June 15, 2006 (3:09pm)
Mail call: Thanks to Lois Stavig and Beth Fletcher.
This morning I walked in just as the nurse was about to give Gary his bath, so I asked if they wanted me to do it. They said sure, and then the nurse abdicated a bit more than I expected – she told me to put his clothes on him too. This probably sounds like no big deal, but there were things to contend with – like his Foley catheter and (since he was going to soon be sitting up) his (mid-section) binder and his ted hose, which fit like very very tight thigh-high stockings (I’d never put the binder or the hose on him before) – not to mention how exactly to get those clothes on him and the binder around him when he is mostly deadweight and can’t be pushing himself up in bed to help because of the flap. It took me forty-five minutes to complete the process. I had the nurse check the results. Ted hose perfect, binder needed tightening but was positioned fine, pants needed a little straightening (I couldn’t lift him up at the booty to get them to fit over him quite right and I didn’t want to be scraping the pants over his flap).
We talked to Joe shortly after this, and he told us of his idea to remove the bathtub in the master bathroom and replace it with a roll-in shower. We had known of the existence of such, and Joe convinced us this would be a good thing. He also told us that Jo Heath had popped in, and was going to try to find out about debris removal – Joe had only been able to find a place that would rent him a 20-yard dumpster for a price that sounded pretty outrageous.
Jo and Bob Heath, and Janet Rogers, are helping with yard work, I hear. We are so grateful to them, and to the others who responded to the math dept. email asking if anyone could help Joe out while he was there. (A little later today I got an email from Janet which made me laugh. She said she had tried to take digital pictures of the kitties to send. She only got a glimpse of Blackjack, and Tigger kept trying to be friendly and wouldn’t stay far enough away for Janet’s flash to work properly. Tigger has definitely had a personality change – he never before let other people get this close to him on such short acquaintance).
Today Gary sat up for an hour. They brought a new chair for him, one that was narrower, but it turned out to have other features that made it less comfortable than Gary’s previous one – the back was lower, cushiony instead of hard, and it didn’t have the “side wings” that curve around Gary’s mid-section and give him side support (needed since he doesn’t have the use of the abdominal muscles that would prevent him from sliding to one side or the other). So for now he is back in the one that is too wide in the seat and is “tippy” (tho not dangerously so, since it has tip bars in the back – the problem is it takes little hops when he rolls it along). After the discussions about the chair with one of the staff, and after eating his lunch sitting, he had only ten minutes to go anywhere in the chair. That got us down to the garden – but we had to immediately go back. At least he got outside for the first time in weeks. And, he got up the ramp completely by himself this time, whereas last time I had to stand behind his chair and prevent it from going backwards – so, his weight work is paying off, he is stronger! He also got down the ramp without me hanging onto the handrails on the back of his chair as I did last time, though he scared me a little cuz he got going a little fast. I told him to yell if he needed me, but since he didn’t, I let him go zooming down it, me right behind with my hands poised just in case. He admitted he’d gotten a little nervous there at the end. But he pointed out the worst that would have happened is he would have ended up in the bushes. I told him, half-joking, that I didn’t that would’ve been too great a reflection on me, but he said he’d take the blame.
When they got him back in bed, he said the time had gone by much too quick. So he must be feeling pretty good with the sitting.
The wife of one of Gary’s roommates then stopped by to tell us about a phone call she’d just had. The person had asked her why there were three patients sharing the room. She had replied, “So they can see that other people are in the same situation” (I doubt that’s the reason but didn’t contradict her). Her friend then asked, “Do they have anything in common?” and she replied, “Well, there’s redneck Greg, the brother Thomas, and Professor Gary. . . No, I don’t think so.” We laughed, and she went on in a serious vein, “It just goes to show you that this could happen to anyone.”
