Nancy's Home

It was a very easy trip home.  I got to the hospital around 9:00am and 2 people told me I couldn't have her they wanted her to stay.  But we won out and left the hospital around 9:45.  Nancy rode to the car in a wheelchair.  The nurse stopped the chair at the end of the car and Nancy walked up to the door and got in.  When we got to Marcus Hook she got out of the car, step up the curb and walked into the house.  It was amazing in just a little over 3 months from the amputation she is walking again. 

She sat on the loveseat in the living room and around 12:30 took the prosthesis off (she is still in the break in period where she can only wear it about 2 or 3 hours at a time) and stretched out on the bed.  She put the prosthesis back on around 4:00 got back on the loveseat until dinner was ready.  She walked to the dining room and sat in a regular dining room chair for dinner.  She then walked back to the living room.  She took the prosthesis off around 7:30. 

What a great first day home. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Nancy comes home tomorrow

She has made great progress in rehab.  She has been walking, going up and down stairs and a whole lot of other stuff.  All this and it has only been 4 months since this ordeal started.

She is doing so good that the rehab doctor told her this morning she will probably qualify with Medicare for an upgraded knee and ankle.  Although she is walking fine these will make it easier.

After she gets home she will still have outpatient rehab for a while but she is getting very close to being completely independent.

Now if the news was equally as good on the condo sale and finding a new home everything would be great.  The condo still hasn't sold and we are getting very discourage with our realtor. 

Please keep us in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Nancy is making very good progress

After 3 full days of therapy Nancy is doing great.  She can stand for 15 minutes and the only thing that stops her is she gets bored with nothing to do but stand and look out the window.  She is walking and can navigate a curb like situation.  She can put her slacks on and take them off over the prosthesis. 

Yesterday there was a little bump in the road.  The therapist thinks, because of the activity on Tuesday, her stump was a little swollen so she couldn't get the prosthesis on yesterday morning.  She was able to get it on in the afternoon.  Today she had no problem getting it on or off.  She has figured out the right angle she needs to get it off easily. 

All in all it is a very productive and rewarding stay in rehab. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

The next phase of this miraculous journey

Nancy is back in Taylor Rehab.  This time it is a great thing.  She has her new prosthesis and is doing fine.  Everyone remembered her and was looking forward to her return.  It was like old home week around the rehab today.  It was an amazing thing to watch as Nancy did everything the therapists asked her to do and more. 

One of the doctors stopped to talk to her in the hall and said she had never seen anything like Nancy's recovery.  Considering how sick she was and the extent of the amputation the doctor didn't expect to see Nancy at this point for at least 6 months. 

We are looking forward to the next few days to see just how far she can go.  She will be there at least until the weekend or maybe the beginning of next week.  It is a great pleasure for me to see just how excited Nancy is. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

One step closer

Nancy went today and tried on her permanent prosthesis.  It fit fine and she walked up and down the parallel bars. 

She will be going back to Taylor Rehab on Monday to continue to learn how to walk with it.  They will be calling Monday morning to let us know what time she has to be there.  It is a very exciting time around here.  She is doing so great with it. 

She is looking forward to being able to get up and do something without having to maneuver the wheelchair.  Chris at Prosthetic Innovations said her goal should be to get rid of the wheelchair. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Another successful day with the prosthesis

Nancy went for her second fitting today.  She walked in the parallel bars and then Chris got her a walker and she walked around the entire Prosthetic Innovations space.  They have a very large room and she walked around the whole thing.  It was great to watch.  I took a video with my phone and as soon as I figure out how to get it on the computer I will share it.  Nancy's computer is not recognizing my phone so I haven't been able to download the video.  The file is too large to email.  Figuring that out is my project for tomorrow.

Things will be quiet until next Thursday.  That is when she will go back to Prosthetic Innovations and try on her actual prosthesis. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

First Steps - Very exciting!

Nancy went to Prosthetic Innovations yesterday to try on the prototype prosthetic.  With the help of Chris she put it on and after some adjustments she walked between parallel bars.  Not just one or two steps but walked the length of the bars, turned around and walked back to her chair.  After resting a little she did it again.  Then Chris took it off and made some more adjustments.  She then walked the bars again.  Then Chris took the leg and foot part off made some adjustments to them and she walked the bars again.  Then Chris showed her how to balance herself to stand alone without the bars. 

It was a very exciting day.  We are going back today to do it again. 

Nancy said it was very comfortable and didn't cause any pain.  It was a little tight in one area show Chris was going to make those adjustments before our visit today.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Tomorrow is a big day!

Nancy goes for a fitting for her prosthesis tomorrow.  We are anticipating that everything will go ok.  She is really looking forward to this next phase of her recovery.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

The next step

Nancy went to Prosthetic Innovations yesterday to have a cast made of her stump.  It took about 15 minutes.  We were in and out in about half and hour.  They called today to set up an appointment for Wednesday.  At that appointment she will try on the prototype to see how it fits.  She will probably stand between parallel bars and take a couple of steps.  How exciting is that! 

We are still waiting for the condo to sell and looking for a house in Virginia. 

Please keep Nancy in your prayers and maybe add the sale of the condo and finding a house.  Thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

One step closer

Nancy got the liner for her prosthesis today.  She has to wear it on a break in schedule.  One hour, then one and a half and so on, morning, afternoon and night.  She goes back on Thursday for him to make a mold for the actual prosthesis.  When we got to Prosthetic Innovations today he said he wanted her to get up on a table.  We both looked at it and must have gotten strange looks on our faces.  It was pretty tall and didn't adjust.  He showed her what he wanted her to do and then he and I got in to position to help her.  She stood up, pivoted, backed up to the table and then lifted herself with her arms and she was on it.  He and I didn't do anything.

We are moving right along.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Can't keep a good woman down

Nancy and I ran errands today.  We went to the credit union and Walmart.  It was a very busy day and she hardly laid down.  She was still able to stand by herself this evening to try on slacks we bought today. 

She is really making good progress.  Tomorrow we go to Prosthetic Innovations and then Friday we are going to see about shoes.  It is turning out to be a very busy week.  And she is on the move.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

We keep moving along

The physical therapist discharged Nancy yesterday.  We expect the nurse to discharge her tomorrow.  Then she will be finished with Home Health Care.  But that is not the best news.  She had a follow up with the Rehab Doctor today.  He says she is ready for her temporary prosthesis.  So she has an appointment with Chris at Prosthetic Innovations on Thursday.  She is also scheduled to be readmitted to Taylor Rehab on September 24 so they can teach her how to walk with the prosthetic and take care of it.  This prosthetic will be a temporary one until all of the swelling goes down and her stump completely heals.  Although it is healed now I guess it takes more time for the complete healing process to take place.  The stump should shrink more, etc.

So we have had very good news and are very excited about the speed of her recovery.  If everything goes as planned she will have the prosthetic and be walking about a week short of 3 months from the surgery.   I think it is amazing.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Another Milestone Down

Nancy got in and out of my car twice today!  That may not sound like much but after what she has been through it was a big milestone.  When she left the hospital a little over 3 weeks ago we had to get transportation for her and the wheelchair.  We went to the doctor a week later and still had to get transportation.  That is not an issue anymore.  What a great day!

Next week will probably be the last for the physical therapist and the nurse.  Nancy is making such good progress it is amazing.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Work Day

We spent most of the day cleaning out.  Nancy went through her computer desk and I did laundry. 

Tomorrow is a big day.  We will be working with Stephanie on getting in and out of the car.  She is coming at 9:00 AM so it shouldn't be too hot or humid.  We hope. 

Please keep Nancy in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Quiet Labor Day Weekend

Not much happened over the weekend.  We cleaned a few kitchen cabinets, had a couple of good meals and Nancy continued to make improvements. 

