It has been five weeks since Robert has been in the hospital, three of the five he has spent in rehab. As stated before, he does so much everyday. He is retaining information better, learning to cope with his headaches as to not become dependent on pain medicing and he is feeding himself and sitting in the chair longer. He is just doing so much that often times I forget to document every little thing he does.
You never know how precious something so small seems such as the simple act of touching your hands or blinking your eyes. Imagine watching someone who was only able to move one arm make a quick turnaround and can move every limb... Watching my brother recover is an amazing process. I know I can speak for my entire family when I say we take things for granted in life and we have all learned to appreciate everything we have and can do...complaining doesn't exist anymore...
Anyway, here is what happened with him this week:
Monday:
Robert had a rough day today. I was able to sit in therapy with him. During his physical therapy he lifted a foam thing in sets of 15 and held for 5 seconds above his head…
He played catch with his friend. He was working on strengthening his left arm, gripping the ball, releasing it and gripping it again.
Tuesday:
Robert walked today. He said he was walking and ready to run. He enjoyed his therapy today, he is gripping juice bottles and drinking without a straw now. He is doing very well… Dancing and moving his body much more. You wouldn’t even think that just a month ago he could only move his right arm. He has hot and cold flashes often which make it difficult for him to get comfortable while trying to rest.
Wednesday:
Laying flat on his stomach atop a mat, Robert worked on doing push ups and learning how to work one on one with his occupational therapist. He had a heavy day today… working with his physical therapist 3 times, therapeutic recreation twice, and speech therapy once and occupational therapy twice. He was so tired by the end of therapy that he just rested.
Thursday:
He rolled…and rolled and rolled. During his therapy today he had to lay flat on his stomach and stretch his limbs and rolled. He rolled until he got dizzy. He said he rolled until he couldn’t roll anymore. He rode on an exercise bike for about 7 ½ minutes without anything holding him up or anyone assisting him.
Friday:
With the assistance of the walking robot…Robert was walking again. He was quite the comedian this day… No need to repeat everything he said but once again, he had the entire room in tears.
Saturday:
Today, Robert listened to a lot of songs and had a few visitors. He sat in chair for a while. His therapy was not as strenuous as his therapy during the week… He had physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. He is doing so well.
Sunday:
The weather was nice today so we took Robert outside. We had an early morning conversation today where he requested to go to church. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to take him off the premises so I told him I would play a sermon online for him. However, my Pastor said he would bring church to Robert one Sunday… I can’t wait to see how he enjoys that. When I got the hospital from church today my sister and I sang some songs with him and he enjoyed that a lot. He even started clapping like our Grandfather use to clap back in church. He was enjoying himself today.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
"I'm Getting Back"
Determination, ambition and drive have been getting my brother through his rehab. He is determined to get better or “get back” in his words. He approaches his therapy sessions ambitiously and anxiously awaiting his next challenge. He has been excited to partake in his sessions and was disappointed when he found out that he doesn’t have therapy on Sundays. He says, “Man, I am in here to rehab, to get back… I want therapy everyday. I don’t need rest...”
However, he does need his rest. He has his good days and his bad days but lately he has been having some rough days. After his fall last week Robert’s headaches have been increasing. Every day his head pounds a little harder. Sometimes he refuses to take his medicine because he feels like he is overly medicated. He didn’t like taking medicine before he got shot and he definitely doesn’t like taking it now.
He has sensitivity to light as well. Right now he is visually impaired. He can only see bright lights but when he focuses he can make out images. Only time will tell when his vision will improve. Due to his lack of sight all his other senses are heightened. If you whisper, Robert can still hear you. If you talk outside his room, he hears you. His sense of smell is impeccable. He can smell the slightest trace of perfume or cologne and if you have on a lot, he feels like he can’t breathe. He even kicked his cousin out because he had on too much cologne and it made him feel like he was suffocating. His taste is very sensitive as well. He won’t just eat everything. It can’t be too seasoned or too bland. He feels most anything that is on him. You can not cover his face with a towel or a blanket if he is cold because he feels that his airway is blocked. He can’t have too much bed linen or he feels closed in. He will verbalize any discomfort immediately, sometimes aggressively if you don’t respond in a timely manner. All these are good signs and he shows improvement everyday. I won’t go into detail about his daily activities this week but I will tell you the highlights of his week.
