My Father took a bad fall

[rjg1985]

Jeff,

Sorry to here about this. Prayers sent for your father, that he has full and quick recovery.

[Flyinfool]

Well the latest news is;

 

The bleeding into the brain has stopped, now it is a waiting game for the brain to heal and hope everything comes back.

He is still unable to speak but is able to move all body parts on command.

They put mashed berries in his mouth but had to tell him to swallow each mouthful. Some of this might just be that he does not like berries.

When my mom squeezed his hand and said "I love you" he squeezed back and got a tear in his eye. So we think he is still all in there just trying to find a way back out.

The therapist was able to get him to sit up, stand, and take a few steps today.

 

The swelling in his face is down a lot and some of the bruising is starting to diminish so he looks better.

 

The doc said that the cochlea in his right ear is toast and he will have total permanent deafness in that ear. This also means that he will have balance issues.

 

He will be in ICU for at least 2 weeks and another month in the hospital getting PT after that.

 

I think the seriousness of his fall has finally hit home with my mother. She had a rough day today too. She got a utility bill in the mail and panicked. She commented that she has never paid a bill, put gas in a car, or many other things that most of us take for granted.

 

The kids have set up a chauffeur schedule to get my mom back and forth to the hospital.

 

Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes.

At least things have stopped getting worse, Now if we can just start getting things better.

[Yammer Dan]

Sounds like he is fighting Jeff. Thats good news. I play the other side here. I wouldn't know how to pay a bill. The Warden has always been a great manager andI learned to just turn her loose and stay out ofthe way. I don't even know where the check book is!!

 

Tell your Dad we are praying for him.

[yamtom]

Jeff,

 

That is one nasty fall, Here are prayers for your Dads recovery and for peace for you and your family during this time of recovery.

[saddlebum]

Sorry to hear about your Dads fall. I hope he pulls through ok.

[Grandpagak]

 

prayers sent:thumbsup2:

[FuzzyRSTD]

Jeff, I am so very sorry to have read this. I hope and pray for the very best for your

Dad and all your family in this time of need. Prayers sent and hang in there my friend, things will get better with prayer and time.

James

[Aimhigh]

Thoughts and prayers for your father's complete recovery and your strength to get you all through this.

[Flyinfool]

Another update;

 

My mother went in this morning to see my dad and when she got to his room it was clean and empty. Some astute nurse said "He is gone, and went upstairs". After they got my mother off the floor it was explained that his condition was upgraded from critical to serious and he was moved to a different part of the Neurocare section of the hospital, 6 floors up.

 

My brother (lives out of town) came in for a visit with my parents yesterday, and said that my dad told a story and at the end laughed out loud at the end. Unfortunately his speech is still not understandable so no one there knew what the story was.

 

For the first time he was able to hold and drink from a glass of water on his own, this was a mile stone.

The nurses are getting him out of bed and into a recliner so that he is not just laying there, he is able to sit upright in the chair. Still (and for a long time to come) he needs a lot of help walking the couple of steps from the bed to the chair and back.

 

But we will take all of the baby steps in progress that we can get.

 

Thanks again for all of your prayers and well wishes, their working.

[Patrolman46]

Sorry to hear of your Father's mishap. Our thoughts & prayers will be with you & your family. My wife & I have both lost our parents & have felt short changed for the time we haven't had with them, but this is traggic to hear of your Fathers suffering. Speedy Recovery!!!! Help Mom get through this time!

[eagleeye]

Jeff,

I'm glad to hear of your dad's improvements. Funny about the story.

You and your family will still be in my thoughts, and I do hope every day is a better one than the last for your dad.

Steve

[Yammer Dan]

Good news Jeff. Prayers will continue.

[Flyinfool]

Well dad was accepted into the intense rehab program at the hospital. This is good because it means that they feel that can do something for him.

It makes for a busy day for him. there are two 1 hour physical training sessions, two 1 hour occupational training sessions, and two 1 hour speach therapy sessions every day. He gets an hour off for lunch and 2 half hour breaks during the day. by the time he gets done with dinner he is beat.

He has a long way to go, although he can move everything on his right side on command he has very little if any coordination of any of the muscles on his right side. He still can only sit in a chair with sides to hold him in or stand with 2 big people to hold him up.

 

His speech is the thing that is improving the fastest, They try to make him talk as much as possible about anything that anyone brings up, just to keep his brain having to do recall and then put it into words. He was able to explain how to cook some of his favorite meals and give directions from the hospital to his favorite restaurants. Anything that we bring up in conversation the therapists will jump on make him talk about.

 

What we can not get him to understand is that even though he has been in the hospital for 2 weeks he has only been in rehab for 2 days. He is very disappointed that in "2 weeks" he has not noticed any improvement in his condition.

 

Us kids are doing all we can to help out Mom. His scheduled release date from the hospital is 1-6-12.

[Yammer Dan]

Good News Jeff. The harder he fights the quicker he will get back but don't let him push too hard.

[Mike G in SC]

Another update;

 

My mother went in this morning to see my dad and when she got to his room it was clean and empty. Some astute nurse said "He is gone, and went upstairs". After they got my mother off the floor it was explained that his condition was upgraded from critical to serious and he was moved to a different part of the Neurocare section of the hospital, 6 floors up.

 

My brother (lives out of town) came in for a visit with my parents yesterday, and said that my dad told a story and at the end laughed out loud at the end. Unfortunately his speech is still not understandable so no one there knew what the story was.

 

 

Sounds like a sense of humor is important to your family, and maybe a best medicine.

So, that part about him not knowing who the president was might be a good thing!

Tell him Regan has been re-elected!

 

Prayers and good wishes,

Mike G in SC

[dacheedah]

thoughts and prayers

[saddlebum]

Glad to hear that there is some sign of hope. I went through the same thing with my father ten years ago. He was in the hospital for six months with six drain holes drilled into his skull with drain tubes inserted to get rid of fluid build up around the brain. We were told he most likely would not survive but he pulled through without any side effects. So keep your hopes high and your thoughts positive. The seemingly impossible does sometimes happen.

[PBJ]

jEFF GLAD TO HEAR YOUR DAD IDS DOING WELL AND CAN LAUGH AND JOKE. wILL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR A CONTINUED RECOVERY/

[Flyinfool]

Well things are not good.

After a couple of days of rehab dad had a couple of seizures and is now in worse shape than before.

The hospital has said that he is no longer a candidate for rehab as they do not think his condition can improve.

He will be moved from the hospital to a hospice in a nursing home in the next couple of days.

The nursing home will still continue to work at rehab, but the docs have said that he has just a "slight" chance for any improvement at all.

If there is no sign of significant improvement all feeding tubes and IVs will be removed in 30 days per his written wishes.

 

Of course we are hoping for that "slight" chance to come thru but are trying to prepare for the realistic probability.

 

At this point we are praying that the good lord will either have him get better or to take him quickly so that he does not have to continue to suffer.

[playboy]

So sorry to hear this Jeff prayers sent

[eagleeye]

Well Jeff, this is not the news that i have been waiting for, and maybe, just maybe that slight chance will happen.

I am reminded, through your dad, that, one minute life is good and in a split second, not.

I have reminded my dad about being careful about falling. He is about 88 and I do worry about this.

 

My thoughts will be with you and your dad,

Steve

[RandyR]

prayers sent.

[Yammer Dan]

Prayers will continue Jeff.

[Freebird]

I'm so sorry to hear this latest news. The fact that he had managed to remain in good health until this fall makes it even harder to accept. He, as well as you and the rest of the family will remain in our prayers.

[BIG TOM]

Prayers offered on your dads behalf....