She made her own bed and is pretty much independent right now.  I can leave to go shopping and not have to rush back.  Today she had some dip with her lunch and then I went to the grocery and forgot to put the dip away.  While I was gone she took the dip to the kitchen and got the lid off the counter on the other side of the kitchen table (not really accessible by wheelchair) and put the dip in the refrigerator.  To get the lid she got a barbeque spatula that was laying on the counter and reached the lid.  While she was in the kitchen she put dry food out for Princess.  What a surprise for me when I got home.

Stephanie the physical therapist was please with the progress Nancy had made since she last saw her.  Thursday we start working on getting Nancy in the car.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Labor Day Weekend

It's hard to believe the summer is over.  With every ending there is a new beginning.  Nancy is beginning to regain her independence.  I no longer have to do much for her.  She is now able to place the wheelchair and the commode where she needs them.  She transfers herself all the time now.  She is indeed getting stronger everyday.  It's amazing to watch.  We are truly thankful for her progress.

Getting her in and out of the car is our next goal.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Moving Right Along

Well well Nancy can now get to the loveseat.  She did it once with the therapist this morning.  Then while the therapist was still her she did it with me.  That means she doesn't have to sit in the wheelchair all the time.    This afternoon Eva came to visit and we got Nancy on the loveseat so they could visit. 

As I've reported before she is transferring herself from the bed to the wheelchair and back.  I have been positioning the chair for her to do that.  Today she got on the bed and then moved the chair into position to get up and put the brakes on.  When I came back into the room she was all set up to do the transfer back to the chair.  I'm being put out of a job.  There is less and less for me to do.  Isn't that great.  We are very excited about her progress.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Good Doctor's Visit

Nancy went to her family doctor today and everything was fine.  Her next visit is "as needed".  She is moving much more on her own.  When she feels like stretching out on the bed she wheels herself over and gets in bed.  I turn the chair around so she can get up when she wants too.  She really only needs help moving the chair the rest she does. 

I was in Virginia last night and didn't have access to a computer, sorry for the skipped night. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Full Weekend

Nancy keeps making great progress.  She has been transferring herself from the bed to the wheelchair and back to the bed.  Now she is able to transfer to the commode herself.  She is getting stronger all the time.

The OT was here yesterday and gave her some exercises to do that will make it even better.  Thanks to our friend Joan's idea I videoed her doing them so she could review the correct way to do the exercises in case she forgot. 

Mark came up from Virginia today to stay with Nancy while I go to Virginia to apply for a mortgage.  I'll leave tomorrow morning and be back on Tuesday. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Little Closer to Getting in the Car.

Stephanie (the physical therapist) came today.  She had ordered a walker, which was delivered yesterday.  First thing she had Nancy stand using the walker.  No problem and she stood for 5 minutes.  Then Stephanie set up the commode to act as the car.  She had Nancy stand and then move the walker to the right a little and then hop and turn.  Nancy did that until she was lined up with the commode (car) and sat down.  She then reversed the process to get back in the chair. 

We are very excited about the progress Nancy is making.  Stephanie says there is no problem getting her into the car for her next doctor's appointment which is on Sept. 11.

Kidneys and bladder are still working fine.  Nancy is getting very good at making the transfers on her own.  It is amazing to watch her progress. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

This is Nancy

Hi everyone.  This us Nancy,

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their prayers during the past two months.  Today us 8/23/12.  It has been two months since my "event" in CCMC.  So much has happened in the past two months - some of it not so good and some of it every good.  You all know I am home from the hospital and continuing therapy at home, which is going very well.  I know Frank has kept you up to date with all the good things happening - especially being able to stand without assistance.

To all my friends at CMOH - You will never know how much you cards and visits meant to me.  You took time to come to see me when I was in Taylor Rehab and even though you may have stayed only a few minutes, you took the time to come.

Well, I have nothing more to report today; but thanks again for all again for you prayers, cards, gifts and for being such good and loving friends.

Where do I begin!

This has been an exciting day.  I'll start in the AM. 

Up at 7:00am business as usual not much to report.

Physical Therapist (Stephanie) came at about 10:00 and then it began.  I usually go do something while Nancy has company or the therapists or nurse are here.  This morning I didn't have that much planned because Nancy had a doctor's appointment at 12:45.  So I went out to sit on the back porch.  I was only out there about 10 minutes when Nancy called me to come in.  She was sitting on the bed.  The exciting part about that was she had gotten there herself.  That's right she did the transfer with no assistance from Stephanie.  She then showed me how she did it and got back in the chair by herself.  Stephanie and I then went out in the kitchen to see if we could arrange things to try and get Nancy to stand.  While we were there Nancy called us to come back to the living room.  When we got there Nancy was almost standing.  We took her into the kitchen and she stood at the kitchen sink for about 5 minutes without any support from Stephanie or me.  She sat down, not flopped but sat, and rested for a couple of minutes.  Then stood again for 2 minutes.  Stephanie left and Nancy got herself onto the bed to rest a while before going to the doctor.  She got herself back in the chair and we went to the doctor.

Doctor's office.  After filling out all the paperwork we were called back.  I went along to help with any transfer if needed.  Not needed though.  The exam table was adjustable so it was low and Nancy got herself onto the table.  I left so they could do the test.  After about 10 minutes the nurse came a got me.  They needed my help to transfer Nancy from the table onto a commode.  Do do this Nancy had to stand and pivot and inch her way closer to the commode while standing.  She did it all with no trouble.  When the test was done they called me back to help get her back on the table.  Again stand, pivot and inch her way closer to the table.  Again, no trouble.  Even with all that had happened the best thing today was the test showed that there was nothing wrong with her bladder and they left the catheter out.

So to summarize she is transferring herself, she is standing without trouble and she no longer has a catheter.  What a glorious day and we thank God for all of it.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

One week at home

It's hard to believe Nancy has been home one week.  It keeps getting better each day.  She is making great progress and I'm very excited to see it happening.  She is doing much more for herself every day.  What a blessing she is.  I'm very much enjoying spending time with her after all these years.

We are making good progress in sorting through things.  We do a little each day and it really shows. 

Tomorrow she has an appointment with the urologist and hopefully they will figure out how to get her off the catheter.  The physical therapist comes tomorrow also.  Things here are moving right along.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Ditto

That's about it.  Nancy is doing great.  The physical therapist was here today and was amazed by how good Nancy was doing.  She gave us a couple of pointers and did a lot of intake stuff.  She helped Nancy on and off the bed and was very pleased by how good she did.  The therapist said it shouldn't be long before Nancy is able to transfer herself with me there just for safety and not really assisting. 

Nancy has an appointment with the urologist on Wednesday.  Hopefully they will be able to figure out why she can't void her bladder so she can get rid of the catheter.  It's time to ramp up the pray chain and energy you are sending her way. 

Everyday we learn something new and it gets easier.  Nancy is working very hard and it shows.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Quiet Day

Nancy is doing fine.  She is moving much better now.  She can lift herself with her arms and position herself better. 

We did a little clean out today.  Worked on the coat closet in the dining room and a close tree.  Goodwill will love us.  The trash men not so much. 

We are really enjoying the weather.  We have had the AC off for 2 days now and this morning it was a little chilly in here.  Nancy didn't go out back this morning because it was too chilly. 

The OT and PT come tomorrow.  We have kind of taken a vacation from the daily exercises but Nancy continues to move around more and seems to be gaining strength. 

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Things are going great

Sorry about no blog post last night we were having a thunderstorm, and as before I don't use electronic devices during a storm.