During a real nice day, we took Robert outside. He enjoyed feeling the breeze, listening to the kids play, laughing and joking around with several visitors. He got his hair cut as well. With the assistance from my Aunt and little cousin we cut Rob’s dreads. He still has a few left in the back of his head but once his wounds heal a little more those few will be gone and he will get his hair cut close. He says his head feels much better with out them for now, but he misses them.
This past week Robert worked on walking. He stood up on stilts and learned the basic elements of walking. He was lifted onto a treadmill where he was able to feel how to walk. He has been turning more on his own, transferring from the bed to the chair without the use of a machine and he also played basketball, put together puzzles and recognized texture differences in every day items.
We really knew his therapy was working for him when he almost jumped out the bed to defend his mother. His neighbor grabbed my moms arm and wouldn’t release her. Robert heard it and jumped and swung his legs out the bed so fast he was really about to get up and fight. It took two of us to keep him in the bed and about an hour to come him down and even then he was still talking about defending his mom. “Don’t nobody mess with my mom or my sisters… I will put them to sleep,” one of the cleaner statements he made. I told him to use that situation as motivation during his therapy sessions. So now he is lifting up more and moving a little faster.
Robert loves his therapy sessions but he loves his visits even more. He gets so excited when he hears familiar voices, hears voices of the past that he adored and loves reconnecting and he loves to laugh. Of course he is a comedian so he makes us all laugh.
He has really come a long way since Feb. 14. He is asking more questions and trying to piece things together. He is thinking more and working hard everyday. This week marked one month since he has been hospitalized and we all know that God has a plan for him. He is blessed beyond measure. He has so many prayer circles and Men of God visiting with him weekly. We are watching the work of God unfold in front of our eyes. Robert is truly a blessing.
However, he does need his rest. He has his good days and his bad days but lately he has been having some rough days. After his fall last week Robert’s headaches have been increasing. Every day his head pounds a little harder. Sometimes he refuses to take his medicine because he feels like he is overly medicated. He didn’t like taking medicine before he got shot and he definitely doesn’t like taking it now.
He has sensitivity to light as well. Right now he is visually impaired. He can only see bright lights but when he focuses he can make out images. Only time will tell when his vision will improve. Due to his lack of sight all his other senses are heightened. If you whisper, Robert can still hear you. If you talk outside his room, he hears you. His sense of smell is impeccable. He can smell the slightest trace of perfume or cologne and if you have on a lot, he feels like he can’t breathe. He even kicked his cousin out because he had on too much cologne and it made him feel like he was suffocating. His taste is very sensitive as well. He won’t just eat everything. It can’t be too seasoned or too bland. He feels most anything that is on him. You can not cover his face with a towel or a blanket if he is cold because he feels that his airway is blocked. He can’t have too much bed linen or he feels closed in. He will verbalize any discomfort immediately, sometimes aggressively if you don’t respond in a timely manner. All these are good signs and he shows improvement everyday. I won’t go into detail about his daily activities this week but I will tell you the highlights of his week.
During a real nice day, we took Robert outside. He enjoyed feeling the breeze, listening to the kids play, laughing and joking around with several visitors. He got his hair cut as well. With the assistance from my Aunt and little cousin we cut Rob’s dreads. He still has a few left in the back of his head but once his wounds heal a little more those few will be gone and he will get his hair cut close. He says his head feels much better with out them for now, but he misses them.
This past week Robert worked on walking. He stood up on stilts and learned the basic elements of walking. He was lifted onto a treadmill where he was able to feel how to walk. He has been turning more on his own, transferring from the bed to the chair without the use of a machine and he also played basketball, put together puzzles and recognized texture differences in every day items.
