Another great day! Adelia and I got to the hospital before lunchtime, after she was able to print her boarding pass for tomorrow's plane trip home. The time has flown by, but been wonderful. Marion actually had a sandwich for lunch, it's terrific to see "real" food on his tray.
After lunch we left Marion to nap and went to "shop" for the next stage of his recuperation. His stay at Tahoe-Pacific ends on Feb 17th, and he will have moved past Renown Rehab Hospital. So, Adelia and I visited the 3 skilled nursing facilities that have rehab centers that are on the south end of town. One was terrible (and will remain un-named), it was a close choice between Life Care and Manor Care, but Manor Care is our choice and I am so glad to have had Adelia's input. She has had experience visiting church members and friends in similar places, and her advice was invaluable. Marion has the opprotunity to have therapy up to 7 days a week at Manor Care, and that will make him happy as here the weekends really drag for him. Their goal is to get the patient home as quickly as possible, and in the strongest shape as possible. That is certainly our goal also.
Please keep those prayers coming. Love, Sue
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Wednesday, Jan 4th
Another big day! When I arrived this morning, Marion was using the arm machine that looks like you are pedaling a bicycle. The he took a hike up and down the hall in his own tennis shoes and socks! Not a big thing you might say, but from where he has been, a huge accomplishment.
Then another graduation, no longer ground food and thickened liquids, but chopped food and thin liquids, which means water and regular juice! Music to his ears!! The next step is "whole" food, not any alteration at all when it arrives on his tray.
At 11:15am, I left to pick up Marion's sister, Adelia who was arriving from Riverside, CA. We got back to the hospital in time to join him as he finished his lunch. He was delighted to see his "baby" sister. They chatted all afternoon, and he even skipped his afternoon nap. Marion should have no trouble sleeping tonight. Once again, the progress is visible right before our very eyes! Thank you for your part in this through your support and prayers. Love, Sue
Then another graduation, no longer ground food and thickened liquids, but chopped food and thin liquids, which means water and regular juice! Music to his ears!! The next step is "whole" food, not any alteration at all when it arrives on his tray.
At 11:15am, I left to pick up Marion's sister, Adelia who was arriving from Riverside, CA. We got back to the hospital in time to join him as he finished his lunch. He was delighted to see his "baby" sister. They chatted all afternoon, and he even skipped his afternoon nap. Marion should have no trouble sleeping tonight. Once again, the progress is visible right before our very eyes! Thank you for your part in this through your support and prayers. Love, Sue
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Jan 3rd
The big news tonight is that Marion's sister, Adelia Rile, from Riverside, CA, arrives about noon tomorrow. What fun for us to have her for a visit. Marion gets to show off all his new skills.
I'm to take in shoes for him tomorrow, no more walking the halls in stocking feet. His right foot has a tendency to "shuffle", so Tom, the physical therapist wants him in shoes to help correct that.
A restful night to all, and talk to you tomorrow. Please keep up the prayers, we are seeing miracles. Love, Sue
I'm to take in shoes for him tomorrow, no more walking the halls in stocking feet. His right foot has a tendency to "shuffle", so Tom, the physical therapist wants him in shoes to help correct that.
A restful night to all, and talk to you tomorrow. Please keep up the prayers, we are seeing miracles. Love, Sue
Monday, February 2, 2009
Feb 2nd, Monday
6 weeks today. Be careful if we have ice again.
Well, the feeding tube came out today, and while he does not prefer the food that he is served, it has to beat out of a bottle, down a tube!
We got word today that the his stay has been extended to Feb 17th at this facility with their rehab work. So those of you that have asked about visiting: if he is napping when you arrive and I am not there to wake him up. Please do wake him up. The nights are long for him, and he would really enjoy visiting with you rather than seeing a note that he missed you, and then having another restless night. Lunch times through early evening are great times to visit for those that have asked. The actual visiting hours are 8am-10pm, however, the therapists work with him in the morning,(if he is on their schedules until about 11am), so that is why I suggested lunch time on. Brian Wilson and Tim Glenn pop over at their lunch time as their office is very close by. Today, after walking, he got to sit and try to become re-familiar with using a computer. Baby-steps. Marion looks so much better each day. The time at the computer showed that looks can be a bit deceptive, and we are so fortunate to be at a facility were he has the opprotunity to use the different tools that are important to him and relearn.
