Thank you all for all the comments and compliments about this blog! Everyday I have people telling me how much this is helping them and how much they love to read it. So thank you! I'll keep writing as long as you guys keep reading.
Today Dad was feeling better. He didn't seem so down and depressed, though he does go in and out of being sad. The care facility moved Dad so that he is now right across from the nurse station so that they can monitor his movement. I do think this is good because he needs the supervision but at the same time it sucks. It's the first room as you walk into the facility so now its noisy and not very private. I'm stumped for words at the moment because I want to complain about the place but am extremely grateful for them because we do not have to pay for it. The University of Utah contracts with Federal Heights and then, I believe, the hospital can write it off as charity. So we have 14 days of free care and rehabilitation but we are at the "catch all" place. We will give them a week or less and then if things still aren't good we will move him and just pay out of pocket. I'm just so grateful that Dad is making leaps and bounds everyday.
Today I was amazed, again, by how much more he was talking. Mom had gone in early and given Dad a bath and brought him his own PJs. Mom had to change the bedsheets herself because they were soiled...grrrrrr again we aren't so sure about this place. Then Erin came in and gave Dad a shave. Dad looked so nice and clean when I got there and it was awesome because he smelled like Daddy. I just knelt next to the bed and put my head on his chest. I laid there for awhile just listening to him breath and his heart beat. That was one of my favorite things to do as a kid was to lay on his chest and just listen. While my head was on his chest Dad would reach up and softly stroke my hair. I was in heaven.
As I said before Dad is talking quite a bit more today. Each day he puts more words together and more sounds together. Erin has been practicing the ABC's with him. He remembers a couple new letters each day and today he was able to remember A-K and P-Z. For some reason L-O stumps him. I'm not sure if it is because he can't say them or because he just can't remember them. It's so hard to tell. Erin also brought Ethan and Keenan in to see Dad today and he was happy to see them. Apparently, Keenan (Erin's sensitive one) sat on the edge of Dad's bed, held and stroked his hand and just rambled on about stuff. Dad smiled up at Erin while Keenan was talking to him.
Now, I'm not sure if it was today or last night but Russel (Erin's hubby) visited Dad. Dad was really excited to see Russ because Russ had been there the night of Dad's accident. Dad wanted to know what happened and kept trying to ask Russ questions. Dad, obviously can't remember anything and is just barely trying to piece things together. Erin also showed Dad a picture of himself from the first day at the hospital. (We got in trouble for this that day at the hospital because apparently it violates the HIPPA laws.) Erin said that Dad just stared at the picture forever and kept say something like "wow." He is either just barely starting to remember why he is in the hospital or just barely able to tell us he remembers.
He also told Mom and Erin that he couldn't remember who he was when he first come to. I think this was when he first "officially" woke up after his surgery for the PEG tube. Can you imagine waking up in a hospital not knowing who you are or why you are there? How frightening. Frightening doesn't even give the idea justice. Dad also told us this afternoon that he will have memories and they will flash in his head but then go away. He is just barely starting to remember who we. I know he would shake his head in the past but I don't think he truly remembered. He knew we were there everyday and that we must be his family but he couldn't tell you who we were.
Today was the first day I heard Dad say my name. My heart melted and I wanted to jump up and down and cry all at the same time. Dad was telling us a story and he mentioned my name. I said "that's me, Dad," and he said "Ya, I know," then continued on trying to relay what he was talking about. I'm not so sure he did know that Jamie was my name but hey it's a start. I don't care whether he was talking too me or about me as long as he is starting to remember me I will take what I can get! He was also trying to remember other peoples names and explain who he was talking about. Another great name moment was when he said Mom's name. Dad said "Hey, Kim?" Then he started asking her a question. This is amazing because he has not pointed out who any of us are. He would acknowledge that Mom was his wife but this is the first time he has asked for her or even asked her a question or even called her by name!
Dad had a wonderful Jim moment today and showed us a little of his old personality. Dad hardly ever smiles anymore. At the hospital I would smile at him or try to make a joke to see if I could get him so smile. Nothing. Now that he has been moved to the rehab center he will give me a little smile back when I smile at him. Well, this afternoon Mom and I were trying to get Dad to do some tongue exercises that are supposed to help him get his swallowing reflexes back. What he has to do is stick his tongue out and move it from left to right. Mom and I were showing him then asked him to do it. He would shake his head yes and say "mmm, okay," or "well." But we kept pushing him to do it. Finally, he pulled a Jim face, opened his eyes wide, rolled them around in circles, and stuck out his tongue and moved it from side to side. Mom and I burst out laughing and Dad even smiled too! It was great to see him joke around.
Sadly, Dad is extremely frustrated still. One moment he seems fine and the next he looks like he is ready to cry. He apparently told the speech therapist this morning that he was so stupid. Then later while I was there I was still giggling about him sticking his tongue out but I think he perceived it as me laughing at him. Plus, he gets so frustrated because he is starting to try to tell us things and we can catch a few words but can't understand all of it. So he will give up and just say never mind. When he talks I don't try to understand what he is talking about I just try to encourage him to talk. I figure it's like writers block or when you can't remember a word. If you get the words out that keep blocking the right one eventually you will remember the correct word. I think Dad needs to keep talking so that all those jumbled memories will put themselves right.
Tomorrow his physical therapy will start so it will be nice to see how far he will be in that.
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