DAY 80 - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Cannot believe we are at Day 80 and are beginning to see some remarkable changes. I do have to say that the transfer to Sunnyview hasn't been easy, but we are making forward progress now. Apparently, my children seem to think I am going into hysteria after 80 days of hospital life (who could not love that kind of luxury?), but that is really not the case. Let me go back just a little bit. The day he was transferred to Sunnyview came as almost a complete surprise to us, although we'd had a little bit of warning bec. the evaluator had been to monitor his chart at AMC. The interesting thing about evaluating a patient is that they never even look at THE PATIENT. The only thing that is evaluated is the chart, which is fine if all the notes and records are accurate. Unfortunately, we found that with so many doctors and teams involved, it is truly impossible to keep really accurate records. For us, we only had one patient with which to concern ourselves, and all the doctors have many, many patients. Thus, here's how the transfer went. One day, the chart indicated that Joe could be 50% weight-bearing on his legs and non-weight bearing on his arms and left hand. The next day the chart indicated that he was non weight-bearing on his legs and non weight-bearing on his arms and left hand. The next day, he was 50% weight-bearing on the legs and weight-bearing as tolerated on the arms and hand. The next day, he was weight bearing as tolerated on the legs and non weight-bearing and the arms. The next day, he was weight bearing as tolerated on both arms and legs. The next day, he was non weight-bearing on both arms and legs!! You get the picture. Utter chaos. Thus, very hard to decipher and figure out exactly what the weight-bearing status of all the extremities really was. So, surprise, we took it upon ourselves to speak with each attending to try to get the info right from the horse's mouth. So, on the morning that we asked the plastic surgeons about weight-bearing status on the arms and hand, we were told that weight bearing should be as tolerated at 4 weeks from surgery. We were at 1 week, so we confirmed that there should be no weight bearing for 3 more weeks. O.K., so then the orthopedists said that there could be weight bearing as tolerated, but wrote on the chart that he was to be non weight-bearing on the legs. Holy crow!! Needless to say, we had a hard time trying to figure it all out and the evaluator found it impossible. However, after several phone calls and some arm-twisting, they at least got the most inexperienced of the residents to say he could weight-bear as tolerated on all four extremities. I'm not sure how you can get from non weight-bearing to weight-bearing as tolerated in one hour, but aparently it can be done. So Joe was moved from 24-hour observation to a private room, where he slept peacefully for one night. The next day, he was supposed to actually be brought down to the physical therapy department in a wheel chair and truly have his status on all 4 extremities evaluated before he was transferred. They came from physical therapy to bring him down and we were speaking with the doctors. They said they would come back later. In the meantime, I was running back and forth to my car with his medical things and our personal things from the room to start to get ready for the transfer. The case worker arrived saying the ambulance would be there shortly to take Joe, but said we could wait for another hour. We told her we were supposed to go to physical therapy before he left for an evaluation. She told us we didn't need that bec. they would evaluate him at Sunnyview. The next thing we knew, the ambulance crew was there, said they were Ambulance 24 and they would wait for me to get the last of the "stuff" in my car and for me to get my car to them and I would follow them to Sunnyview. Well, by the time I did all that, drove all around the hospital several times, got security involved in finding Ambulance 24 and finally went back up the the Trauma floor to try to find out where they were. They were halfway there without me! Unfortunately, no one there on the 4th floor really knew how to get there. Everyone knew sort of where it was, but not really. So they tried to get the ambulance driver to get back and get me. No dice. Called the ambulance company to try to send someone else to help me get there. No dice. So armed with some very bad MapQuest directions and some verbal directions and a guide, I stumbled my way from AMC to Sunnyview. Now that I have done it several times, it is a piece of cake, but when you're not from around any of these parts, it is all a huge maze and you've got to love those MapQuest directions. It is a way to see every nook and cranny of a strange town.

So, finally we are both at Sunnyview (one of our nurses at AMC, Eileen, said this could have only happened to us). It is comical when you think about it. I was a little frenzied when he disappeared, but we both eventually ended up at the same place. When he was being evaluated, he actually had a seizure when he tried to stand. My children like to tease me and pretend that he fainted, which is what the nurses have convinced Joe of what happened. He didn't want anyone to know that he fainted. Well, thanks to technology, it is all over the internet now. With some medical intervention and an IV and observation, he came through it just fine. It was a warning that things needed to progress just

a bit slower. For those of my family who did not witness the seizure, please understand ... he didn't faint. So, with the help of an abdominal binder and Teds (full length anti-emboli stockings with their very own garter belt - quite the fashion statement), true to form, Joe has bounced back.

Life in therapy has not been without its ups and downs, but we have come a long way from the first day. Joe is working tremendously hard and every bit of movement takes a herculean effort, whether using the large muscles or the small muscles. Even sitting in the wheelchair for a couple of hours is exhausting. Joe wanted to send his blog out to everyone because he is so grateful for everyone's caring and support, but his small muscles are not yet working well enough to use a computer, nor is he strong enough to sit up in that position and hold a computer on his lap for any length of time. So we improvised. Joe did his best to write it long-hand and Todd got it on the blog for him. It was kind of a group effort, but Joe felt good doing it. Every little bit helps. He has an enormously long way to go and my lowest estimation would be that it will be at least a year before he is even remotely close to back where he was. This is fine with us. We're retired, we have time.

