Dear Friends:
Paul's first whole day at home! His first night went fairly well. It seems he is comfortable being back in his own home. The CNA arrived at 6am. Dad got there around 7:30am and they got Paul up and dressed. The put him in the wheelchair and he sat up for a bit. After the 11am feeding Dad got him out of the bed and walked him to the kitchen where the wheelchair was. He walked with Dad's assistance about 15 feet. Paul did most of the work ... Dad just held him up and helped him keep his balance. Once in the wheelchair he sat up for a while before going back to bed. Around 2pm Dad got him up again and took him outside. They sat outside watching the traffic for about 2 hours. He stayed in the wheelchair until about 6pm watching the TV in his room. He was doing lots of movement with arms and legs and sat with his head up all day. Around 6pm Dad got him back in the bed. He was moving his legs a lot and even tried to reach his sock on the right foot. He moved the right foot up so that he could reach it with his left hand. He even tried to sit up a little bit to help reach it. When I came into the room he looked over at me to see who was there. The RN came this morning to tell Dad what to expect. She also told him what kinds of things Medicaid will cover and she will order some things. Some of these things we were previously told Medicaid would NOT cover. She also has a bathtub chair that she will bring over for Paul to use. The therapists didn't come today. We aren't sure why but the RN will call the Case Manager at Mt. Vernon to see who she called to order therapists. The good thing is Dad already knows what the therapists at Mt. Vernon were working on and he can do some of those things while we wait for things to get straightened out. Saturday will be a crazy day since all of us have things to do throughout the day. It appears we will be sharing times to go and feed Paul since the CNA doesn't do feedings. The CNA is very nice and I hope she will continue to work out. So far we've been blessed with many good things. We know God is doing good works in Paul!! When we left tonight (Dad & I actually got to leave a bit early) lots of people had arrived to visit and finish some of the last few things that need to be done to the house. What a blessing!
Have a great weekend! Lynne & Carl
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/06/06
Dear Friends:
Paul came home today. He worked with the speech & Occupational therapists this morning before going home. The speech therapist gave him about 1/2 a popsicle and worked to exercise his mouth and tongue. His swallowing was a little better today but she wasn't absolutely sure he was swallowing all of it since he wouldn't make vocal sounds to show his throat was clear. He wouldn't work with the buzzer today. He shook his head "no" and pulled his hand away when she asked him if he wanted to work with it!! She talked to him a bit and told him he needed to work on exercising his vocal cords. He had occupational therapy after that. He went into the bathroom and she tried to get him to take a washcloth to his face using his left hand. He couldn't reach it but he tried. He washed his right arm with it since he could reach that. She put the deodorant in his right hand and asked him to take the lid off ... he shook his head "no". She finally got him to take the lid off she put the deodorant in his left hand and he applied it. Then they got him dressed. When it got closer to time to go home it appeared he had a little anxiety attack about leaving. The handicapped cab came at 2pm but the paperwork to release him wasn't ready until 2:30pm. The cab driver followed Tabby back to the house. While driving home there was a Harley Motorcycle went by and he looked over and watched it go by. They got almost home but he got sick in the cab. It was just a long trip. When they got home Paul was very upset. It took a little bit to get him calmed. I suppose the trip or being back home could be enough to be upsetting. When Dad & Tabby got him in the hospital bed they realized that the bed wasn't working. The electrical cords of the bed were not working. Apparently they were crushed while it was being stored. Someone from the company that owns the bed came to repair it. Dad took Paul outside to watch his cousin and a friend work on a walkway up to the house. Paul's friend is working to see if they can get a discount or donation on the concrete. What a blessing that would be!! Friday we will have the nurse, the CNA & all the therapists at the house to meet Paul and see the house. We will have more information about when they will be coming to do therapy. The CNA will come everyday from 6am to 6pm. The therapists will come every day Monday through Friday for each regimen (Speech, Occupational and Physical therapy). Paul was making lots of vocal sounds today. It seems like he is trying to say words. This is the most he has made vocal sounds. The work on the house is mostly complete now. The bathtub fixtures are still being worked on but most everything else is done!! We are so thankful for all the helpers that have come. We couldn't have been ready for today without all the help!
Have a great day (TGIF), Lynne & Carl
Paul came home today. He worked with the speech & Occupational therapists this morning before going home. The speech therapist gave him about 1/2 a popsicle and worked to exercise his mouth and tongue. His swallowing was a little better today but she wasn't absolutely sure he was swallowing all of it since he wouldn't make vocal sounds to show his throat was clear. He wouldn't work with the buzzer today. He shook his head "no" and pulled his hand away when she asked him if he wanted to work with it!! She talked to him a bit and told him he needed to work on exercising his vocal cords. He had occupational therapy after that. He went into the bathroom and she tried to get him to take a washcloth to his face using his left hand. He couldn't reach it but he tried. He washed his right arm with it since he could reach that. She put the deodorant in his right hand and asked him to take the lid off ... he shook his head "no". She finally got him to take the lid off she put the deodorant in his left hand and he applied it. Then they got him dressed. When it got closer to time to go home it appeared he had a little anxiety attack about leaving. The handicapped cab came at 2pm but the paperwork to release him wasn't ready until 2:30pm. The cab driver followed Tabby back to the house. While driving home there was a Harley Motorcycle went by and he looked over and watched it go by. They got almost home but he got sick in the cab. It was just a long trip. When they got home Paul was very upset. It took a little bit to get him calmed. I suppose the trip or being back home could be enough to be upsetting. When Dad & Tabby got him in the hospital bed they realized that the bed wasn't working. The electrical cords of the bed were not working. Apparently they were crushed while it was being stored. Someone from the company that owns the bed came to repair it. Dad took Paul outside to watch his cousin and a friend work on a walkway up to the house. Paul's friend is working to see if they can get a discount or donation on the concrete. What a blessing that would be!! Friday we will have the nurse, the CNA & all the therapists at the house to meet Paul and see the house. We will have more information about when they will be coming to do therapy. The CNA will come everyday from 6am to 6pm. The therapists will come every day Monday through Friday for each regimen (Speech, Occupational and Physical therapy). Paul was making lots of vocal sounds today. It seems like he is trying to say words. This is the most he has made vocal sounds. The work on the house is mostly complete now. The bathtub fixtures are still being worked on but most everything else is done!! We are so thankful for all the helpers that have come. We couldn't have been ready for today without all the help!
Have a great day (TGIF), Lynne & Carl
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/05/06
Dear Friends:
Today was court day. We arrived at the courthouse at 8am and waited for Tabby's attorney to get there. The docket starts at 9am and Tabby's attorney wanted to get a chance to talk to the commonwealth's attorney who would be prosecuting the case. The girl that hit Paul plead "not guilty". This wasn't a surprised to us. Her attorney indicated that they were going to plead that way but they were really not going to contest the testimony from the witness. The judge found her guilty and fined her. Now the way is paved to proceed with payment from the insurance company and the eventual civil suit that Tabby will file. It is really difficult to determine how this girl feels about what happened. We had NO direct contact with her. The case ran very long and we didn't leave the courthouse until around 1:30pm. We took Tabby home and then Dad dropped me home before leaving for the hospital. The speech therapist came in at 3pm. This is the only therapy Dad was there for. She continues to exercise his mouth and gums. She talked to him about his release and told him what to expect. She also told Paul that he needs to be exercising his arms and legs on his own whenever he can. She tried to put some ice cream in his mouth but he didn't even try to chew or swallow it. He really hasn't tried to swallow anything she has given him for the last several days. Dad said later Paul started trying to move his arm all around ... maybe he remembered what the therapist said and was exercising it. She plans to give us some information to obtain supplies that will help when we get home. The physical therapist told Dad that they walked three sets today and did most of the length of the gym. He held his head up good for her. Dad didn't see the OT today ... tomorrow he will have OT first thing and Speech after. The doctor has arranged for transport in the afternoon on Thursday. Friday a nurse will come to assess the house and our readiness. Then the Certified Nurses Aid will start the same day. We are not sure when the therapies will start but it sounds like everything is trying to be arranged for them to start very soon. We appreciate your continued prayers ... Thursday should be a difficult day. We are certainly anxious about this new step of Paul's recovery. As of yesterday Paul has been in the hospital for five months. Being at home will be different for Paul but we expect it will be good for him!
Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl
Today was court day. We arrived at the courthouse at 8am and waited for Tabby's attorney to get there. The docket starts at 9am and Tabby's attorney wanted to get a chance to talk to the commonwealth's attorney who would be prosecuting the case. The girl that hit Paul plead "not guilty". This wasn't a surprised to us. Her attorney indicated that they were going to plead that way but they were really not going to contest the testimony from the witness. The judge found her guilty and fined her. Now the way is paved to proceed with payment from the insurance company and the eventual civil suit that Tabby will file. It is really difficult to determine how this girl feels about what happened. We had NO direct contact with her. The case ran very long and we didn't leave the courthouse until around 1:30pm. We took Tabby home and then Dad dropped me home before leaving for the hospital. The speech therapist came in at 3pm. This is the only therapy Dad was there for. She continues to exercise his mouth and gums. She talked to him about his release and told him what to expect. She also told Paul that he needs to be exercising his arms and legs on his own whenever he can. She tried to put some ice cream in his mouth but he didn't even try to chew or swallow it. He really hasn't tried to swallow anything she has given him for the last several days. Dad said later Paul started trying to move his arm all around ... maybe he remembered what the therapist said and was exercising it. She plans to give us some information to obtain supplies that will help when we get home. The physical therapist told Dad that they walked three sets today and did most of the length of the gym. He held his head up good for her. Dad didn't see the OT today ... tomorrow he will have OT first thing and Speech after. The doctor has arranged for transport in the afternoon on Thursday. Friday a nurse will come to assess the house and our readiness. Then the Certified Nurses Aid will start the same day. We are not sure when the therapies will start but it sounds like everything is trying to be arranged for them to start very soon. We appreciate your continued prayers ... Thursday should be a difficult day. We are certainly anxious about this new step of Paul's recovery. As of yesterday Paul has been in the hospital for five months. Being at home will be different for Paul but we expect it will be good for him!
Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/04/06
Dear Friends:
Today was a little slower day. Speech was suppose to be at 2pm but the therapist's 10am patient couldn't be woken so she switched Paul's time to 10am. She tried to talk to Paul about the many ways to communicate. He needs three signals "yes", "no" and "doesn't matter". Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no and open hand or no thumb for doesn't matter or has no answer. If he answers a yes question he has to be answer a no question consistently right after as a "control" question to know he understood the question. She worked open his hand, close his hand, put his thumb up and put his thumb down. She told him how important it is to be consistent. He didn't do well, but she will keep working on it. She also exercised his face and tongue. PT was at 11am. They walked with the walker and he kept his head up. He went about 1/2 the length of the gym before taking a rest. Then he walked another 1/2 of the gym. OT was at 1pm. The therapist worked on getting Paul to pick up things and put them in a bowl after she stretched his arms. He did OK but he wouldn't open his hand for her some of the time. She gave him a 2lb weight and he was supposed to give it to Dad. He took it and moved it toward Dad but then he just stood it on one end but wouldn't give it to Dad. It was cold outside so he wasn't able to go out. He stayed up in the wheelchair for a couple of hours. The doctor told Dad that he increased Paul's meds again last night. Tonight he seemed pretty tired and wasn't moving much. The doctor told Dad that he suspects that Paul's stiffness in the left arm may not be something he cannot control ... rather he purposely stops people from moving the arm. The doctor doesn't know for sure and doesn't know what he plans to do about it yet. At the house Tabby had the hospital bed delivered. They also delivered a walker, a suction machine (for the saliva) and some of the liquid food. It appears that Paul will be coming home sometime between 11-2pm on Thursday! Wednesday is court day. Bobby, Tabby, Tabby's attorney, Dad & I are all planning to be there. It will be the first time that any of us have seen the girl that hit Paul. We won't really have any part of this proceeding but we want to be there and impress upon the District Attorney how serious her "failure to yield" was! Pray for us as we are all at another anxious part of this long ordeal. We know God is in charge of this and we hope for the appropriate justice will be done.
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Today was a little slower day. Speech was suppose to be at 2pm but the therapist's 10am patient couldn't be woken so she switched Paul's time to 10am. She tried to talk to Paul about the many ways to communicate. He needs three signals "yes", "no" and "doesn't matter". Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no and open hand or no thumb for doesn't matter or has no answer. If he answers a yes question he has to be answer a no question consistently right after as a "control" question to know he understood the question. She worked open his hand, close his hand, put his thumb up and put his thumb down. She told him how important it is to be consistent. He didn't do well, but she will keep working on it. She also exercised his face and tongue. PT was at 11am. They walked with the walker and he kept his head up. He went about 1/2 the length of the gym before taking a rest. Then he walked another 1/2 of the gym. OT was at 1pm. The therapist worked on getting Paul to pick up things and put them in a bowl after she stretched his arms. He did OK but he wouldn't open his hand for her some of the time. She gave him a 2lb weight and he was supposed to give it to Dad. He took it and moved it toward Dad but then he just stood it on one end but wouldn't give it to Dad. It was cold outside so he wasn't able to go out. He stayed up in the wheelchair for a couple of hours. The doctor told Dad that he increased Paul's meds again last night. Tonight he seemed pretty tired and wasn't moving much. The doctor told Dad that he suspects that Paul's stiffness in the left arm may not be something he cannot control ... rather he purposely stops people from moving the arm. The doctor doesn't know for sure and doesn't know what he plans to do about it yet. At the house Tabby had the hospital bed delivered. They also delivered a walker, a suction machine (for the saliva) and some of the liquid food. It appears that Paul will be coming home sometime between 11-2pm on Thursday! Wednesday is court day. Bobby, Tabby, Tabby's attorney, Dad & I are all planning to be there. It will be the first time that any of us have seen the girl that hit Paul. We won't really have any part of this proceeding but we want to be there and impress upon the District Attorney how serious her "failure to yield" was! Pray for us as we are all at another anxious part of this long ordeal. We know God is in charge of this and we hope for the appropriate justice will be done.
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Musings of a Tired Ol' man
Well, life returns to normal after a brief respite. Satellite Dishes installed on the 12th floor on Saturday, last second web changes over the weekend, and then the usual things a weekend incurs.
I started reading “The Journey” by Billy Graham this week and I have found it a great reading so far. Its message is simple but straight to the point. Sometimes, I need at light tap by a 2x4 to get it through my thick skull.
Lady had her procedure done and every thing went well as all the suspicious places were accounted for. We arrived at the hospital at 6:45 am and got home about 3:00 pm. A long day especially for the tush having to endure those hard seats. On the 12th we go back for the results. We know will be good, so maybe we will play hooky. Thanks for the prayers and support.
Bowling Scene: We finished 3rd on our Sunday night league. Sure beats finishing next to the bottom. Summer Youth league will start in about 6 weeks so I can enjoy a few quiet Sunday afternoons till then. This weekend two of my students whom I coach will be bowling in a tournament. Good Luck Michaela and Tenairi.
Manassas will never be the same after Monday, 10 April. Wild Mom will be here to spread her cheer and perhaps some oats. She will spend 2 weeks with us and two with my brother.
I see the oil companies are adding to their profits again. Prices just keep escalating to what ever level they desire. Yes, we will squeal when the price hits 3.00. They will drop it .25 and we will waddle off smiling that we won all the while that price will leave us paying .60 more than last year. I still maintain that we either regulate the price or demand new refinery capability within 2 years. They can do it if pushed, but that also means the politicians will lose some of their “gifts”.
Paul's Update - 04/03/06
Dear Friends:
I'm a little behind since I went away for a much needed weekend with two of my girlfriends. It was very relaxing but I thought of Paul most of the weekend. Dad was with him all weekend and has kept me up to date on his progress. God has blessed us with lots of great things to report!!