The storm had the benefit of lowering the temperature so we turned off the AC and opened the windows.  We also spent a lot of time on the back porch.  Nancy is loving being able to go outside.  After being cooped up in a hospital for almost 2 months.

We have settled into a routine, but we are still learning new things and ways to make it easier.  When Nancy is resting in bed she comes up with some great ideas.  They have all made the transfers and other things go a lot smoother. 

She is getting stronger each day.  The schedule of resting more seems to be working.  We are very much encouraged by the progress.  The PT and OT come on Monday.  This visit will probably be an intake and not much exercise.  Nancy is continuing to do the exercises she was doing at Taylor Rehab.  She is also able to move on her own more each day.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

We're getting the hang of it.

Each day gets better.  Yesterday Nancy did too much and was really tired last night.  Today we set a schedule.  Up for about 3 hours and then in bed for an hour.  She doesn't seem to be as tired tonight. 

She started back doing her exercises today.  Tuesday she didn't do any to save her energy for the trip home.  Yesterday we were trying to get adjusted and she didn't do any.  Today when she started back she said she could tell that she hadn't done them for a while.  She was starting to get weak again.  So it's back on the exercise routine. 

Each time we do something we learn something.  So far the transition to home has been a pretty easy one. 

Please keep Nancy in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

1st Full Day at Home

It was a very good day but a very tiring one.  Establishing a routine is hard work.  Nancy is doing fine but is very tired tonight.  I think maybe she tried to pack to much into her first day.  After breakfast we went out on the back porch to sit for a while.  It has been so long since she was able to be outside of a building.  Then she made some phone calls and then had company for the afternoon.  She really didn't allow time for resting this afternoon.  It really showed tonight. 

Tomorrow will be a different day.  We will make time for plenty of rest and some of her exercises.  We want to keep the ball rolling. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A New Phase Begins

NANCY IS HOME!!! 

I went to the hospital about noon.  Nancy had on the top to a short set instead of a hospital gown.  First time in almost 2 months.  The van was picking her up at 2:00 to bring her home.  Her new wheelchair had arrived along with the transfer board.  I spent the next hour off and on taking stuff to the car.  Nancy had her lunch and at 1:15 Kristen her nurse came in to do the paper work for discharge.  We finished that and Kristen showed me how to empty the Foley.  Nancy got in her chair and I made one last trip to my car.  On my way back to the hospital I saw the van pull up.  The driver didn't make it up to Nancy's room until about 2:15 and we were off.  I left while the driver was putting her in the van so I could be here when they got here.

We were in the house by 3:00.  The first thing Nancy wanted to do was see what I had done to the house.  Her only comment was "you've done a lot of work" (I skated on that one).  She change her clothes and decided to stay on the bed while I went to get her prescriptions filled.  I was gone about an hour and when I got back she was ready to get up. 

We had dinner around 6:30 and Nancy spent the rest of the evening going through the mail that came while she was in the hospital.  At about 8:00 after being up for 3 hours she got on the bed to stretch out.  She stayed there about on hour and then got ready for sleep.  And that is where we are now.

You will notice that nowhere in the recount of today was a nap mentioned.  I didn't omit it Nancy didn't feel the need for one.  I think coming home has been a great leap for her recovery. 

Oh, I forgot to mention Princess is coming around.  Two months is a long time for a cat and she was not sure about Nancy when we first got here.  Plus Nancy was in a wheelchair and that was strange to Princess.  But after about 15 minutes Princess jumped up on the bed and I sat down with her.  Nancy came over to the bed and let Princess smell her hand.  Princess butted Nancy's hand with her head to let Nancy know she wanted her head rubbed.  Princess has also curled up on the bed with Nancy, albeit on the other side but that is typical for her.

Please keep Nancy in your prayers as she has a long way to go and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Tomorrow is the Day

NANCY COMES HOME TOMORROW!!!! 

Nancy had 2 good therapy sessions today.  She stood 3 times and we worked on transfers.  She is not strong enough yet to get into the car so we will have to rely on Community Transit to get her to doctors appointments. 

She is going to come home with the Foley Catheter.  The test today didn't work.  We will deal with it though.

She is looking forward to coming home.  She has been in the hospital a very long time.  I think she can't wait to see what I've done to her house.  Yikes!!!  She will have PT 3 times a week as long as they determine she is making improvement.  Not a problem there.  She will have OT on an as needed basis.  I guess that means if we can't figure out how to do something.  She will also have a visiting nurse.  The nurse will determine the frequency.  She will also be accepting visits from friends. 

She still doesn't have much of an appetite.  Food has not interest to her and nothing sounds good to her.  Hopefully home cooking will change that. 

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Good Weekend

Nancy had a good weekend.  She had the day off yesterday and had OT today.  She stood up twice and did all the work herself.  Great progress.  She had several visitors in my absence.  I want to thank everyone that went to visit while I was in VA. They are going to remove the Foley Catheter tomorrow and see what happens.  

Mark and I had another work weekend.  This time at the house in VA.  We are trying to get it ready to put on the market.  The realtor came by yesterday and I signed all the papers.  It goes on the market Aug 23. 

I stopped to see Nancy tonight on my way back from VA.  She was sleeping when I got there but woke up shortly after.  We had a good visit for about an hour.  Then I left to come to the house since Princess had been alone since yesterday morning.  She was a little mad at me but soon came around.

Please keep Nancy in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Progress is a wonderful thing

Nancy is making great progress.  She had 2 good therapy sessions today.  Jamie her physical therapist is taking a long weekend so she won't be there when Nancy is discharged on Tuesday.  Jamie has been great to Nancy.  She has push her but also taken good care of her.  A big thank you to Jamie. 

Nancy stood twice in PT, she says it is getting easier.  In OT the therapist showed us how to wrap the stump.  He said eventually we will have to do that to prepare it for the prosthetic. 

We are both looking forward to her discharge.  It will be good to have her home and maybe my cooking will tasted better to her than the hospital's.  We know we will have to face some challenges but we can do it. 

I will be in Virginia tomorrow to meet with a realtor about putting our condo on the market.  We have a few things to do first and we will also be meeting with a handyman.  Hopefully the minor repairs won't take long. and we can get it on the market.  Then we can find a place all on one level and set up our new home.  Mark and I are looking forward to Nancy becoming part of our everyday lives.  It is going to be great.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Another Stand Up Day

I got to the hospital at about 10:30 for OT.  I've only been going to OT because that is the therapy that they let me take part in so I learn how to best support Nancy.  Nancy was still in PT when I got there so I went in there.  Only to find out that Nancy had already stood 4 times.  Three times using the parallel bars and once with a walker.  We then went to OT and did a modified stand and pivot to move her from the chair to the mat.  This transfer doesn't require a transfer board and it was pretty easy.  It will be even easier once we have a chance to use it more and when Nancy isn't so tired.

She didn't get much of a nap this afternoon so I expected her to sleep most of the evening.  Wrong!  She worked on an afghan she is making and then we chatted for a while no sleeping this evening.  She said she wasn't tired.  That is a first and I believe a good indication she is getting better and getting some stamina back. 

She still has the catheter and we may have to deal with that after she is discharged.  We hope not but if we have to we will.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Nancy is a machine!

The physical therapist pick Nancy up at 8:30 this morning.  She took her to a 50' sloping hallway just out side the cafeteria.  Nancy wheeled herself up the slope, turned around and wheeled herself down the slope.  I've seen the hallway I'd probably get winded walking up it.  Nancy didn't have to stop to rest until she was almost at the top.  Then they went to the physical therapy gym where Nancy stood twice.  After finishing PT it was on to OT where I hooked up with her.  In OT she stood again, did exercises in the wheelchair (with exercise bands with more resistance than she is used to), got on the mat and did modified push ups and then completed a task that required her to do modified sit ups.  Even thought she was tired after all of that she was not exhausted and sat up until she finished her lunch.  I'm tired just relaying it here.

