Routine Has Set In

The duties of blogger have fallen to me. Judy is busy taking care of both of us.

I gained strength rapidly after recovering from the 5 hour car ride home. I am into a routine that consumes most of my day. I see a visiting nurse once per week to who checks my general progress. A PT (physical therapy) nurse comes in two times per week and we work on exercises for about an hour. Throw in a 2^nd PT session, meals and a couple naps each day and it is time for bed.

I have been able to sit up for 20 minutes at a stretch for the last 3-4 days, so I can read a little email and type into my daily diary or this blog. My mind is starting to work again, and the reality of 6 to 12 weeks of this recovery routine is beginning to set in.

I will try to write another blog tomorrow; it will be more philosophical than medical.

Larry

We're Home

Eat, Sleep, Rehab

Today was Larry's first big PT and OT day. He did very well.....you know Larry....he's there to do more than necessary and as usual he charmed them all. He seems to be getting stronger now. The therapist put him thru the usual PT moves but now 30 reps each. Of course, he did 31. After seeing him morning and afternoon, she has him pegged. He told a couple of jokes and while waiting for transportation back to the room, one of the lady patients said tell us some more in case I am not here tomorrow when you are.

He is sleeping soundly right now. My head nodded a couple of times while catching up on my emails. We solved a couple of problems today having to do with computer related renewals. We did not anticipate being here this long……optimistic souls that we are. So we have lots of good check marks for the day.

Larry's lack of strength is the main factor in getting out of rehab and loss of flexibility from his back surgery. Since the surgeon did so much rebuilding in the hip, the new bone has to heal solidly. So we may very well be trapped in the house this winter as much as we were with his back surgery. It will be so nice to get home we won't mind. It's hard to remember that you are almost 72; you think you will spring back as you have always done. And he will be back; it just takes longer.

Oh yes, I am doing all this computer work from Larry's room. It took some persistence to get on the Cleveland Clinic wireless here at Lakewood, but it works. It’s so nice to be able to communicate with family and friends easily.

Over and out.

Judy

Monday-Tuesday Recovery Report

Yesterday (Monday) was a big day, almost as big as surgery day. Larry was transferred from Cleveland Clinic proper to one of Cleveland Clinic’s associate hospitals with a Rehab Unit for those not ready to go home. It is one of two recommended by his surgeon.

A new phrase added to our family sayings is “Poking the bear”. His surgeon used the reference from childrens literature. You poke the bear once, no problem, you poke him twice, three, with little response. By the fourth time he will come after you. He was using this to tell Larry not to push himself to fast to get back on his feet or he would pay a penalty.

Scot and Laura came Sunday afternoon to be here Monday when Larry was transferred. It was a tremendous help to me to calm my nerves for the transition. I have a good hotel to stay at and daily shuttle to the hospital. So we are back to a routine.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) Larry begins 2/day PT and 1/day OT. He is ready to prove how quickly he can improve. Up until a couple of days ago, he did not have the strength to stand and support himself on his walker. Now the effects of 6 hours of surgery and the more complicated surgery than expected are behind him and it’s on to the challenge of recovery. And you all know Larry; he will put his all into the effort.

He’s hoping for a return home in 5-6 days but we will see how fast he can improve enough to get the physical therapy department to release him. I am helping every day with the exercises and learning all the moves. Haven’t even gotten to reading anything I brought “to fill my time.” Larry does that. Recovery is hard work!

Thanks for all your encouragement.

Judy

Sunday Report

There have not been many changes lately. Larry is getting stronger and his internal blood loss has been replaced with all his transfusions. Damn coumadin complicates everything. He’s down to Tylenol for pain. Physical therapist work with him yesterday (Sunday) went well. He made it out the door again, rested in a chair in the hall for a few minutes and made it back to bed again. Sat in the bedside chair a few times also. You just can’t build strength and energy lying in bed.

Today the case manager is working on getting everything in order for transfer to a Cleveland Rehab hospital. The discussion has been about a 5-10 day stay for intensive 3 hr/day rehab sessions all the while with doctors and therapists whose job it is to deal with those who are motivated to get home but have the expertise to deal with the medical issues also.