We really knew his therapy was working for him when he almost jumped out the bed to defend his mother. His neighbor grabbed my moms arm and wouldn’t release her. Robert heard it and jumped and swung his legs out the bed so fast he was really about to get up and fight. It took two of us to keep him in the bed and about an hour to come him down and even then he was still talking about defending his mom. “Don’t nobody mess with my mom or my sisters… I will put them to sleep,” one of the cleaner statements he made. I told him to use that situation as motivation during his therapy sessions. So now he is lifting up more and moving a little faster.
Robert loves his therapy sessions but he loves his visits even more. He gets so excited when he hears familiar voices, hears voices of the past that he adored and loves reconnecting and he loves to laugh. Of course he is a comedian so he makes us all laugh.
He has really come a long way since Feb. 14. He is asking more questions and trying to piece things together. He is thinking more and working hard everyday. This week marked one month since he has been hospitalized and we all know that God has a plan for him. He is blessed beyond measure. He has so many prayer circles and Men of God visiting with him weekly. We are watching the work of God unfold in front of our eyes. Robert is truly a blessing.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
"I'm So Special"
*In my best Movado voice* “I’m so special, so special, so special, so special” is the new phrase or song of the year. Robert introduced us to this song this week and has been saying it ever since. I even took the liberty of youtubing the video. I found out that the only words I can decipher is “I’m so special, so special, so special, so special”.
This week was a good week for Robert. Of course he is still keeping us all laughing. Right now, he is saying his good nights to everybody. He enjoys the nightly rituals of having his feet rubbed. My father has been spoiling him but now it is Destiny’s turn but according to Robert, “You don’t do it like my pops does it… you need to improve.”
There are so many things that Robert says that has me rolling on the floor laughing my butt off. But there are not enough characters or time or space to write it all. Well, below is Robert’s report for the week.
Tuesday March 3, 2009
Today Robert moved to the Rehabilitation Center. The transfer went well but it was hard for Robert in terms of pain. It took him a while to calm down and let his pain meds take affect. It took about 30 minutes before he calmed down and spoke calmly and talked about how glad he was to be in rehabilitation. He said, “I gotta get back, I am ready to exercise and get strong.”
We met with his Doctors and they discussed with us how his rehab was going to go. He will be worked for six days straight, from the time he wakes up until dinner time. His only rest day is Sunday.
Wednesday March 4, 2009
At 8 am Rob ate breakfast. From 10 am until 11 he met with his speech therapist. From 11 to 12 he had Physical therapy where he did exercises, moving his limbs and sitting up for an hour. He ate lunch at 12 and then worked with his occupational therapist from 1 until 3:30pm. He performed daily duties like brushing his teeth and washing his face. He ate dinner at 5pm and then welcomed his visitors. He told us about his day and I expected him to be sleep when I got here but he was up and talking. Our Dad stayed with him until he went to sleep.
Thursday March 5, 2009
“I don’t want no beef stroganoff…” This was the saying of the day.
Today his schedule was pretty much the same but he had more physical therapy. He worked with his physical therapist from 11:30 until 3pm, only stopping for lunch.
When I got here today he was about to eat dinner, the infamous meal, Beef Stroganoff. It didn’t look appetizing. Auntie told him what it was and he went off. “I don’t eat Beef Stroganoff, what are they trying to feed me. I can’t even pronounce that let alone will I eat it. Call my brotha, they trying to feed me Beef Stroganoff.” So, for dinner Robert ate Chicken smothered in Mambo sauce with fried rice.
Friday March 6, 2009
Robert still talked about that beef stroganoff. He has refused to eat any of the hospital food. Once again, he had chicken smothered in Mambo sauce with fried rice. Today he worked with his speech therapist, therapeutic recreation, physical therapist (twice), occupational therapist (twice). He sat in the wheelchair from 11am until 7pm. He looked good in his wheelchair. He was pulling himself up and moving his head around more. He was doing a lot. I was so proud. Still talking about that beef stroganoff he refused his dinner from the hospital. Instead he ate Pizza from Uno’s and pineapples. That was all he wanted.
