Finally going pretty good. At least as well as could be expected. John has done better every day and is making huge improvements. It is interesting how his mind and body have to be retrained to work together. He sees physical therapy 2-3 times every day. He walks with a walker, but is doing great. He is walking pretty fast and doesn't shuffle and drag his feet any more. He has been working on keeping his head up and looking around when he is walking. He had lost a ton of muscle and he is doing exercises to help with that. Speech therapy has come in every day to watch him eat. He was having trouble swallowing. That is going good now and he advanced from soft foods to almost normal food. Just can't eat anything really hard right now. He is talking great. Sometimes he will stop and think for a second. He has been pretty tired lately though. All of his numbers are slowly moving in the right direction. Last night he did need a platelet transfusion. He feels stronger and stronger but I still help him shower.
He has hated having a feeding tube in. They keep getting clogged from his meds. It has been working good for a few days. Today it got clogged again. After trying EVERYTHING and 2 nurses, Dr. Konopa gave the ok to just have it pulled out!!!! BUT he has to eat now and has to swallow his pills. He said he will do anything to keep that thing out. So, let hope it is a good thing that it got clogged :). He doesn't have trouble eating and gratefully has not been nauseas or thrown up, food just does not taste very good. He had been told to look at food as medicine - just something he has to do, even if it doesn't taste good. So far today, he has done pretty good.
One thing we did not foresee was that John is having anxiety over being alone. After feeling trapped in his head for 2 weeks, he is kind of scared to be alone. Although now he can think clearly enough to use the nurses call button at least. He still is pretty weak and can't just hop out of bed and put a movie in. And because he is still unstable he has to have someone go with him to the bathroom. I am typically here every day from 8:30-6. The hospital brings in a sitter every night. At first he hated it, but now he likes it and does not want it to stop. So, he might be alone for like 1 hour in the evenings and one hour in the mornings. He is doing ok with that. He hopes to be home in about a week. I hope so too.
He has been thrilled to have visitors. He cried to see the kids on Sunday! And our friends the Crans have come a few times. He was also surprised by a former missionary companion that came to visit last night! It made his day.
We love love love this floor and can not say enough good about the staff. His Dr's are fabulous and so patient. The nurses and aids are great! We could not ask for better care for him. It is weird to have this home away from home! We are so appreciative of everyone here. We are making even more friends with other patients and love them all.
My dear Noelle, Your blogs are so tender and loving and filled with faith. I am so grateful for you and all you do and are to John and your beautiful family and extended family. Thank you so much for sharing your feelings and details of your fight and journey during all of this.
ReplyDeleteThis is such good news. I think of you and John all day and can't wait to see the post you do every night. John's dad and I can't thank you enough for your willingness to share all that is going on. There are so many people who know us and John that tell me whenever I see them or communicate with them through Facebook, that they pray for John and our family everyday, some say in every prayer everyday. You are loved and prayed for more than you can imagine. Heavenly Father is listening to all of us who love you and John and Him and His Son. We are all having to learn patience and trust and faith and for John's Dad and I it has been very hard and emotional also. We only wish we were there to help you everyday. We love you so much and hope that you will let us know when John is up to us calling and what time would be good. Maybe tomorrow night??
I hope that you can get some sleep. Feel the arms of all of us who love you embrace you and pray for you as the peace of our Savior surrounds you.
Love Always,
Joy