Saturday, September 4

It has taken Joe a few days to get back to where he was since arriving at Akron City/Summa. He had to wait for a bed all day so no doubt he was exhausted and needed some time to recover from that ordeal. That said, he seemed pretty good today. They had him up in a chair when we got there and though he seemed a little on the down side, he did begin to verbalize to us some. His speech, though still hard to make out sat times, was more clear than it had been and had more volume to it, too. They have cleaned his mouth and teeth really well so maybe that also helped with his being able to talk.

The best part about the floor he's on (room 563 in the North building) is that it's one where they have "companions" there with him 24/7. That means that he is never in danger of falling, pulling tubes out, or doing something else that might harm himself while we aren't there. And though we of course want to visit him as much as possible, we don't have to worry about him when we can't be there as we know someone is with him all the time. Everyone there seems exceptionally caring, and so far, we are very satisfied with his care.

After the holiday, they will likely be making a determination as to how much longer (if at all) he needs to be there and we will have to decide where he will go next. We are kind of thinking that he may be ready for Edwin Shaw, but we also don't want him to go there unless he truly is ready, as he can only go there once and the length of time he can stay is limited. We want to make sure he can make the most of that opportunity so don't want to send him too soon. Bridget has been in touch with Edwin Shaw and they have been gathering information about his injury, his progress, and his current condition so they can assess him accurately.

But for today, he was answering a few questions for us at least. His color looked better, is relatively comfortable, and will have a companion with him around the clock so he won't even be lonesome. Those are all good things!

Wednesday, September 1

There have been some new developments as of this morning. Joe is now at Akron Summa (City) Hostpital. Evidently he had become so agitated that Heather Knoll did not know what else to do with him. At the moment, they are going to admit him. They will be assessing him and doing tests/bloodwork to find out if and what they can do for him.

While we do not want Joe's health to decline, this could actually be a good thing, as it may be possible for him to go from here to Select Specialty Hospital (where we wanted him to go in the first place but he didn't qualify for because he wasn't "sick" enough or responsive enough.) where he could get cognitive therapy that will help him to get ready for even more rehab therapy at Edwin Shaw. Select is a facility that works with traumatic brain injury, so they would be better equipped to both handle him and help him, but we didn't know about it before until after his window for admission there was closed. (After he had been taken off the ventilator). He does have some lingering health problems that were not improving while he was at Heather Knoll - his urinary/kindney function, other blood chemistry issues that weren't getting better (though they were trying) and the fact that he was dehydrated and has lost so much weight. So, hopefully these things will be deemed serious enough to gain him admission to Select, and that will lead to getting him all the things he needs - both medically and therapeutically - to begin a real recovery.

We are very grateful for all the prayers and good thoughts that we know are being sent on his (and our) behalf. Please keep them coming.

Tuesday, August 31

There has been a lot happening with Joe lately but more to do with trying (again) to deal with insurance coverage and facilities. We should have a better handle on whether he will stay at Heather Knoll for a while longer or be moved to another place (and where) within a few days.

Meanwhile, his days have been kind of up and down - literally if you consider that he's been rolling out of bed and nearly so out of his wheelchair. Yesterday he was transported to the neurologist for a follow appointment from when he was seen in the hostpital. That doctor, at least, was very impressed with is progress thus far. He was able to move however the doctor asked him to (lift right arm, move left leg, etc.). Another advancement of sorts is that he has been able to answer questions that deal with his vision. We have been concerned that he was not able to see for a while because his eyes did not seem to track movement of any kind. But he correctly identified what color of shirts some of us were wearing, so that no longer seems to be a big issue. Joe is also answering a great many open-ended questions, responding with more than a simple yes or no, or add short remarks. For instance, when I told him that Mom was going to take the day and go gambling and did he think she was going to win us a lot of money, he replied, "Hopefully." He isn't necessarily always up for verbalizing and sometimes it's difficult to make out, but when he's feeling up to it, he understands what is being asked and responds appropriately.

They are also continuing to address his sodium/electolyte/urinary tract/kidney troubles. That, too, may play a role on where he goes from here.

We will keep you posted as we get it all sorted out over the next few days or so.

August 26

That's interesting, Anne. I was there very early on Thursday. I mentioned to him that I was praying for him and that I was sure he was in God's hands. I also told him to pray. I also told him that Mom was probably at Church and might stop on her way home. So he must have processed all of that.

I also talked to the speech therapist about the drinking. I told Joe that he had to try to swallow. He said I will if I can. So again, he seems to be taking it all in and trying hard to make progress.

August 26

Joe continues to mumble and try to respond verbally as long as you catch him when he is pretty awake. They did a swallow test with him yesterday and he managed one good spoonful of coffee. They will try more again soon. He also seems to be doing better in the chair (not getting himself out of it and on the floor) since they've tried putting a tray on the front of it. They couldn't do it before as he would just slide underneath it (and onto the floor.) But since he's more aware, he isn't doing that...at least not yet.

One thing he tried to say today that I do want to share was something about "my family" and "praying for... (me?). I believe that he was telling me that he knows his family has been praying for him. I made sure to let him know that not only was his family praying for him, but so were a whole bunch of other people too - some that he didn't even know! So, Joe is somewhat cognizant that prayers are being said for him. Please keep them coming!

August 24

Bridget and I were both there today while they were helping Joe to sit on the edge of the bed and to stand at his walker. He was fairly cooperative and was able to sit and stand with help. He was also more "conversational" than I have seen him. He told us how he felt without prompting. And when Bridget asked him what he would like to eat he replied that he wanted apples and said something about four. Bridget was going to ask the speech therapist about the possibility of trying a small amount of something in his mouth to see if he will swallow. He is very interested in putting things to his mouth right now.

His right side seems to be much better than his left. We are going to try to encourage him to look left and to use his left hand and arm more.

I think Joe is beginning to realize some of his new limitations and is starting to feel the frustration.

August 23

Joe was very agitated today. That's not necessarily a bad thing because it seems like he is becoming more and more aware. Today he said "I want to go home." However, he was so agitated that his therapists said he wasn't very cooperative during his therapy session; and he pulled out the tube from his bottle of food 4 times. I'm wondering if he is just aware enough to realize these people and things are all strange and he doesn't understand or trust them. Hopefully soon he will realize that they are there to help him and his therapists are his ticket out.

His agitation, to me, was a glimmer of his old strength and determination re-emerging. He seems to feel a little better in spite of the fact that the results of his lab work today were really no improvement over last week. He definitely still needs prayers and, if possible, a quick visit for encouragement. Thanks everybody!