Helloooo:
Well, if anyone is following this blog, you've probably noticed that I haven't posted in over a week. Needless to say, it has been an extremely busy week to the point where I had to start taking Omega3 so I could focus better. You're probably wondering if it worked-I'm not sure. A lot of things were going on that required much attention. Fortunately, the boys were picking up some of the slack. Speaking of the boys, Steve has flexed his independent muscle and made the big move to his own place. This is a good thing. He hasn't moved too far so he will be around to continue with the help and I think it's important for him to experience the economics of independent living. However, do you think this week was a good example of sound economics??As has been said by us democrats (yes, now you know)...what were you thinking?? I'm not going to get into that. You all know the expression about religion and politics. Anyway, let me fill you in on the life of Larry (that's what you all wanted to know anyway).
Larry is now in his 9th. facility. He was moved Monday night to the LTAC facility as we had hoped. The only problem is that it's in Sycamore. You know, this is Chicago, could a closer facility not have been found or what!! Sycamore is about a 35-40 minute one-way trip for us. It's near Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. It's a lovely drive, out in the country and all; and especially now with Autumn upon us. This L-TAC was chosen because it is suppose to specialize in wound care. I was not able to see Larry until Friday. He seemed ok but I think he's very frustrated and growing more depressed. Can you blame him? I do worry about that. Because of the distance and my schedule I feel that I haven't got a handle on this hospital yet. Thankfully Chris has been the family representative this week. I do know for sure that Larry's meds need a good tweaking. I tell you if you don't keep on top of these places and be an advocate for the patient, things could take a very uncertain turn. I will be there tomorrow so hopefully I will get a better feel for Larry's care. By the way, the name of the hospital that Larry is in is Kindred in Sycamore, Illinois. I don't have the exact address or phone number but I'm sure it's on the internet. If anyone would like to contact Larry that's where he is. I can't guarantee his articulation or his cognisance (it's the meds) but I'm sure if you have patience he would be happy to hear from a friend. Until then...pass on the Larry love.
Gail
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Ol' Lar does a 90- not a 180
Boy, what a difference 24-48 hours make. Yesterday, when I visited Larry, his condition did not appear very good. He was somewhat incoherent and awaiting a procedure. It was difficult to understand him and his doctor had given me a call with a not so rosy outlook. I stayed with him until he was taken to surgery for a debridement of his pressure wound. I was not able to stay so the shift was taken over by the boys. The doctor informed the boys that Larry did well in surgery, however they did find some necrotic tissue and follow-up would consist of a wound vac and a possible flap. I did not speak with Larry until he called this morning; and much to my delight it was easier to understand him.
Chris and I went to see him this afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to see him alert, talkative and hungry. How this change came about, I'm not sure. I have a feeling that Larry has been living with this infection for some time now, and when the antibiotics began working and he was receiving oxygen his condition appears to be better. However, Larry has another long road ahead of him. Unfortunately his homecoming is still undetermined. While his procedure was successful,the infectious disease doctor said that the infection has traveled to his blood and that he needs a very heavy duty IV antibiotic. Hospice will not approve that therapy at home so a difficult decision had to be made. It was suggested that he may be a candidate for LTAC-long term acute therapy. He will be evaluated for that on Monday. As much as we would like him back home, we are not equipped to handle that condition. Larry is supposed to be on this antibiotic until mid-October. In fact, a pic line was inserted into him today. So our hope is that his evaluation is approved and the antibiotic therapy starts soon. Has this guy not been through enough ringers or what????? So, I'm asking you to send up some prayers for him this week-end. I also want to thank everyone who has responded with some wonderful feedback and offers of help. I will not let you all off the hook however, I will just postpone the offers. Untill next time---pass on the Larry love.
Gail
Chris and I went to see him this afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to see him alert, talkative and hungry. How this change came about, I'm not sure. I have a feeling that Larry has been living with this infection for some time now, and when the antibiotics began working and he was receiving oxygen his condition appears to be better. However, Larry has another long road ahead of him. Unfortunately his homecoming is still undetermined. While his procedure was successful,the infectious disease doctor said that the infection has traveled to his blood and that he needs a very heavy duty IV antibiotic. Hospice will not approve that therapy at home so a difficult decision had to be made. It was suggested that he may be a candidate for LTAC-long term acute therapy. He will be evaluated for that on Monday. As much as we would like him back home, we are not equipped to handle that condition. Larry is supposed to be on this antibiotic until mid-October. In fact, a pic line was inserted into him today. So our hope is that his evaluation is approved and the antibiotic therapy starts soon. Has this guy not been through enough ringers or what????? So, I'm asking you to send up some prayers for him this week-end. I also want to thank everyone who has responded with some wonderful feedback and offers of help. I will not let you all off the hook however, I will just postpone the offers. Untill next time---pass on the Larry love.
