Well, It has been a minute since I have updated the blog. I have been having trouble uploading the videos that I want everyone to see, it was graduation week and Robert had a seizure. A lot has happened since the last entry and Robert has of course been making great progress... Below is a video of him walking backward on his walker and a video of him walking on Mother's day with his Aunt Marilyn and his father. I will try my hardest to post the other videos...so keep a look out for them... Right now, here are some brief entries that tracked some of his progress during my time away from the blog.... Enjoy!
Our Minor Set BackMay 3, 2009
We are back in the main hospital again. I didn’t think that we would see this place again. So, once again we are sitting in the family waiting room holding down the fort. This time we had a new family in the waiting room who were just as loud and commandeering as we are. So we shared the room just this one time. Aside from the DVD player, the bed mats and the array of food, this waiting room feels the same as the last time. The emotions are still the same, stifling and impatience and prayer circles and laughter. All the same.
Robert had a seizure…A grand mal seizure… He had four of them…the first was a mild silent one. He said he felt like he was trapped in his own mind. He heard people talking to him but he wanted to respond but he couldn’t, he was stuck. He was rushed to the ER where he had three more seizures. He had to be sedated to control his seizures. He was sent to ICU for observation after he was stabilized. We didn’t like seeing him like this. We felt and prayed that this wouldn’t set him back. He had his hopes set on attending my graduation and being out of rehab for a day. We were hoping that he would be able to make it back to rehab in time to see the ceremony.
May 4, 2009
Robert woke up…he is remembering what happened to him and is trying to adjust to being in ICU. He does not like it one bit. His vitals are fine. He is stable and no longer needs the care of the ICU nurses. So an order has been placed in his file to move him to a regular room until he is released to the rehab. However, we have to wait for a bed to come available for him to move. So he may not move today…
May 5, 2009
They moved Robert to a room finally…It is an individual room no bigger than a small closet. Its quite antique. The bed needs some oil because it squeaks loudly everytime you adjust the bed. The mattress is hard, the food is horrible and my brother is not happy. He is agitated, frustrated and upset. He thinks that because he had the seizure that it is setting him back from his therapy. They said he can be transferred to the rehab and the doctor has signed the order for him to be released.
May 6, 2009
Still at the main hospital and Robert is more agitated that ever before. There is no calming him down… I hate this.
May 7, 2009
Still at the main hospital… this is becoming unbearable for everyone.
Due to lack of staff presence and doctor orders being put in at the right time, Robert was not sent back to rehab until Friday May 8, 2009. His doctor hadn’t had a chance to evaluate him and he was not able to attend the actual graduation but he was cool about it. He watched the ceremony on television and got a surprise visit from me before I went to line up.
We were glad that he was back in rehab because he was so ready to get back t his therapy. He has been ready to walk and play the Wii and see his therapists and sleep in his “sealy posterpedic” bed. He was ready to see his favorite nurses and take a shower. His entire attitude changed once he was finally transferred. I was happy to see his smile again, to see and hear him laugh and to watch the positive spirit return to him. It is amazing.
May 18, 2009Here is a little update since Robert has been released from his bout in the main hospital...it seems like he is stronger and better than before he had the seizure. He has been sittting up on the side of the bed without any assistance. He is remembering telephone numbers and can recite them without any mistakes. He has mastered his telephone pad and has now begun calling the numbers he remembered with no assistance. I must say I was shocked to get an exciting phone call today from him because he finally dialed my number.
He is walking better, seeing better and overall feeling better. He is not taking any pain or sleep medicine any more. Just his seizure medicine and medicine for muscle stiffness and his clonis. Everyday there are new developments in his recovery and everyday he makes everyone see that their prayers have been answered.
I love the fact that he takes joy in the simplist things...seeing you smile, makes him smile... A visit, a phone call, bringing him funyuns or sweets or food for that matter makes him very happy. Robert's personal goal aside from the goals that he set in rehab is to get fat. Last week he weighed 138.9 pounds and as of Sunday he is 144 pounds. He is looking chubby in the face and he is steadily trying to get thick. He says he wants to weigh 250 pounds... So, he tries to eat as much as he can and as many times a day as he can. Today he had 20 nuggets from Chick-fil-a and a turkey sandwich. After an hour passed he ate a pecan swirl... If he hears you opening a wrapper, or chewing on something he wants some too depending on what it is.
All in all... we are moving on the right track. Robert has a projected release date of June 4, 2009. So he is working hard and determined to walk out the doors of rehab on that date. It is still amazing to watch him in action and to watch his recovery period. Sometimes I am at a loss for words because he does so much. Anyway, I have written enough...Enjoy the videos!!! Oh, the videos from my phone are sideways, I tried to rotate them but I couldn't so just bear with me!
