We just got word that Dad will be moving this afternoon to the rehabilitation wing of  RadfordGreen at Sedgebrook in Lincolnshire.  This is great – mom has friends who have been there, the place is a 15 minute drive from 175 Danbury, and it comes highly recommended by one of the lovely techs who have been helping Dad here at the hospital.

Those prayers we offered when the Chaplain came by and offered us all Holy Communion, and those of all of you lovely people, continue to help us along. Thanks for your love and support!

Sheila and I are at the hospital this morning, where Dad has improved markedly.  The rehab placement has not yet come through, but maybe today.  He is out of the bed, and in the chair  for his breakfast, literally “sitting up and taking nourishment” to use a favorite phrase of his.  Having decided that they have conspired to take all flavor out of eggs at this establishment, he has opted for oatmeal this morning.  The oatmeal comes with a cinnamon sugar topping, so there is hope.

Dad looks terrific this morning, very much alert and oriented and no doubt cheered by the prospect of being released today, and before that, a SHOWER.  It’s the little things…  Hoping the person at the approval desk at the insurance company had a great night’s sleep and an excellent breakfast and will soon move our little project along to the next phase!

We checked off a bunch of boxes today.  Dad is off all IV meds, and has been medically cleared to leave the hospital.  OT and PT evaluated him and agree that inpatient rehab is needed to get his strength and balance back in order to return safely home.  We have identified a few likely places for him to go, but apparently the wheels are grinding slowly in the getting insurance approval step, which means Dad will be here at the hospital for another night.

Dad is continuing to eat well, but the lack of sleep has him more disoriented as the day wears on.  We are hoping he gets a decent night’s sleep and perks up a bit in the morning.

Tune in tomorrow for more exciting developments!

No word on PT, guess that’s for tomorrow.  Unless they need this fancy step down room, Dad will get to stay here tonight.  Shift change has happened and we’ve met the nurse and tech for the evening.  Sheila and Mom went down to the cafeteria and brought up dinner for the 3 of us.  Dad, of course gets room service.  The difference between tonight, when he enjoyed a dinner of tilapia, green beans, and ice cream, and last night, when he really wasn’t interested in even 2 bites of meat loaf, and had trouble swallowing his water, is gratifying.

We will spend the time till 8p watching Clemson v. Wake Forest.  Then Sheila, Mom and I will be kicked out and so return to 175 Danbury Ct.

All kinds of tests have come back with encouraging results.  We are waiting on some blood cultures, but otherwise, Dad looks good. He’s tired, because it’s hard to get more than a catnap in with all the interruptions.

They did a brief evaluation of Dad’s mobility.  It’s pretty terrible – he has lost some strength and some balance. It’s helpful that he, too, understands how limited he is right now.  A PT evaluation has been ordered, and we will await those recommendations.  This evaluation may push his release to tomorrow, and he may be released to a skilled nursing facility to build up his strength rather than to home.

We will keep you posted!

Dad is MUCH more himself this morning.  They supported his heart rate with dopamine last night, but stopped it early this morning, and he is successfully pumping his heart at a decent rate on his own now.  The antibiotics appear to be doing their thing, as his white count is down, as well.

They did a chest CT this morning, and and echo of his kidneys.  There’s a heart echo that is to happen in a little while.  They want to watch him for the afternoon, and depending on how that goes, he might be released tonight.

Dad felt some strange pains in his neck and shoulders on Friday, September 23.  Sheila is in town for her HS reunion, and so accompanied mom and dad to the Emergency Department at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital.   They h did a major workup – scans of his chest, heart and head, and didn’t find anything, releasing him with a diagnosis of “stiff neck”

I drove up when I heard they were going to the hospital and got there just in time to bring everybody home. Sheila zoomed off to her reunion, and mom and dad and I had a nice dinner and turned in early.

Saturday morning, Dad was having too much trouble moving around for getting him showered to work. He went back to bed, but then never really felt up to getting up again.  He was having trouble moving, and wasn’t always making the best sense. We let him snooze for a long time, but I finally asked if he’d do a video call with Jim.  Jim did not like the way he looked and recommended that we return to the hospital.

We did. It took from 6 p till 10 p to get the decision that dad would be admitted.  Covid protocols mean that all visitors must leave the premises at 8 p, so we kissed dad goodnight and went home for a late supper and a snooze.