Moving Dean to a room with windows occurred sometime back and all this time, Bill and I have dealt with a constant challenge. Dean asks us to lower and raise the window shades constantly. He doesn't understand that there is a light filtering shade and a night shade. He makes us move them up and then down and then up and then down. Over and over and over again. And since he can't talk, he bangs on the side of the bed to get our attention and then uses hand gestures to direct us "up" or "down." The valances thoroughly confuse him. He wants us to lower that too.
Today, Bill left the hospital before I arrived after work. We exchanged news over the phone before I went in and Bill let me know that he had done the north facing window shades, but not the double east windows. I should have turned around and gone home. The pulley system raising and lowering the windows went to the lowest bidder. I pull and pull, first this way and then that way. I raise and lower the light filtering shade and then I raise and lower the night shade. In the end, they usually end up back where they were in the first place. It's comical and yet, not comical.
We've learned about alarms and flashing lights as we've told you before. But one insight just acquired has to do with the nurse call button. I watched Dean push it about three times. I stepped outside the room and one of the nurses commented that Dean has pushed the call button three times. Then it occurred to me that the button doesn't light up and it doesn't beep. Dean doesn't know if it works...so he keeps pushing and pushing the button.
Dean had a very good day today. He sat at the edge of his bed and moved from bed to chair a couple of times. When I entered the room he was sitting at about a 75 degree angle and his knees were bent. Just Saturday he could hardly lift them!
Since the night he slept almost 8 hours, he hasn't done it again. He sleeps in fits and starts. The nurses no longer come in every hour so our goal is to have him sleep in large blocks of time. His own desire is to walk to the bathroom. These are small steps, but they are also small miracles.
We look forward to a positive week filled with changes in his strength and stamina.
6 comments:
Linda,
Your detailed accounts of Dean's progress are so encouraging...and yet the also help all of us who love him so to truly understand his condition and the challenges he has overcome--and must overcome, still.
Stay strong, each of you! Thanks for thinking of all of us enough to keep us informed when you have so many pressing issues right there before you.
Love to each of you--especially Dean!
Scott from Corpus Christi
Thank you again for all the updates. You are all in my thoughts and prayers every day.
David Jensen
Linda and Bill,
If you decide to quit your “day jobs”, you could always go into the business of redesigning hospital rooms based on all the idiosyncratic design flaws you have noted. Be sure to take copious notes as you sit there watching the sun rise and set though the defective blinds.
It is good to hear that Dean is making progress. Although it is slow, it sounds like it is in a forward direction. Be sure to take pictures of Dean’s stack of cards on his birthday so we can all celebrate virtually. Lots of hugs and positive thoughts for all of you. Love :-} Sue and Muriel
Linda and Bill
I have been reading your blog to keep up with Dean's progress. You are both thoughtful and caring. I appreciate the brief flashes of humor in a challenging situation. I served on the board of BCAP with Dean years ago and I will mobilize forces here to bring in a mound of cards from the Boulder folks.
Dean- my thoughts to you would be hang in there, recoup quickly and come back to us soon.
Barb Cardell
Thinking of you today You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Michelle And Kent Curry
We think of each of you every day and send this short message of continued love and support.
XO Kathy and Chip
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