|
|
Total Left Hip Replacement |
11-13-2008
Its been a week now...
Visiting Nurse Service has been by and blood samples have been
taken. The physical therapist has been here a couple of times.
Elvire is still in a fair amount of pain up till now. The therapist
today felt that there may be infection in the surgical site. We have
an appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Weissberg at 7:15. If that
is the case I hope it can be treated with an anti-biotic. Other than
that there is not too much to report. Elvire has been pretty well
behaved and is enduring the boredom. I'll report back soon with any
updates...
|
11-06-2008
I picked up Elvire around noon
today and we checked her out of the facility. She felt as though she
were getting out of prison. We got her home and acclimated to
maneuvering around the house. We received a delivery from Pea Pod
around 7:00 and she turned in shortly thereafter. I had to scold her
and keep her out of the kitchen while I was putting the groceries
away. I can just see it now. Her tripping over twenty bags of food.
We survived the first day home... Its good to have her back...
|
11-04-2008
Tonight was my last night for
a visit after work. Tomorrow I get the night off. We sat around
waiting for dinner watching election returns. Dinner finally arrived
and Elvire needed to use the bathroom. She got in her wheel chair
then got into the WC without incident. Suddenly there was a loud
crashing sound and we all ran to find her sitting on the floor next
to the toilet. The device they have that straddles the toilet is on
legs and is poorly adjusted so that the rear legs don't even touch
the floor. When she sat on the seat the platform tilted and down she
went. Mostly damaged was her pride but it still opens your eyes to
the potential for injury. Especially during the early days of
recovery from such surgery. Needless to say I am very concerned
about her being home without help for the next few weeks. We got her
back into bed then finished dinner. I'm finally home finishing
today's blog and working on Anita's web site. Then its into bed and
see who the next president is going to be, if they can tell yet...
|
11-03-2008
I arrived this evening at 5:30
and we had another nice visit. Elvire surprised me with dinner on
order. Dr. Orsen removed the staples from her left leg. The skin was
pretty red but we're hoping for no infection. Her wheeled walker and
home dressing kit arrived today so we're ready to venture into the
outside world. Only a couple of days remaining. I have to get out
and vote tomorrow. Elvire already took care of that with an absentee
ballot. Elvie said goodbye to a couple of her new friends today who
had finished their stay at the center. She found it to be an
emotional goodbye due to their sharing in a common hardship. Her day
is almost here...
|
11-02-2008
Sunday morning was a nice
visit... we had a few laughs and discussed her upcoming return back
home. Still my biggest concern is her stubbornness and her impetuous
behavior. I would love to have someone here to sit on her when I'm
at work. Oh well, we're on the final stretch for her return. The
staples come out today and that will be evaluated. I hope she has a
good recovery from this procedure...
|
11-01-2008
I took a ride over and arrived
around 12:00... we had a nice visit. They are supposed to remove the
staples on Monday and Thursday is still the departure date. Elvire
is bored to death in the place with a minimum of activity other than
TV. She is very anxious to get home. I am getting caught up on my
Netflix subscription...
|
10-31-2008
I managed a daytime visit
today when I dropped off some clean clothes at around 1:30 pm.
Elvire is plodding through her days but is bored. I can't blame her,
stuck in her room with a small little TV to watch and not much else.
I know she looks forward to any visits that come her way. The good
news for her is that she will be released on Thursday November 6th.
My concern will be her being home alone so soon after the surgery
knowing her temperament to get up and do more than she should. we'll
have to cross that bridge when we get there...
|
10-30-2008
I arrived around 6:00, just in
time for dinner. I must say that having dinner together is a nice
way to spend our visit. It lends some normalcy to the separation.
The countdown begins from here. I hope she makes some large strides
this week because if not, Elvire will be in peril being at the house
alone. She also has an issue of the swelling at the incision site
not going down and fluid build up there. That has me concerned as
well. I guess we'll take it day by day...
|
10-29-2008
We had a meeting this morning
with the social worker, physical and occupational therapists. It
dealt generally with how Elvire will assimilate back into the home
environment. I will have to buy some supplies to aid in her
transition back to home life. After the meeting Elvire had PT and I
headed back to work. Nothing much to tell...
|
10-28-2008
Tonight I had a dinner date
with my wife. She paid for my dinner and I was served a hot meal
along with hers. It was very nice to have dinner together and it
gave her something to look forward to today. She is still
experiencing a fair amount of pain but I've noticed that her
attitude has mellowed out. She seems to be accepting her situation
and is making the best of it. When I arrived this evening there was
a new face in the room as she now has her new room mate. Tomorrow we
have a meeting with the staff to evaluate Elvire's condition so far
and to see how much rehab she will require. This is also predicated
on the insurance company as to how much they are willing to pay. At
this point we'll play it day by day but I hope they don't cut her
loose too soon. It will be extremely important that she be fairly
sturdy on her feet before she returns to the house unsupervised.