Each new day brings a new challenge in both physical and occupational therapy. He had a speech evaluation because since the jaw was broken and then repaired with manipulation and wiring, his bite is different than it was. He keeps saying that they fixed it straighter than it was, but the fact is, it is just different than he has been used to for 65 years. The result of that is that he doesn't always know where his tongue is and sometimes it is in the wrong place, so that his words are slurred or just don't come out of his mouth correctly. The speech therapist understands the difficulty and gave him some exercises to help correct that, but said he is way too good to fit into their profile for their program. So for now, that is what we'll do. He also is suffering from a bit of aphasia and short term memory loss, which has been evaluated and again is not to the point where it should hinder him in every day life. The therapist also gave him some hints on how to cope with that. He doesn't seem bothered, but then he doesn't remember. Fortunately, he doesn't have to run a large operation anymore. He just has to remember his golf score ... or maybe he'll make a couple of extra dollars if his golf score slips his mind. Now, that would make him happy! We're hoping that the aphasia and memory loss are perhaps a temporary result of a combination of the trauma, the amount of general anesthesia he has had and the amount of narcotics that had to be administered. If not, it is certainly something that he can live with and function just fine.

We have had some real milestones. Yesterday, we went down to another physical therapy unit, where they had the front part of (driver and passenger seat) an old truck where Joe practiced once getting from his wheelchair into the passenger seat. He enjoyed that and Stacy took lots of pictures of him. The day before, while Stacy was drying the bottom of his feet, he actually flinched his right foot. Stacy asked if she had hurt him and he said "No, that tickled." It was weird for him bec. that is the first real feeling, besides pain, that he has had in that foot since the accident. A RED LETTER DAY!

Now, some of you may remember The Case of the Big Toe. Well, the Big Toe has reared its ugly head again. Now that Joe has started to stand and try to shuffle a bit with the walker and the wheel chair, the darn big toe (which looks exactly the same as it did right after the accident) has kicked up again and started to ooze. Hence, the arrival of epsom salt soaks. These actually seem to be helping to clean up the poor thing a little bit and making it feel a little better. Nothing like some good old-time remedies mixed in with the new technology. Still don't know what will happen with this thing. We may be visiting Dr. Unger after all.
So, here's where we stand. All things considered, we feel incredibly lucky and blessed. Do we still have a long, long road ahead? That is a truism without question. Are there still obstacles ahead? Without a doubt. The last words the Orthopedic surgeon said to us were, "Now don't go throwing a clot on me". It wasn't really the last thing we needed to hear from his mouth. I'll remind him of that when we see him next week for X-Rays. Do I think we'll make it? An unequivocal, YES!!
Again, our family cannot thank everyone enough for all the prayers, good wishes and concern. It has all helped tremendously. Please continue the good and positive thoughts and prayers. The battle is not won yet. From our family to yours, Love, Cindi
P.S. We will do our best to continue to blog. It is just getting a bit more challenging, as we do not have access at Sunnyview, which is where we spend all of our time. On the rare occasions that someone is not at the hospital, most of us are too tired to blog. And, unfortunately, we now have one computer in for repair, so equipment is at a shortage. So, please bear with us.

Wednesday, November 7

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the lapse in time between blogs. Sunnyview does not have an internet connection and we have had some problems connecting at the Fisher House, as well. I know everyone is anxious for updates and we will try to post as often as we can. My mom has lots and lots of info for you all but I will just give you a brief update.

My dad has settled into room 320 at Sunnyview. He has a nice big window with a nice look at the changing leaves on the trees across the street. He had a very scary first day at sunnyview after he stood up with the help of a therapist and all of the blood quickly rushed from his upper body to his feet. He "pancaked" pretty quickly. I think it scared my mom more than anything. They called for help from the hospital next door and got an IV started and my dad did recover. I do not think my mom has recovered yet, but my dad is moving on b/c he does not remember the incident. After that they stepped backwards and put my dad on a "tilt" board which is a table that my dad lies on and gets strapped to. Then they slowly bring the table up a few degrees at time. It gives his body time to acclimate to being upright again after lying flat for so long. He did that for several days and today (with help from a therapist) he got into a wheelchair for a few hours. He is skin and bones and has very little strength and is still recovering from all the trauma so things are very slow going. The only thing that nasty old tractor did not crush was his spirit which has never waivered. Overall he looks wonderful and we are so thrilled with his progress. He is working very hard and is enjoying the cards and well wishes from everyone, he is truly touched by all of your support.

Today he shuffled across the floor with hid walker, sounds easy right? He usually takes a little nap whenever he has a little break from therapy. His therapy starts at 9:30 till 12:00 then lunch then therapy again until about 4:30. He works very hard all day.

Here is Joe's address: He really does love hearing from everybody. Thanks.

Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital Room 320
1270 Belmont Ave.
Schenectady, N.Y. 12308

Dana