Soon after that, Gary conked out for a nap. After a short time, two nurses came billowing through the curtain, and even though it was obvious Gary was fast asleep one called his name out in a loud voice. I was standing next to his bed working on the blog, and I immediately put my finger to my lips. This succeeded only in turning her attention away from him to me. “We just came to see if he wants anything,” she said in a just-as-loud voice. I smiled politely and shook my head, still trying to get across the message with my body language that they should be quiet, not voicing the thought that had come to mind at her statement. I didn’t voice it for two reasons – one, because I was trying to be quiet, two, because the thought was a sarcastic, “What he wants is to sleep.” This type of behavior seems to be a universal nursing failing – for example, a couple times Gary had a nurse who would come in at 5am, roust him from his sound sleep for his bowel program, and expect him to be chipper and laugh at her jokes. I can think of several reasons why I would find little to be amusing under those circumstances. And we heard a story which we think is the ultimate of this type: a patient was awakened from a sound sleep only to be asked if he wanted a sleeping pill.
Since today’s meals had been ordered yesterday, Gary already knew tonight’s dinner choices didn’t appeal to him; I had told him some more things that were available at the Fresh Market, and he had placed his order. So I picked him up some BBQ rotisserie chicken drummettes, throwing in a few that were Buffalo-style, which evidently means they are very hot. I also got him some smokehouse BBQ beans, and he rounded out the meal with baby greens and berries.
After dinner we got him spruced up for his family tomorrow – since the accident he seems to think he can indulge in a behavior he used to reserve for weekends: going around without shaving and looking like a bum. Oh, excuse me – he claims he looks very chic that way. So I guess he won’t look chic tomorrow cuz I used the Schick on him tonight. He needs a haircut, but he had to forgo that – lying in bed is not the best position to be in while cutting your hair or having it cut. We found out from his roommate that the way to do it is to be sitting in your wheelchair which you’ve rolled over a sheet, and to have another sheet wrapped around you. This roommate’s wife has volunteered to cut Gary’s hair – I won’t touch it because I don’t want to be blamed for the result ;-) He would normally cut it himself, but there isn’t a mirror in there for him to look into.
After giving him a bit of a lotioning up, I left early. There were a few more things I could pack up now that my own dinner was over. I’ll still have some kitchen stuff and bedroom stuff to go out to the car in the morning (this is the last night in this apartment), but I won’t have to do it myself – the Gruenhage family said they’d come over and help me. Good timing of their visit ;-)
All for tonight.
I lied. One more thing. It may be all to the good that I am moving out of this apartment. Elephants who never sleep have moved in next door.
Mail call: Thanks to Lois Stavig and Beth Fletcher.
This morning I walked in just as the nurse was about to give Gary his bath, so I asked if they wanted me to do it. They said sure, and then the nurse abdicated a bit more than I expected – she told me to put his clothes on him too. This probably sounds like no big deal, but there were things to contend with – like his Foley catheter and (since he was going to soon be sitting up) his (mid-section) binder and his ted hose, which fit like very very tight thigh-high stockings (I’d never put the binder or the hose on him before) – not to mention how exactly to get those clothes on him and the binder around him when he is mostly deadweight and can’t be pushing himself up in bed to help because of the flap. It took me forty-five minutes to complete the process. I had the nurse check the results. Ted hose perfect, binder needed tightening but was positioned fine, pants needed a little straightening (I couldn’t lift him up at the booty to get them to fit over him quite right and I didn’t want to be scraping the pants over his flap).
We talked to Joe shortly after this, and he told us of his idea to remove the bathtub in the master bathroom and replace it with a roll-in shower. We had known of the existence of such, and Joe convinced us this would be a good thing. He also told us that Jo Heath had popped in, and was going to try to find out about debris removal – Joe had only been able to find a place that would rent him a 20-yard dumpster for a price that sounded pretty outrageous.
Jo and Bob Heath, and Janet Rogers, are helping with yard work, I hear. We are so grateful to them, and to the others who responded to the math dept. email asking if anyone could help Joe out while he was there. (A little later today I got an email from Janet which made me laugh. She said she had tried to take digital pictures of the kitties to send. She only got a glimpse of Blackjack, and Tigger kept trying to be friendly and wouldn’t stay far enough away for Janet’s flash to work properly. Tigger has definitely had a personality change – he never before let other people get this close to him on such short acquaintance).
