Dad continues to make improvements daily, especially physically. He is getting physically stronger and is now being taken on daily walks out to the front of the hospital where he is able to sit for a while and enjoy the sunshine. Just these brief excursions still wear him out quickly, however, and he still has a long way to go. But we are pleased with his progress in this area.
Cognitively Dad is also making progress. He is able to have sustained conversations with us at times, and is quick to give out his opinions and advice. He has told us that the most important thing in life is that we learn to be kind. He used Christ as the ultimate example of kindness and told us that we need to be like him.
Dad's sense of humor is still intact and he is quick to quip jokes at the medical personnel. If anything, he is even more of a jester now (I know that it's hard to believe). Maybe he is using humor to help himself get through this situation.
There are still some obvious cognitive issues that need to be worked on, and Dad still gets confused and mixed up about things. For example, when asked how many kids Kathie and Jim have, he said that they have 10 (they have 2). Also, nearly every time he is asked what month it is he says "March." He does not seem to have retained any memories from the month of April (even the vacation he just took with my Mom to California). We have been told that those memories have been erased and he will not get them back. We have been working with him on realizing that it is now May, so he has started responding either "May" or "Summer" when asked the time of year.
Dad's short term memory is still lacking as well. Sometimes he does not remember things from one day to the next, but this should improve with time.
We are so relieved and grateful that Dad is still "himself." We had been told that his personality and sense of humor may be changed as a result of where is brain injury had occurred. Maybe time will show there to be some changes in these areas, but for the most part Dad seems to still be the Dad we know and love.
Dad has been feeling some frustration and discouragement with his situation (as anyone would!). He does not always want to cooperate with his therapists and he gets annoyed at the nurses having to help him with everything. He doesn't know/ remember how critically he was injured, so he does not see himself making as much progress as we can see that he has made. This has him feeling down at times. He does seem to enjoy having visitors. Visits from those he loves seem to perk him up.
When we asked Dad if he is ready for visitors from outside the immediate family, he responded that he was. My mom asked me to share this information with you. Those of you who have been waiting to visit Dad until he was stronger can now do so. He is currently on the 12th floor of the Intermountain Medical Center. Visiting hours are from 4-8 PM each day. Sundays are more open as the therapy schedule is light. He will probably be there for at least the next week. If he makes great progress this week it is possible he could leave the hospital sometime this week. If that is the case, we will let everyone know.
If you do visit Dad, please plan on making your visits fairly brief and keeping them within the visiting hours. Dad still gets worn out easily and also has been experiencing terrible headaches in the area that the brain injury occurred. Also, during the non-visiting hours Dad is involved in therapy, so he would be unavailable at those times. It helps Dad to know that people love and care about him, so short visits from his friends and extended family may contribute to the healing process. Some days Dad is very social and likes to talk, other days he does not feel up to much chatting. Please just be aware of this as you make your visits. If he seems unsocial at the time, he may have just had an exhausting day or not be feeling well.
In other news, Dad did get his trach out last Thursday. That should be completely healed soon. He is also off of the antibiotics now and is doing great with no sign of returning infection. Unfortunately, he still has his feeding tube in. He has not yet passed the swallow test, and aspirates into his lungs when he is given food or drink. Thus, it is still not safe for him to eat or drink. The speech therapists are working with him daily on getting his muscles back to where they need to be to eat safely again. He will not be able to leave the hospital until that occurs. He often asks the therapists for ice cream, one time stopping at the nurse's station during his walk to ask (jokingly) for a caramel malt. Now you all know what kind of treat he has been craving once he is able to eat again :).
We want to thank all of you once again for the love and support that you have shown to us during this challenging time. We are very blessed!
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