Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Dad's Obituary
http://didericksenmemorial.blogspot.com/2012/05/dennis-ryan-orgill-dennis-ryan-orgill.html?m=1
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Four Month Mark
Sharon here. I thought I would take a second to update everyone on my Dad's progress. Sorry that we haven't been updating this blog anymore. In days and weeks immediately following Dad's stroke, things were constantly changing -- his care, his progress, his location, etc. As things have settled into more of a "normal" routine, it is harder for those of us close to the situation to see the daily changes that would warrant an update. In addition, most of us have our own young families, jobs and responsibilities. So, between our normal lives and caring for our Dad, we don't have a whole lot of spare time. But, because several people have asked for an update, I thought I'd post one so everyone would know what my Dad's new "normal" is.
On June 10th, my Dad came home from Woodland. It was a great day! Very exciting for him and for me, since I was the one that got to drive him home. The day was full of ups and downs, because he was happy to be home, but exhausted from the trip.
A typical day for Dad at home is quite different from what it was in the hospital or the care facility. He went from having multiple sessions of therapy (sometimes 5-6 a day!) to only one session, if that. The physical and occupational therapists switch off days that they come. He has a nurse that comes to evaluate once a week and a CNA that comes three times a week to help my mom with the more difficult tasks. He still has good days and bad days, which are hard to predict. On his good days, he seems to be stronger, more upbeat and wants to do as much therapy as possible. On his not so good days, he is more quiet and wants to keep to himself and not do as much.
Physically, he is still very limited. He can move his right arm and leg slightly when he concentrates hard, but neither are really functional at this point. Once we help him get to a standing position, he can support himself for a few minutes, which is very helpful when helping him get dressed and things like that. He usually wants to stay in bed throughout the majority of the day. We know that he is very tired and his brain is still healing, so rest is very important. And now that his room is all set up with a hospital bed, a flat screen TV and a bell to ring when he needs/wants something... I can see why he's comfortable and wants to stay there! :)
The hardest thing for him (and us) continues to be his inability to communicate. His speech has improved very little over the past few weeks which has been really hard to see. After living a life full of making smart, witty remarks on Facebook, writing poems, teaching Gospel Doctrine and communicating with friends and family daily... that has been taken from him almost completely. A couple of times a day, we will hear him say a full sentence or two that is super clear and it always catches me off guard. But for the most part, his speech is still very garbled and hard to understand. I cannot even begin to imagine how miserable this is for him. Its so hard for us to see him get so frustrated with himself when he can't say the words that he is thinking. An example is that when the grandkids come in to say "Hi Grandpa" to him, he will sometimes repeat back, "Hi Grandpa!" instead of using their names, though he clearly recognizes each of them. Or sometimes he will substitute a word or phrase with something completely unrelated, which makes it even harder to guess what it is that he's talking about. For example, he wanted a drink of water, but kept saying "squirrel" over and over. Whats funny about that (but still frustrating for him) is that once we figure out what he is trying to say, we will explain what he just said. Then he will look all confused and surprised that he did that. Some days, when he's feeling a little better, he will just laugh it off. But other days, its really gets him down. We try to remind him that we know that he is "still in there" and that we understand how frustrating it must be to be imprisoned in your own mind. I think maybe it helps a little bit to know that we still get that. The good thing is that he IS still there. I would say that he comprehends and understands 90% of what we say to him. So that is wonderful! He is definitely still in there. Now if we can just get his darn body to cooperate!
As a family, we have continued to support my parents in as many ways that we can. My mom has taken on the bulk of my dad's care and is a wonderful "nurse." She has sacrificed almost all of her own time and has completely given up anything she wants or needs to care for him. I'm sure this will surprise no one who knows her. A few of us visit at least once a week, but those that live in Grantsville are able to help quite a bit more and I am SO grateful to them. Susan has been going on Sundays to stay with my Dad so that my Mom can go to her church meetings. This has been a huge blessing for her, since she has had to miss a bunch over the past few months. Karen spends most evenings and a couple of full days a week there. And Ryan stops by pretty much daily, if not several times a day, to help or to visit. Karen and Ryan have also taken it upon themselves to supplement physical therapy by working with my Dad most evenings. Amazing. I am truly grateful to them for their efforts. And I know it makes a huge difference for my parents.