Saturday we have two therapies scheduled. OT was scheduled first. They worked to stretch his arms and legs. They also stretched his back and neck. He seems more flexible each day. He is helping more. Speech therapy was spent mostly on exercising his mouth and tongue. She worked with the buzzer a bit. She had asked him to push the button twice and he did that but he wouldn't let go until she told him to. The therapist said she had consulted with the psychiatrist on staff about Paul's injury and his difficulty with following commands. The doctor said that she had a patient before that was just like Paul except that she could talk. While working with her the doctor finally asked her if she understood what she was being asked and her response was "I can understand everything you are saying but I can't make my body do what you ask". When Paul heard her talking to Dad he started to nod his head "yes". Then he reached up and did the buzzer twice. It's possible he is understanding more than he can respond to!! Sunday is our quiet day. Dad worked to exercise Paul and then later in the day they were able to go outside for fresh air. While they were outside near the emergency room there was an ambulance leaving. Dad said "noisy huh?" and Paul nodded his head. Then another ambulance on the other side of him started up his engine and Paul turned his head to watch them pull out. Then Dad decided to have a change of scenery so they went to the garden in the front of the hospital. Dad saw birds and said "do you see the birds over to the left?" and Paul nodded his head. Then he said "there is a couple of them in the tree" and Paul looked up to see them!! Later they went to the patio outside of the cafeteria. It is on the second floor of the hospital and there is a glass wall with a board trim on the top of it. If you look through the glass there was only a roof to look at and the wood trim was right above that. Dad said "you can't see anything can you?" and Paul shook his head "no". Sounds familiar huh? He was doing these kinds of things before the meds zonked him out. How wonderful it is to see him respond. Later in the evening his nurse came in to say goodbye for the night (and next few days) and he raised his left hand to wave at her!! We also now are seeing Paul move his arms and legs much more. Dad was able to work with Paul's left arm and get his hand all the way up to his chin ... three times!! Monday we get back into the weekday routine. Dad missed ADL today but the therapist said he was doing really good. He was reaching for his clothes and raised his leg to put his pants on before she asked him to. He also reached for the washcloth before she was ready to put it in his hand. PT went really good today. Paul worked with less assistance while used the walker. He didn't go as far but he did better. He held his head up and looked at Dad the whole time he was walking. The Speech therapist mostly worked with swallowing and exercising his tongue and cheeks. She tried to get him to lick a spoon but he wouldn't do it. She tried to reach and grab his tongue to get it to come out. He pulls his tongue back from her. But later she saw him lick his lips ... she knows he CAN do it. The Speech therapist told the doctor that the swallowing action seems to be almost completely absent and she feels that it is drug related but she told the him that Paul is doing so much better in so many other things that she doesn't want him to change any meds. Later in the afternoon Dad took Paul outside. They were sitting under the pavilion (near the emergency room) and Dad asked Paul if he wanted him to move the wheelchair into the sun. He said "if you want me to move you all you have to do it hold your thumb up". He took his hand and showed him how to do it. Then he asked him again and Paul just sat there with his thumb tucked in, but when he asked "do you want to go back to the room?" he turned his hand up and gave him a "thumbs up". Tonight we had a visitor ... Uncle Jimmy came by. Every time Uncle Jimmy talked to Paul he looked up at him and paid attention. Then when Uncle Jimmy was leaving he said "next time I see you it will be at your house" and Paul got a big smile on his face. Later Dad & Paul were watching a funny commercial where the husband was fixing tiles in the bathroom with a deer head. Dad asked Paul if he would put a deer head in the shower and Paul smiled!! I saved the best for last ... when Tabby called the hospital tonight to get an update on how the day went she told Dad to tell Paul she loved him. Dad suggested she talk to Paul and held the phone to his ear. She said "hey babe" and HE made a noise that sounded like "hi". It is the first time he has made noise with his voice that appeared that he was trying to say something. Tuesday the hospital bed will be delivered. We are almost ready for Paul to come home on Thursday. It seems a shame that Paul is finally doing well in therapy just in time to go home! But we are hopeful that he will do even better in his own environment!! It appears that God has orchestrated things that make us more ready for Paul to come home. Our prayers have been answered over and over ... God is so good!!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
I'm a little behind since I went away for a much needed weekend with two of my girlfriends. It was very relaxing but I thought of Paul most of the weekend. Dad was with him all weekend and has kept me up to date on his progress. God has blessed us with lots of great things to report!!
Saturday we have two therapies scheduled. OT was scheduled first. They worked to stretch his arms and legs. They also stretched his back and neck. He seems more flexible each day. He is helping more. Speech therapy was spent mostly on exercising his mouth and tongue. She worked with the buzzer a bit. She had asked him to push the button twice and he did that but he wouldn't let go until she told him to. The therapist said she had consulted with the psychiatrist on staff about Paul's injury and his difficulty with following commands. The doctor said that she had a patient before that was just like Paul except that she could talk. While working with her the doctor finally asked her if she understood what she was being asked and her response was "I can understand everything you are saying but I can't make my body do what you ask". When Paul heard her talking to Dad he started to nod his head "yes". Then he reached up and did the buzzer twice. It's possible he is understanding more than he can respond to!! Sunday is our quiet day. Dad worked to exercise Paul and then later in the day they were able to go outside for fresh air. While they were outside near the emergency room there was an ambulance leaving. Dad said "noisy huh?" and Paul nodded his head. Then another ambulance on the other side of him started up his engine and Paul turned his head to watch them pull out. Then Dad decided to have a change of scenery so they went to the garden in the front of the hospital. Dad saw birds and said "do you see the birds over to the left?" and Paul nodded his head. Then he said "there is a couple of them in the tree" and Paul looked up to see them!! Later they went to the patio outside of the cafeteria. It is on the second floor of the hospital and there is a glass wall with a board trim on the top of it. If you look through the glass there was only a roof to look at and the wood trim was right above that. Dad said "you can't see anything can you?" and Paul shook his head "no". Sounds familiar huh? He was doing these kinds of things before the meds zonked him out. How wonderful it is to see him respond. Later in the evening his nurse came in to say goodbye for the night (and next few days) and he raised his left hand to wave at her!! We also now are seeing Paul move his arms and legs much more. Dad was able to work with Paul's left arm and get his hand all the way up to his chin ... three times!! Monday we get back into the weekday routine. Dad missed ADL today but the therapist said he was doing really good. He was reaching for his clothes and raised his leg to put his pants on before she asked him to. He also reached for the washcloth before she was ready to put it in his hand. PT went really good today. Paul worked with less assistance while used the walker. He didn't go as far but he did better. He held his head up and looked at Dad the whole time he was walking. The Speech therapist mostly worked with swallowing and exercising his tongue and cheeks. She tried to get him to lick a spoon but he wouldn't do it. She tried to reach and grab his tongue to get it to come out. He pulls his tongue back from her. But later she saw him lick his lips ... she knows he CAN do it. The Speech therapist told the doctor that the swallowing action seems to be almost completely absent and she feels that it is drug related but she told the him that Paul is doing so much better in so many other things that she doesn't want him to change any meds. Later in the afternoon Dad took Paul outside. They were sitting under the pavilion (near the emergency room) and Dad asked Paul if he wanted him to move the wheelchair into the sun. He said "if you want me to move you all you have to do it hold your thumb up". He took his hand and showed him how to do it. Then he asked him again and Paul just sat there with his thumb tucked in, but when he asked "do you want to go back to the room?" he turned his hand up and gave him a "thumbs up". Tonight we had a visitor ... Uncle Jimmy came by. Every time Uncle Jimmy talked to Paul he looked up at him and paid attention. Then when Uncle Jimmy was leaving he said "next time I see you it will be at your house" and Paul got a big smile on his face. Later Dad & Paul were watching a funny commercial where the husband was fixing tiles in the bathroom with a deer head. Dad asked Paul if he would put a deer head in the shower and Paul smiled!! I saved the best for last ... when Tabby called the hospital tonight to get an update on how the day went she told Dad to tell Paul she loved him. Dad suggested she talk to Paul and held the phone to his ear. She said "hey babe" and HE made a noise that sounded like "hi". It is the first time he has made noise with his voice that appeared that he was trying to say something. Tuesday the hospital bed will be delivered. We are almost ready for Paul to come home on Thursday. It seems a shame that Paul is finally doing well in therapy just in time to go home! But we are hopeful that he will do even better in his own environment!! It appears that God has orchestrated things that make us more ready for Paul to come home. Our prayers have been answered over and over ... God is so good!!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Paul's Update - 03/31/06
Hi all, this e-mail coming to you courtesy of Bobby, as mom is out of town ... again ... o here we go.
Most of the details in this report have been taken through third party information (through Dad, I couldn't make it up there today)
Sound like we had a real good day today. Paul kept his head up ALL DAY today. He typically slouches or hangs his head especiallly when concentrating on some physical task (or on just about anything that takes his focus away from holding his head up).
He seems to still be having trouble with his vision on the right side. He's able to track things from left to right, but not from right to left. ("track things" refers to an object being passed through his field of vision. "Tracking" can be done either by just the eyes, and/or by turning the head to follow the object as it passes through the visual field.). When presented with two objects (his hat, and a cup) he was able to look at the object requested, but only when the object was held up higher than the non requested item (i.e. he could look at his hat, but only when it was held up higher than the cup).
OT (occupational Therapy) worked with him on moving into a sitting position. From a sitting position they would lay him onto his side and have him lift himself back into a sitting position. This is a little more complicated than it sounds (try it). He apparently did pretty good with it, even using his right arm (the weaker arm) to push himself up at one point.
PT (Physical Therapy) worked on trying to relax the upper arm and shoulder muscles. He was able to raise his shoulders (in kind of a shrugging motion) up to nearly ear level (which is about normal, I know, your're trying it, I'll wait ...)
It looks like things are set for him to come home on the 6th (that's this Thursday). I personally wanted to thank everyone that's helped out on helping get the house ready for him. I don't want to forget anyone (and I would), so I'll just say you know who you are. We are almost finished, just a few more details (paint this, move that, clean up, install bathroom fixtures, etc.) and we'll be all set. I'm not sure who all will be here this weekend, but anyone wanting to help should e-mail Tabby at tabitha.johnson@comcast.net
The pending court case for "Failure to Yeild" is this Wednesday. I believe this will probably only be where she enters a guilty/not guilty plea as to my knowledge, no witnesses have been contacted. We will keep everybody posted.