Saturday March 7, 2009
Well, today Robert answered his room phone when my mom called. It shocked her. LaDonna told him how to use his phone and he been trying to call people and talk all day. Well, apparently the phone must have fell off the bed and Robert went after it. He fell out of the bed. It was a scare for us today but he really tried to get that telephone. He went for a CT scan just to make sure he didn’t injure anything. His results looked much better than when he first arrived at rehab. He is doing well and is actually moving his head and neck and limbs much more than before. He was very irate this morning after the fall but now he is much better. After many visits and motivational speeches, he returned to his comedic stage.
His rehab schedule was cut short today because of the fall so he didn’t sit up today. But he will get rest tomorrow and start his rigorous routine on Mon
Monday, March 2, 2009
Laughter Explodes from Room 10
I am sitting in the room with my brother as I type this. The atmosphere is clean and quiet besides the hum of the bed when it moves or the machine sitting outside his window. My brother is trying to sleep now but the IV in his arm is bothering him. He has been a little irritated today with his exercises and his procedures he is a little worn out.
Today he had a vision test and a cat scan along with a very strenuous exercise regimen. He was irritated because he was hungry and couldn’t eat until after his cat scan. Now, he is lying still, trying not to pay attention to the IV that is bothering. Every few minutes he yells out that his arm or back is hurting. At 8pm his nurse came and gave him some Tylenol medicine for his pain… hopefully that will kick in. His sister LaDonna just left and he asked about her. Now, his only visitors are myself, my mom and my Dad. We are assuring Robert that his pain meds will kick in and he will go to sleep.
Twenty minutes has passed and Rob speaks, “Sis, I can’t sleep”. I tell him, just relax and close your eyes and you will fall off to sleep. If you can’t sleep just know that I am right beside you and you can talk to me until you fall asleep. He says, “There aint that much talking to do, what am I going to talk about”. I tell him, talk about you not being able to sleep. So he says, “Ok, Sis I can’t sleep”. My Dad cracks up laughing and so does Rob. Thus begins the comedy session.
It is now ten minutes till 11. Robert has been having my Mother, my Father and I laughing… He has been talking about my Mothers singing, my fathers feet and even asked if I was intoxicated from singing old songs and hand games like, Miss Mary Mack and Lullaby and Goodnight… He asked me to sing him a lullaby and I tried but I am not a singer.
The nurse has come in and given him more medicine, Tylenol with Codine and a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. He asked us to call his Aunt Marilyn to sing him a lullaby because we weren’t doing it right. He said, “Aunt Marilyn can sing, she can make anything sound good.” And she did, he closed his eyes immediately and relaxed and gave her accolades for her melodious voice. After getting his desired lullaby he talked about his Dad’s feet again and made us laugh once more. Now, he is knocked out sleep right along with his mother on his left who is wrapped in hospital blankets lying in a recliner chair and his father to his right sleeping in the chair. As for me, I am sitting across from them all, taking in this sight. I am admiring my brother’s appearance, gladly noticing how much he looks like himself. He is resting peacefully. He looks peaceful and he went to sleep feeling peaceful.
I am glad that God granted me another chance to see this moment. He granted me another chance to laugh with him and talk with him and love him while he can still receive it. I am just glad and I know everyone is by seeing how great God has been to him and this family. Thank You…
Today he had a vision test and a cat scan along with a very strenuous exercise regimen. He was irritated because he was hungry and couldn’t eat until after his cat scan. Now, he is lying still, trying not to pay attention to the IV that is bothering. Every few minutes he yells out that his arm or back is hurting. At 8pm his nurse came and gave him some Tylenol medicine for his pain… hopefully that will kick in. His sister LaDonna just left and he asked about her. Now, his only visitors are myself, my mom and my Dad. We are assuring Robert that his pain meds will kick in and he will go to sleep.
Twenty minutes has passed and Rob speaks, “Sis, I can’t sleep”. I tell him, just relax and close your eyes and you will fall off to sleep. If you can’t sleep just know that I am right beside you and you can talk to me until you fall asleep. He says, “There aint that much talking to do, what am I going to talk about”. I tell him, talk about you not being able to sleep. So he says, “Ok, Sis I can’t sleep”. My Dad cracks up laughing and so does Rob. Thus begins the comedy session.