As for Dad's long-term prognosis, its hard to say exactly what that is. I went with my parents to his latest neurological exam, which was a couple weeks ago. His doctor took a look at his scans and said that his brain still hasn't completely reabsorbed all the blood from his hemorrhage. She said that it would take an additional 2-3 months to do that, and then they can properly evaluate what damage was done to his brain. The good news is that it opens up the possibility of him regaining even more as the blood continues to reabsorb. That's not a guarantee. But we'll take it and hope for the very best! Other than this, its just going to be more of the same every day. More therapy. More taking care of his needs/wants. More trying to keep his spirits up. More of finding a way to break through the monotony. And balancing that with making sure my mom's needs are met as well. Overall, I do think that he is glad to be at home, even if it is a reminder of how much his life has changed. So I am grateful that he is there.
I've had several people ask what they can do, if anything. Other than prayers, I think that he would love to have a visit or phone call. He can't always talk back to you in the way that he would normally, but he can usually respond well to "yes" or "no" questions. He does seem to be encouraged by visits and phone calls, so please feel free to do so. It would be best to call ahead of time and coordinate with my mom, to schedule around therapy and other care visits and make sure it's a good day. Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers. Keep them coming!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Still Pluggin Along
Sharon here. This past Thursday marked the two-month mark since Dad's stroke. Wow. Feels like two years. But at the same time, feels like it happened yesterday!
I've been wanting to do a blog update for several days/weeks now. Lately, its hard to know what to say. We've all settled into a sort of routine when it comes to visiting my Dad, and its hard enough trying to stay updated just among us in the immediate family. So unfortunately, keeping this blog updated has fallen by the wayside. But I know that so many people are wondering how he is doing and hoping for an update. So here goes.
I guess the biggest and most interesting news it that Dad was transferred out of the U or U hospital and into a new care facility on Thursday, May 5th. After six weeks at the hospital (one week in the NCCU and five weeks in the inpatient rehab) his team of doctors and care workers determined that it would be in Dad's best interest to move to a less intensive rehab. Somewhere where he could continue therapy on a daily basis and have nursing care, but that wouldn't require quite so much. After much deliberation and consideration for Dad's situation, it was decided that he would move to Woodland Park in Sandy.
It was bittersweet when we left the hospital. Dad (and the rest of us) really got attached to a lot of his nurses and therapists. Collin and Tracy from Physical Therapy were especially helpful and kind to Dad. We will miss them and so many of his nurses that quickly became our favorites! But I can definitely say that not one of us will miss that drive! Or the ten-minute walk from the parking garage to Dad's room!
Its been a long road since the move. And not always an easy one. The first few days at the new place were the hardest. It took a while to get used to the new facility and the way they ran things. (We still aren't quite used to it.) We had a whole new set of nurses, CNAs and therapists to get to know. And because half of the facility is a nursing home, it sometimes feels like Dad is in a nursing home. But he is in the nicer, newer part of the facility that is for non-resident rehab patients. He has his own room (YAY!) and a private bathroom. Lots of things that are good about it, and some things that aren't so great. But its all part of the process.
Probably the hardest thing that we've had to deal with is that after the move, Dad's condition and emotional state regressed severely. For the first few days, it was particularly difficult and we felt as though we were starting over at square one. Very frustrating for us, but I can't imagine how hard for him. He had made so much progress at the hospital. So much so that we were feeling as though him going home and being able to take care of himself was in the not-so-distant future. Now... we aren't so sure what will happen or how soon things will happen. (Hence the reason that we don't have much to update!) From what we've been told, this type of regression can happen with a stroke patient when there is a big change like this. Not that that makes it easy.