The UPS guy must be getting tired too because I have been ordering things from Amazon to make her transition home easier.  It seems like everyday we get another package.  We will be able to rock and roll once she gets home.  We will be able to continue therapy on our own even though she will be getting home therapy.  We are not sure how many days of the week she will be getting home therapy but we will work on the other days.  I've been watching the exercises carefully in the hospital so I can help her when she comes home. 

One of the rehab doctors was in tonight (the same one that got her the extra days).  The doctor asked her about phantom pain.  Nancy told her she doesn't have phantom pain but she does get phantom sensations, like her right foot is cold.  The doctor gave her a trick to try.  Get a mirror and place it so she can see the reflection of her left leg.  Then cover her left foot with a blanket.  Her brain will interpret that both feet are covered with a blanket.  I think that is pretty amazing.

Since Nancy will be in the hospital over the weekend I am going to go to Virginia to do some work at our house there to get it ready to put on the market.  So if anyone has some free time this weekend please consider visiting Nancy for a little while.  Thanks in advance.

Again please keep her in your prayers and thank you for your continuing prayers and support.

God is watching over her

Nancy has been doing great in therapy.  Today she stood twice.  Not just stand and sit but stand for a minute or two.  She is even able to do mini squats (bending her knee and then straightening it.  There wasn't time between now and Thursday to perfect this or take full advantage of the therapists.  So we asked if maybe she could stay a while longer.  Her Occupational Therapist went to work and ran around talking to several folks.  He was not successful however.  He was very frustrated as was Nancy.  But she kept her attitude, we play the hand we are dealt.  She said that we would continue therapy on our own at home.  Pete (the OT) said she would be getting home therapy and he was sure we would continue.

OT was over and Nancy had finished her lunch and was getting in bed to rest so I came back here to work.  Since Thursday was the deadline I had many last minute things to do.  I had put the commode together and attached the rail to the bed.  I was working on going through some things around her computer desk when the phone rang.  Caller ID indicated that it was Crozer Keystone so I figured it was Nancy.  She had been visited by one of the Rehab Doctors to see how she was doing.  Nancy told her fine and explained that she was just starting to stand but was being discharged on Thursday.  The Doctor left and came back a few minutes later to say she had gotten Nancy extended until Tuesday and she would she what she could do then.  Nancy was so excited she couldn't take a nap.  I was so excited  I got a burst of energy and did more than I had planned. 

It's not that Nancy doesn't want to come home or that I don't want her to, but we want her to have every advantage to getting back to an independent life.  She is looking forward to the progress she can make in the next 6 days.  I'm sure Nancy will be working very hard over the next 6 days so please keep her in your prayers.  And thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

I almost forgot again.  Nancy had her staples taken out yesterday.  She is healing very good and is much more comfortable now that the staples are out.

Things are moving along

Two (I counted wrong yesterday) more days and Nancy will be home.  YAY! 

Nancy had 2 good therapy sessions today.  I miss them because Mark and I were still working on the house.  But when we got to the hospital around noon Nancy told us that she had stood up twice in OT.  She said it was easier this time and she stood longer. 

She has been eating more, still not enough but it something.  Hopefully when I'm doing the cooking she will feel like eating more. 

We talked today about when she comes home she and I will continue the therapy to make sure she continues to make progress.  She will be getting PT and OT at home but she and I will also work on it.  I'm very excited about what we will be able to do when she gets home. 

The house is almost ready for her return.  I still have a few last minute things to do but will have them done by Wednesday night.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Coming Down the Home Stretch

Only 4 more days and Nancy will be home. 

She had a good therapy session today but not with her regular therapist because of the weekend.  Weekends are pretty slow around the hospital.  So there is not much to report.  She had several visitors this afternoon which was good because Mark and I stayed at the house.

We did a lot of work in the dining room and kitchen.  It is beginning to look pretty good.  When we tell Nancy what we are doing she just shakes her head.  I can't wait until she is actually here to see it.  We still have some work in the kitchen and finishing touches on the living room.  I seem to keep seeing things I missed in the rush to get it done.  But I still have Monday - Wednesday.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Working Day

Nancy only had 45 minutes of OT this morning but she will have 90 minutes of PT tomorrow.  They are going to push her to stand this week.  She is still scheduled for discharge on Thursday.  We have a lot to do to get ready for that. 

She still has the catheter but they are going to try again next week to see if she can void her bladder on her own.  That would be great if she doesn't have to come home with the catheter.  She still has the staples from the surgery.  We found out today that she will not have them removed until after she is discharged.  They usually leave them in for 30 days which was today.  But the doctor wants to leave them in a little longer. 

The house is almost ready.  Mark and I working on the living room today and pretty much have it ready.  We move the bed from the back bedroom down to the living room and now have the room set up so there is plenty of space for her to move around in the wheelchair. 

Tomorrow's project is the dinning room.  Everything is moving toward the back door.  Hopefully we will be able to do the kitchen tomorrow too.  Mark has to drive home on Monday.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

With less than a week to go before she comes home Nancy is doing great.  She still has a long way to go but her progress has been amazing. She is starting to look forward to coming home.  It's been a long haul for her.

They will be doing another blood test tomorrow to see where the levels are.  Her kidneys are doing too good of a job in some areas.  Now if she can just void her bladder things will be very good. 

The house is almost ready for her to come home to.  We still have a work to do but it will be ready by Thursday. 

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

A Good Day

Nancy had 2 good therapy sessions.  She is becoming more mobile and able to do more to help.  We worked with a real bed today.  A little higher than the one she will be sleeping in here and we did ok.  She was able to turn on her side and rest like that for about 10 minutes.  She liked that a lot. 

She is getting IV Magnesium and something else tonight.  I really should pay closer attention.  Apparently she is low on these 2 elements.  The doctor said it was because her kidneys were working but hadn't yet regulated themselves. 

Her appetite is getting a little better.  She still isn't eating very much.  I'm going to make lemon chicken tomorrow and see if that tastes better than hospital food.  We'll see. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Things Keep Moving Along

We have good news and not so good news. 
Nancy stood up today in OT.  This is the first time.  I had reported it once before but I was confused.  She said it was hard but she did it. 
They had to put the Foley Catheter back.  Nancy is still not able to void her bladder.  She will probably have to see a urologist. Kidneys are working good though they are still trying to get back in the swing of things.  Her magnesium is low so they are going to have to fix that.  They don't want to do it orally though because that would aggravate the diarrhea.  So they had to put the IV back in.  Her system is having a little trouble getting back in sync.  

Therapy was good today.  I missed it though.  I left here at about 10:45 should have put me at Taylor by about 11:00.  I then sat for an hour on 95N.  I didn't get out of 1st gear from Market Street to Kerlin Street.  What a ride.  I finally made it to Taylor at about noon.  Therapy was over by then and she was back in her room eating her lunch.  Hoping for better luck tomorrow.


Please keep her in your prayers and thank you for your continuing prayers and support.

A day of getting rid of things

Both the catheter and the dialysis catheter came out today.  YAY!!! 

Nancy had 2 good therapy sessions.  In OT I got her from the chair to the mat to the commode to the chair.  We were very pleased.  She was even getting a little tired when we did it so we should be good when she gets home. 

The gastroenterologist was in today and said we are in a waiting period to see what happens.  None of the tests were definitive so we wait.  He was going to write an order for her to get yogurt to help with the diarrhea.  That too may be a wait and see what happens.  Hopefully it will clear up soon.  It is getting better.