It is now ten minutes till 11. Robert has been having my Mother, my Father and I laughing… He has been talking about my Mothers singing, my fathers feet and even asked if I was intoxicated from singing old songs and hand games like, Miss Mary Mack and Lullaby and Goodnight… He asked me to sing him a lullaby and I tried but I am not a singer.
The nurse has come in and given him more medicine, Tylenol with Codine and a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. He asked us to call his Aunt Marilyn to sing him a lullaby because we weren’t doing it right. He said, “Aunt Marilyn can sing, she can make anything sound good.” And she did, he closed his eyes immediately and relaxed and gave her accolades for her melodious voice. After getting his desired lullaby he talked about his Dad’s feet again and made us laugh once more. Now, he is knocked out sleep right along with his mother on his left who is wrapped in hospital blankets lying in a recliner chair and his father to his right sleeping in the chair. As for me, I am sitting across from them all, taking in this sight. I am admiring my brother’s appearance, gladly noticing how much he looks like himself. He is resting peacefully. He looks peaceful and he went to sleep feeling peaceful.
I am glad that God granted me another chance to see this moment. He granted me another chance to laugh with him and talk with him and love him while he can still receive it. I am just glad and I know everyone is by seeing how great God has been to him and this family. Thank You…
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Robert's Second Week
Everyday Robert does something new, says something different and shows us that he is progressing. Progression is a process that involves the use of your mind and your body. He is clearly demonstrating that he is thinking and that he is responding to his brains commands. He is showing his growth and that he will not stand for sitting in this situation too much longer. Of course he has his good days and bad but everybody does right? We, his family, keep praying and staying optimistic. We know that the power of prayer brings about miraculous results. And Robert is living proof.
So how much has he progressed in the last week?
2-24-09
Robert has outgrown his ICU team. They moved him today. He was moved from the ICU to another floor in the Neuroscience Center. This area is equipped and trained to deal with patients who have brain injuries. They were supposed to move him at 2 pm today but he didn’t get transported until 9pm that night. During his wait to be moved he drank some water. When the doctors saw that he wasn’t choking on the water they knew he could eat pureed food. He was then placed on a puree diet. He ate pudding, mashed potatoes, jello and he drank juice and water. He did good eating his food and even asked for more.
We requested that Robert be placed in his own room but our request was denied. The doctors stated single rooms are for patients with infections or patients who need to be isolated and Robert wasn’t one of those. However, Robert wanted his own room too and in the end he got it. He shouted and yelled and cursed at his pain and they moved him to a private room. Once there he settled down and let his pain meds kick in. He relaxed and slept through the night.
2-25-09
I came to see Robert for a brief moment today. He was looking so much better. Talking a little more and he began eating solid foods. He ate pasta, applesauce, and a vegetable medley of mushrooms, onions, squash and carrots. He also had chocolate pudding that he didn't really like. He loved his juice but not the tea. He was very alert and it seemed that eating well he had more energy and didn't do very much sleeping. He was having a time controlling his emotions but when you remind him that's not how he acts or that's not
what he says then he calmed down. He really did not like hearing memories too much especially if you got into detail. He was with you and you could tell he remembered but he was frustrated about not really knowing.
He has been having trouble with his short term memory but with constant reminders he does well. He has movement all over his body but refuses to move due to lack of movement while he was in ICU. He will begin his physical therapy everyday starting tomorrow at noon.
2-26-09
Robert got a work out today. He was moved again to a double occupancy unit because he was a little more stable. Actually, he is the most stable patient out of his team. Someone else was in worse condition than him and needed the single room more than Robert did. He had me cracking up laughing today. You can see and feel some of his personality come out. He has always been the comedian so he had us laughing and joking with him. He told us that he doesn’t really like the hospital food but he does like to eat fruit and drink his juice. We found out today that we can cook food for him and bring it to him. So, Robert is about to be spoiled even more than he already is.