We'll see what they say tomorrow...
|
10-27-2008
I arrived at the center around
5:30 and Elvire was resting. She had a tough day of PT today. They
really beat you up there, necessarily so. There was a two hour
workout in the morning and she couldn't go beyond a half hour in the
afternoon due to the pain. Maggie stopped by for a visit today,
Jerry and Susan were by yesterday. The visits really make her day.
Other than the PT and meals there is nothing to do but sit in bed
and watch TV or knit. I received a call on my machine at home. We
have a meeting Wednesday morning to discuss her progress and the
plan as to how long they expect she should stay with them. I know
she would like to come home now but I have been impressing upon her
the need to stay with the rehabilitation so she can come home and
get around on her own. We'll see what happens on Wednesday...
|
10-25/26-2008
Elvire had PT Saturday morning
and I got to sleep late... What a pleasure that was. I stopped by to
visit Saturday and Sunday afternoons and we had a nice visit. We
watched some TV together and basically stayed pretty mellow. I
brought her dirty cloths home and will deal with them tomorrow. I
took care of the cats and all the usual stuff that she does around
the house. I hope her recovery is a quick one. Tomorrow I think they
really start the PT in earnest. I know it will be painful but she's
a tough one and I'm sure she'll get through it.
|
10-24-2008
I spoke with Elvire on the phone numerous times
during the day. She started her day with a walk over to the gym with
her PT instructor Paul. She was able to make it with a walker and he
had her up and working out today. That's not to say she didn't have
discomfort, the pain meds were out and about but the main thing is
she jumped right into it. Paul remembered her from her last visit
and seemed pleased with her workout today. My folks stopped by on
their way home from a trip to Maryland yesterday. They were still
there when I showed up at the Center. We had a nice visit and they
took off around 6:00 p.m.. I stayed with Elvire while she had dinner
but she started getting a little cranky and wanted to get into bed.
I gave her a hand getting into a comfortable position and kissed her
goodnight. Hopefully tomorrow she'll be in better spirits and we'll
have a nice visit. I left around 7:00 and headed home. It will be
nice to be able to stay in bed tomorrow morning...
|
10-23-2008
Elvire waited all day for the
transport from Huntington Hospital to St. Johnlands Nursing Center.
I finished up at work and headed over to the the center assuming she
would have already arrived. Well the surprise was on me and I
settled in with my book which I had the good sense to bring. I was
finally notified that she was in her room in the Sub Acute section
of the complex. She was eating dinner when I got into her room. I
met her room mate who will be leaving tomorrow. Elvire is still very
uncomfortable and she was pretty ornery with me when I came to
visit. I also found her to be quite disoriented in her perception of
what was going on and as to who had come to see her at the hospital.
I guess it has something to do with all the people constantly in and
out of her room. I'm hoping she will settle down in the center and
get into a good routine of exercise and strength building. As it
stands right now she doesn't seem to have a positive attitude yet
but I hope that will also change as she starts making progress in
her physical abilities. We'll have to wait and see. |
10-22-2008
I've been on the phone with
Elvire throughout the day trying to stay on top of daily events.
Apparently they got her up and into a chair next to the bed. They
want the patients sitting for a period of time. Around 10:00 she
told the aid that she wanted to go back to bed and lie down and they
said not till after lunch. I signed off with her at that point. Our
next conversation begins with her telling me that she fell down
while trying to get into bed by herself and had to have two people
help her back up. She is not a good patient. We talked a little
later and she told me how she was choking at lunch and had to have a
Heimlich performed on her. It was an exciting first half. She was
pretty bored during the second half of the day. Unfortunately I was
not able to get over there today. According to her social worker,
there is a good likelihood that she will be leaving the hospital and
be transferred to St. Johnlands Nursing Center in Kings Park into
their Sub Acute rehabilitation area.