Tomorrow the foley catheter comes out. Marion wants to keep that. That will involve work and concentration on his part to transition to a more normal function. I only mention this much information, because your prayers and support continue to carry us along on this journey. Without all the comfort from Heavenly Father and our dear family and friends, I would never have made it this far, and Marion's survival is based on all the above plus his dogged spirit.
Thank you again, love, Sue
Well, the feeding tube came out today, and while he does not prefer the food that he is served, it has to beat out of a bottle, down a tube!
We got word today that the his stay has been extended to Feb 17th at this facility with their rehab work. So those of you that have asked about visiting: if he is napping when you arrive and I am not there to wake him up. Please do wake him up. The nights are long for him, and he would really enjoy visiting with you rather than seeing a note that he missed you, and then having another restless night. Lunch times through early evening are great times to visit for those that have asked. The actual visiting hours are 8am-10pm, however, the therapists work with him in the morning,(if he is on their schedules until about 11am), so that is why I suggested lunch time on. Brian Wilson and Tim Glenn pop over at their lunch time as their office is very close by. Today, after walking, he got to sit and try to become re-familiar with using a computer. Baby-steps. Marion looks so much better each day. The time at the computer showed that looks can be a bit deceptive, and we are so fortunate to be at a facility were he has the opprotunity to use the different tools that are important to him and relearn.
Tomorrow the foley catheter comes out. Marion wants to keep that. That will involve work and concentration on his part to transition to a more normal function. I only mention this much information, because your prayers and support continue to carry us along on this journey. Without all the comfort from Heavenly Father and our dear family and friends, I would never have made it this far, and Marion's survival is based on all the above plus his dogged spirit.
Thank you again, love, Sue
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Feb 1st, Sunday
Well, it truly is a "super'" Sunday! Karen and Spencer, June and John, Jenice, Craig and Tanner and Jim and I had lunch with Marion today. After he finished lunch we then joined him by sharing chocolate cake and celebrating Jenice's birthday a day early. After lunch, Jenice gave Marion a haircut, he used to have 6 weeks growth on one side, and approximately 10 weeks growth on the other 1/2 of his head. This new look is MUCH better!!
It just continued to improve. We switched from the wheelchair to his walker, and with Craig on one side and John on the other, and me trailing behind with the O2 tank, Marion walked the entire long hall length back to his room. None of us had seen him walk, (even me, PT walking is early in the morning). It was very impressive. He was hardly seemed winded when he had made it back to his room. Evidently he had told one of the kids that he did not expect to be able to walk the whole way, but being Marion, he did it!
The "party" adjourned to his room then, but started breaking up by 2:15 as June and John headed back to Oregon, and Karen went home to start preparing for the school week. Craig and Jenice started for San Jose by 4pm, so Marion and I watched the super bowl.
Another big first was a bit later when Marion had his first shower since the accident. Yes, he has had numerous baths and washings, but this was an honest, sit on a chair, under the water, shower! The nurse let him sit and enjoy the warm water, and then we had turned the heat in the room high and she brought 2 warm blankets as soon as we had him back in bed. It was cool outside, and he has 2 windows in his room, and he had felt chilly several times throughout the day.
Hope you all had a great weekend also. Thank you for the prayers. Much love to you, Sue
It just continued to improve. We switched from the wheelchair to his walker, and with Craig on one side and John on the other, and me trailing behind with the O2 tank, Marion walked the entire long hall length back to his room. None of us had seen him walk, (even me, PT walking is early in the morning). It was very impressive. He was hardly seemed winded when he had made it back to his room. Evidently he had told one of the kids that he did not expect to be able to walk the whole way, but being Marion, he did it!
The "party" adjourned to his room then, but started breaking up by 2:15 as June and John headed back to Oregon, and Karen went home to start preparing for the school week. Craig and Jenice started for San Jose by 4pm, so Marion and I watched the super bowl.