Still working on the appetite.  She is eating a little better (not much) but there is definitely room for improvement.  She has eaten the pasta that Bernie brought this weekend.  I'm going to make some chicken with a lemon caper sauce and see if she will eat that.  Any ideas gladly accepted.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Doing the Snoopy Happy Dance

DIALYSIS IS OVER!!!!!  Nancy didn't have dialysis today and they are taking out the dialysis catheter.  Now we just have to wait and see if she starts voiding her bladder.  They are going to remove the catheter tomorrow and see what happens.  If she doesn't start voiding her bladder they will have to put it back.  We don't want that.

We are starting to plan for her discharge from the hospital.  It is now scheduled for August 9.  We have ordered a transfer board and bed pads to facilitate transferring her to and from the wheelchair.  We are also starting to plan our work around here to get her ready to move to Virginia.  I've been working here to get the house ready for her return.  She is not going to recognize the place.

Her therapy today went very good.  I got there in time to make one of the transfers so the therapist could observe and give me pointers.  I'm going tomorrow to work on the transfer to the commode.  Since she doesn't have a bathroom on the first floor she will have to use a commode for a while.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Another Good Day

Nancy had 2 good therapy sessions again today.  She was the only one that got full sessions, everyone else got 45 minute sessions.  She is doing really good with the therapy.  She is able to do everything they give her to do.  Of course she says she is not very good at it.  But then she does it.  She wants to be able to do things like nothing has happened. 

The afternoon was spent visiting with friends.  Three people from the Church Choir, two from work and our friend Bernie drove in from Harrisburg.  Bernie came equipped with pasta with anchovy  sauce that Nancy loves. Thanks to everyone for visiting today.

The late afternoon and evening Nancy and I visited and she napped.  It was a good day.

We will find out tomorrow if she has to have dialysis so please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

What a day!

Nancy is doing fine.  She had a brief therapy session this morning and then had the rest of the day off.  Mark and I had planned on working here all day to get the house ready for her homecoming.  He was sick this week but drove up here yesterday anyway.  Poor guy slept most of the time he was here.  He went home this morning to take care of himself.  After he got home he slept  pretty much all day.  He is feeling a little better tonight.  I worked here until about 3:30 and then went to the hospital. 

Thanks to Eva and Ruth for visiting today and keeping Nancy company in my absence.  Nancy and I watched a little TV and she read the blog.  All in all it was a good day. 

She got the results of the biopsy they took during the colonoscopy it was benign.  YAY!  She will have a full 3 hours of therapy tomorrow.  We are still hoping that she is done with the dialysis. They are testing every day. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

And the Great Days keep coming

Nancy is doing great.  She had 2 productive therapy sessions today.  I'm now starting to do some of the transfers for the therapists.  Transfer=move her from the chair to the bed, bed to the chair etc.  I've been watching and helping.  Today I did my first solo transfer, it was just Nancy and me.  It went fine.  Nancy said she felt comfortable.  The therapist said he was comfortable with the way we worked together.  We still have some practicing to do but they are giving me pointers and hints.

No dialysis again today, what a great thing.  Her creatinine level was 2.4 today.  Yesterday it was 2.5.  The doctor is hoping to see it plateau and stay consistent. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Thunderstoms delay posting

Sorry I didn't post last night.  I'm from the old school where you don't use electronic devices during a thunderstorm and we were having on here in Marcus Hook.

Nancy is doing great.  She had 2 good therapy sessions yesterday.  I'm starting to help with the transfers so I'll get the practice.  She asked to sit up in her chair yesterday afternoon.  She said she didn't want to spend the whole day in bed.  I hadn't been to a therapy session for a while.  I went yesterday and I can see very much improvement.  She is really getting stronger and able to do more for herself. 

She is NOT having dialysis again today.  YAY!!!  She is on a day by day basis with the dialysis.  If the blood work comes back good she doesn't have to have it.  Her appetite is returning as are her taste buds.  I gave her a mint lifesaver yesterday and she said it was really minty.  They are the same lifesavers she has been eating for about a week.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your continuing prayers and support. 

And It's Another GREAT Day

NO DIALYSIS TODAY!  The kidney Doctor was in and said her blood tests were good and he was not scheduling dialysis today.  If the levels hold where they are she may not get dialysis on Friday either.  She was so much better tonight.  She stayed awake and we were able to carry on a conversation. 

Her appetite is returning.  The thought of food is starting to have an appeal again.  Today she put in her order for a Grilled Chicken sandwich on flatbread from Subway and a Coke Slurpee from 7 Eleven.  She also ate more of her lunch and some watermelon. 

She is doing really good in therapy.  I haven't been with her to witness her progress until today.  I got there around 11:00 and she was still in OT.  The therapist had her doing pushups in the wheelchair.  She was able to lift herself off the seat by pushing on the arms of the chair.  She is also able to lift her left leg now.  She has needed help until now.  It's amazing the progress she has made.  If she no longer needs dialysis who knows what progress she will make in the coming days. 

Please keep praying for her.  No dialysis would give her a big advantage in the recovery process.  Thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

What a Wonderful Life

Nancy is doing fine.  The colonoscopy and endoscopy went fine.  Although the prep was not at all pleasant.  She has multiple ulcers and one polyp.  We will have the results of the biopsy soon but there is no reason to believe that it won't be good news.  Our prayers have been answered.  We are still not sure how to prevent this from happening again, but at least we have something to work with.

Most of the day was consumed by the tests.  The prep was still going on when I arrived at 11:00.  She went for the tests at about 1:15 and was back in her room at about 3:15.  She was a little groggy this afternoon and early evening but had perked up by about 7:30.  She was watching the Phillies game when I left. 

Tomorrow she should be back on her regular schedule of therapy.  The kidney Doctor was in this morning.  They are doing blood tests and if the results are good she may be able to skip dialysis tomorrow. 

Please keep praying for her and thanks for your continuing support.

What a Day

Nancy had a really good day in therapy.  She wheeled herself around in a wheelchair.  She said Jaime really worked her hard in physical therapy and Pete increased the weight of the bar she lifts in occupational therapy.  With all of that she still looked good after it was all over.  She said she felt tired but not exhausted.  She didn't look tired as she sometimes does.  She is really trying hard.

Dialysis got started late this afternoon so that through everything off.  She was supposed to start the prep at 5:30 for the tests tomorrow.  It didn't get started until about 7:30 because of the late dialysis.  I doubt if she will get much sleep tonight.  She still has a good attitude though. 

Please keep her in your prayers.  The tests are schedule for early afternoon.  Thanks your your continuing prayers and concern.

The Search Begins

Nancy is doing fine.  She had a quiet day today after much company yesterday.  She is resting and getting ready for a big week. 

They are going to start looking for the cause of all of this.  If you remember when she went in the hospital it was because of a GI bleed.  The bleeding stopped and all the rest of the issues took precedence.  Now that she is stable and recovering from the surgery the doctors think (after Nancy and I raised it to them) it would be a good idea to do some tests to try and determine what happened to cause all of this. 

She will be having a colonoscopy  and endoscopy on Tuesday.  She started her clear liquid diet today and will start the prep tomorrow afternoon.  She will still have therapy tomorrow but we are not sure about Tuesday. 

Thanks to all the people who visited her this weekend.  She really enjoys the company.  Mark and I are planning on working on Nancy's house next weekend especially Saturday.  If anyone can go visit Nancy on Saturday please let me know.  I would like to make sure she has some company during the day.  Mark and I will still go to the hospital in the evening.

Please keep Nancy in your prayers as she faces the tests on Tuesday and continues to work really hard at rehab.  Thanks for your continuing prayers and support.