The pain level is pretty
strong yet although she has taken more steps in her second day after
surgery. She has been pretty ornery over the phone this afternoon
and evening but I guess that's how she feels and she is frustrated
that she doesn't have control over the bed. The buttons are on the
outside of the rails and difficult to identify due to their flush
mount construction. I hope she gets out tomorrow and is able to
settle in elsewhere, she is really cramped up in the hospital room.
I'll call her in the morning and we'll see how she is doing. |
10-21-2008
The first phone calls of the
day found Elvire in pretty sad shape. She sounded quite beaten from
a very painful night. She went for her first physical therapy. The
first four steps brought her to the verge of passing out from the
pain. I guess each patient responds differently to the surgery. As
the day went on her voice started to get a little stronger. I
arrived at the hospital at around 3:00 p.m. for a visit. We filled
out her menu for the next day, she got a flu shot and we basically
hung out till dinner arrived. I stayed with her till around 5:00
then headed back to work so I could do the computer backups and
close things down. I'd say she is doing pretty well so far. I hope
the pain threshold starts to descend.
|
10-20-2008
Speeding up to the present
day. Elvire has been suffering from a tremendous amount of pain due
to her arthritic left hip joint. Today is her day... its 6:35 a.m.
and we are getting ready for the ride to Huntington Hospital for a total
left hip replacement. She is a little apprehensive but all in all
she recognizes the good that will come from the surgery. We have to
get ready so I will sign off for now and fill you all in later.
6:00 p.m.
We arrived early as usual and checked into the
wing for those about to go into surgery. Elvire was taken into the
staging area at around 10:00 a.m. and finally into the surgery
around 10:45 a.m.. The doctor came to see me at around 12:15 p.m. to
inform me that the surgery went very well and they would get her up
and walking tomorrow. I waited for hours at this point and finally
saw her at 4:00 p.m. on unit 2 North where she will reside for the
next few days. She was extremely groggy from the anesthesia. I gave
her a few sips of ginger ale through a straw and she drifted in and
out of sleep. I finally left the hospital at 5:00 p.m.. That was a
long day... I hope she is feeling better tomorrow although when I
asked her if she was in any pain she said no. I was very pleased to
hear that. I have to work tomorrow and also get in touch with the
social worker regarding her rehab. We're hoping for St. Johnland
again.
|
|
|
Out Patient Progress |
5-11-2008
My how time has gone by.
Elvire is improving with each week little by little. We are still
trying to get the right dosages of anti depressants figured out but
we are trying to remain optimistic. We went away for the weekend
last week and that was a real milestone. It was actually a semblance
of a normal life with dinner in a restaurant and a couple of nights
in a hotel. It was nice to get away. At this point in Elvire's
recovery it seems that she will not be able to drive again. We
cancelled the insurance on her car and I found someone to buy it.
That pretty well finalized that aspect of her life. We will have to
make other arrangements when she eventually is able to get back to
work on a full time basis.
At this stage of her recovery
there isn't much to report on a regular basis. She is getting better
on a slow steady pace so I will not be adding info regularly as in
the past. I wish to thank everyone who has been following her
progress for their continued interest in her ongoing recovery. You
have all been a tremendous source of support over the past year as
we approach the first anniversary of her ordeal .
Thanks to everyone remotely
involved from day one to the present... Don Seibert |
3-18-2008
Adrian has come and gone in
the past week. What a wonderful time it was to have him here and
spend time visiting with him. He was terrific with his mom as well
although that was the main purpose of his visit. He didn't miss a
beat. Last Friday I took the afternoon off and we all took a ride
over to Stony Brook University Hospital so that Elvire could get a
look at what she went through. She has no idea or recollection as to
the environment she was in for a four month period. We went up to 18
south which is the Surgical ICU. Elvire was a little creeped out by
all the equipment and the ultra modern hospital beds. We went up to
one of the nurses stations and introduced our selves. The woman
sitting at the desk looked up and low and behold it was Adriana, the
first nurse who admitted her to the floor upon her arrival there May
27th. Some of the other ladies who remembered her came around and
everyone was asking her all sorts of questions. We paged her
physical therapist Tracey and she came up to the ICU to join in the
reunion as well. We were there to thank them for their role in her
recovery and it seems that this sort of thing is quite rare for
them. It is not too often that these lovely people get to see the
fruits of their labor down the line. It was quite elating for them
as well as for us. It was so nice to visit without being there for
such a somber atmosphere. Here is a link to a photo of the
reunion... this was a good day...
return_visit.jpg
|
3-11-2008
My how quickly a month can go
by. We've run out of insurance benefits for her classes at
Transition. Our son Adrian has come to spend this week with us and
pass some meaningful time with his mom. She obviously didn't see him
when she was in the hospital and she doesn't remember him being here
when we brought her home for her first day visit from St. Johnlands.