He is continuing to have therapy every day. Just three sessions a day instead of six. Occupational, physical and speech. We aren't seeing quite as much progress as we did at the hospital, but that can't really expected at this point, either. In each therapy, he is continuing to work on his strengths and hopefully get better at everything. I think it would be accurate to say that he is almost back to where he was when he left the hospital. Maybe a little better in some ways, but mostly the same or a little worse off.
More specifically, he still cannot use much of his right side. His right arm/hand are exercised daily and kept in a brace for much of the time. But he still has no feeling or use there. His right leg has started to have some feeling/pain and he can move it around when he tries. But its still not quite to the point where he can support his body weight on it, which makes relearning to walk difficult. He does use a walker in therapy, but the therapist still needs to pull his leg along so he can take steps with his left. Hopefully he'll get there soon!
His speech has gone up and down a lot. For a few days, he really regressed a lot and couldn't say much of anything and is back to using an almost silent whisper. But we are keeping at it, and trying to help him remember little tricks that he has learned in speech therapy to help him communicate. Some days are great and we understand a great deal. But a lot of days, its very difficult. Very very frustrating for us, but again his frustration with this is unimaginable. The other day I said to him that I couldn't imagine being trapped in a body that simply doesn't work. He just nodded. But we'll continue on with the therapy and hope for the best.
Most of his days are spent in bed, waiting for meals and therapy. He can't transfer himself to his chair or anything, so its a lot of waiting. Lots of TV. Lots of sitting there trying to communicate with whoever is visiting that day. Lots and lots of telling the staff that he wants something, but isn't able to tell them what exactly. Lots of trying to keep spirits up and trying to stay motivated so that the therapy will work. Lots of sad days, mad days and a few happy days thrown in between.
I wish that this post were more positive. We've tried, for the most part, to keep this blog mainly positive. But my Uncle Von said something to me the other day when I called him to give him an update. He said that he appreciated knowing the negative things, so that he could adjust what he was praying for. And right now, we need prayers. My Dad needs those prayers. We need him to continue to get better, so that we are able to take him home. I know that he misses his home and his "normal" life. Its hard to accept that this is his new normal. Its hard for all of us, but we continue to hope for the best! I keep hoping that one day I'll go to visit him and he'll just stand up and say, "I'm ready! Let's go!" LOL!
If anyone would like to call or visit, please let us know. I know that my Dad would really appreciate any emails, cards, visits or calls that he gets. Visits and calls are a little harder, because we never really know what his schedule will be like or if it will be a "good day" communication-wise. So please contact one of us and we will try to help you arrange something. And its usually better to have one of us there with you, so we can "translate" if needs be. :) We aren't at the new facility with him 12-14 hours a day like we were in the hospital. But between my Mom and our very large family, my Dad still has at least 1-2 visits a day. So at least that is something!
I can't promise that we will update again any time soon. If you would like some more information, please let me know and I'll try to give you an update if I can. Thanks again for all the love and support from all of you. We have felt it and we have needed it. Keep it coming! Love you all!
I've been wanting to do a blog update for several days/weeks now. Lately, its hard to know what to say. We've all settled into a sort of routine when it comes to visiting my Dad, and its hard enough trying to stay updated just among us in the immediate family. So unfortunately, keeping this blog updated has fallen by the wayside. But I know that so many people are wondering how he is doing and hoping for an update. So here goes.
I guess the biggest and most interesting news it that Dad was transferred out of the U or U hospital and into a new care facility on Thursday, May 5th. After six weeks at the hospital (one week in the NCCU and five weeks in the inpatient rehab) his team of doctors and care workers determined that it would be in Dad's best interest to move to a less intensive rehab. Somewhere where he could continue therapy on a daily basis and have nursing care, but that wouldn't require quite so much. After much deliberation and consideration for Dad's situation, it was decided that he would move to Woodland Park in Sandy.
It was bittersweet when we left the hospital. Dad (and the rest of us) really got attached to a lot of his nurses and therapists. Collin and Tracy from Physical Therapy were especially helpful and kind to Dad. We will miss them and so many of his nurses that quickly became our favorites! But I can definitely say that not one of us will miss that drive! Or the ten-minute walk from the parking garage to Dad's room!