Robert graduated today and can move to a rehab center. He has to first be evaluated before he can go to the rehab center. They want to check him out to make sure he doesn’t have any infections or anything that will cause him to be moved back to the hospital for treatment.
2-27-09
Robert’s blood cell counts are elevated so he will not be moving to rehab today. Maybe on Monday or Tuesday but they are going to keep monitoring his counts all weekend. Today they removed his stitches and he was not having a good evening. He was in pain and uncomfortable. He verbalized where he was feeling pain and what was bothering him.
Donna and I noticed that his head leans to one side and his neck was stiff. So we asked him if we could move him to a more comfortable location. It hurt him and he was screaming. But even though it hurt he wanted to move it. He was doing well and he asked for help. So we did a little moving with him and let him tell us when he wanted to stop.
He catches little attitudes when he doesn’t get what he wants or when he wants it. He gets attitudes when you ask him too many questions or when you are making too much noise or talking too much. He is easily irritable. He likes your presence but he doesn’t like a lot of noise. So, we let him rest and didn’t talk too much.
2-28-09
Today was the first day I did not see Robert. I had to go out of town but thought about him the whole trip. I kept in contact with him through my mother. He has a crook in his neck from lying on one side the entire time he has been hospitalized. He was moved again to a single room. The doctors say he fares well when he is isolated. He is still talking more, thinking more and demanding and asking more questions. He asks why he has to do something or why he can’t do something.
He told my mom that she needs to get a tattoo that said Struggle Together with his name on it. He is so alert and can tell who is speaking to him by the sound of their voices. He is still not focusing with his eyes but he opens and closes them on demand.
3-1-09
I am so glad that I was able to see my brother today. Apparently, there was a nurse who was assigned to Robert that sounded like me. She was moving him and he was in pain. He fussed me out and I wasn’t even there. So when I spoke to him this afternoon, he was real short with me and I didn’t know why. Now I know it was because of the nurse.
Today, he ate good home cooking. He had a rib, a piece baked chicken, rice and greens and cornbread. He said he loved his food. So once a week he is going to get home cooking. He is looking forward to his chocolate that will be coming soon.
He moved his left arm for me today and lifted it up. He was talking more and is more alert. He is on point with things. He knows what is going on and he is even trying to tame his mother when she becomes irate with his visitors. I saw him smiling his hardest today when he talked to his nephew on the phone. That made him feel so good. He is progressing so much and it makes me so proud.
The doctors are shocked at his recovery. They are shocked because he is recovering so well and so fast. They said he is a miracle. I know that my God is taking care of my brother. He is just beating all the odds as usual. He looks good and talks good and can tell you more. Only time will tell how well he is doing with his memory. But everyday he gets better. Everyday that he opens his eyes and speaks to me, speaks to his mom, speaks to his sister, speaks to his friends and family is a blessing. He is a miracle. His ICU doctor said, Robert is a miracle in room 18.
So how much has he progressed in the last week?
2-24-09
Robert has outgrown his ICU team. They moved him today. He was moved from the ICU to another floor in the Neuroscience Center. This area is equipped and trained to deal with patients who have brain injuries. They were supposed to move him at 2 pm today but he didn’t get transported until 9pm that night. During his wait to be moved he drank some water. When the doctors saw that he wasn’t choking on the water they knew he could eat pureed food. He was then placed on a puree diet. He ate pudding, mashed potatoes, jello and he drank juice and water. He did good eating his food and even asked for more.
We requested that Robert be placed in his own room but our request was denied. The doctors stated single rooms are for patients with infections or patients who need to be isolated and Robert wasn’t one of those. However, Robert wanted his own room too and in the end he got it. He shouted and yelled and cursed at his pain and they moved him to a private room. Once there he settled down and let his pain meds kick in. He relaxed and slept through the night.