Another big first was a bit later when Marion had his first shower since the accident. Yes, he has had numerous baths and washings, but this was an honest, sit on a chair, under the water, shower! The nurse let him sit and enjoy the warm water, and then we had turned the heat in the room high and she brought 2 warm blankets as soon as we had him back in bed. It was cool outside, and he has 2 windows in his room, and he had felt chilly several times throughout the day.
Hope you all had a great weekend also. Thank you for the prayers. Much love to you, Sue
Saturday, Jan 31st
Well, it has been almost 6 weeks, and today when June commented how well his scar was healing, we learned that Marion was unaware that he had had surgery. He only thought that he had suffered a concussion. What a blessing it is that the patient has little memory of many of the events surrounding such a traumatic accident. If only that was true for the family as well.
This has been a wonderful weekend. June (Condie) Collier and husband John arrived late Friday night. Jenice and Craig Condie with son, Tanner arrived about 6pm Sat. and Marion just kept perking up as more family poured into his room. Karen was there, as she is almost every day in spite of her hectic schedule. Bishop Foote arrived before 7pm also, and with his spirituality, plus sunny disposition and sense of humor added a wonderful element to our little group! Jim and Todd plan to join us tomorrow, so we will have a mini family reunion!
Marion is continuing to eat more and more each meal. Hopefully in a day or so I will be able to report that the feeding tube has been removed. After lunch today, during which June, Karen and I sat with him in the "lunch room" at the end of the loooong hall of the hospital corridor, Marion pushed himself in a wheelchair, ALL the way back to his own room with June only pulling the oxygen tank along! Another accomplishment, helping him to regain strength. I know I keep saying this, but the improvements seem to come each day.
Thank you again for your prayers. These miracles in the recovery we are seeing in Marion are truly a gift from Heavenly Father. There was a time when I did not expect to see him at this point. That is not to say that I do not have faith, or that I do not believe that all things are possible. It is just that Marion was so sick and so broken. But "all things are possible". Thank you again for your support. Love, Sue
This has been a wonderful weekend. June (Condie) Collier and husband John arrived late Friday night. Jenice and Craig Condie with son, Tanner arrived about 6pm Sat. and Marion just kept perking up as more family poured into his room. Karen was there, as she is almost every day in spite of her hectic schedule. Bishop Foote arrived before 7pm also, and with his spirituality, plus sunny disposition and sense of humor added a wonderful element to our little group! Jim and Todd plan to join us tomorrow, so we will have a mini family reunion!
Marion is continuing to eat more and more each meal. Hopefully in a day or so I will be able to report that the feeding tube has been removed. After lunch today, during which June, Karen and I sat with him in the "lunch room" at the end of the loooong hall of the hospital corridor, Marion pushed himself in a wheelchair, ALL the way back to his own room with June only pulling the oxygen tank along! Another accomplishment, helping him to regain strength. I know I keep saying this, but the improvements seem to come each day.
Thank you again for your prayers. These miracles in the recovery we are seeing in Marion are truly a gift from Heavenly Father. There was a time when I did not expect to see him at this point. That is not to say that I do not have faith, or that I do not believe that all things are possible. It is just that Marion was so sick and so broken. But "all things are possible". Thank you again for your support. Love, Sue
Friday, January 30, 2009
Jan 30th
It's Friday evening, and another red letter day! The trach tube came out today! Now if Marion can just get more appetite and eat enough food to get rid of the n-g tube, he will be a happy camper.
It was not his day to work with PT, and he missed the exercise. So perhaps with visitors this weekend he will have a chance to show off his new strength with the wheelchair and maybe even the walker.
Enjoy your weekend all, you are in our prayers. We do appreciate your continuing support and prayers. Love, Sue
It was not his day to work with PT, and he missed the exercise. So perhaps with visitors this weekend he will have a chance to show off his new strength with the wheelchair and maybe even the walker.
Enjoy your weekend all, you are in our prayers. We do appreciate your continuing support and prayers. Love, Sue
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