretty closely now, getting ready for assessment for Wascana. I was introduced to the program manager from Wascana last week, so I will take that as a good sign.
The kids really help Glenn relax. They chatter about ever day stuff, and get him laughing over what is going on. They ask questions they normally would ask, and help him with the letter board to get their answers. When I left last night, Glenn was snoring, having a really good sleep. I think that is the first time since this began that he has slept that hard. If he can keep doing that, we will see a remarkable change in the next while. I was told just having the tube removed would help tremendously, so if that is what helped him to sleep so well, I can understand why. As a result of his relaxation, I had a much better sleep myself. Jackie, Dale and Desi were here to colour eggs, and I faded by 10:30 and had to go to bed. I crashed, and feel much better today.
I'm getting ready to leave, but thought I should get my thoughts down, I lose them fairly quickly, and yesterday was a big milestone. We will be having Easter dinner at my Mom and Dad's tomorrow, so I hope everyone who is reading this has a good Easter. Keep us in your prayers, they are greatly appreciated.
'Til next time, Happy Easter eveyone!
Louise

April 4 & 5

Day 50 & 51
I'll start with a comment on the weather. It's not exactly warm, and I hope it will warm up a bit over the weekend. They are predicting a warming trend, that will be good, a bit of fresh air for Glenn will be a welcome change. It was a bit of a tease a couple weekends ago.
Wednesday, Glenn was breathing easier, with the cap on, so the order to remove it came from the doctors. He is having trouble peeing though, so they actually reinserted a cathiter today. I was disappointed, but they have to deal with the issues as they come up, and that could turn into a serious problem. He has a bladder infection, so this way they can irrigate it 2 times a day to clear that up. They also said his prostrate is swollen, so that is probably part of the trouble. Why that is remains to be seen, but I would guess it's a reaction to all the drugs he's been given.
The good news is that they pulled the trache tube today. He has a bandage over the hole, and it is supposed to be air tight. He is pretty sweaty, so of course the tapes came undone, but everyone was very pleased at how well he is doing.
I sat in on his therapy today, and was impressed at how much more he can do since the last time I watched them work with him. He can almost sit by himself, they don't have to support him too much. He is less stiff in the right arm and leg, and they are working on stretching through the tone. He has pretty good control of his head, and of course is working like a trooper for them. If sheer will and determination count for anything, then Glenn will surely succeed.
We had lots of visitors today, and Glenn was pretty happy to see everyone. We have quite a few flowers in the room now, so I brought some home. He seemed pretty relaxed when I left this evening. He told me to come back at one tomorrow, so I don't know what he knows that I don't, but I'll find out tomorrow. It was a big day today, one big step forward, but also a bit of a step back. I shouldn't complain, the cath is for the best, but he is back to having the "pee bag" so that is a bit of a pain. Hopefully all will work out of the best.
I guess I look tired tonight, Don said that I did, so that is so. I feel pretty much the way I look I think. I'm looking forward to the weekend and the festivities and feasting with everyone. Happy Easter everyone!
'Til next time
Louise

April 3, 2007

Day 50
Hello, it has been 7 weeks today. There has been great improvement, although Glenn probably doesn't think so. He didn't sleep well last night, because they left the cap on his trache tube. He actually took it off 3 times, but the nurses persevered, and he was still capped when I got there today. They will leave it on again, and the RT told me today that if he continues to do so well, tomorrow they will apply to have the tube removed. The next step will be some sort of scan to watch Glenn try to eat and swallow liquids and food. They do not (nor do I) want anything falling into his lungs. He was really tired and just broke down and had a good old cry tonight. He was falling asleep as we were leaving though, so I hope he will sleep well or at least better tonight. He told me today that everything is hard, even sleeping. That will get better, I know, but he's the one living it, and I can only guess how weary he must really be.
We went for another stroll around the unit today. He relaxes as we walk around, and was actually snoozing for a while. I didn't know then that he hadn't slept very well, so I just enjoyed the relaxed feeling. He said he wanted a drink, which I didn't think he could have, but I made his toothbrush wet and few times, and he swished it around his mouth. It was the best we could do, but it also seemed to do the trick. He is getting really good at using the letter board to convey his messages. The speech path was very impressed with how lucid and clear his sentences are once we figure out what he is actually spelling. We're getting better at that too.
As I edit this, it strikes me again at how fast he has handled the capping. I really thought that it would be a more gradual process. I don't think this was easy on Glenn, but perhaps it's kind of like ripping off a bandaid. I guess the next thing is to see how long it will be before Glenn can actually talk to us. Day by day is how this is going, and I feel like I want Glenn to have a bit of a break, but when he does, I'm anxious that there isn't any progress. Oh dear.
Well, that is about it for today, so 'til next time
Louise