Its been a long road since the move. And not always an easy one. The first few days at the new place were the hardest. It took a while to get used to the new facility and the way they ran things. (We still aren't quite used to it.) We had a whole new set of nurses, CNAs and therapists to get to know. And because half of the facility is a nursing home, it sometimes feels like Dad is in a nursing home. But he is in the nicer, newer part of the facility that is for non-resident rehab patients. He has his own room (YAY!) and a private bathroom. Lots of things that are good about it, and some things that aren't so great. But its all part of the process.
Probably the hardest thing that we've had to deal with is that after the move, Dad's condition and emotional state regressed severely. For the first few days, it was particularly difficult and we felt as though we were starting over at square one. Very frustrating for us, but I can't imagine how hard for him. He had made so much progress at the hospital. So much so that we were feeling as though him going home and being able to take care of himself was in the not-so-distant future. Now... we aren't so sure what will happen or how soon things will happen. (Hence the reason that we don't have much to update!) From what we've been told, this type of regression can happen with a stroke patient when there is a big change like this. Not that that makes it easy.
He is continuing to have therapy every day. Just three sessions a day instead of six. Occupational, physical and speech. We aren't seeing quite as much progress as we did at the hospital, but that can't really expected at this point, either. In each therapy, he is continuing to work on his strengths and hopefully get better at everything. I think it would be accurate to say that he is almost back to where he was when he left the hospital. Maybe a little better in some ways, but mostly the same or a little worse off.
More specifically, he still cannot use much of his right side. His right arm/hand are exercised daily and kept in a brace for much of the time. But he still has no feeling or use there. His right leg has started to have some feeling/pain and he can move it around when he tries. But its still not quite to the point where he can support his body weight on it, which makes relearning to walk difficult. He does use a walker in therapy, but the therapist still needs to pull his leg along so he can take steps with his left. Hopefully he'll get there soon!
His speech has gone up and down a lot. For a few days, he really regressed a lot and couldn't say much of anything and is back to using an almost silent whisper. But we are keeping at it, and trying to help him remember little tricks that he has learned in speech therapy to help him communicate. Some days are great and we understand a great deal. But a lot of days, its very difficult. Very very frustrating for us, but again his frustration with this is unimaginable. The other day I said to him that I couldn't imagine being trapped in a body that simply doesn't work. He just nodded. But we'll continue on with the therapy and hope for the best.
Most of his days are spent in bed, waiting for meals and therapy. He can't transfer himself to his chair or anything, so its a lot of waiting. Lots of TV. Lots of sitting there trying to communicate with whoever is visiting that day. Lots and lots of telling the staff that he wants something, but isn't able to tell them what exactly. Lots of trying to keep spirits up and trying to stay motivated so that the therapy will work. Lots of sad days, mad days and a few happy days thrown in between.
I wish that this post were more positive. We've tried, for the most part, to keep this blog mainly positive. But my Uncle Von said something to me the other day when I called him to give him an update. He said that he appreciated knowing the negative things, so that he could adjust what he was praying for. And right now, we need prayers. My Dad needs those prayers. We need him to continue to get better, so that we are able to take him home. I know that he misses his home and his "normal" life. Its hard to accept that this is his new normal. Its hard for all of us, but we continue to hope for the best! I keep hoping that one day I'll go to visit him and he'll just stand up and say, "I'm ready! Let's go!" LOL!
If anyone would like to call or visit, please let us know. I know that my Dad would really appreciate any emails, cards, visits or calls that he gets. Visits and calls are a little harder, because we never really know what his schedule will be like or if it will be a "good day" communication-wise. So please contact one of us and we will try to help you arrange something. And its usually better to have one of us there with you, so we can "translate" if needs be. :) We aren't at the new facility with him 12-14 hours a day like we were in the hospital. But between my Mom and our very large family, my Dad still has at least 1-2 visits a day. So at least that is something!