2-25-09
I came to see Robert for a brief moment today. He was looking so much better. Talking a little more and he began eating solid foods. He ate pasta, applesauce, and a vegetable medley of mushrooms, onions, squash and carrots. He also had chocolate pudding that he didn't really like. He loved his juice but not the tea. He was very alert and it seemed that eating well he had more energy and didn't do very much sleeping. He was having a time controlling his emotions but when you remind him that's not how he acts or that's not
what he says then he calmed down. He really did not like hearing memories too much especially if you got into detail. He was with you and you could tell he remembered but he was frustrated about not really knowing.
He has been having trouble with his short term memory but with constant reminders he does well. He has movement all over his body but refuses to move due to lack of movement while he was in ICU. He will begin his physical therapy everyday starting tomorrow at noon.
2-26-09
Robert got a work out today. He was moved again to a double occupancy unit because he was a little more stable. Actually, he is the most stable patient out of his team. Someone else was in worse condition than him and needed the single room more than Robert did. He had me cracking up laughing today. You can see and feel some of his personality come out. He has always been the comedian so he had us laughing and joking with him. He told us that he doesn’t really like the hospital food but he does like to eat fruit and drink his juice. We found out today that we can cook food for him and bring it to him. So, Robert is about to be spoiled even more than he already is.
Robert graduated today and can move to a rehab center. He has to first be evaluated before he can go to the rehab center. They want to check him out to make sure he doesn’t have any infections or anything that will cause him to be moved back to the hospital for treatment.
2-27-09
Robert’s blood cell counts are elevated so he will not be moving to rehab today. Maybe on Monday or Tuesday but they are going to keep monitoring his counts all weekend. Today they removed his stitches and he was not having a good evening. He was in pain and uncomfortable. He verbalized where he was feeling pain and what was bothering him.
Donna and I noticed that his head leans to one side and his neck was stiff. So we asked him if we could move him to a more comfortable location. It hurt him and he was screaming. But even though it hurt he wanted to move it. He was doing well and he asked for help. So we did a little moving with him and let him tell us when he wanted to stop.
He catches little attitudes when he doesn’t get what he wants or when he wants it. He gets attitudes when you ask him too many questions or when you are making too much noise or talking too much. He is easily irritable. He likes your presence but he doesn’t like a lot of noise. So, we let him rest and didn’t talk too much.
2-28-09
Today was the first day I did not see Robert. I had to go out of town but thought about him the whole trip. I kept in contact with him through my mother. He has a crook in his neck from lying on one side the entire time he has been hospitalized. He was moved again to a single room. The doctors say he fares well when he is isolated. He is still talking more, thinking more and demanding and asking more questions. He asks why he has to do something or why he can’t do something.
He told my mom that she needs to get a tattoo that said Struggle Together with his name on it. He is so alert and can tell who is speaking to him by the sound of their voices. He is still not focusing with his eyes but he opens and closes them on demand.
3-1-09
I am so glad that I was able to see my brother today. Apparently, there was a nurse who was assigned to Robert that sounded like me. She was moving him and he was in pain. He fussed me out and I wasn’t even there. So when I spoke to him this afternoon, he was real short with me and I didn’t know why. Now I know it was because of the nurse.
Today, he ate good home cooking. He had a rib, a piece baked chicken, rice and greens and cornbread. He said he loved his food. So once a week he is going to get home cooking. He is looking forward to his chocolate that will be coming soon.
He moved his left arm for me today and lifted it up. He was talking more and is more alert. He is on point with things. He knows what is going on and he is even trying to tame his mother when she becomes irate with his visitors. I saw him smiling his hardest today when he talked to his nephew on the phone. That made him feel so good. He is progressing so much and it makes me so proud.
The doctors are shocked at his recovery. They are shocked because he is recovering so well and so fast. They said he is a miracle. I know that my God is taking care of my brother. He is just beating all the odds as usual. He looks good and talks good and can tell you more. Only time will tell how well he is doing with his memory. But everyday he gets better. Everyday that he opens his eyes and speaks to me, speaks to his mom, speaks to his sister, speaks to his friends and family is a blessing. He is a miracle. His ICU doctor said, Robert is a miracle in room 18.
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