Transitions wanted to have one
final visit with Elvire to wrap up her time with them and since
Adrian is here, he will bring her to the meeting. In preparation,
she has cooked up a large pot of onion soup which she wanted to do
at class but ran short of time. They will get together on Thursday
and wrap it up.
Her Saturday and Sunday
classes are going pretty steady although she could use more
students. I would say she has reached somewhat of a plateau at this
point in her recovery. We just recently changed her meds again to
try and find a better fit with her condition. I'm finding that she
is beginning to get up a little later and is not as driven in the
morning. This I feel is a good sign. The last month has been
somewhat trying but overall we have been weathering it together. I
know this is not what we originally signed on for but these are the
cards we've been dealt and we are dealing with life as it comes.
These are the times that test your love for one another and
fortunately we've been able to keep on moving forward together no
matter how bad things appear at times. I hope to be able to make her
life as comfortable as I can and she also makes great efforts...
|
2-11-2008
Well let's see, I caught
Elvire drinking a glass of wine and smoking a cigarette. Her social
side is growing and she would like to get back to the old days.
Needless to say, all temptation has been removed from the site. She
is now going to Transitions just one day per week. They feel that
she may do better that way. The days are long for her without any
structure... you can only watch so much TV before you go nuts. I'm
looking forward to the Spring season, hopefully that will be a mood
elevator. She keeps making overtures regarding her driving. There is
little hope at this point and her lack of visual ability has been
fairly obvious. This however doesn't seem to dampen her hopes. One
more dream I have to crush with each mention. I don't want to foster
any false sense of hope for what is not likely to be. This caregiver
role is definitely not all its cracked up to be. In this case I seem
to be handing out a lot of negatives but they are tempered with
love...
|
1-22-2008
We are well into the month of
January and Elvire is still going to Transitions. She's not crazy
about it but she is still going. I would venture a guess that the
most important thing right now would be her physical therapy. I
would like to see her working on her own at the house but she is so
tired in the afternoon. We went to see the Neuro Ophthalmologist
today and he basically told her in response to her question that she
will no longer be able to drive based on her present state. She took
it well and I suppose she was expecting the answer but it was pretty
sobering to hear none the less. She is eligible for some social
security however and he suggested that we pursue that. The Saturday
and Sunday classes are going well, we would like to see an increase
in the numbers however. The meds seem to be working out okay. She is
no longer complaining of feeling dizzy but she says that she feels
crummy. Once again, I am trying to sell her on the importance of her
working on her own muscles in order to build her stamina. I can't
imagine how I would be if I were in her place. She is truly a feisty
individual and I think she will be able to pull this off. I love her
dearly, even if she wakes me up at 3:30... well maybe a little less
at that time of day...
|
1-07-2008
Happy New Year... The last few
days Elvire has mentioned that although she feels "crummy" when she
wakes up she has stated that she no longer feels dizzy. Now this
doesn't mean she is all healed up and back to normal but it is
certainly a step in the right direction. She taught her classes on
Saturday and Sunday. The feedback I received was of a positive
nature. She appears to be on the mend. I'm encouraged in this
although she peters out early in the day. From what I've read on
this subject that is a normal reaction. We'll take it any way we can
get it. On the whole, I'm encouraged...
|
12-29-2007
Today was an early awakening
but since there was no work for either of us it was nice and laid
back. We had coffee and just enjoyed each others company. We took a
quick ride to the bank and picked up the laundry. Other than that,
we pretty much took it easy and watched some of our favorite shows
that we have stockpiled on TiVo. Elvire was in bed fairly early this
afternoon due to her fatigue but she maintains a sense of humor
through it all. I love this girl and admire how well she is dealing
with what to me would be an insurmountable obstacle in her life. It
has been over seven months since the accident. She is truly a pillar
of strength and will.
|
12-23-2007
Life has been going on pretty
much status quo... Elvire is still feeling dizzy and is not crazy
about her ongoing participation at Transitions. She is resistant to
the PT in particular. The rest of the time she is home either
entertaining friends that drop in or watching the tube. She is
pretty bored on the whole... Our daily wake up time is varied as
well. Some days its 3:30 am and she has difficulty realizing that it
is 3:30, she thinks its 7:30. Other times its fine, she sleeps later
and has a better time comprehension. Yesterday she insisted on going
out and Christmas shopping. This is something that never held a
place of importance to her in he past. The family is coming to
celebrate with us this afternoon, I have to work tomorrow. We are
sitting around and Elvire wants to keep busy preparing everything.
