| Hi everybody, my dad continues to do great! We all love to see him get stronger. I had the important job of transporting a very special parcel for my dad. It was made with love and packaged carefully and finally buckled safely into my car and driven 8 hours to Albany Med. What is this mystery package? It is the world's best homemade ice cream made by none other than my in-laws, Tim and Joanne. They own a family fun center (Swings-N-Things) in Cleveland, where we live and they make their own ice cream there. They made a fresh batch of coffee ice cream for my dad and put it in dry ice and off I went. The ice cream and I both arrived in safely. My dad's eyes got huge and his grin very wide when I told him what I had brought for him. He has already been enjoying it and sends a big THANK YOU to Tim and Joanne. Oh, and my siblings and mom can't wait to dip into the extra flavors you sent along for them. Thanks again. The wound vac girls have arrived to change my dad's wound vacs. I'll try to report again later. Dana |
Friday, October 12, 2007
special delivery!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Good TV
Today was another busy day for my dad. He got into the wheelchair again for awhile. He is getting pretty good at helping the therapists, by using some strength in his arms. It will take a long time to build up the muscles again but he is working hard! Once in the chair he asked us a few times why this was good for him, in a funny way of course. It definatley is good for him to move or be moved. However, it is still very painful because he has this wound on his right butt cheek that is trying to heal itself, but is still quite large and deep. Unfortunately, he watched the clock for most of the time he spent in the chair. The good news is he was in it for a 1/2 hour longer than he was the last time!
On a separate note altogether my dad got some pretty good TV in his room. One of his energy healers suggested that he try watching the relaxation channel late at night, when he usually has trouble sleeping. After investigation, we realized he did not get that channel, so they called the technicians to come and put a new one in. When this woman was here my dad told her that it would be great if he could also get the Golf Channel. He has heard the guy on the other side of the curtain (his neighbor to the left) watching this and he would really appreciate it if should could work that out for him because he was not able to find it on his TV. So the kind soul that she is, came back four different times to try and program his new TV. She was using a remote and finally was successful! This made my dad very excited and appreciative, but there was one more thing...if she could just leave that remote with him. He actually asked her to do this and she apologized and told him she needed to take if with her. Now, mind you the TV is on this arm that stretches out from the wall and he usually puts it about 6 inches from his face. So, I'm not sure what he would need the remote for. I guess some things never change, the guy does love his clicker.
Out for now,
Stacy
On a separate note altogether my dad got some pretty good TV in his room. One of his energy healers suggested that he try watching the relaxation channel late at night, when he usually has trouble sleeping. After investigation, we realized he did not get that channel, so they called the technicians to come and put a new one in. When this woman was here my dad told her that it would be great if he could also get the Golf Channel. He has heard the guy on the other side of the curtain (his neighbor to the left) watching this and he would really appreciate it if should could work that out for him because he was not able to find it on his TV. So the kind soul that she is, came back four different times to try and program his new TV. She was using a remote and finally was successful! This made my dad very excited and appreciative, but there was one more thing...if she could just leave that remote with him. He actually asked her to do this and she apologized and told him she needed to take if with her. Now, mind you the TV is on this arm that stretches out from the wall and he usually puts it about 6 inches from his face. So, I'm not sure what he would need the remote for. I guess some things never change, the guy does love his clicker.
Out for now,
Stacy
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
A busy day
Today was a busy one for Joe. He started off by heading down to X-rays which he dreads for two reasons: one, it's a pain in the butt to move him onto the stretcher (as Jason and Omer know all too well!) and it makes him kind of nauseous. Two, he tells us the technician thinks he's a woman. Of course we laughed when he told us this, I mean she is x-raying pretty much the entire lower half of his body! He told us that she calls him "dolly", which drives him crazy. We tried to convince him that she probably calls everyone that, but he's not buying into it. After he got back he told us it wasn't that bad, "he had two professionals working with him this time." Those of you that know him know that he is hilarious and this whole hospital stay has not put a dent in his sense of humor!
The wound vac girls came today and my dad decided to play a practical joke on one of them since she was away for a few days. He made a little mini barber shop pole along with a little shave kit and note for her signed "lovingly his right leg, and the left one too", since she is the one that always does the shaving before the vacs go on. The other ones are not very good at it or skip it all together which Joe doesn't really like because when they skip it, he now knows what it feels like to have his legs waxed...not fun for him!!
He was due to get back in the wheelchair today but when the PTs came by he was sleeping and they decided to let him rest. That was for the best since he really was exhausted. All of these things still tire him completely but they do get easier with each time they do them.
The wound vac girls came today and my dad decided to play a practical joke on one of them since she was away for a few days. He made a little mini barber shop pole along with a little shave kit and note for her signed "lovingly his right leg, and the left one too", since she is the one that always does the shaving before the vacs go on. The other ones are not very good at it or skip it all together which Joe doesn't really like because when they skip it, he now knows what it feels like to have his legs waxed...not fun for him!!
He was due to get back in the wheelchair today but when the PTs came by he was sleeping and they decided to let him rest. That was for the best since he really was exhausted. All of these things still tire him completely but they do get easier with each time they do them.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
DAY 48!
Wow, we (my mom, dad and myself) just had to count on our fingers and the calendar to see how many days it has been since this whole thing has started. O.K., so we figured out it has been 48 days. Today my dad sat in a wheelchair for about an hour and a half. We will work on actually having him go somewhere in it sometime soon. For now, it is definitely great progress just to be in that seated position for any length of time.
He is doing so well with his exercises I can hardly believe the improvement from last week. He is mostly doing everything on his own now with just a little support under each ankle. The other thing he needs help with is bending the right knee, but he is so determined...he really has us push him to the limit.
They have scheduled the plastic surgery for next Friday, the 19th. They hope to do the muscle/skin grafts in all three places; the two lower legs and the incision on the right thigh. They are talking about possible not needing to do the thigh because it is being pulled together nicely by the wound vac. Time will tell with that, I guess.
I know people are really chomping at the bit to get here and visit with my dad. For now, he is still in the Step-Down Trauma Unit and is really only allowed to have 2 family members in with him at a time. When he is permitted to have more visitors we will post it on the blog.
Thanks for your enthusiasm, prayers, well wishes, strength, hope, love and all of the other great things that you have been sending to my dad and our family. I continue to be amazed and inspired by my dad and my mom's strength and courage and love for one another and our family. I feel truly blessed to have been raised as part of this family.
-Stacy
P.S. Apologies from Albany Med...bloggers here were having technical difficulties, hence, the lack of information in the last few days.
He is doing so well with his exercises I can hardly believe the improvement from last week. He is mostly doing everything on his own now with just a little support under each ankle. The other thing he needs help with is bending the right knee, but he is so determined...he really has us push him to the limit.
They have scheduled the plastic surgery for next Friday, the 19th. They hope to do the muscle/skin grafts in all three places; the two lower legs and the incision on the right thigh. They are talking about possible not needing to do the thigh because it is being pulled together nicely by the wound vac. Time will tell with that, I guess.
I know people are really chomping at the bit to get here and visit with my dad. For now, he is still in the Step-Down Trauma Unit and is really only allowed to have 2 family members in with him at a time. When he is permitted to have more visitors we will post it on the blog.
Thanks for your enthusiasm, prayers, well wishes, strength, hope, love and all of the other great things that you have been sending to my dad and our family. I continue to be amazed and inspired by my dad and my mom's strength and courage and love for one another and our family. I feel truly blessed to have been raised as part of this family.
-Stacy
P.S. Apologies from Albany Med...bloggers here were having technical difficulties, hence, the lack of information in the last few days.
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