Gail
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Homecoming on Hold
This is Gail's sister, Larry's Thursday homecoming is on hold for a little while. He had an appointment at the infectious disease doctor today and was subsequently hospitalised for an infection in his pressure wound. Right now he is in Sherman Hospital on IV antibiotics and is awaiting the results of the wound culture, we should know more in a day or two. He hasn't lost his sense of humor in all of this; while Gail was talking with me on the phone in Larry's room, he wanted to know if I could come over and have a party in his room! That's our Lar!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Getting Ready for Larry's Homecoming
Well, I never thought that I would have a blog. My sister, convinced me that this would be the most efficient way to communicate with so many of you out there that have inquired about Larry and his health. Quite honestly, this is easier for me than to speak on the phone where I most often turn into a blubbering idiot. Often, I find it difficult to talk about Larry on the phone because it's difficult for me to control my emotions, and for someone who has admittedly been a "control Freak", my vulnerability shows through.
Larry will be coming home on Thursday, Sept. 11th. He hasn't been home since April 8th. which started with a much needed successful knee replacement and turned into a medical chamber of horrors. His medicare runs out in a week for rehab nursing assistance and we all decided it is most definitely time for "ole Lar to be back at his home. Imagine having the whole Spring and Summer months pass you by; missing his son's college graduation, watching Spring flowers bud and grow, not tasting a grilled hamburger, nor seeing a summer firework and most importantly missing the other July National Holiday-my birthday. Of course, Larry is a different man from the time he left his house in April to the present. He has changed physically-lost 50 lbs. , is extremely rigid and has little range of motion. He has also changed mentally, a result of the progression of the disease. Sometimes he's a little fuzzy-which I guess we can all admit to at times-only Lar's is a little more often; and then he has days where his acuity is pretty sharp. I strongly believe that a nursing home stay contributes to what I call "nursing home dementia."
If any of you have had the experience of having a loved one in that type of facility, you know what I'm talking about. I do not consider bingo much of a mental challenge.
As I said Larry has gone through a medical chamber of horrors. He has been in 4 different hospitals and 4 different rehab facilities since this all started. The knee replacement went well and the initial rehab started out ok to the point where Larry was actually walking with a walker as recently as early May. Then all hell broke loose. He contacted C-DIFF(a severe bacterial infection which affects control of all bodily functions-if you catch my drift-and leaves the patient extremely weak) followed by a yeast infection in his throat and the start of a pressure sore. This put him all behind the eight ball and rehab had to start all over in a different facility. Strides were attempted to get him up and moving , only to be sidelined by more C-DIFF and MRSA in his pressure wound site. This was also complicated by DVT (deep vein Thrombosis) in his leg. Another hospital visit, another rehab facility. So let's give it the old college try again. Larry is a fighter. Sure he complained about the food and getting out of whatever place he was or is in; but he continued to have the motivation and determination to proceed with all types of therapy in the hopes of being able to walk again and be able to go upstairs by himself. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen
I am in the process of turning my dining room into Larry's new bedroom. he needs to be on the main level. Unfortunately, there is no full bath on this level so the challenge has raised to design some sort of shower. I have some unconventional ideas that might actually fly.
We have decided to pursue the Hospice route of care for Larry. I met with them yesterday, and considering Larry's many needs, this seems the most reasonable solution that would best suit Larry and the rest of the family. For those of you that seem shocked by the "H" word, I have been assured that hospice is not necessarily an end of life option. Larry's progressive disease is just that-progressive. The Parkinsonism, referred to as MSA-multi system atrophy or Shy-Drager Syndrome has rapidly robbed Larry of muscle strength and tone, left him incontinent, the inability to swallow properly, and is showing signs of dementia; not to mention that he has a stage 4 pressure sore. He needs assistance with just about every activity of daily life. Now considering all that Larry has been through, I still consider him a remarkable man. He rarely complains about his care or his conditions. I , on the other hand have been like a pit bull particularly when it comes to nursing home care. The list of improprieties I have witnessed has been appalling. It has left me frustrated, exhausted , and above all angry. Remember those 50 lbs. Larry has lost, well they didn't just evaporate into thin air-noooooo, they have re-positioned themselves on this 50 something body. That, however is just going to have to be put on hold until later.
Now I have come to the part that is always difficult for people to address. HELP!!! I know many of you have offered to help Larry and the family in the past but quite frankly I really didn't know what he or us needed at that time. Now I do. As I have mentioned we are enlisting the help of hospice but I don't have the logistics worked out just yet. I am asking for your time. Larry cannot be left alone, and the boys and I need to continue to work. We need volunteers to basically sit with Lar from late morning until early evening. This would probably incur in 2 hour intervals depending on the volunteers. Not only would this be appreciated by us, but I know Larry would sincerely welcome the opportunity to visit with friends, family and neighbors-even if he does fall asleep. I have asked some friends to set up a volunteer spread sheet when the time comes and I have also requested the expertise of an RN friend to demonstrate and/or explain any conditions that may arise with Larry's care. If you all feel up to this challenge and it will be a challenge, you can respond in these posts or through my e-mail. I am also looking for help with the construction of a wheelchair ramp for our front entrance. If anyone knows "a guy" who does this, please pass the name onto me.