Another Great Day

Nancy is doing fine again today.  She had therapy this morning which went very well.  She is getting stronger every day. 

This afternoon she had several visitors along with Mark and me so she was kind of tired tonight.  She is in good spirits and continues to look forward to moving on from this ordeal. 

Please keep her in your prayers and thank for your support and concern.

Another Good Day

Nancy is making progress.  She had 2 good therapy sessions today.  They were back to back because of dialysis.  I got to the hospital about 11:00am she was already in her second session.  When I got there she was doing an exercise with a pulley for her arms.  She looked good and was really working on the exercise.  Shortly after that the session was over and we took her back to her room. 

She had dialysis at noon and when I got back to the hospital at about 5:00 she was pretty wiped out.  We chatted a little but she slept most of the time.  They came in around 7:40 to take her for an ultrasound so I left for the night.  She continues to be in good spirits. 

She is still putting out urine with the Foley.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for all of your prayers.

A Beautiful Day

Nancy is doing great!  She called me at 8:00am to tell me that she had fluid in her bladder.  Which means her kidneys are working again.  They just have to figure out why she can't void her bladder. 

She had 2 good rehab sessions today.  She felt very good about them and said she was able to do everything they asked her to do and wasn't exhausted.

Tonight was company night.  Four of her friends from work stopped by bearing pizza.  Nancy ate a slice and a half.  This was after she had her dinner and a water ice from Rita's.  She didn't eat much of her dinner but still this was more than she has eaten for a long time.  Her friend Eva also came by which always makes her happy.  Eva has been really faithful about coming pretty much every other day.  Nancy looks forward to her visits.

They have set her tentative discharge date for August 2.  This is an extension of a week over the last time.  The rehab folks say she is making such good progress they feel the extra week will be very beneficial toward her getting more independent.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for all your prayers and concern.

Back in Pennsylvania

After my brief visit home, I'm back in PA.  The day started with a call to Nancy having dialysis at 8:00am.  After the initial shock that they had done it again I got my stuff done in VA and headed back to PA.  I spent the whole drive planning what I would do once I got to the hospital.  I had several good conversations in the car but didn't need any of them.

Nancy informed me that hopefully the issue has been fixed.  She assured me that if they came in Friday before her therapy she was going to refuse to let them do dialysis.  Later this afternoon the dialysis nurse came by to assure Nancy that the problem with scheduling had been fixed.  Nancy told her that she hoped it had because she was going to refuse dialysis if they came before her therapy.  You go Nancy.

She was in good spirits and said she had good therapy sessions yesterday.  She had physical therapy today but the skipped the occupational therapy. 

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for your prayers and concern.

A Good Day

I'm posting from Virginia tonight.  I had to come home to get my car inspected.  I'll be back in PA tomorrow afternoon.

Nancy had a good day today.  She is no longer in isolation (c diff test came back negative) so she went for therapy today.  She had 2 good sessions.  Physical therapy this morning and Occupational therapy this afternoon.  She said she was tired but not exhausted.  She sounded GREAT on the phone.  Her voice was strong and she was in good spirits.

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for all of your concern and support.

Another Day of Mixed Emotions

Bottom line, Nancy is doing ok but not great.

The day started really great.  I talked to Nancy at about 8:00am they were doing therapy in her room.  She is temporarily in isolation because the test results haven't come back on whether she has c diff or not.  When I talked to her, her voice sounded strong and she was good.  I went to the hospital around 11:00am and she said she had had good therapy sessions.  She had eaten her breakfast sitting on the side of the bed and she was still doing fine.

They started dialysis at around 11:30am and I left to come back here to work.  I went back to the hospital at about 4:00pm and as usual after dialysis she was pretty tired.  She slept most of the evening. 

Her kidney doctor came in around 7:15pm to say that her kidneys were not working as good as he had hoped.  He asked me to give him my zip code so they could start researching dialysis centers in the Arlington area.  This bummed Nancy a lot.  After he left she said "that's not good."  We talked about it and I tried to explain that the Doctor was working under the assumption (that we probably gave him) that Nancy would be moving to Arlington about 2 weeks after she left the hospital.  He did not say that the dialysis would be permanent. 

She is starting to be concerned about becoming a burden.  I told her twice tonight that she would never be a burden to me.  She is my sister, I love her and will do whatever I have to to make sure she lives a happy life for however long we have left.  She did smile for me but I don't think her heart was in it.  I'll try again tomorrow.

I forgot in last night's posting.  Thanks Peggy for bring the cookies for the nurses.  They really enjoyed them and they commented on how nice that was and indeed it was.  A big thank you from Nancy and me.

Also, in the midst of all of this Mark and I have been having trouble with our air conditioner.  It went out the first time on June 29.  Then the power went off.  We got the power back on July 2 but still no air.  It got fixed on July 3 and went out again yesterday.  Mark had to leave for West Chester, NY yesterday and the repairman couldn't come until today.  Our friend Patsy volunteered to come to our house and wait for the repairman.  This is particularly noteworthy because Patsy is allergic to cats and we have 3 cats.  So a big THANK YOU to Patsy for being a great friend.

Please keep Nancy in your prayers.  The news tonight although not terrible was disappointing for her.  Thanks you for all of your concern and prayers during this ordeal

A Peaceful Day

Today was a peaceful day fill with visits from friends and family.  I was finally able to get my Mother's cousin over to see Nancy.  Nancy has been wanting to see her and she was scheduled to come last Saturday but she got sick and couldn't make it.  So today was the day and Nancy really enjoyed her visit.  This afternoon several friends stopped by which always boosts Nancy's morale.  She was a little tired tonight and said she didn't know talking could make you tired. 

She still doesn't have an appetite.  She is not eating very much.  She does like Rita's Water Ice and ate most of the one I got her.  She then drank some of what had melted. 

The physical and occupational therapists came to her room to give her therapy.  She is in semi isolation until they determine what is causing her to have diarrhea.  So today everyone was decked out in blue plastic gowns and gloves.

Her spirits continue to be good and she is looking forward to getting the show on the road. 

Please continue to pray for her and thanks for all your support and concern.

Continued Fallout

Nancy continues to be affected by the events of yesterday.  She is still extremely tired and worn out.  She slept most of today so there isn't much to report.  We did get to talk with the kidney doctor.  He said things were looking good and he wants to do some blood tests tomorrow and if the results of those come back ok, he may write an order for her to skip dialysis on Monday.  We talked to him about what happened on Friday.  He said it shouldn't have happened like that, she should have gone to therapy first and then had dialysis.  We asked him to make sure it doesn't happen again. 

She continues to be in good spirits.  Mark was here so we talked  about what we wanted in our new home.  It is exciting to plan our new living arrangement. The thought of being able to see Nancy every day and have her be a part of our everyday lives is very exciting for both Mark and me.  We are looking forward to our new family unit and establishing a home for the three of us.

Please continue to pray for her and thank you for all your support and concern through this ordeal.

A Day of Mixed Emotions

The day started out with Nancy receiving dialysis at 6:30am.  When I got there at 8:30 she still had over an hour to go.  I knew this was not good because dialysis always exhausts her.  To have dialysis and then be expected to go to physical therapy was not going to be good.  That proved to be true.  When the techs got her out of bed for therapy they didn't do a very good job and it took them a while.  She said she was scared for the first time. 

We got to physical therapy.  She went through some of her exercises and got more tired by the minute.  The therapist got her out of the chair and put her on a mat.  It took 3 of them to get her back in the chair.  I took her back to her room for lunch.  Her lunch was there but she couldn't eat because she was so tired.  I took the tray and she laid her head on the table.  She didn't want to get back in bed because she only had about 20 minutes until she was scheduled for occupational therapy. 