I can't promise that we will update again any time soon. If you would like some more information, please let me know and I'll try to give you an update if I can. Thanks again for all the love and support from all of you. We have felt it and we have needed it. Keep it coming! Love you all!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Fun Day Out
Hi everybody! It's Karen . I just wanted to do a quick update about my dad's fun adventure yesterday. About a week ago, Patricia, his Recreational Therapist told us that she would plan sometime soon, to take Dad on a 'field trip' of his choosing. So yesterday was the day! Last week, when dad decided that he would like his field trip to be going to a movie, they read through current movies playing, and he chose to see 'Conspirator' a movie about the Lincoln assassination. He has been looking forward to doing this, everyday, since the chose the movie, date, & time! When I was here on Saturday, I asked him if he was excited and he indicated that he was excited to see the movie, but that he was most excited because a few of his kids were going too! So, yesterday I got to the hospital about 12:00 and spent the next couple of hours with dad in therapy. This was fun, because now that we mostly come in the evenings, we don't get so sit in on very many therapy sessions anymore. Dad is doing really good! Improving each time I come. Yesterday in therapy they worked with him moving from his wheelchair to a bed, on his own. This has been really tricky up until this point, because he has such limited use in his right side. He has to really support all of his weight on his left side. But, he did it, about 9 times actually! Exhausting work, and slow going most of the time, but he is getting stronger each day, and it shows. I was super proud of how far he's come. It was a big day, and I asked him if he felt good, knowing that he did that 'chair to bed' transition on his own, and he did. I'm not sure if he was as happy as I was though. ;) YAY for dad!
Anyway, about 2:30, Patricia came and walked my dad and I out to the Hospital Van that has a wheelchair lift. Dad thought that was pretty cool. She said that we didn't NEED to use it, that we could have taken him in a car, but 'hey, why not...it's here to use'. LOL. Dad operated the lift, to get himself into the van, and I was surprised just how secure the wheelchair was in the back. I don't think it even moved 1/4 inch, during the whole ride. Dad LOVED the drive. Loved seeing the different surroundings and such. I had fun showing him my favorite old homes, that I've driven past about 100 times now. We had a nice visit on the drive over to the Theater. Ryan, Sharon, Alison & Aidan (who got extra credit for school for seeing this movie), & Diane all met us at the theater. My dad was super excited to see so many of his kids there! He seemed to really enjoy the movie, and although I thought for sure he'd sleep through most of it, after such a hard day of therapy, he surprised us, and only took a little cat nap, during one part. (He didn't miss anything important) ;)
After the movie, we talked outside for just a bit, and then said our good-byes and then we loaded up in the van to head back to the hospital. We took a different route back this time, going up State Street. Dad noticed this and asked where we were going, which I thought was funny. As we got nearer to the State Capital building, dad and I wondered what Leslie would be doing at work right then. I told him that I'd have to message her and let her know that we'd seen her 'office' on our drive. When we got back to the hospital, there was a note on Dad's bed from Leslie. We thought it was too funny that we were just talking about her, and wondering what she was doing, when she was actually trying to visit Dad! :) He enjoyed the note she'd left for him, so thanks Leslie!!
Well, Sharon drove to the hospital from the movie, and brought some yummy take out food from Zuppas! We had promised my dad the chance to eat 'real food' on this outing. He didn't want to eat during the movie, so we brought it back here. Sharon & I took dad into the common room, where they have lots of tables & chairs, and had a nice dinner of yummy soup and gourmet grilled sandwiches. YUM! Once dinner was done, dad was worn out! I headed home, and Sharon stayed while he got tucked in and ready for a good nights sleep. He had a very fun, productive day of doing something that brought him much joy before his stroke....movies AND family! 2 of his favorite things! It was nice to see him get to enjoy something he actually enjoys doing....as it's been a long while since he's been able to do that. And it made me look forward to the chance to go to many more movies with him!
Thanks for all the well wishes still coming in! We appreciate your concern just as much today, as we did a month ago!