Well, it is late and I am tired. I hope I brought many of you up-to-date about Larry's status. My intention is not to bring on gloom and doom nor am I sugarcoating it. It is what it is and that's why everybody loves Larry.
Larry will be coming home on Thursday, Sept. 11th. He hasn't been home since April 8th. which started with a much needed successful knee replacement and turned into a medical chamber of horrors. His medicare runs out in a week for rehab nursing assistance and we all decided it is most definitely time for "ole Lar to be back at his home. Imagine having the whole Spring and Summer months pass you by; missing his son's college graduation, watching Spring flowers bud and grow, not tasting a grilled hamburger, nor seeing a summer firework and most importantly missing the other July National Holiday-my birthday. Of course, Larry is a different man from the time he left his house in April to the present. He has changed physically-lost 50 lbs. , is extremely rigid and has little range of motion. He has also changed mentally, a result of the progression of the disease. Sometimes he's a little fuzzy-which I guess we can all admit to at times-only Lar's is a little more often; and then he has days where his acuity is pretty sharp. I strongly believe that a nursing home stay contributes to what I call "nursing home dementia."
If any of you have had the experience of having a loved one in that type of facility, you know what I'm talking about. I do not consider bingo much of a mental challenge.
As I said Larry has gone through a medical chamber of horrors. He has been in 4 different hospitals and 4 different rehab facilities since this all started. The knee replacement went well and the initial rehab started out ok to the point where Larry was actually walking with a walker as recently as early May. Then all hell broke loose. He contacted C-DIFF(a severe bacterial infection which affects control of all bodily functions-if you catch my drift-and leaves the patient extremely weak) followed by a yeast infection in his throat and the start of a pressure sore. This put him all behind the eight ball and rehab had to start all over in a different facility. Strides were attempted to get him up and moving , only to be sidelined by more C-DIFF and MRSA in his pressure wound site. This was also complicated by DVT (deep vein Thrombosis) in his leg. Another hospital visit, another rehab facility. So let's give it the old college try again. Larry is a fighter. Sure he complained about the food and getting out of whatever place he was or is in; but he continued to have the motivation and determination to proceed with all types of therapy in the hopes of being able to walk again and be able to go upstairs by himself. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen
I am in the process of turning my dining room into Larry's new bedroom. he needs to be on the main level. Unfortunately, there is no full bath on this level so the challenge has raised to design some sort of shower. I have some unconventional ideas that might actually fly.
We have decided to pursue the Hospice route of care for Larry. I met with them yesterday, and considering Larry's many needs, this seems the most reasonable solution that would best suit Larry and the rest of the family. For those of you that seem shocked by the "H" word, I have been assured that hospice is not necessarily an end of life option. Larry's progressive disease is just that-progressive. The Parkinsonism, referred to as MSA-multi system atrophy or Shy-Drager Syndrome has rapidly robbed Larry of muscle strength and tone, left him incontinent, the inability to swallow properly, and is showing signs of dementia; not to mention that he has a stage 4 pressure sore. He needs assistance with just about every activity of daily life. Now considering all that Larry has been through, I still consider him a remarkable man. He rarely complains about his care or his conditions. I , on the other hand have been like a pit bull particularly when it comes to nursing home care. The list of improprieties I have witnessed has been appalling. It has left me frustrated, exhausted , and above all angry. Remember those 50 lbs. Larry has lost, well they didn't just evaporate into thin air-noooooo, they have re-positioned themselves on this 50 something body. That, however is just going to have to be put on hold until later.
Now I have come to the part that is always difficult for people to address. HELP!!! I know many of you have offered to help Larry and the family in the past but quite frankly I really didn't know what he or us needed at that time. Now I do. As I have mentioned we are enlisting the help of hospice but I don't have the logistics worked out just yet. I am asking for your time. Larry cannot be left alone, and the boys and I need to continue to work. We need volunteers to basically sit with Lar from late morning until early evening. This would probably incur in 2 hour intervals depending on the volunteers. Not only would this be appreciated by us, but I know Larry would sincerely welcome the opportunity to visit with friends, family and neighbors-even if he does fall asleep. I have asked some friends to set up a volunteer spread sheet when the time comes and I have also requested the expertise of an RN friend to demonstrate and/or explain any conditions that may arise with Larry's care. If you all feel up to this challenge and it will be a challenge, you can respond in these posts or through my e-mail. I am also looking for help with the construction of a wheelchair ramp for our front entrance. If anyone knows "a guy" who does this, please pass the name onto me.
Well, it is late and I am tired. I hope I brought many of you up-to-date about Larry's status. My intention is not to bring on gloom and doom nor am I sugarcoating it. It is what it is and that's why everybody loves Larry.
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