Although my mom is cooking, she was up at 4:30 preparing the salad
which wouldn't be needed till 2:00 in the afternoon. These decisions
involving logic are the ones that have me concerned. I'm hoping that
slowly but surely this will turn around.
I'd like to wish you all a
very Happy Holiday and I can only give thanks that we have our girl
here to celebrate with us...
Don
|
12-09-2007
Its 7:30 am and Elvire has
been up since 4:00... She's busting my chops to go to work and
claims we are late. The class starts at 10:00 and generally she
likes to be there a half hour early. I guess I'll drag it out as
long as I can but we will be there extra early today to keep her
from getting too upset.
I have no one to drive to
Transitions on Tuesday. If there is anyone out there who has the
time and is willing to pick her up at 8:00 and wait there till
12:00, that would be extremely helpful. She has already missed too
many sessions...
That's pretty much it up to
the moment...
|
12-07-2007
I came home this evening at
5:30 and Elvire was in my face regarding the fact that (in her mind)
I had been away for a day and night without calling. She somehow
thought today was Saturday and had lost a day. She has been bumping
into things lately and continues to be impulsive as usual. She can't
sit still. As soon as she feels a little better she has to do
things. Today she broke out her steaming machine and began steam
cleaning the floors and promptly tripped over the machine. I wish
she would learn to mellow out a little and let things heal. She
wasn't feeling well on Tuesday so she didn't go to Transitions.
Thursday she went and did the first two sessions but skipped the
last one, OT. I don't know how much longer they will have her if she
keeps missing sessions like this. Tomorrow is Saturday and we have a
class at 8:45. At least she looks forward to that.
|
11-28-2007
We went to see her neurologist
on Monday and he feels pretty certain that the dizziness is a result
of the injury and not a side effect of the medication. In order to
better control her present state he has prescribed a new
anti-depressant so we'll give that a try and see how it goes. Elvie
went to transitions on Tuesday and then again tomorrow. She isn't
crazy about it but she is dealing with it as necessary. The classes
last weekend went pretty well and all in all give her purpose back
in her life. She is having a birthday on Friday and I have to say,
this one is pretty special in our lives. There was a time when we
wondered if there would be any more to celebrate. I'm happy to say
yes...
|
11-24-2007
Off the meds since Wednesday
morning although the sleeping pill is so small it was too difficult
to cut in half so she took a whole pill last night. She gets dizzy
whenever she moves around. If she lies down or sits still she is
okay. We have an appointment with the neurologist on Monday and
hopefully this will be addressed further. Even with the dizziness
she endured teaching a Stretch class today and has a Ballet class to
give tomorrow. I give her a lot of credit for her perseverance. We
spent a good part of the day in bed where she can keep the dizziness
at bay. Lets see what tomorrow has to bring...
|
11-20-2007
Elvire has not been feeling so
well the last few days although she taught a class on Saturday and
Sunday mornings. She is in the process of weaning off the drugs
she's been on. Amantadine is gone and the Effexor is going now.
Hopefully after a few days this will allow her body to clear out the
effects of the medications and hopefully will alleviate her
dizziness and sensation of fainting. She has been a real trooper so
far and I really admire her for sticking with the program. She was
too light headed to go to transitions today and they will be closed
for Thanksgiving. Hopefully by next Tuesday she will be feeling
better. Thanksgiving will be a low key day for us here, basically a
day of rest. Maybe something to eat as well. She spent a good
portion of the day today in bed which is odd even for her. I'm
hoping this does it...
Our best wishes to all of you
out there reading this and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
|
11-14-2007
Transitions has not been a big
hit yet and I think the hour off from 12:00 to 1:00 for lunch makes
the day drag on too long for Elvire. Consequently she is leaving
early and not finishing a daily routine. I spoke with Dr. Elbaum
about that schedule and we have changed it to Tuesday and Thursday
from 9:00 till 12:00 therapies straight through and she is finished
at noon. I hope this will work out better for her. She is quite
bored sitting around the house.