Anyway, about 2:30, Patricia came and walked my dad and I out to the Hospital Van that has a wheelchair lift. Dad thought that was pretty cool. She said that we didn't NEED to use it, that we could have taken him in a car, but 'hey, why not...it's here to use'. LOL. Dad operated the lift, to get himself into the van, and I was surprised just how secure the wheelchair was in the back. I don't think it even moved 1/4 inch, during the whole ride. Dad LOVED the drive. Loved seeing the different surroundings and such. I had fun showing him my favorite old homes, that I've driven past about 100 times now. We had a nice visit on the drive over to the Theater. Ryan, Sharon, Alison & Aidan (who got extra credit for school for seeing this movie), & Diane all met us at the theater. My dad was super excited to see so many of his kids there! He seemed to really enjoy the movie, and although I thought for sure he'd sleep through most of it, after such a hard day of therapy, he surprised us, and only took a little cat nap, during one part. (He didn't miss anything important) ;)
After the movie, we talked outside for just a bit, and then said our good-byes and then we loaded up in the van to head back to the hospital. We took a different route back this time, going up State Street. Dad noticed this and asked where we were going, which I thought was funny. As we got nearer to the State Capital building, dad and I wondered what Leslie would be doing at work right then. I told him that I'd have to message her and let her know that we'd seen her 'office' on our drive. When we got back to the hospital, there was a note on Dad's bed from Leslie. We thought it was too funny that we were just talking about her, and wondering what she was doing, when she was actually trying to visit Dad! :) He enjoyed the note she'd left for him, so thanks Leslie!!
Well, Sharon drove to the hospital from the movie, and brought some yummy take out food from Zuppas! We had promised my dad the chance to eat 'real food' on this outing. He didn't want to eat during the movie, so we brought it back here. Sharon & I took dad into the common room, where they have lots of tables & chairs, and had a nice dinner of yummy soup and gourmet grilled sandwiches. YUM! Once dinner was done, dad was worn out! I headed home, and Sharon stayed while he got tucked in and ready for a good nights sleep. He had a very fun, productive day of doing something that brought him much joy before his stroke....movies AND family! 2 of his favorite things! It was nice to see him get to enjoy something he actually enjoys doing....as it's been a long while since he's been able to do that. And it made me look forward to the chance to go to many more movies with him!
Thanks for all the well wishes still coming in! We appreciate your concern just as much today, as we did a month ago!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Long Overdue Update
Alison here. After seeing two comments today alone on Facebook about people missing the regular blog posts, I decided to do one. So... you can thank Phil and Rebecca for this update! :)
The last couple of posts have mentioned that, for us at least, the days all seem to run into each other and so each day seems similar to the last...and the next. But really, as I sat down to think about what I could update on, I realized that there has been a lot of progress and a lot of change over the last two weeks!
First of all, I'll share a little bit about what has become the normal routine with Dad. As you know, we took shifts so that we were with him 24/7 for the first 7-10 days. After that, he seemed to be sleeping better at night, so we stopped spending the night and instead take shifts to be with him from about 8:00am to 9:00 or 10:00pm.
Weekends are a little more relaxed, especially Sundays. Saturday usually brings a little lighter therapy schedule (typically not with his regular therapists either... so the "replacements" don't tend to push him as hard), and Sunday is therapy-free. The kids take turns coming in on the weekends too, and then my Mom spends Sunday in the hospital as well. Side note -- those of you who know my mom know that she loves to walk. One Sunday, I went in and Susan was there. I asked where Mom was because Susan had mentioned they were going to drive in together. She said that my mom had asked to be dropped off at Temple Square to watch the choir broadcast and then was walking to the hospital. Now... if you googled this, you'd see it is "only" three miles (as my mom said), but if you've ever driven to the hospital, you know what a walk it would be! My mom is amazing!
So, my dad still has someone with him most of the time, except for when he's sleeping. This has been helpful because we tend to understand him a little bit better than the nurses and aides, although his speech is improving! (More on that later.)