Scot and Laura arrived yesterday evening to check on their dad, help with the transfer to Rehab and give me some moral support. It helps at this point to know I am not the one totally responsible for watching over him. Got too many years invested in this guy to turn decisions totally over to someone else, even if it is a nurse or doctor. I know him and can read him better than anyone else.

So all the nitty gritty about what goes in and what comes out seem to be going well. His resident and surgeon will both be in for a final discussion this morning. They both have said that they know he is a “motivated” patient.

More later. Thank you all for your interest and concern. Email if you want; we are reading them every day.

Judy

Saturday Day 5

Things change so quickly from day to day, always keeping us on our toes. Today started at 3 a.m. with two more units of blood because of low hemoglobin. I couldn’t sleep so went back over to Larry’s room at 4 a.m. I slept in a chair until the hospital came alive.

The dressing was changed today, somehow it was overlooked yesterday with all the ins and outs of nurses on a holiday. There was a lot of bruising at the top area above the incision. As usual, I took a picture of the wound. Later when the resident came in, he wanted to see it but hesitated to remove the fresh bandage. When he heard I had a picture and showed it to him, he said that gave a new meaning to the term “Kodak moment”.

In the end he decided to cut back on Larry’s coumadin and Lovanox and use a pressure Ace wrap in that area. This is quite a guy. He had been on 24 hour duty that night, came in to see Larry as he had promised at about 30 hours. After that he was to be found working at the computer after showering and shedding his doctor’s coat. He went out of his way to contact Larry’s surgeon and work up a plan.

Therapy was good for the first time today. Larry had more energy so was able to get up from the bed, sit up for a half hour, stand up and walk 15 yards on a 4 posted walker without putting any weight on the surgery leg. His therapist today was great – an athletic young woman with just the right amount of modifying exercise so that Larry was successful.

He sat up on the side of the bed a second time later in the afternoon. And the every important BM took place. Some hospitals make a big deal out of BMs before going home but Cleveland Clinic does not seem to be that concerned. Nevertheless, just one more checkmark for the day. (Larry thought this was important information but I think it just might be TMI. :o)

Patient load census this weekend was only 11 on the orthopedic floor tonight. The nurses all seem to want upbeat optimistic Larry for their patient.

To quote a line from the movie “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn……. “It’s a great day at sea, sir”……our version is “It’s a great day at Cleveland Clinic.”

To be continued…………..

Judy

Day 4 at Cleveland Clinic

Hospital life is a list of unending changes depending on the latest doctor or therapist’s visit. Both the surgeon and resident agreed that Larry could go home today as far as surgery and vitals were concerned.

HOWEVER, the physical therapist said that Larry is not ready and he would not recommend that he leave the hospital. The difficulty of the surgery and effects of past recent surgeries have left him weak in the upper bodystrength area. So it has not been possible for him to use enough muscle strength to stand and walk with the walker, while not putting any weight on his surgery leg. He has 3 months ahead of him doing just that, not putting any pressure on the surgery hip area while the new bone forms and heals.

So since insurance companies frown on staying in the hospital “only” for therapy reasons, they have been trying to arrange a transfer to one of the Clinic’s Rehab centers for a 5-10 day stay. There are 2 here that are used by Larry’s surgeon, but this being a holiday week there are difficulties contacting insurance people and lack of staff at the rehab centers until Monday.

To all our friends in our computer clubs, you shouldn’t be expecting to see Larry as soon as he planned. Although this time the drugs do not seem to have affected his mind as much as other surgeries, so you will hear less complaints about forgotten passwords.

Family and friends who want to communicate with us can email me (you know my email address) as I read my email daily. The cell phone reception is iffy in some parts of this enormous place, so that really is not an option.

Finally, I cannot say enough about the excellent care Larry has received here. His surgeon is a genius, his main physical therapist is a young Nigerian man who is also remarkable. The nurses are all excellent and caring, and of course Larry has charmed them with his banter.

5:00 p.m. Update…..they could not find an opening at the Rehab Center, so unless Rehab calls over the weekend that they suddenly have an opening and doctors on staff for admittance of a new patient, we will be here at Cleveland Clinic at least until Monday. What an exciting and nerve wracking week this has been so far!

Judy