Day 14 of Jim's Recovery

Thank you all who sent in ideas. These were great! No trapeze bar above his bed but I will see what I can request. Also loved the idea of simple coloring book, flour balloon, opposites game etc... You all had some great ideas that got me thinking. Em, I will totally hit you up on that basketball stand! I did try to take him a pad of paper and pencil today. He held the pad and pencil but kept looking at the paper like he should be reading something. Then he would say "well, um..." and get distracted by something he wanted to say. So keep those ideas rolling in!

Dad was very distracted today. Every time I tried to talk to him he would say "well, um..." then try to talk. I'm not sure if he was trying to tell me something or was just talking out loud. We are trying to give him less pain medication because it makes him tired and lethargic so today something was bothering him. I couldn't figure it out when finally he said something that made me think it was his catheter. I asked him if the catheter was what was wrong and he shook his head yes. The doctors said that they would remove it upon our request. So hopefully that is gone so that he can start focusing on other things. It bothered him so much he couldn't concentrate on his physical therapy.

When the physical therapists came in they immediately wanted him to get in his wheel chair. He was able to stand up with two girls about my age bracing him. So he is getting stronger but his right side still needs support because the knees wants to buckle. Once they had him sitting up in bed Dad started talking, so the PT's just sat there and listened to him. Every time they asked him to do something he would again say "well, um..." and begin to explain something. At one point I caught "medical women" so I think he was trying to explain something from the morning session of physical therapy.

The PT's got Dad in his chair and once he was there he kept trying to pull at his catheter. We kept moving his hands away and he started to get angry with us. He would ask "why" and we would try to explain, I don't believe he fully understood. So he started mumbling something and I heard him say "hell." So I asked Dad, "Do you want us to go to hell?" And he looked at me and said "yes!" "I can't believe you want us to go to hell, Dad," I said mockingly. Again he looked at me and very blatantly said "Yes." I told him that was great and he could be angry with us but that he was just going to have to deal because we were trying to help him.

The PT then showed Mom and I some exercises to help Dad get strength in his arms again. We have to work on his right arm and be careful that we don't let it hang because the weight of ones arm can pull the joint out of socket. She also had Dad try to lift his arms above his head. This is when Dad gets confused. His brain still doesn't register what to do when asked to complete a task, like raising his arms above his head. We have to show him first and then he will do it. The PT's want him to get to the point where he can do it without being shown. When they help Dad with physical therapy I realize still how much further his brain has to go. When he is lying on his bed mumbling stuff it seems like he is all there and just needs help speaking. Then the PTs comes in and reminds me that not all of his connections are firing properly. I still am optimistic for Dad but get worried about him being able to function by himself again someday.

By the time I left, Dad was really pissed off at Mom and I. He didn't want to leave his room but I made him wheel me out to the elevators. As we moved through the halls he kept trying to pull at his catheter again. By the time we reached the elevators I felt bad for Mom because she was going to have to deal with the wrath of Dad all the way back down the hall!! Mom said that he was piss and vinegar going back but once the nurses got him back in bed he seemed to calm down. I really hope they can get that stupid catheter out tomorrow because I will be there by myself and don't know if I can handle Dad getting mad at me! It's different to argue with your husband but to argue with your Dad...I'm afraid I'll get in trouble!!