We got to occupational therapy and explained to the therapist what had happened in the morning.  He was extremely understanding and immediately got her onto a mat so she could rest.  She did a few light exercises and then he said she had, had enough and put her back in her chair and took her back to her room.  During her time in OT the chief of OT had contacted the dialysis folks to find out why they had done her dialysis in the morning when on the PT/OT schedules she was scheduled of therapy in the morning and dialysis in the afternoon.  We haven't heard the results of that inquiry.

Now for the good news.  Her kidneys are starting to work again.  That was such good news it almost wiped out the horror of the rest of the day.  At one point she said to me "this was a terrible day and I'm glad it is over." 

If this happens again I may be taking on the medical community.  They do NOT want to mess with me where my sister is concerned.  Trust me.

Please continue to pray for her to have the strength to go on, and for her kidneys to continue to work.  Thanks for your concern and support.

3 Sets of 15 Reps Each

Rehab went much better today.  Nancy was not nearly as worn out.  She is getting stronger with each session.  She got in her wheelchair at a little before 9:00 am and with the exception of getting on a mat in rehab was in the chair until about 3:30 pm.  She hasn't been out of bed that long since June 24.  This was only her second day in rehab and I could see a big difference in her stamina. 

Speaking of rehab, I can't say enough good things about the Rehab Center at Taylor Hospital.  Everyone there is outstanding.  I don't know how they do their recruiting but they seen to have gotten the best of the best.  Never before have I seen such a collection of so many fantastic people in one place. 

Nancy's attitude continues to be the best.  She is amazing!  She is working very hard and continues to maintain her high spirits and faith.  What a woman!  I've heard her say over and over "Whatever it takes."

Please continue to pray for her and the issue with her kidneys.  Thanks for all that you have done.

First Day in Rehab

Nancy started rehab this morning.  When I arrived at about 8:45 the occupational therapist had already been in her room and had her sitting up on the side of the bed.  She was back in bed when I got there and already a little tired. 

We went to physical therapy at about 9:00.  They started her on some exercises to strengthen her left leg.  They were all very nice and understanding.  After about 45 minutes in PT she went to Occupational Therapy.  There they asked her a lot of questions and let her wash her hair with a waterless shampoo.  Then they got her out of the wheelchair using a board she slides across.  After resting for about 10 minutes they got her back in the wheelchair using the board.  Each time she got a little better at it and was able to help them more. 

They took her back to her room at about 11:30 and she stayed in the chair until at least 12:30 while they set up the dialysis machine.  She was on dialysis the rest of the afternoon.  I came back here to continue the work here at the house to get ready for her.  Any time she spends here will be temporary. 

She has agreed to move to Virginia.  She is going to retire and get a much earned and deserved rest.  Mark and I are looking forward to establishing a home with her.  She will have followup visits with doctors once she is released so we will probably stay here until those are finished.  That will give us time to go through some of her stuff and for her to decide what she wants to take.  Obviously this will be a big project and take some time.  I've already started getting rid of things I know she just didn't have the time or energy to clean out. 

Please continue to pray for her, as her kidneys are still not working.  Thanks for all of your prayers and support through this difficult time.

Nancy moves to rehab

The day started with Nancy at Crozer Chester Medical Center.  When I got there about 11:00 she said no one had mentioned her moving today.  The physical therapist had been in and she said she was too weak to stand.  The physical and occupational therapists were coming at 1:30 for another session.  Nancy decided that she was ready to have her cell phone so when the therapists arrived I came back to the house to pick up her phone.  I planned on going back to the hospital around 3:30.

I was approaching the hospital when my phone rang.  It was Nancy to tell me that she was moving at 5:00.  She wanted clothes.  I turned around in the driveway of the hospital and came back to get her clothes.  Clothes in hand I returned to the hospital.  In my absence a beautiful flower arrangement had been delivered from the people she works with.  That was the second one.  The practice she works for has several offices and one of the other offices had sent flowers earlier in the week.  So I carried the flowers out to the car and when they came to move her brought the flowers back to the house.  I will take them to Taylor rehab now that she is settled. 

Taylor rehab is a great place and the folks all seem very nice and attentive.  She starts rehab tomorrow morning.  She can have up to 2 people go with her.  I will be going tomorrow since it is her first day. 

She will continue to get dialysis at Taylor.  They will bring the machine to her room and do it there.  She will be getting dressed each day so no more hospital gowns except to sleep. 

Please continue your prayers and thanks for all you have done.

A Blessed Day

NANCY STOOD TODAY!

The day started with me showing up at the hospital to find an empty room where Nancy should have been.  She had been taken to have the catheter for the dialysis replaced.  Her nurse wasn't sure how long it would take and said she might go straight to dialysis.  He agreed to call me when she got back to her room.  So I left and came back here to the house.  Nancy called at about 1:30 to say she was back in her room.

I traveled back to the hospital.  They were unable to get the new catheter in so that is why she was back in her room.  They said they would retry tomorrow.  After about 20 minutes they came to get her.  They said they had a cancellation and were going to try the catheter again.  So I came back to the house.  Nancy called about 3:30 to say she was back in her room.  They decided it was too soon to try the catheter. 

I traveled back to the hospital.  As I was walking down the hall to her room I saw them wheel a gurney into the room.  They were coming to take her for dialysis.  We spoke for about a minute and she told me that the physical and occupational therapists had been in and she had stood up twice.  They took her for dialysis and I returned to the house.  Since dialysis takes about 4 hours haven't heard from her. 

Princess, Nancy's cat, has enjoyed my being here most of the day.  Every so often she will hunt me down to get her head rubbed and scratched.  She and I have been doing a little bonding while I have been here.  She has decided that I'm not such a bad guy but still not a replacement for Nancy. 

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support.  Please continue to pray that Nancy's kidneys will begin to work on their own and that she will continue to make progress as she moves to rehab.  That move will probably take place tomorrow.  She is schedule to go to Taylor Hospital for rehab. 

A Beautiful Day

Nancy continues to improve.  The nurse said today they are planning on taking her off the heart monitor.  She is in good spirits and looking forward to rehab.  She may be moved to rehab as early as Tuesday. 

She still is not having any pain.  They changed the dressing this afternoon and she said it did not cause her any discomfort. 

Her kidneys are still not working and she is still having dialysis.  So please continue to pray for her and send healing energy to her kidneys. 

Thanks again for being such a great support system.  You all are GREAT!

Doesn't she look GREAT!

I forgot to add this last night. 

Things Keep Getting Better

Nancy was moved out of the step down unit today.  She still has the heart monitor but is constantly improving.  Her surgeon was in and said everything looked fine with the surgery.   The most amazing thing today is that she is PAIN FREE.  Only 2 days after having her leg amputated she has no pain.  Even when the surgeon changed the dressing she said it didn't hurt.  She is no longer taking any pain medication.

Her kidneys are still not working but the doctors is confident that it is only temporary.  She will continue on dialysis every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

We continue to need your prayers and thank you very much for all your prayers to date.

A Beautiful Day

Nancy continues to make progress.  Dialysis usually tires her out a lot.  Today she had dialysis and it didn't seem to phase her.  When we got there she was awake and very alert.  She napped a little but not as much as she has been.  The doctors say all her signs are good and she is making good progress.

Yesterday she was in considerable pain (of course she had just had the operation) the nurse got her pain medication approved for every 2 hours.  Today not so much pain.  This afternoon she asked the nurse when she had gotten her last pain shot.  The nurse told her that it had been in the morning.  Nancy assured the nurse (who has been very attentive to Nancy's pain level) she was just curious because she wasn't in any pain. 

