(no subject)
Things are looking up and down here in Corpus. Duane has been in a rehabilitation hospital for about a week. His care is mostly good & things have changed a bit for him:
the vent. tube is gone, he still has a tracheotomy tube going through his esophagus to the trachea, but he breathes on his own mostly with assist, when needed, by a C-Pap machine (oxygen provided through a hose to the mouth of the trache tube but not attached to it)- this part is great. It was a morale booster getting off the vent for one thing, it's also safer for his health as long as he can inhale deeply enough on his own, which he seems to be doing most of the time.
The Foley catheter was removed the other day & he's peeing on his own. That is a big step in the right direction, even if he still has a colostomy. When/if the intestines heal, maybe he'll be reattached through to regular channels, if it can't be, it's not the end of the world. Lots of people learn to live with colostomy bags & still be active.
Taking an interest in something - he has started wearing ear phones to listen to the books-on-disc CDs Jeanne bought for him. Yesterday Jeanne got a frantic call from Duane's teenaged granddaughter, who was visiting him, saying he was trying to tell her something she couldn't understand or figure out & she was so worried, would Jeanne come to the hospital to help him. Turned out his CD player's batteries had worn out & he wanted new batteries to finish the story. THAT was a good scene.
Active is the downer - he has lost so much muscle it is difficult to imagine him standing much less walking - but people do that, too - they make come backs because they just are seeing themselves upright and moving about normally. The vision is the visual aid towards meeting the goal. I don't know what Duane's vision for himself includes. We shall see by what happens.
Talking - with a plug device stopping the trache tube and the proper blowing he can talk - he has, he can, but lately he refuses. Stubborn as a Missouri Mule. Practically snaps his lips shut & refuses to look one in the eye. If he could cross his arms across his chest he would.
Jeanne, with my urging, has gone to Unity Village in Kansas City MO to participate in a 5 day convention of Unity Ministers, something she scheduled before Duane went into the hospital in Feb. She really needs to 'get outta town' for a few days & be among the wonderful souls at Unity Village, recharge her own batteries. I am house/doggie sitting & visiting Duane a couple times a day to keep him in the loop, assure him of loving attention whether he wants it or not (I can be stubborn too). I sing, ready aloud, write stuff on his white board that makes him roll his eyes or raise his eyebrows into his receding hairline, tell him groaner jokes - he'll be so happy to have his Jeanne back; she is quiet and pets him & stuff.
Prayerful fingers crossed for guidance about the next step for Duane and Jeanne, please. Thank you.
I am heading home the 17th of this month, with a stop-over in Bloomington IN for a few days to visit little Ceilidh & her parents & grandparents. Can't wait to see her again, she has quintupled herself since last October. From 1 lb 14 oz to over 15 lb. and that was last week, by the time I get there she may be over 16 lb. What a kid! Super Baby.
the vent. tube is gone, he still has a tracheotomy tube going through his esophagus to the trachea, but he breathes on his own mostly with assist, when needed, by a C-Pap machine (oxygen provided through a hose to the mouth of the trache tube but not attached to it)- this part is great. It was a morale booster getting off the vent for one thing, it's also safer for his health as long as he can inhale deeply enough on his own, which he seems to be doing most of the time.
The Foley catheter was removed the other day & he's peeing on his own. That is a big step in the right direction, even if he still has a colostomy. When/if the intestines heal, maybe he'll be reattached through to regular channels, if it can't be, it's not the end of the world. Lots of people learn to live with colostomy bags & still be active.
Taking an interest in something - he has started wearing ear phones to listen to the books-on-disc CDs Jeanne bought for him. Yesterday Jeanne got a frantic call from Duane's teenaged granddaughter, who was visiting him, saying he was trying to tell her something she couldn't understand or figure out & she was so worried, would Jeanne come to the hospital to help him. Turned out his CD player's batteries had worn out & he wanted new batteries to finish the story. THAT was a good scene.
Active is the downer - he has lost so much muscle it is difficult to imagine him standing much less walking - but people do that, too - they make come backs because they just are seeing themselves upright and moving about normally. The vision is the visual aid towards meeting the goal. I don't know what Duane's vision for himself includes. We shall see by what happens.
Talking - with a plug device stopping the trache tube and the proper blowing he can talk - he has, he can, but lately he refuses. Stubborn as a Missouri Mule. Practically snaps his lips shut & refuses to look one in the eye. If he could cross his arms across his chest he would.
Jeanne, with my urging, has gone to Unity Village in Kansas City MO to participate in a 5 day convention of Unity Ministers, something she scheduled before Duane went into the hospital in Feb. She really needs to 'get outta town' for a few days & be among the wonderful souls at Unity Village, recharge her own batteries. I am house/doggie sitting & visiting Duane a couple times a day to keep him in the loop, assure him of loving attention whether he wants it or not (I can be stubborn too). I sing, ready aloud, write stuff on his white board that makes him roll his eyes or raise his eyebrows into his receding hairline, tell him groaner jokes - he'll be so happy to have his Jeanne back; she is quiet and pets him & stuff.
Prayerful fingers crossed for guidance about the next step for Duane and Jeanne, please. Thank you.
I am heading home the 17th of this month, with a stop-over in Bloomington IN for a few days to visit little Ceilidh & her parents & grandparents. Can't wait to see her again, she has quintupled herself since last October. From 1 lb 14 oz to over 15 lb. and that was last week, by the time I get there she may be over 16 lb. What a kid! Super Baby.