Well, that about sums up the day. I'm not sure how long mom is out of town as I only just found out prior to this e-mail that she was gone (I really should stay in touch more)
Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
-----Bobby
Most of the details in this report have been taken through third party information (through Dad, I couldn't make it up there today)
Sound like we had a real good day today. Paul kept his head up ALL DAY today. He typically slouches or hangs his head especiallly when concentrating on some physical task (or on just about anything that takes his focus away from holding his head up).
He seems to still be having trouble with his vision on the right side. He's able to track things from left to right, but not from right to left. ("track things" refers to an object being passed through his field of vision. "Tracking" can be done either by just the eyes, and/or by turning the head to follow the object as it passes through the visual field.). When presented with two objects (his hat, and a cup) he was able to look at the object requested, but only when the object was held up higher than the non requested item (i.e. he could look at his hat, but only when it was held up higher than the cup).
OT (occupational Therapy) worked with him on moving into a sitting position. From a sitting position they would lay him onto his side and have him lift himself back into a sitting position. This is a little more complicated than it sounds (try it). He apparently did pretty good with it, even using his right arm (the weaker arm) to push himself up at one point.
PT (Physical Therapy) worked on trying to relax the upper arm and shoulder muscles. He was able to raise his shoulders (in kind of a shrugging motion) up to nearly ear level (which is about normal, I know, your're trying it, I'll wait ...)
It looks like things are set for him to come home on the 6th (that's this Thursday). I personally wanted to thank everyone that's helped out on helping get the house ready for him. I don't want to forget anyone (and I would), so I'll just say you know who you are. We are almost finished, just a few more details (paint this, move that, clean up, install bathroom fixtures, etc.) and we'll be all set. I'm not sure who all will be here this weekend, but anyone wanting to help should e-mail Tabby at tabitha.johnson@comcast.net
The pending court case for "Failure to Yeild" is this Wednesday. I believe this will probably only be where she enters a guilty/not guilty plea as to my knowledge, no witnesses have been contacted. We will keep everybody posted.
Well, that about sums up the day. I'm not sure how long mom is out of town as I only just found out prior to this e-mail that she was gone (I really should stay in touch more)
Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
-----Bobby
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Paul's Update - 03/30/06
Dear Friends:
Well ... today wasn't as good as yesterday but Paul had a fairly good day. When Dad & I arrived today Paul was already dressed and in his wheelchair working with the speech therapist who came in at 8:00 am. She was almost done. She said that Paul wouldn't swallow the popsicle today but he reached for it with his tongue. He is doing a bit better at controlling his tongue but we still have lots of work to do on swallowing. He had a good strong blow on the whistle today though. He wouldn't use the bell today and only did the buzzer some of the time. He wasn't able to answer any questions but when Dad told him to push it three times he did that. She worked to massage his tongue and cheeks a bit. OT was at 9:00 am. This was the same time that we were scheduled to meet with the lady from Brain Injury Services (BIS). The therapist took Paul to the therapy room while Dad & I talked to the BIS representative. She got lots of info from us and said that they can assign a case manager that will help us to understand what services are available in the area that deal specifically with brain injury patients etc. First their review board will meet the second Tuesday in April to see if Paul qualifies for their services and determine how soon he can be assigned to a case worker. Hopefully they will recommend him right away so we will have someone to help us when he comes home. The OT said that Paul did OK today until he was tired of her moving his arm. PT was at 11:00 am and we had another substitute today. She started by sitting him on the therapy bench and stretching his back and shoulder muscles. He did really good holding his head up today. They walked about 40 feet but he didn't help much ... he was probably tired since he'd been up since about 7:30 am. When therapy was done we took him to his room and back into bed to rest for a bit. Dad & I went to lunch. After lunch we took Paul outside for a walk around the hospital grounds. There are horses on a farm across from the hospital so we crossed the road so he could see them. When asked if he saw the horses he nodded his head "yes". We sat outside in the little garden for a bit and listened to the airplanes and birds. There was a gentle breeze and Paul stayed awake and held his head up during the whole outing!! This evening the nurse came in and instructed Dad & Me (mostly Dad) how to do Bolus feeding through the feed tube. This feeding is five times a day instead of a constant feed at night. This is more like a regular feeding schedule that most of us have and the body does well with. He had his first feeding today and held it down really well. The doctor had increased the muscle relaxer last night and also started Paul on the new medicine that is used for Parkinson's patients. This is suppose to help wake him up more. He seems to be doing OK with both of these changes but we will see over the next few days. Friday Paul will have four therapy sessions. The OT wants to do more ADL sessions since Paul does so well with them. I suspect that is what is going to happen ... the schedule actually says ... Speech-10:00am, OT-11:00 am, PT-1:00 pm & OT again at 3:00 pm. That makes for a long day but Paul has been staying awake most of the day anyway. Over the weekend Tabby plans to work on the house again. She needs to do ...
1) Painting in Kitchen Area and Stairway. Painting Ceiling, Trim, and Walls. It's a bit difficult especially with the Ceiling and Trim; 2) Installation of Exterior Door. (Concrete Entry Way) This is out of our expertise and she will need someone who will know what type and size door to buy; 3) Installation of Interior Door for Downstairs Bathroom. (30" Rough In); 4) If we can have the bedroom door switched around, that would be quite helpful too. (That's a time and volunteer issue.); 5) Cleaning the house ... there is lots of drywall dust all over the house.
If you would like to help ... Please email me and we can get you Tabby's phone number. It would also be good if you send a contact phone number for her in case she finds that she already has enough help and needs to contact you so you don't waste a trip. Paul's still scheduled to come home next Thursday and it will be nice to have the house completely ready. Next week will be a whirlwind of activity getting all the medical equipment delivered and beginning to work with the agency that will coordinate Paul's in-home care needs. Please also keep us in prayer as we prepare for all the changes!!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
Well ... today wasn't as good as yesterday but Paul had a fairly good day. When Dad & I arrived today Paul was already dressed and in his wheelchair working with the speech therapist who came in at 8:00 am. She was almost done. She said that Paul wouldn't swallow the popsicle today but he reached for it with his tongue. He is doing a bit better at controlling his tongue but we still have lots of work to do on swallowing. He had a good strong blow on the whistle today though. He wouldn't use the bell today and only did the buzzer some of the time. He wasn't able to answer any questions but when Dad told him to push it three times he did that. She worked to massage his tongue and cheeks a bit. OT was at 9:00 am. This was the same time that we were scheduled to meet with the lady from Brain Injury Services (BIS). The therapist took Paul to the therapy room while Dad & I talked to the BIS representative. She got lots of info from us and said that they can assign a case manager that will help us to understand what services are available in the area that deal specifically with brain injury patients etc. First their review board will meet the second Tuesday in April to see if Paul qualifies for their services and determine how soon he can be assigned to a case worker. Hopefully they will recommend him right away so we will have someone to help us when he comes home. The OT said that Paul did OK today until he was tired of her moving his arm. PT was at 11:00 am and we had another substitute today. She started by sitting him on the therapy bench and stretching his back and shoulder muscles. He did really good holding his head up today. They walked about 40 feet but he didn't help much ... he was probably tired since he'd been up since about 7:30 am. When therapy was done we took him to his room and back into bed to rest for a bit. Dad & I went to lunch. After lunch we took Paul outside for a walk around the hospital grounds. There are horses on a farm across from the hospital so we crossed the road so he could see them. When asked if he saw the horses he nodded his head "yes". We sat outside in the little garden for a bit and listened to the airplanes and birds. There was a gentle breeze and Paul stayed awake and held his head up during the whole outing!! This evening the nurse came in and instructed Dad & Me (mostly Dad) how to do Bolus feeding through the feed tube. This feeding is five times a day instead of a constant feed at night. This is more like a regular feeding schedule that most of us have and the body does well with. He had his first feeding today and held it down really well. The doctor had increased the muscle relaxer last night and also started Paul on the new medicine that is used for Parkinson's patients. This is suppose to help wake him up more. He seems to be doing OK with both of these changes but we will see over the next few days. Friday Paul will have four therapy sessions. The OT wants to do more ADL sessions since Paul does so well with them. I suspect that is what is going to happen ... the schedule actually says ... Speech-10:00am, OT-11:00 am, PT-1:00 pm & OT again at 3:00 pm. That makes for a long day but Paul has been staying awake most of the day anyway. Over the weekend Tabby plans to work on the house again. She needs to do ...
1) Painting in Kitchen Area and Stairway. Painting Ceiling, Trim, and Walls. It's a bit difficult especially with the Ceiling and Trim; 2) Installation of Exterior Door. (Concrete Entry Way) This is out of our expertise and she will need someone who will know what type and size door to buy; 3) Installation of Interior Door for Downstairs Bathroom. (30" Rough In); 4) If we can have the bedroom door switched around, that would be quite helpful too. (That's a time and volunteer issue.); 5) Cleaning the house ... there is lots of drywall dust all over the house.