Today Gary sat up for an hour. They brought a new chair for him, one that was narrower, but it turned out to have other features that made it less comfortable than Gary’s previous one – the back was lower, cushiony instead of hard, and it didn’t have the “side wings” that curve around Gary’s mid-section and give him side support (needed since he doesn’t have the use of the abdominal muscles that would prevent him from sliding to one side or the other). So for now he is back in the one that is too wide in the seat and is “tippy” (tho not dangerously so, since it has tip bars in the back – the problem is it takes little hops when he rolls it along). After the discussions about the chair with one of the staff, and after eating his lunch sitting, he had only ten minutes to go anywhere in the chair. That got us down to the garden – but we had to immediately go back. At least he got outside for the first time in weeks. And, he got up the ramp completely by himself this time, whereas last time I had to stand behind his chair and prevent it from going backwards – so, his weight work is paying off, he is stronger! He also got down the ramp without me hanging onto the handrails on the back of his chair as I did last time, though he scared me a little cuz he got going a little fast. I told him to yell if he needed me, but since he didn’t, I let him go zooming down it, me right behind with my hands poised just in case. He admitted he’d gotten a little nervous there at the end. But he pointed out the worst that would have happened is he would have ended up in the bushes. I told him, half-joking, that I didn’t that would’ve been too great a reflection on me, but he said he’d take the blame.
When they got him back in bed, he said the time had gone by much too quick. So he must be feeling pretty good with the sitting.
The wife of one of Gary’s roommates then stopped by to tell us about a phone call she’d just had. The person had asked her why there were three patients sharing the room. She had replied, “So they can see that other people are in the same situation” (I doubt that’s the reason but didn’t contradict her). Her friend then asked, “Do they have anything in common?” and she replied, “Well, there’s redneck Greg, the brother Thomas, and Professor Gary. . . No, I don’t think so.” We laughed, and she went on in a serious vein, “It just goes to show you that this could happen to anyone.”
Soon after that, Gary conked out for a nap. After a short time, two nurses came billowing through the curtain, and even though it was obvious Gary was fast asleep one called his name out in a loud voice. I was standing next to his bed working on the blog, and I immediately put my finger to my lips. This succeeded only in turning her attention away from him to me. “We just came to see if he wants anything,” she said in a just-as-loud voice. I smiled politely and shook my head, still trying to get across the message with my body language that they should be quiet, not voicing the thought that had come to mind at her statement. I didn’t voice it for two reasons – one, because I was trying to be quiet, two, because the thought was a sarcastic, “What he wants is to sleep.” This type of behavior seems to be a universal nursing failing – for example, a couple times Gary had a nurse who would come in at 5am, roust him from his sound sleep for his bowel program, and expect him to be chipper and laugh at her jokes. I can think of several reasons why I would find little to be amusing under those circumstances. And we heard a story which we think is the ultimate of this type: a patient was awakened from a sound sleep only to be asked if he wanted a sleeping pill.
Since today’s meals had been ordered yesterday, Gary already knew tonight’s dinner choices didn’t appeal to him; I had told him some more things that were available at the Fresh Market, and he had placed his order. So I picked him up some BBQ rotisserie chicken drummettes, throwing in a few that were Buffalo-style, which evidently means they are very hot. I also got him some smokehouse BBQ beans, and he rounded out the meal with baby greens and berries.
After dinner we got him spruced up for his family tomorrow – since the accident he seems to think he can indulge in a behavior he used to reserve for weekends: going around without shaving and looking like a bum. Oh, excuse me – he claims he looks very chic that way. So I guess he won’t look chic tomorrow cuz I used the Schick on him tonight. He needs a haircut, but he had to forgo that – lying in bed is not the best position to be in while cutting your hair or having it cut. We found out from his roommate that the way to do it is to be sitting in your wheelchair which you’ve rolled over a sheet, and to have another sheet wrapped around you. This roommate’s wife has volunteered to cut Gary’s hair – I won’t touch it because I don’t want to be blamed for the result ;-) He would normally cut it himself, but there isn’t a mirror in there for him to look into.
After giving him a bit of a lotioning up, I left early. There were a few more things I could pack up now that my own dinner was over. I’ll still have some kitchen stuff and bedroom stuff to go out to the car in the morning (this is the last night in this apartment), but I won’t have to do it myself – the Gruenhage family said they’d come over and help me. Good timing of their visit ;-)
All for tonight.
I lied. One more thing. It may be all to the good that I am moving out of this apartment. Elephants who never sleep have moved in next door.
posted by Peg Daniels at 6:49 AM
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