Rehab

Today, on the 3 week anniversary of the accident, Dad was discharged from the "hospital" to the rehabilitation center, which is located just a floor above where he previously was.  

With his move to the rehabilitation center, my mom has suggested that maybe we should cut back a bit on our blog updates.  We will continue posting updates on Dad's progress and any milestones that he reaches, but it won't necessarily be every day.  As Dad is improving, we are beginning to sense that he may feel a bit self-conscious about his condition right now, so we are going to allow him a little more privacy as he heals.  We feel that it may be best to show him the respect of not publicizing all of the smallest details of his cognitive functioning. Up until now we have felt good about sharing those things with everyone, and there will still be things that we share, but we are going to be more selective from now on to save him from any embarrassment. 

Dad is expected to remain in rehab for around 2 weeks.  From there we are not sure what to expect.  We have been given differing outlooks, depending upon which medical professional we are speaking with.  He may go home after rehab and require the care of a home nurse, or he may need to go to a care facility for a while longer as his brain continues to heal.  Best case scenario would be that he would be able to go home with minimal help.  In any case, the brain healing process will not occur quickly and will have many ups and downs. 

Medically speaking, Dad still has the trach and is being given oxygen through that to assist with his breathing. He is expected to get that out within a couple of days. He also still has a feeding tube.  Ideally, they would like to remove that as soon as possible, but need to make sure that he is ready first.  Dad also continues to receive antibiotics through an I.V.,  but those are being reduced. Once the antibiotics are finished, his I.V. can also be removed.

Dad will be having 6 sessions of rehab per day.  Because of this heavy schedule they have told us that visitors are discouraged.  They do encourage his family to be there learning and participating in the rehab process, so we will continue taking shifts being with Dad through this time.  For those very closest to Dad (such as his siblings) the best time of day to visit him is between 3-4, as he will not be in therapy at that time.  Also, his Sunday schedule is lighter.  But again, we have been asked to continue limiting his visitors to those who are very closest to him. 
We feel confident that Dad continues to get the best possible medical care and attention.   He is currently being tested so that his rehab can be tailored specifically to his needs.  He has a nurse assigned to him and just 2 other patients, so he continues to get constant monitoring.  We have been very impressed with all of the medical staff who have been working with Dad and know that he is in good hands.

We cannot express enough thanks to all of you for the love, concern, comments, support, and prayers that you have given to us. It means more than you can know!!  Keep checking back, as we would love to share Dad's future triumphs with all of you.