Dad has had several other visitors as well. Some have asked if visitors are welcome, and I think for the most part the answer is yes. My own personal recommendation would be to try to come on Saturday or Sunday evening if possible. Therapy days are tiring, so he often is sleepy and worn out in the evenings on those days. Weekends, he's a little more alert. And, it may be better to call before coming too. Sometimes, the nurses take him off for scheduled tests, etc, so planning a visit ahead of time is a good idea. :)
So, now to the good stuff... progress. You know, when the stroke first happened, we didn't know what to expect. The doctors were hesitant to tell us what to expect because everyone responds and recovers differently. We knew that Dad's stroke was serious and that he'd likely have longterm or permanent disability because of it. But, it's really just been a "watch and see" sort of thing.
From the beginning, we had the sense that Dad's cognitive ability was largely intact. He has responded well to us even from the first night in the ER. So, that was and has been the biggest relief. He truly seems like he is "all there." And we are thrilled to see that his sense of humor has returned in full force. We love this and it definitely lightens the mood for all of us!
The two areas that Dad has struggled the most are physically -- he has effectively been paralyzed on his entire right side -- and his speech. We have joked on the blog about him sounding like he speaks Cherokee. Also, they think that he suffered some damage from the breathing tube in the ER, or that his vocal cords were temporarily or permanently paralyzed. As a result, when he does talk, it is in a whisper. This whisper has gotten a little louder over time, and he can even force out a louder voice at times (which we refer to as his "Barry White voice" because it is loud and deep).
So, let me give you an update on these two areas:
Physical - Dad has amazed us with his ability on his left side. He is right handed and, as mentioned before, has suffered from a tremor in his left hand/arm for the last six months or so. So, we were worried about him being able to use his left side. He has done amazingly well! As of today, he eats completely on his own, with his left hand. As part of his occupational therapy, he dresses himself (with little assistance) and grooms himself. He uses the iPad and TV himself. He is very sturdy with his left hand and you would never guess that it wasn't his dominant hand before the stroke. He has drawn a few things in therapy and, again, we've been amazed with what he's done. In fact, here is a picture he drew in therapy two weeks ago.
It's kind of dark, but you can see how great it is. It is hanging in his room now and several people have commented that they couldn't even do that well with their own dominant hand. :)
Dad's strength continues to improve as well. One focus of his physical therapy is to practice standing and walking. He has continued to improve in standing and now does it unassisted while holding a bar. He also does much better in transfers (moving from the bed to a wheelchair, to a table, etc). When he first arrived, they had to do a full assist transfer, taking 2-3 people. Now, this can typically be done with just one aide helping him. Great! He has been practicing walking the last couple of days. Keep in mind that he still has very little feeling and use of his right side, so this still requires a lot of assistance, but he's up and trying it nonetheless. He has been experiencing a lot of pain in his right side, which is a good sign (to us) because it means he can feel something.
Last night, Sharon and my mom were with him at the hospital and all of a sudden he started raising his right leg off the bed on command. This is sort of how things have been happening lately. All of a sudden, he can do something that he hasn't been able to do before. They usually aren't huge steps, but it is exciting to see evidence that the brain is healing and that maybe some of the damage we assumed would be permanent may not be!
SPEECH
This is probably the most exciting thing for us right now. From day one, this has been the most frustrating thing for all of us, including I'm sure, my dad. It has always seemed to us that he knows what he's trying to say and just simply can't say it. Until recently, I would say that he was understandable only about 5% of the time. If he was trying to communicate something, it was typically a VERY long process of yes and no questions to try to get to it, and most of the time, we'd just have to give up. Thankfully, he had a pretty good sense of humor about this, but it still had to be very frustrating for him (and it was for us too because we couldn't help him).
In the last week, though, we have seen HUGE improvements. I can barely type right now because I'm crying just thinking about it. LOL Thank you SO much for your prayers on Dad's behalf. We have prayed that his speech and ability to communicate would be restored because we knew that this was one of the most important things in his long term quality of life. I would say that Dad is understandable now at least 50% of the time, and is improving every single day. He has learned to talk slowly and deliberately and he can usually get the message across even if a couple of the words in between are a little off. And he regularly surprises us with completely clear, complex sentences. We love it! And he seems to love it too! :)
Well, hopefully that will suffice for an update today. I apologize that we haven't done a better job of keeping this up. We'll do better! I'm glad to know that you all still are interested and care to know how he's doing. It means the world to us.. and to him.