If you would like to help ... Please email me and we can get you Tabby's phone number. It would also be good if you send a contact phone number for her in case she finds that she already has enough help and needs to contact you so you don't waste a trip. Paul's still scheduled to come home next Thursday and it will be nice to have the house completely ready. Next week will be a whirlwind of activity getting all the medical equipment delivered and beginning to work with the agency that will coordinate Paul's in-home care needs. Please also keep us in prayer as we prepare for all the changes!!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
Life
| This Is My Life, Rated | |
| Life: |  7 |
| Mind: |  7.9 |
| Body: |  5.3 |
| Spirit: | 7.6 |
| Friends/Family: | 7.8 |
| Love: | 7.3 |
| Finance: | 5.4 |
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Paul's Update - 03/29/06
Dear Friends:
Paul was VERY alert today. It seems like the change in medicines has been a good course! Dad & I missed ADL this morning since it was scheduled for 8:00 am. Dad went to Tabby's house first thing to work sanding the drywall and I had a physical therapy appointment at 9:00 am. Dad got to the hospital at 9:30 am. The pastor came shortly after Dad got there. The speech therapist came at 10:00 because of a change in the schedule (she was suppose to come at 1:00 pm). He did even better than yesterday. She started with ice chips, he took them but wasn't able to swallow. He was holding his head up really good today. She got him to wave to her. He did that twice. He was ABLE to ring the bell today. He picked it up in his hand and used his index finger to ring it. She gave him the buzzer and he squeezed it but didn't want to let go. She finally got him to work it correctly but when she asked him "yes" questions he had some trouble with it. She still thinks it is worthy of more work since he seems to understand what to do but has a hard time getting it transferred to correct actions. She also worked with exercising his tongue. PT was at 11:00 am. The representative from the wheelchair company came and worked to get an order for a custom wheelchair. It will probably take about 6-8 weeks for his chair to be ready but he now has a "loaner" chair to go home with. He stayed awake and alert through most of this. After we got done with that Dad & I got him into a flannel jacket and took him outside for a walk. He was getting pretty tired but we stayed out for about 50 minutes. He was back in the bed around 2:45 pm. Dad put on the History channel and he watched it quite a bit. He also has some "old friends" keeping him company. Yesterday Tabby brought his two of his toys that were at the hospital with him. He use to play with them a lot and we are hoping they will encourage him to move his arms more. The doctor came in tonight and talked to Dad. He is pleased to see Paul be so alert. He is going to try to increase the new muscle relaxer a bit again. He also wants to try a new drug that is used for Parkinson's patients. His hope is it will make Paul even more alert. Dad also asked him if we can start giving Paul feedings three times a day instead of the slow feeding all night. He is going to think about that and maybe we can start that before we take Paul home next week. Thursday Dad & I will meet with a representative from Brain Injury Services. I hope she will be able to give us information about services that will be helpful when we go home. I think we are all starting to be anxious (and as ready as we can be at this point) to bring him home. We look forward the possibility that he will do better in his own environment! Keep praying ... God has been faithful to us and I know he will work out everything for the changes ahead!
God Bless, Lynne & Carl
Paul was VERY alert today. It seems like the change in medicines has been a good course! Dad & I missed ADL this morning since it was scheduled for 8:00 am. Dad went to Tabby's house first thing to work sanding the drywall and I had a physical therapy appointment at 9:00 am. Dad got to the hospital at 9:30 am. The pastor came shortly after Dad got there. The speech therapist came at 10:00 because of a change in the schedule (she was suppose to come at 1:00 pm). He did even better than yesterday. She started with ice chips, he took them but wasn't able to swallow. He was holding his head up really good today. She got him to wave to her. He did that twice. He was ABLE to ring the bell today. He picked it up in his hand and used his index finger to ring it. She gave him the buzzer and he squeezed it but didn't want to let go. She finally got him to work it correctly but when she asked him "yes" questions he had some trouble with it. She still thinks it is worthy of more work since he seems to understand what to do but has a hard time getting it transferred to correct actions. She also worked with exercising his tongue. PT was at 11:00 am. The representative from the wheelchair company came and worked to get an order for a custom wheelchair. It will probably take about 6-8 weeks for his chair to be ready but he now has a "loaner" chair to go home with. He stayed awake and alert through most of this. After we got done with that Dad & I got him into a flannel jacket and took him outside for a walk. He was getting pretty tired but we stayed out for about 50 minutes. He was back in the bed around 2:45 pm. Dad put on the History channel and he watched it quite a bit. He also has some "old friends" keeping him company. Yesterday Tabby brought his two of his toys that were at the hospital with him. He use to play with them a lot and we are hoping they will encourage him to move his arms more. The doctor came in tonight and talked to Dad. He is pleased to see Paul be so alert. He is going to try to increase the new muscle relaxer a bit again. He also wants to try a new drug that is used for Parkinson's patients. His hope is it will make Paul even more alert. Dad also asked him if we can start giving Paul feedings three times a day instead of the slow feeding all night. He is going to think about that and maybe we can start that before we take Paul home next week. Thursday Dad & I will meet with a representative from Brain Injury Services. I hope she will be able to give us information about services that will be helpful when we go home. I think we are all starting to be anxious (and as ready as we can be at this point) to bring him home. We look forward the possibility that he will do better in his own environment! Keep praying ... God has been faithful to us and I know he will work out everything for the changes ahead!
God Bless, Lynne & Carl
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
What Color?
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Paul's Update - 03/28/06
Dear Friends:
Today was Mom's day with Paul. Dad spent the day working at Paul & Tabby's house doing drywall spackling. The walls should be ready to paint by Wednesday evening! I arrived at the hospital around 8:30. The nurse's aid was just coming in to dress Paul so he'd be ready for OT at 9:00. He was awake and ready. OT came, got him out of bed and took him to the therapy room. She worked on his arms mostly today. His right arm is getting stronger and he is able to use it a little more. The left arm is still stiff but he tries hard to use it (even to the point of pain!). Once we got back to the room Paul stayed in the wheelchair for a bit until time for PT. When the therapist came in we were able to go right down to the gym. It was pretty busy in there but they were able to get him up and walk. He walked about ten feet and then they had to turn around to walk the ten feet back with the Swedish walker. Then she wanted to try walking him with a person on each side holding him up under his armpits. He took several steps and actually did a little better without the walker. The last thing she did was to have him practice standing up and rocking from side to side to exercise his hips. Speech was at 1:00 pm. We had a substitute today and she will be there again tomorrow. She was following instructions from the regular therapist. She started with the bell ... he really couldn't do that. He would extend his arm and hand to ring it but he doesn't have enough "snap" to ring it. She gave him the buzzer and he immediately pushed the button but then he didn't let go. She worked with that for a while and he finally got the hang of it. She asked him several of the same questions as yesterday. He only got two of them right today. He was able to get about 5 small ice chips which he really wanted and he did pretty good with them. He swallowed most of it (with a little encouragement). She was able to get him to lift his left hand to touch hers about 6 inches up. I think speech went really well. Tabby was able to come to the hospital tonight and stay until the end of visiting hours. She has been so busy with the house that she hasn't been able to get there until after 9:00 pm so she hasn't been there for several days. The doctor came in this evening and confirmed that he stopped the indigestion med last night and was pleased to see that the hiccupping wasn't worse today. Tomorrow the nurse will give Paul some Tylenol prior to therapy to see if that enables him to move a bit better with less pain. We will also do the measuring for Paul's wheelchair at 11:00 am tomorrow. It is starting to look like we are almost prepared to bring Paul home next Thursday. The nurses and doctors will meet tomorrow and analyze how Paul is doing but we are doubtful that they will change the expected release date. I think God has worked out a lot of things for our preparation. Extra time, volunteers to help get the house ready, less meds, a chance to talk to someone from Brain Injury Services on Thursday. Lots of evidence that God is in charge and is answering our prayers! Our God is so faithful to us!