She taught a class last Sunday
and it went well. She is going to attempt a Stretch class this
Saturday and hopefully will begin to get back into the work force.
She is looking forward to teaching again. I think she will be
capable of dealing with it all. We'll see...
|
11-06-2007
It is 6:50 am and we are
waiting to go to my place of business so I can get things going
before we head off for Elvie's first session at Transitions. She is
busting my chops indicating that we are late. She is having a bad
time day. We have been up since 2:25 am. This schedule will
kill me if not both of us. We have a meeting at 9:30 then therapies
begin at 10:00. She has taken her meds for today and she wants to
get on the road. I hope she behaves herself at the shop while we are
waiting for departure time. More to follow...
6:30 pm, home from Transitions
and work. A little confusing today and there were changes in the
schedule as well. We met with Dr. Jean Elbaum this morning for an
initial getting to know you and she handed us the schedule. They
doubled up on OT today and there was no PT. That will change on
Thursday. My gut feeling is that Elvire will benefit most from the
OT and PT therapies. I'm not sure how much she will get from speech.
We headed home at 2:00 today and she was exhausted. By the time I
got home from work she was already in bed. The driving is quite a
chore and will become a problem if I can't get any help. I am hoping
that there might be some friends out there that have nothing better
to do than to take a drive to Manhasset from time to time.
|
11-01-2007
Elvire stayed at home today
but had her acupuncture session with Lucretia... So far she has had
good results with this therapy. Her mobility of her arms has greatly
improved and she doesn't appear to have any discomfort at this time.
Its incredible when you realize the enormity of an individuals
recovery from such an injury. It is really quite a commitment to
getting as well as you can. Each day seems to show a little more
improvement however so it is encouraging to say the least.
|
10-31-2007
Today we went to a therapy
rich center in Manhasset called "Transitions" for evaluation to get
into their program. They grilled Elvire on the PT, OT and ST areas.
Initially they all seemed to feel that she is a prime candidate for
continued therapy which I'm sure will be on a more advanced level
now that she is ambulatory. The only draw back to this place is its
distance from our home. It is about an hours drive from the house
when the traffic is heavy so it will wreak havoc with my work
schedule. I'm hoping for help from my friends. I have been so
blessed thus far and the offers of assistance still come in so I'm
sure we'll be able to pull it off. Elvire has been doing well so far
for those out of the loop. She is more and more active but gets
tired in the afternoons. I'm pretty sure the program will be a big
help in her final recovery.
|
10-18-2007
We saw Dr. David Schlessinger
who is a Neural-Ophthalmologist that was recommended by Dr. Sonia
Valle the Optometrist we saw last month. After going through a
number of initial tests which more or less indicated the range that
her vision has. An example would be her peripheral he then dilated
her pupils and performed an eye exam with photos of the vessels
behind the eye. His initial prognosis is that the brain damage to
her left side appears to be more or less a permanent factor. He said
the longer out you go with the same symptom the more likely it will
be permanent. That was not good news but a reality that needs to be
addressed. He will contact the Optometrist for any further types of
exercises that might be of use. We have a follow up visit scheduled
in January. Our next stop was a visit to our attorneys to drop off
some more paperwork on our case and to drop off another installment.
They are a nice group over there. I must say that I feel comfortable
dealing with them. We headed home after that and I grabbed my stuff
and headed back to work. I made a call to Transitions of Long Island
which is a full service rehabilitation center including PT, OT, ST
as well as all types of cognitive training. I have heard wonderful
things about this place from a number of people who have had
experiences with them. The one negative factor is that it is quite
far from our home but none the less we'll see if we can make it
work. More to follow...
|
10-15-2007
Last Friday we went to see
Elvire's neurologist, Dr. Rudansky. After telling him about the
perpetual dizziness he examined her then made some changes in her
medications. We are now weaning her off a couple of medications and
staggering the times of others. We'll see how this works out. This
weekend was not too eventful. We went shopping at Stop and Shop for
a few things then headed home. We took it pretty easy during the day
and watched some films. We spoke with Adrian on the phone, he and
Meredith are doing well out in California. He had to work all day on
Saturday due to the move they made in the office and I guess Adrian
had his hands full with keeping the networks up and running. Elvire
is still getting up at the crack of dawn... I believe it was at 4:30
today and of course, once she has her first cup of coffee, I'm the
next target. I sure would like to sleep till 6:00.