Here is a final photo... Sharon took this of my dad overlooking the Salt Lake Valley from the Huntsman Cancer Center window (thank you for the tip, Von... he LOVED it!). This is before Karen just gave him a much needed haircut, but it is a great picture of a very peaceful, enjoyable afternoon for him.
Love you all!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday Afternoon Update
Hi...it's Karen. I just got home from visiting with my dad this afternoon. I just wanted to do a quick update. I was happy to spend time with my dad today, just doing 'normal' things. This is hard to explain, but my dad just seemed so 'normal' today. He looked great. He felt good. And he was alert and not in any pain or experiencing and discomfort. He had only had a short day of therapy - only having 3 sessions, when he usually has 6, so I am sure this contributed to his relaxed state of being. ;)
So, after an update on the snowstorm we were having on this not-so-spring-like day, we watched a couple of sitcoms on TV. This is something that I do often with my dad, as he frequently comes down to my house in the evenings to watch TV with Jim & I, so it was so nice just to do something 'normal'. Dad even chuckled at most of the funny parts.
One of dad's classmates, Don Fawson stopped by for a quick visit. It's always fun for dad to take a walk down 'memory lane' with his old friends, and it's always good for us to see that he still has those memories. I also heard that he had an visit earlier today from President Phelps from our Stake Presidency. These visits are all appreciated and are a welcome distraction from the mundane-ness of the hospital.
After Don's visit, dad shared his dinner with me, since I was starving (he ate the lasagna, roll & pink lemonade, and I ate the green beans). And we just had a nice time visiting and just....'be' - ing. He was upbeat, and in very good spirits, and other than his speech and him laying in a hospital bed (LOL)...it just felt like a normal, everyday visit with my dad.
The highlight of his day I'm sure, happened shortly after Susan arrived for the 'shift change'. I bent down to give my dad a hug and stood up and smacked my head on the metal extension bar that holds the TV. Dad made a pained face and said, 'ohhhhh', and then all three of us proceeded into a fit of laughter. It was worth the headache that followed, just to hear my dad laugh..... :) Anyway, just wanted to let you know that he is doing well today...so thank you for the prayers that have been being offered in his behalf...(and ours). I felt truly blessed today, to see my dad have a good 'normal' day!
So, after an update on the snowstorm we were having on this not-so-spring-like day, we watched a couple of sitcoms on TV. This is something that I do often with my dad, as he frequently comes down to my house in the evenings to watch TV with Jim & I, so it was so nice just to do something 'normal'. Dad even chuckled at most of the funny parts.
One of dad's classmates, Don Fawson stopped by for a quick visit. It's always fun for dad to take a walk down 'memory lane' with his old friends, and it's always good for us to see that he still has those memories. I also heard that he had an visit earlier today from President Phelps from our Stake Presidency. These visits are all appreciated and are a welcome distraction from the mundane-ness of the hospital.
After Don's visit, dad shared his dinner with me, since I was starving (he ate the lasagna, roll & pink lemonade, and I ate the green beans). And we just had a nice time visiting and just....'be' - ing. He was upbeat, and in very good spirits, and other than his speech and him laying in a hospital bed (LOL)...it just felt like a normal, everyday visit with my dad.
The highlight of his day I'm sure, happened shortly after Susan arrived for the 'shift change'. I bent down to give my dad a hug and stood up and smacked my head on the metal extension bar that holds the TV. Dad made a pained face and said, 'ohhhhh', and then all three of us proceeded into a fit of laughter. It was worth the headache that followed, just to hear my dad laugh..... :) Anyway, just wanted to let you know that he is doing well today...so thank you for the prayers that have been being offered in his behalf...(and ours). I felt truly blessed today, to see my dad have a good 'normal' day!
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