Have a great day, Lynne & Carl
Today was Mom's day with Paul. Dad spent the day working at Paul & Tabby's house doing drywall spackling. The walls should be ready to paint by Wednesday evening! I arrived at the hospital around 8:30. The nurse's aid was just coming in to dress Paul so he'd be ready for OT at 9:00. He was awake and ready. OT came, got him out of bed and took him to the therapy room. She worked on his arms mostly today. His right arm is getting stronger and he is able to use it a little more. The left arm is still stiff but he tries hard to use it (even to the point of pain!). Once we got back to the room Paul stayed in the wheelchair for a bit until time for PT. When the therapist came in we were able to go right down to the gym. It was pretty busy in there but they were able to get him up and walk. He walked about ten feet and then they had to turn around to walk the ten feet back with the Swedish walker. Then she wanted to try walking him with a person on each side holding him up under his armpits. He took several steps and actually did a little better without the walker. The last thing she did was to have him practice standing up and rocking from side to side to exercise his hips. Speech was at 1:00 pm. We had a substitute today and she will be there again tomorrow. She was following instructions from the regular therapist. She started with the bell ... he really couldn't do that. He would extend his arm and hand to ring it but he doesn't have enough "snap" to ring it. She gave him the buzzer and he immediately pushed the button but then he didn't let go. She worked with that for a while and he finally got the hang of it. She asked him several of the same questions as yesterday. He only got two of them right today. He was able to get about 5 small ice chips which he really wanted and he did pretty good with them. He swallowed most of it (with a little encouragement). She was able to get him to lift his left hand to touch hers about 6 inches up. I think speech went really well. Tabby was able to come to the hospital tonight and stay until the end of visiting hours. She has been so busy with the house that she hasn't been able to get there until after 9:00 pm so she hasn't been there for several days. The doctor came in this evening and confirmed that he stopped the indigestion med last night and was pleased to see that the hiccupping wasn't worse today. Tomorrow the nurse will give Paul some Tylenol prior to therapy to see if that enables him to move a bit better with less pain. We will also do the measuring for Paul's wheelchair at 11:00 am tomorrow. It is starting to look like we are almost prepared to bring Paul home next Thursday. The nurses and doctors will meet tomorrow and analyze how Paul is doing but we are doubtful that they will change the expected release date. I think God has worked out a lot of things for our preparation. Extra time, volunteers to help get the house ready, less meds, a chance to talk to someone from Brain Injury Services on Thursday. Lots of evidence that God is in charge and is answering our prayers! Our God is so faithful to us!
Have a great day, Lynne & Carl
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Kegling Tales -- Day 6
The 2006 excursion continued another day. We drove down through New Orleans where we saw a lot of people rummaging through debris piles and then along the Mississippi Coast where we saw quite a bit of damage with lots of construction or demolition as we drove through. Maybe why we didn't see more hurricane type damage in New Orleans was because the city sat so low that the storm blew over the top of it and only the levees were hit hardest resulting in the massive flooding. The Mississippi Coast was a mess with most houses within a half mile of the coast completely gone and those within a mile heavily damaged. Of course the Casino's had the most workers employed and seemed to have the heaviest equipment. But all along US 90 it was evident the average resident were working fast and furious to get back to normal lives. I honestly couldn't say that about what I saw in New Orleans. From my viewpoint, the flood damage was the biggest problem there in New Orleans. Everywhere else we saw hurricane damage (wind, water, tornado, and tree). Yes some of the towns were small compared to New Orleans. But if the town only had 15 buildings and all of them were leveled or only had a slab left, I would consider that devastation. While New Orleans is the bigger town and usually gets the lion’s share of the money, what I saw elsewhere was far worse and deserves better coverage.
I saw worse roof damage in Mississippi than what I saw on the Superdome. From the media reports I had the impression it was about to fall down. Perhaps what was hidden from us was that the worse damage to the Superdome was inside and not outside. Not storm damage but occupant damage. They plan to open in September for the Saints – Falcons game. I wish someone would tell the residents of Foley TX., Grand Chenier LA., Cameron LA., Gulfport MS., Biloxi MS., and Pirates Cove LA., that they would be back to normal this fall.
I know some will disagree with me but I believe someone with a flooded home is a bit better off than someone standing there looking at a bare concrete slab with all your belongings scattered all over the country side. We saw several homes in New Orleans where they removed everything down to the studs and were letting them dry out. At least they still had something to start from and could salvage something even if it was minimal.
Oh, I love how New Orleans deals with cars you don't want. They abandon them on the interstate and let the vandals or fire turn them into scrap for the city to remove. I know some will say they are storm cars. But storm cars are covered with a dirty brown coat of mud and these cars weren't even dirty. I wish I had kept count of just how many I did see but it would be close to 2 dozen and sometimes there were 2 or 3 close by. Yes, I realize the tags were gone but if they ran the VIN number they would find the registered owner. Then ticket them and fine them the cost of removal. A few $1000 fines or 30 days in jail and a suspended driver’s license would get their attention. But then again Whiney Ray wouldn't let that happen.
On a humorous note .. One little town that was almost totally destroyed had this sign posted as you entered .. Chocolate City? Kiss my Ass!
For you Southerners, Jeff Davis' house though damaged withstood the storm when the other antebellum and modern homes were blown away in a cloud of splinters. Long Live the South and our day will come. :)
I saw worse roof damage in Mississippi than what I saw on the Superdome. From the media reports I had the impression it was about to fall down. Perhaps what was hidden from us was that the worse damage to the Superdome was inside and not outside. Not storm damage but occupant damage. They plan to open in September for the Saints – Falcons game. I wish someone would tell the residents of Foley TX., Grand Chenier LA., Cameron LA., Gulfport MS., Biloxi MS., and Pirates Cove LA., that they would be back to normal this fall.
I know some will disagree with me but I believe someone with a flooded home is a bit better off than someone standing there looking at a bare concrete slab with all your belongings scattered all over the country side. We saw several homes in New Orleans where they removed everything down to the studs and were letting them dry out. At least they still had something to start from and could salvage something even if it was minimal.
Oh, I love how New Orleans deals with cars you don't want. They abandon them on the interstate and let the vandals or fire turn them into scrap for the city to remove. I know some will say they are storm cars. But storm cars are covered with a dirty brown coat of mud and these cars weren't even dirty. I wish I had kept count of just how many I did see but it would be close to 2 dozen and sometimes there were 2 or 3 close by. Yes, I realize the tags were gone but if they ran the VIN number they would find the registered owner. Then ticket them and fine them the cost of removal. A few $1000 fines or 30 days in jail and a suspended driver’s license would get their attention. But then again Whiney Ray wouldn't let that happen.
On a humorous note .. One little town that was almost totally destroyed had this sign posted as you entered .. Chocolate City? Kiss my Ass!
For you Southerners, Jeff Davis' house though damaged withstood the storm when the other antebellum and modern homes were blown away in a cloud of splinters. Long Live the South and our day will come. :)
Paul's Update - 03/27/06
Dear Friends:
Today started a little rocky. Dad arrived to find that the nurses had been very busy this morning and Paul hadn't been dressed or gotten up yet. OT was scheduled for 9:00 am so the therapist helped Dad get Paul ready. She got him in the bathroom and helped him get cleaned up. The therapist got him to take the lid off his deodorant and he (with help) applied it to his underarm. It appeared that his arm felt better today. Speech was at 11:00 am. He blew his whistle today. She attempted to get him to eat pudding but he wouldn't even try to eat it. She had to suction it back out of his mouth. She tried a popsicle and he bit off a chunk and chewed it a bit but wouldn't swallow it. She tried to get him to ring a bell, he could reach it but he couldn't push it fast enough to make it ring. She changed to the buzzer and told him to respond with one buzz for "yes" answers. She asked him "Is your name Paul?" he pushed the buzzer, "Is your dad here?". he pushed it, "are you married?" ... he pushed it. Then she asked him "Do you live in Texas?" he didn't push the button and then "Do you live in Virginia?" and he didn't push the button. This seemed disappointing but then she asked him again "Is your name Paul?" and he pushed the button. She said that she will continue to work on this activity. At 12:00, when speech was done, Dad got him back in the bed to rest before PT. Dad went to lunch and when he came back there were four Fairfax County Police officers at the nurses station. The motor squad had come to visit Paul (he used to do the setups on the Fairfax County Motorcycles). They brought him a ball cap from the Fairfax County Motormen. How cool is that? Dad got a chance to talk to them and told them Paul's story. PT was at 1:00 pm. They got him up to walk and he seemed to do a little better today!! Wednesday the wheelchair company will come to measure Paul for his wheelchair. It will take about 4-6 weeks for the wheelchair to be custom built. The doctor came in and said he will discontinue another medicine (it keeps the food flowing in the right direction to help prevent indigestion) since it causes drowsiness. The changes he has made so far seem to help Paul stay more alert. The remainder of the day was restful but he seemed alert. He spent time watching TV with Dad. He is exhibiting more sounds ... mostly moaning sounds but this is exercise for his vocal cords. The construction company came to the house today and poured the concrete for the ramp. Tabby seemed pleased with the work. Dad will go back to the house to do some more drywall work on Tuesday. I will spend the day with Paul.
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
P.S. I started my physical therapy for my shoulder today and will go a couple of time a week for a while. It seems to feel much better but therapy will loosen up the tendons in my shoulder.