This Thursday we are seeing
the Neural-Ophthalmologist for his opinion relating to her vision
then from there we have to stop off at the attorneys office to drop
off some more documentation. From there I'll bring her home and get
back to work. Elvie has been home for two weeks now and seems to
have gotten into the groove fairly well. She is tired quite a bit
and even more so when the VNS physical therapist visits and gives
her a vigorous work out. Elvie has been getting visitors dropping by
from time to time. I think this is great because it makes her more
aware of the world out there and it forces her to participate in the
socialization process. Anything that can speed along her recovery
and bring her back into the life she once enjoyed is a good thing in
my opinion. I'm going to get to bed early tonight to hedge the
inevitable early wake up call I know awaits me... Stay tuned...
|
10-09-2007
Dizzy is the word of the
day... We have an appointment with her neurologist on Friday morning
and hopefully he will come up with some answers. I did a little
checking on the net this morning and found that four of the five
prescriptions that Elvire is taking has a side effect that "May
Cause Dizziness" . Those odds don't make for a very stable day of
walking. Elvire has been fairly lethargic lately and I hope Friday
will make some changes. This week she is staying home without anyone
accompanying her. She seems to be managing to feed herself and take
care of her basic needs but she hasn't done any PT on her own and my
concern for her is that she will not progress from this point. I'm
hoping that the medications will be the key factor here and that we
can get past this impasse in her recovery. Stay tuned for future
updates...
|
10-05-2007
After an early morning
reveille and a day that began at 4:something I finally got up and
got ready for work. Elvie was anxiously awaiting Sue's arrival at
9:00. Elvire went back to the studio this morning and surprised
Brenda and the rest of the class with her presence and her first
shot at a ballet class. She was feeling dizzy still and was not able
to go the whole distance at this point. Everyone gives her so much
credit for attempting such an undertaking so soon after being
released from a rehab program. It has been decided that her timing
is a little early and she will need to convalesce a little longer
before returning to the class room. After all there is a certain
standard of excellence that she would want maintained so she will
take a little more time until she is ready. I'm impressed with her
desire to jump back into the game but I also can see that she
doesn't yet have the stamina necessary to go at this full tilt. I
love her for trying however. We'll see what tomorrow brings...
|
10-04-2007
A few days have gone by and
Elvire is adjusting to being home quite nicely I'd say. She seems to
get along well with Sue her companion this week while I'm at work.
They have gone shopping, walking in the park and to my surprise,
Elvie decided to teach a class on Wednesday. From my understanding
she did pretty well at the Stretch Class for a first attempt since
the accident. We have had a few visits from Visiting Nurse Service
and I guess there has to be an evaluation on their end and our
insurance has to authorize what they propose. We'll see where that
goes. Elvie is tired out fairly quickly and by 3:00 when Sue leaves
she is right in the bed for a nap which ultimately is the beginning
of her night. She keeps hitting me up for her sleeping pill but I've
been sticking to my guns about early administering of her drugs.
Last night I gave her the pills an hour and a half later in the
attempt at regulating her sleep cycle. She has been getting up
between 4:00 and 5:00 am. I'd like to see her waking at 6:00. We'll
see how it goes but the first week seems to have gone well.
|
9-30-2007
10:00 am
One thing I have discovered in
the last few days is that Elvire isn't grasping the ability to
accurately tell time. She has been off by as many as three hours to
this mornings deficit of one hour. As we wait for her PT to arrive
she insists that she is late when in fact she would be early. She is
resting quite a bit as well. It is incredible the damage done by a
fall and the work involved to return to a near normal life.
4:20 pm
The lady from Visiting Nurse Service had
things to do and was running late so we rescheduled for 1:00. It
turns out that today's visit was more of a fact finding visit and we
spent approximately two hours with a nurse named Sue who sat down
with her laptop computer and entered a load of data into it with
regard to Elvire's present and past histories. She took basic stats
and created a data base from which her needs for nursing service
will be determined. I guess the ball is rolling now in the long term
recovery prospect. and how it will be handled. This should begin
with a nurses visit then a treatment schedule with a physical
therapist. This all gets determined by our medical insurance
carrier. |