April 2, 2007

day 49
I screwed up the dates last night. I thought I had it right, but I didn't. Oh dear, I think I've got it right now. Tomorrow marks 7 weeks, and that blows my mind. It doesn't seem that long, and yet it does.
We went grocery shopping today, and were a bit late getting to the hospital. Chris was there and had taken Glenn for a walk. They were back in Glenn's room, and Glenn was pretty distressed. We were astounded to discover that he had had a cap on his trache tube since 10:30, and was still capped. He was still capped when we left this evening. I was under the impression that they would break him in a bit more gently, but they said that he was doing so well that they really didn't want to take the cap off. After a few minutes, he settled down, and we went for another stroll around the unit. I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that we will be moved to Wascana in a week or so, barring any set backs. He follows conversation very well, and even though he was mostly coughing and crying, it was really good to hear his voice! The speech path was working with him when Chris got there, so they are working on his talking ability. I was a bit emotional today, it was a bit of a whammy so I had a bit of an overflow. I really don't know what to say except WHOO HOOO!
All the kids were up to see Glenn today, so we all were happy to see and hear glenn doing so well without breathing through the trache tube. I don't know how long they will leave it, but it won't be too much longer now. This was another giant step toward recovery, and really make my day.
To all who know and love her, my friend Marjorie is going to be old on Saturday. She has been posting comments regularly and is a good supporter of our family. In advance "Happy 50th to you" and we'll see you soon. Love you lots,
Louise

March 31 & April1

Day 46 & 47
I'm having a bit of trouble starting tonight. Jackie and I went for supper and my nephew and his daughter caught up to us and had coffee with us there. They are troubled by the sad news of another sister - in - law who is struggling with cancer. I think he needed to be reassured that Glenn is coming back. We had a good talk, and got balloons for the kids. I hope for the best, and add our prayers to theirs.
Glenn had a lot of spasms in his right side yesterday. He had a temperature, and threw up a couple of times. He may have had the flu, or he may have just coughted too hard and been laying too flat in the bed too close to his meal. The good news is that today he was fine, but needed to sleep. I just sat with him and let him sleep. Jackie came in later, and we watched "Land Before Time". We didn't have any company before we left and missed my nephew because we left earlier than usual. Glenn has needed a bit of alone time, so Saturday night he told me to leave and go to bed! I thought that was cute, and respected his wishes. Tonight he was a bit upset when we said we were going for supper, but waved good-bye to us as we left. I think that his right hand was a bit more relaxed today, so I hope the spasms were a sign of signals making their way through to the muscles.
We are in a new month. It is hard to believe that we have been going to the hospital for 6 weeks. This whole thing is still hard to believe at times. I want to take Glenn outside again, but the weather has not been very nice, so we have just wandered around the unit. The nurses said that he had sat up for 4 hours today, but he was already back in bed when I got there because I had gone to church and stayed for a potluck lunch there. Palm Sunday helps make me realize that next Sunday is Easter. Someone asked me if we were having Easter dinner, and I must admit I haven't thought about it yet. I am now, so I'll talk to the kids and see what they think.
It's been a fairly quiet weekend for me, Glenn had a rough day on Saturday, but was better Sunday. He is more annoyed by our help, that is a normal kind of reaction, so in a funny way, that is a comfort. We'll see what tomorrow brings with the therapists, and let you know of any progress. 'Til next time
Louise