Today started a little rocky. Dad arrived to find that the nurses had been very busy this morning and Paul hadn't been dressed or gotten up yet. OT was scheduled for 9:00 am so the therapist helped Dad get Paul ready. She got him in the bathroom and helped him get cleaned up. The therapist got him to take the lid off his deodorant and he (with help) applied it to his underarm. It appeared that his arm felt better today. Speech was at 11:00 am. He blew his whistle today. She attempted to get him to eat pudding but he wouldn't even try to eat it. She had to suction it back out of his mouth. She tried a popsicle and he bit off a chunk and chewed it a bit but wouldn't swallow it. She tried to get him to ring a bell, he could reach it but he couldn't push it fast enough to make it ring. She changed to the buzzer and told him to respond with one buzz for "yes" answers. She asked him "Is your name Paul?" he pushed the buzzer, "Is your dad here?". he pushed it, "are you married?" ... he pushed it. Then she asked him "Do you live in Texas?" he didn't push the button and then "Do you live in Virginia?" and he didn't push the button. This seemed disappointing but then she asked him again "Is your name Paul?" and he pushed the button. She said that she will continue to work on this activity. At 12:00, when speech was done, Dad got him back in the bed to rest before PT. Dad went to lunch and when he came back there were four Fairfax County Police officers at the nurses station. The motor squad had come to visit Paul (he used to do the setups on the Fairfax County Motorcycles). They brought him a ball cap from the Fairfax County Motormen. How cool is that? Dad got a chance to talk to them and told them Paul's story. PT was at 1:00 pm. They got him up to walk and he seemed to do a little better today!! Wednesday the wheelchair company will come to measure Paul for his wheelchair. It will take about 4-6 weeks for the wheelchair to be custom built. The doctor came in and said he will discontinue another medicine (it keeps the food flowing in the right direction to help prevent indigestion) since it causes drowsiness. The changes he has made so far seem to help Paul stay more alert. The remainder of the day was restful but he seemed alert. He spent time watching TV with Dad. He is exhibiting more sounds ... mostly moaning sounds but this is exercise for his vocal cords. The construction company came to the house today and poured the concrete for the ramp. Tabby seemed pleased with the work. Dad will go back to the house to do some more drywall work on Tuesday. I will spend the day with Paul.
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
P.S. I started my physical therapy for my shoulder today and will go a couple of time a week for a while. It seems to feel much better but therapy will loosen up the tendons in my shoulder.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Paul's Update - 03/26/06
Dear Friends:
Sundays as you know are pretty quiet. Our day of rest!! Carolyn & Alysa were at the hospital when I got there at about 2:15pm. Dad was at Paul & Tabby's house again today to work on drywall some more. It is coming along very well. Monday will probably be the day that the Construction company is coming to start the forms for the ramp. They promised Tabby that the ramp WILL be done before he comes home on April 6. Paul was awake and alert when I arrived. Since there is no therapy on Sunday we worked a bit on encouraging him to swallow. Carolyn gave him a sponge with some Starburst Fruit Smoothie drink ... (don't tell the speech therapist ... it's a secret ... LOL) He seemed to like it. She tried to put the sponge stick in Paul's left hand to see if he could get it to his mouth by himself. He tried real hard but cannot quite get it to his mouth. He gets within about six inches ... but his arm is still pretty stiff. I spent some time today just moving his left arm in small circular motions. I didn't force it to move enough to hurt and was able to get a little bending movement from the elbow. The exciting part of the day was when I was working to get him to swallow ... I told him to close his mouth and swallow and he closed his lips ... then he stuck his tongue out and licked his bottom lip. This is exciting because the therapist has been working hard to get him to do just that!!! He only did it once but that is a start! Later in the evening we had the TV on and Paul was watching the Ice Skating World Finals (he was indulging me ... LOL) Then I put on the History channel for him. They had a story about Cleopatra and he seemed to be very interested in it. He watched most of the 1/2 hour program. When I left at 9pm he was sleeping. The medicines that he started a few days ago seem to make him more alert and awake most of the day ... hopefully that means that he will sleep all night! Monday I will start physical therapy for my shoulder. Amazingly it feels much better today. Thanks for your prayer!!
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Sundays as you know are pretty quiet. Our day of rest!! Carolyn & Alysa were at the hospital when I got there at about 2:15pm. Dad was at Paul & Tabby's house again today to work on drywall some more. It is coming along very well. Monday will probably be the day that the Construction company is coming to start the forms for the ramp. They promised Tabby that the ramp WILL be done before he comes home on April 6. Paul was awake and alert when I arrived. Since there is no therapy on Sunday we worked a bit on encouraging him to swallow. Carolyn gave him a sponge with some Starburst Fruit Smoothie drink ... (don't tell the speech therapist ... it's a secret ... LOL) He seemed to like it. She tried to put the sponge stick in Paul's left hand to see if he could get it to his mouth by himself. He tried real hard but cannot quite get it to his mouth. He gets within about six inches ... but his arm is still pretty stiff. I spent some time today just moving his left arm in small circular motions. I didn't force it to move enough to hurt and was able to get a little bending movement from the elbow. The exciting part of the day was when I was working to get him to swallow ... I told him to close his mouth and swallow and he closed his lips ... then he stuck his tongue out and licked his bottom lip. This is exciting because the therapist has been working hard to get him to do just that!!! He only did it once but that is a start! Later in the evening we had the TV on and Paul was watching the Ice Skating World Finals (he was indulging me ... LOL) Then I put on the History channel for him. They had a story about Cleopatra and he seemed to be very interested in it. He watched most of the 1/2 hour program. When I left at 9pm he was sleeping. The medicines that he started a few days ago seem to make him more alert and awake most of the day ... hopefully that means that he will sleep all night! Monday I will start physical therapy for my shoulder. Amazingly it feels much better today. Thanks for your prayer!!
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Kegling Tales -- Day 5
Homeward bound! We took the scenic route up the southeast coast of Texas so we could see the Gulf of Mexico most of the time. What we did see is a lot of Hurricane Rita damage. Several things amazed me today, especially the amount of damage from the "other" hurricane. For every house we saw standing and heavily damaged we saw 7-10 slabs where the original had been. We did not see any house undamaged except for the new ones already built. I didn't realize that from Sabine Pass TX. to where we turned north to go to Lafayette La., some 150 miles, that everything was gone or destroyed. No gas stations, restaurants or businesses. Three little towns we rode through were totally gone. Foley TX. was the heart breaker. I can't recall seeing one structure left except for the new trailers. The trailers were outnumbered 10 to 1 with yards of pilings where the house used to be. Only junk piles and stilts for the house that use to be there. In many cases the residents cleared the slab to park their camping trailer on. The only restrooms we saw were port-a-potties set out every now and then. It made me want to stop and offer some help after seeing the devastation. Barges right up against the road so if I wanted to pull off I couldn't. One house had one of its corners on the edge of the pavement. Numerous cars were half buried and others upside down and half buried. From the high-water marks in many places, I would have been 10' plus under water. Every school we passed was destroyed and one only left the foundation.
But the most dumbfounding part of this? We haven't been bombarded by the media of these peoples plight after Rita. All we have heard is the incessant whining by the pompous mayor and the ingrates of New Orleans. Those people just sit on their rotting porches and wait for FEMA and the Government to come do the work for them. Today, I saw real people out there cleaning, clearing, repairing and replacing what they had lost. I would say take the money and spent it on the Rita survivors and open the levee gates and wash the filth of New Orleans down the Mississippi. Sorry fish!
To those on the Southeast Coast of Texas and Western Louisiana affected by Rita, my hat is off to you and my prayers for a speedy recovery. To those in New Orleans affected by Katrina, Flush it!
Tomorrow we will continue our exodus home and pass through the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Highway 90.
But the most dumbfounding part of this? We haven't been bombarded by the media of these peoples plight after Rita. All we have heard is the incessant whining by the pompous mayor and the ingrates of New Orleans. Those people just sit on their rotting porches and wait for FEMA and the Government to come do the work for them. Today, I saw real people out there cleaning, clearing, repairing and replacing what they had lost. I would say take the money and spent it on the Rita survivors and open the levee gates and wash the filth of New Orleans down the Mississippi. Sorry fish!
To those on the Southeast Coast of Texas and Western Louisiana affected by Rita, my hat is off to you and my prayers for a speedy recovery. To those in New Orleans affected by Katrina, Flush it!
Tomorrow we will continue our exodus home and pass through the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Highway 90.
Paul's Update - 03/25/06
Dear Friends:
Friday was a really bad day for my shoulder but I'm feeling lots better. Thanks for your prayer for me as well as Paul!
Friday was a pretty good day for Paul. At least it started off pretty good. ADL started before Dad got there. She dressed and cleaned him up. He was awake the whole time and was looking up in the mirror while they worked to wash his face and brush his teeth. She managed to get him to spit the water out of his mouth. PT was good as well. He walked with assistance the length of the gym. They also worked to stretch him a little on the table mat. The regular speech therapist had to go out of town because of an illness in the family. A substitute came in that had never seen him. She didn't come in until after Paul had gotten his afternoon medicines. Of course ... he was tired after that. He didn't respond well to the therapist. Since she doesn't know him she was under the impression that he could only do "instinctive" movement. But she asked him to blink his eyes ... he did it which surprised her. He really wasn't interested in therapy at this point so the session was cut short. The doctor came in to see how things are going and was pleased that he had a pretty good day. I came to the hospital a little late in the day. Ronda brought me after we had lunch together. He responded to her when she came into the room. We managed to get a little smile out of him. Some things he really responds to!!
