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Ok, Charles is doing great!  He is so excited about being given a date that he will be sent home. It was such a moral booster for him!

He said he even “slept in” this morning. One of his chief complaints since the second sedation in ICU has been his inability to get any sleep. Apparently, after 0500 vitals, he went back to sleep until breakfast was delivered at about 0730.

There are some modifications I need to do to the house so will be arranging for those to get done by Friday.

He will have a month of out patient rehab twice a week. He had  a choice of Health South or Conroe Regional, he chose Health South. We seem to remember Mom saying that she was pleased with them as that is where she rehab’d after both knee replacements.

He will need a wheelchair for when we go out, and a walker for around the house (and out) and a shower chair. Since we live in a manufactured house and the tub is not a standard size, I am taking measurements and seeing if the shower chair they want to sell him will work of if I need to customize one. I have Dennis’ old wheelchair so that is money saved, even though the insurance would pay for one, why spend the money? And my Dad is loaning Charles is walker so that is something else we don’t have to buy! I just need to go buy a new shower head for him so that he can sit and get his showers.

They are also discontinuing the dialysis completely! So long and the drugs keep helping him keep the fluids off, he will be good!

Now, as I mentioned in my last post, I think I have a job. It is with Pop-a-Lock here in The Woodlands/Conroe area. I friend of mine is a supervisor there and they were looking to replace one of their car door unlock techs .. so he asked me if I wanted it .. I interviewed with the owner today and I think I have the job.

Of the 90 minutes I was in the office, the first 10 was about the job, then 5 about going to training, and the rest was just BS!  Boy can he talk your ear off!

I will be strictly commission and respond to calls from where ever I am at. I just have to be within a certain area during my “on call” times. Not too bad I guess. I know my friend has been kept busy so I should be ok with it.

Anyway, time for me to get in and get some of the laundry folded .. since it is all over the bed!

Shalom,
JT

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I am Soooo sorry, I could have swore that I updated this two days ago ..  Oh well .. here is an update:

Charles was packed and waiting transport to ReHab when I called a few minutes ago. He has all the IVs out, the Foley is out and he is walking regularly. Not very far mind you, but he is walking.

ReHab will be there at Methodist in the West Pavilion. He will be there from 10-14 days then home. They are going to be a bit more aggressive in getting him up and walking and prepared to return to a “normal” life.

They will assess him tomorrow, work him for 4-5 days and then assess again .. and go from there.

He misses home and the pets; Being able to sleep in his own bed; and just home life in general. He sounded positive when we talked and that is the biggest improvement that I have seen in the last few days.

I am going back tomorrow to see him and bring him cloths and such .. so will update tomorrow when I return.

Shalom,
JT

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Great news!   I talked with Charles again. He is doing great today! He has been up sitting all day!  From about noon till about 10pm! He walked 30 feet, not all in one run .. but he still walked it. He was able to get into the bathroom for a bowel movement.

He has a really upbeat attitude now that he KNOWS that he can rest fitfully at night and have enough energy in the morning to do his exercises and walking.

I had to be a little of a smarta$$ (and tell him that I was not rubbing it in) that he had just proved me right. I had been telling him that he had nothing to be afraid of and that he COULD go to sleep at night and rest.

He also told me that they have discontinued the continuous oxygen and it is just as needed now.

He will continue to use the c-pap (bi-pap) to sleep with, and his recovery SHOULD continue on this upward swing.

We have won another small (but significant) battle in this war we are fighting .. he is again on the road to recovery.

That’s all for tonight, I will be in Houston tomorrow afternoon so will update you again later.

Shalom U’varecha | Peace and Blessings
JT

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I am sorry guys! I really didn’t mean to leave you hanging for three days.

I am at the hospital with Charles now. He is depressed that his recovery is slower then the “norm” but he needs to remember that he has lead a sedentary lifestyle for a long time so he does not have teh physical strength of someone more active.

He is a bit depressed because of this, however, we can only provide moral support and can only help him to a certain degree. He must WANT to get better. I am not sure he has that strong of a desire.

Charles is afraid to sleep. He is afraid that he will not wake up again. This is one major thing that is stalling his recovery. He needs his rest so that he can build his strength up.

In the last6 hours that I have been here, he has snoozed for about an hour. But it is not a restful sleep.

They just started him on a heparin drip because he has developed a clot in his right leg. Because of this, he needs to stay in bed until we can clear the clot in order to prevent a serious stroke. This again is delaying his recovery. So I can’t really fault him for being depressed.

Another fear that has developed that I don’t understand yet is that he doesn’t want the door to his room closed unless someone he knows is in the room with him.

Right now, I am not only worried about Charles and his recovery, but also getting the bills paid at the end of the month. Driving back ad forth to the med center from Conroe is not cheap. My truck gets 8mpg and his car, though better requires premium fuel or the engine screws up.

Anyway .. that is all I have for right now.

Shalom,
JT

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Ok, now that it is technically a new day and I am JUST getting home, I think it is safe to say that I have had a VERY busy day!

Had duty at the station last night .. BORING! until the tone went off this morning. Ended up with 2 minor MVAs back to back. Then had to take care of some important business at the station.

Finally got to see Charles at about 1400 and even then it was only for 20 minutes. When I got there, the physical therapists were getting him out of bed for a walk. He did about 8-9 feet !! Then he had to go down to the “O.R.” to have an IJ cath put in.

Apparently, the cath he had in his right groin failed so they put one in the left. That one never worked! The docs decided, and Charles agreed, that the next thing was an Intra-Jugular catheter.

Unfortunately, I still had another meeting to attend and had to get back to the fire station to prepare for it. Charles had called the house and had just hung up when I got home.

Had that meeting and am now home.

I called the hospital to check on Charles and find out what the visiting hours were .. there are none!  The nurse said that they did not have any set hours and visitors could come and go at all hours.

Charles is in DUNN 9 East .. room 974. If you go to visit, I would use Garage 1, which is at Entrance 12 off of Fannin at Dryden.

I have some business at the fire station to initiate and take care of in the morning … but will be back at the hospital tomorrow at some time to bring Charles his bag, books, prayer quilt and crochet.  I hope he gets to come home soon because I have exhausted just about all of our funds for fuel and parking in traveling back and forth to the Medical Center.

Speaking of prayer quilt, if someone from the church would please be so kind as to send me an email with the “care” instructions, I’d appreciate it, I would like to wash the quilt but do not want to damage it.

His pneumonia is cleared, he is sounding better, he is looking better and he is actually getting better! Now to get rid of the dialysis.

Time for this old man to get some rest ..

Shalom!
JT

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