Bill had another busy day in the ICU. He continues to recover well from his surgery the other night. Theyremoved the drain that they had left in his back today, and he is feeling comfort from that being deleted.
He restarted his PT & OT work yesterday and he is doing alright with both of those. A plan has not been made yet as to when the inpatient rehab will begin and if he will have to move down to a regular room (once he is discharged from ICU) before they transport him to rehab. This plan should be firmed up soon (tomorrow? perhaps).
The solid plan for tomorrow is that they will begin giving him a very low dose of blood thinner through an injection. This is to help prevent DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis), the cause of the clots that Bill has experienced. He is definitely going to have to remain in ICU for 24 hours after the injection to monitor him closely for bleeding. They are continuing to try and get his blood regulated, and this is proving to be a BIG task for the physicians on Bill's case. However, they feel so blessed to have such wonderful and meticulous Doctors following Bill's care.
Hopefully I will be able to update tomorrow with "The Plan", but as we have learned Plan "A" can turn to Plan "B", "C"," D", etc etc.. Stay tuned!
Specific Prayers: Wisdom for the Doctors to find the right balance to maintain Bill's blood, peace for Bill and Jamie, continued strength for the family, and REST.
Showing posts with label OT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OT. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Keeping Busy!
Bill has been keeping Jamie busy! She has been staying up at the hospital with him and enjoying the time they are spending together. She has been helping him eat, bathe, get comfortable in bed, and do his PT exercises. She is just so grateful to have him back and hear his voice, that all the work is worth it. Bill agrees!
They are still drawing his blood every 8 hours to check his blood levels and making sure his blood stays thin enough not to create another clot. The Docs say his blood should remain 2-3 times thinner than the average persons blood. Everything has looked good so far and Bill seems to be headed in the right direction.
He had Occupational Therapy today and he worked his arm movement a lot. The therapist was happy with his work and said that he had good shoulder strength, which was encouraging. The main focus for recovery will be coordination of the arm and hand. So, please pray for those two things.
He also had Physical Therapy and concentrated on walking. He walked about 40-50 yards using a walker. The PT said that he would have to retrain his brain to get the balance and coordination back.
He was wiped after all that work! He was in A LOT of pain around bedtime and his back is beginning to give him pain again (remember he was suffering from a back injury before the stroke).
The plan is to discharge him to an inpatient rehab facility on Monday, yay! ( This is all dependent on his blood levels of course, but right now this is the plan. ) It is a brand new facility that is a little closer to their home. Jamie will be able to stay there with him, and then leave for work in the mornings. She is going to be one tired girl, but of course it is worth it just to have her man here with her. It looks as if he will be there 10-20 days, depending on his progress. Then, they will decide on home health once he is released from the in-patient.
Everyone seems pleased with his progress, and so are we. Thank you for praying!
They are still drawing his blood every 8 hours to check his blood levels and making sure his blood stays thin enough not to create another clot. The Docs say his blood should remain 2-3 times thinner than the average persons blood. Everything has looked good so far and Bill seems to be headed in the right direction.
He had Occupational Therapy today and he worked his arm movement a lot. The therapist was happy with his work and said that he had good shoulder strength, which was encouraging. The main focus for recovery will be coordination of the arm and hand. So, please pray for those two things.
He also had Physical Therapy and concentrated on walking. He walked about 40-50 yards using a walker. The PT said that he would have to retrain his brain to get the balance and coordination back.
He was wiped after all that work! He was in A LOT of pain around bedtime and his back is beginning to give him pain again (remember he was suffering from a back injury before the stroke).
The plan is to discharge him to an inpatient rehab facility on Monday, yay! ( This is all dependent on his blood levels of course, but right now this is the plan. ) It is a brand new facility that is a little closer to their home. Jamie will be able to stay there with him, and then leave for work in the mornings. She is going to be one tired girl, but of course it is worth it just to have her man here with her. It looks as if he will be there 10-20 days, depending on his progress. Then, they will decide on home health once he is released from the in-patient.
Everyone seems pleased with his progress, and so are we. Thank you for praying!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
PT, OT, Speech, and some Prayers...
Bill seems to be doing well in his new pad. He and Jamie have been spending A LOT of time together, as he has not wanted her to leave his side (do you blame him?! :)) Currently, he is taking coumadin and heparin as well as an anti seizure medication. He is also receiving breathing treatments every 3 hours. They are drawing his blood often to check his coumadin levels.
Today Bill saw the Physical Therapist, and did well. He continues to have balance issues, and difficulty in moving his right arm. The therapist showed Jamie some exercises that she can do with him as well in between therapies. He will also be evaluated by an Occupational Therapist as well. Right now the plan (always subject to change) is that he will enter an in-patient rehab for some good recovery time. Unsure as to how long he would be there or when this will take place, but will update as more details evolve.
He also saw the speech therapist today and she said that overall he looks good. His speech is fluent and his swallowing is good. He is still on a soft food and thick liquid diet.
Bill remains so determined, and his strength is encouraging to everyone. He is just ready to get up and get outta here, but Jamie is continuing to encourage him and remind him that this is a process that is going to take time.
Specific Prayer Requests (from Bill): Please pray for his speech to continue to improve and for mobility in his right arm.
Thanks Friends!
Today Bill saw the Physical Therapist, and did well. He continues to have balance issues, and difficulty in moving his right arm. The therapist showed Jamie some exercises that she can do with him as well in between therapies. He will also be evaluated by an Occupational Therapist as well. Right now the plan (always subject to change) is that he will enter an in-patient rehab for some good recovery time. Unsure as to how long he would be there or when this will take place, but will update as more details evolve.
He also saw the speech therapist today and she said that overall he looks good. His speech is fluent and his swallowing is good. He is still on a soft food and thick liquid diet.
Bill remains so determined, and his strength is encouraging to everyone. He is just ready to get up and get outta here, but Jamie is continuing to encourage him and remind him that this is a process that is going to take time.
Specific Prayer Requests (from Bill): Please pray for his speech to continue to improve and for mobility in his right arm.
Thanks Friends!
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