Saturday was a day for Bobby & I to spend with Paul. Dad was at the house helping Tabby and some friends work on the house. More work in the bathroom and kitchen to complete the drywall. Hopefully it will be done in a couple of days and be ready for paint. The ramp outside will be started on either Sunday or Monday. When Bobby & I got to the hospital Paul was dressed and awake. Speech therapy was at 9am. A substitute was in today. She had never worked with Paul but she managed to get him to pick up a ball and put it in a coffee cup (with a little coaching from big brother). He was slow getting started but he finally did it once really good and a second time with much coaching. She got him to blow his whistle about 10 times and he also blew a Kleenex from his face several times. She gave him a little grape popsicle and tried to get him to lick some pudding from his teeth. Mostly this encourages him to move his tongue but I think he really likes to get something that tastes good!! OT was a substitute therapist also. She worked on a table mat to stretch Paul's back, neck, arms and legs. He tolerated most of that well but the left arm causes immediate resistance since it hurts him. She was glad to see that he isn't very stiff and can help and respond to some of the things she was trying to do. There is only two therapy regimens on Saturday so the rest of the day was quiet but Paul was awake most of the day. He seems to tolerate the new medicines much better. Thank goodness!! It is good to see Paul respond a little better.
God Bless, Lynne & Carl
Friday was a really bad day for my shoulder but I'm feeling lots better. Thanks for your prayer for me as well as Paul!
Friday was a pretty good day for Paul. At least it started off pretty good. ADL started before Dad got there. She dressed and cleaned him up. He was awake the whole time and was looking up in the mirror while they worked to wash his face and brush his teeth. She managed to get him to spit the water out of his mouth. PT was good as well. He walked with assistance the length of the gym. They also worked to stretch him a little on the table mat. The regular speech therapist had to go out of town because of an illness in the family. A substitute came in that had never seen him. She didn't come in until after Paul had gotten his afternoon medicines. Of course ... he was tired after that. He didn't respond well to the therapist. Since she doesn't know him she was under the impression that he could only do "instinctive" movement. But she asked him to blink his eyes ... he did it which surprised her. He really wasn't interested in therapy at this point so the session was cut short. The doctor came in to see how things are going and was pleased that he had a pretty good day. I came to the hospital a little late in the day. Ronda brought me after we had lunch together. He responded to her when she came into the room. We managed to get a little smile out of him. Some things he really responds to!!
Saturday was a day for Bobby & I to spend with Paul. Dad was at the house helping Tabby and some friends work on the house. More work in the bathroom and kitchen to complete the drywall. Hopefully it will be done in a couple of days and be ready for paint. The ramp outside will be started on either Sunday or Monday. When Bobby & I got to the hospital Paul was dressed and awake. Speech therapy was at 9am. A substitute was in today. She had never worked with Paul but she managed to get him to pick up a ball and put it in a coffee cup (with a little coaching from big brother). He was slow getting started but he finally did it once really good and a second time with much coaching. She got him to blow his whistle about 10 times and he also blew a Kleenex from his face several times. She gave him a little grape popsicle and tried to get him to lick some pudding from his teeth. Mostly this encourages him to move his tongue but I think he really likes to get something that tastes good!! OT was a substitute therapist also. She worked on a table mat to stretch Paul's back, neck, arms and legs. He tolerated most of that well but the left arm causes immediate resistance since it hurts him. She was glad to see that he isn't very stiff and can help and respond to some of the things she was trying to do. There is only two therapy regimens on Saturday so the rest of the day was quiet but Paul was awake most of the day. He seems to tolerate the new medicines much better. Thank goodness!! It is good to see Paul respond a little better.
God Bless, Lynne & Carl
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Kegling Tales -- Day 4
Well, today was another good day while I didn't roll what I wanted too, I can rest knowing there was many below me. The lanes were tough and forced you to be very accurate. I haven't had so many of those "missed by a hair" in a long time.
I might have done better except keeping track of mom was interesting at the least. She dragged herself back to the room Saturday morning about 1:00 am. Then she slept till 11:00 am. Then to top it off when I ordered ice tea for lunch .. she ordered Long Island ice tea. Hmm, the wild one is letting loose. The rest of the day was spent exploring Corpus Christi. It looks to be a nice town from all that we could see.
I might have done better except keeping track of mom was interesting at the least. She dragged herself back to the room Saturday morning about 1:00 am. Then she slept till 11:00 am. Then to top it off when I ordered ice tea for lunch .. she ordered Long Island ice tea. Hmm, the wild one is letting loose. The rest of the day was spent exploring Corpus Christi. It looks to be a nice town from all that we could see.
Kegling Tales -- Day 3
Well, today was another beautiful day is south Texas. We rode along the coast for a bit looking at the Gulf of Mexico. Lunch was at restaurant built on a barge and tied up in the harbor in Corpus Christi. The food was good and we actually over ate. Bowling was fun but could have been better. As usual the play was slow and that isn't good for me. I like a fast pace so tomorrow's doubles and singles are more suited for me. I seem to score my best in that format. We bowled next to last years winners and it was evident why they won. Oh, to be 25 and full of energy and throw a ball 20+ miles per hour. Also every one of them carried 6 or more bowling balls to use. I did that for a while when I was younger but it is a real pain in the butt dragging 64 pounds of balls up and down the stairs. For now I will settle for 15 miles per hour and listen to the creaks and pops of our old bones. I didn't bowl what I wanted too but I sure had fun with my teammates from California. Also we bowled the late team shift and bowling at Midnight isn't normal. Well, it is 1:30 am and way past time to sleep and I need rest to get ready for tomorrows fun.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Paul's Update - 03/23/06
Dear Friends:
Unfortunately my shoulder has been hurting so bad by the end of the day that I cannot type. It appears that I have tendonitis in my right shoulder and will start physical therapy for that on Monday. So I apologize again for getting this message out late.
Paul had a pretty good day on Thursday. His medicine for muscle relaxing was changed to a new drug. This will hopefully be better and not make him so sleepy. Therapy started later today. Speech was at 11am. It went OK but Paul wasn't very interested in the buzzer machine. She asked him a question that took some thought and he didn't answer with the machine ... after that he wouldn't do it at all. She was able to get him to eat a little popsicle (he always enjoys that). I got to the hospital around 12:30 and Paul was wide awake. He seemed more alert. OT was at 1pm and he did pretty good. She had some trouble getting him started but when she laid him on his left side she got him alert and he was able to move his left arm a bit. He laid on that side for about 10 minutes. PT was at 1pm and the regular therapist worked with the girl that is the "wheelchair expert". She measured Paul while laying on the mat and then she got him in a sitting position so she could measure his upper body, arms & legs. Even though they didn't walk with him ... he got a workout anyway. They needed to have him sit up as tall as he could. That meant stretching his shoulders back & up along with holding his head up. The PT is going to set up an appointment with the wheelchair manufacturer to have a representative come and work with her to get the specs to order a chair. We will probably go home with a rental chair while his chair is being built. It appears that we are all having a little anxiety about the prospect of bringing Paul home. It is a new phase (again!) that we don't feel prepared for. We think Paul will probably do well being in his own environment but there is so much we don't feel prepared for. I'm so thankful for having such great friends & family as our support!! God has certainly provided for our need in that area!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
Unfortunately my shoulder has been hurting so bad by the end of the day that I cannot type. It appears that I have tendonitis in my right shoulder and will start physical therapy for that on Monday. So I apologize again for getting this message out late.
Paul had a pretty good day on Thursday. His medicine for muscle relaxing was changed to a new drug. This will hopefully be better and not make him so sleepy. Therapy started later today. Speech was at 11am. It went OK but Paul wasn't very interested in the buzzer machine. She asked him a question that took some thought and he didn't answer with the machine ... after that he wouldn't do it at all. She was able to get him to eat a little popsicle (he always enjoys that). I got to the hospital around 12:30 and Paul was wide awake. He seemed more alert. OT was at 1pm and he did pretty good. She had some trouble getting him started but when she laid him on his left side she got him alert and he was able to move his left arm a bit. He laid on that side for about 10 minutes. PT was at 1pm and the regular therapist worked with the girl that is the "wheelchair expert". She measured Paul while laying on the mat and then she got him in a sitting position so she could measure his upper body, arms & legs. Even though they didn't walk with him ... he got a workout anyway. They needed to have him sit up as tall as he could. That meant stretching his shoulders back & up along with holding his head up. The PT is going to set up an appointment with the wheelchair manufacturer to have a representative come and work with her to get the specs to order a chair. We will probably go home with a rental chair while his chair is being built. It appears that we are all having a little anxiety about the prospect of bringing Paul home. It is a new phase (again!) that we don't feel prepared for. We think Paul will probably do well being in his own environment but there is so much we don't feel prepared for. I'm so thankful for having such great friends & family as our support!! God has certainly provided for our need in that area!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
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