Nancy has worked out a mental system.  When she feels a little pain she repeats verbally relax, relax, relax and the pain goes away.  What an amazing woman my sister is.

Thanks for your prayers that have gotten her this far and please continue to remember her in your prayers.

WHAT A STRONG WOMAN

We arrived at the hospital at 8:30 am to find Nancy in good spirits waiting for her surgery.  As we waited for her to be taken to the operating room she dozed and seemed very calm and peaceful.

Her surgery got a late start and didn't begin until 10:26am (scheduled for 9:30).  The surgeon came out at about noon to say the surgery was complete and had gone well.  They had to do an above the knee amputation.  Once she has completed her recovery in the hospital she will have to go to rehab.  Nancy was in recovery for about 2 hours and was returned to her room a little after 2pm.  She was still very groggy but awake.  She continued to sleep for the next hour and a half.  Right after she returned to her room they brought a lunch tray for her.  When she woke up at about 3:30 she asked what was on the tray.  She ate some frozen yogurt that she really enjoyed and some pears.  At about 5:00 they brought her a dinner tray and she ate some chicken, broccoli and angel food cake.  She has put in her order for a root beer Italian Ice from Rita's for tomorrow. 

All in all she is very awake and alert and has accepted the amputation like a champ.  At one point early this evening she raised her head off the pillow and looked down at the bed.  I asked her what she was looking for and she responded "the stump".  They had covered it with a pillow so I lifted the pillow and touched her leg, she said she could feel my touch and then I showed her on the pillow where it was.  She said ok and laid her head down and that was it.  She didn't mention it again and was ok for the rest of our visit.  WHAT A STRONG WOMAN SHE IS! 

All of the people taking care of her are wonderful.  They are like family. 

Another Quiet Day

Nancy was good today but very tired.  She started the day with dialysis and that always makes her tired.  Mark got here at about 11:30 this morning.  I hadn't told her he was coming because when he couldn't make it yesterday she was very disappointed.  When he came in her room she got a big smile on her face and was very happy to see him. 

We got her TV hooked up and she was planning on watching A Capital Fourth.  When we were both younger she used to come to Virginia and we used to go to the National Symphony Concerts at the Capital.  It was a lot of fun and we both enjoyed it.  As we got more mature we both decided we would enjoy it more on the sofa at home where it was air conditioned. 

Her surgery has been scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning.  Please keep her in your prayers.  Thanks again for all of your support and prayers through this trying time.

Movin on up

  YAY! Nancy is out of the ICU.  She is doing fine.  She was very tired today.  They changed the catheter for the dialysis this morning and that kind of wore her out.  She slept most of the day.  She is eating real food and is in good spirits.

The surgeon was in today to get her consent for the surgery.  It will be an above the knee amputation, not what we had hoped for but it will be ok.  After the surgery and some recovery time she will go to rehab.  I can't say it enough, she is an amazing person.  The surgery is scheduled for Thursday.  We are not sure what time yet but should know sometime tomorrow. 

Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for her.

Quiet Day

Things are pretty much the same today and as my friend Patsy would say That's a good thing.  Nancy is in good spirits and doing fine.  Her blood oxygen level, heart rate and blood pressure have stablized.  She is almost off the blood pressure medicine.  Her dialysis was over by the time I got to the hospital at 12:30.  That always tires her out so it was a quiet day.  We did have a couple of good conversations and I continue to be amazed by her.  She has such strong faith and trust she is an inspiration to us all. 

Please keep praying for her continuing recovery and a good outcome for her surgery.  Thanks for all of your support.

I'm with you, you'll be ok.

Now that Nancy is off the respirator she and I have had a chance to talk.  She told me a story tonight that continues to give me goosebumps every time I think about it.  Last week when she was hooked up to all of the equipment and all you could hear in her room was the sound of machines, she said it sounded to her like someone whispering in her ear "I'm with you, you'll be ok."  I'm convinced that God speaks to all of us, we just have to make time to listen.  I thank God for letting her know He was there and watching out for her. 

She is doing fine.  They are continuing dialysis to remove some of the fluid while trying to get her off the medication supporting her blood pressure.  We're still not there yet but making progress.  Her blood oxygen level is good and her heart rate has stablized.  She is in good spirits and very calm. 

Her leg continues to present issues.  The clot has blocked the blood flow and it is too late to do anything to restore the flow to her lower leg.  Which means  they will have to amputate part of her right leg.  She knows this and continues to be very strong and believe that everything will work out and she will be able to cope.  I too believe that if anyone can do it Nancy can.  And of course Mark and I will have her back and be there to support her.

Please continue to pray for her.  The surgery will probably be sometime this coming week.

It's Not Over Until the Fat Lady Sings

Today was a day of good news!  When I walked into Nancy's room at 12:30 for visiting hours I was greeted by the nurse telling me they were going to try and remove the respirator.  About 10 minutes later the respiratory therapist came in to remove it. They put her on an oxygen mask.  Her blood oxygen level continued to be good with minor drops that she could correct by taking deep breaths.  I left at 2:30 when visiting hours were over.

When I returned at 4:00 they had removed the feeding tube.  More reason to celebrate.  The cardiologist was in and they change one of the heart meds from IV to pill.  More reason to celebrate. She continued to be on the oxygen mask.  I left at 6:00 when visiting hours were over.

When I returned at 7:30.  They had removed the oxygen mask and replaced it with the little things in the nose and she was eating jello and drinking juice.  More reason to celebrate.

I am feeling particularly good tonight.  Overall this has been a good day for us.  Mark, however, continues to be without power or AC.  He and the cats are trying to stay cool but it is not easy.  He is my rock through all of this and I thank God every day for him.  Thank you Honey!

Nancy still needs many many prayers.  She is still in the ICU and will be for a while.  She still has a blood clot in her leg that is blocking the blood flow.  However, this afternoon the nurse heard blood flow lower than they have before.  Please continue to pray that the blockage will break up so blood will once again flow the her lower right leg.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support.

Everything will be alright in the end.

I continue to be reminded of the line from the movie "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"  which is Everything will be alright in the end and if it is not alright it is not yet the end.  I think that is a great line and it keeps coming into my thoughts. 

Nancy is holding her own.  They were trying dialysis to remove some of the fluid build up,  but each time the tried to remove fluid her blood pressure dropped.  They have turned down the oxygen level on the respirator and her blood oxygen level continues to be around 98.  One not so good thing and one good thing.  We're still even for tonight. 

She is getting tired of all that is going on and all the machines she is hooked to.  I feel so bad for her, she is aware of everything that is going on and can just lay there.  It must be horrible for her, but she continues to have an amazing attitude toward all this.  I pray that she will continue to improve and be able to get past this. 

On a lighter note, I'm getting a little tired as was evident tonight.  The ICU is on the 4th floor of the hospital.  I was parked on the 3rd floor of the parking garage.  When I left tonight I got on the elevator, road up, walked out to get in my car and it was not there.  When I turned around I saw the sign on the wall and realized that I had automatically pushed the button for the 4th floor.  When I got down to the 3rd floor there was my car right where it should be.

Please send cooling thoughts to Mark.  When I talked to him tonight he said our AC had stopped working and the repairman can't come until tomorrow morning.

Continued Improvement

Although Nancy slept more today she is continuing to improve.  They have put her on dialysis temporarily to get rid of some fluid build up.  When her blood pressure dropped on Sunday they had to pump her with fluids to try and get it back up.  Her kidneys are not working good enough to get rid of that fluid.  So they are using dialysis.  Once they see how the dialysis is working they are going to try and get her off the respirator (hopefully by the weekend). 

Although she slept more today when she was awake she was very alert and continues to write notes. 

She is an amazing person and very strong so I'm positive she is on her way to recovery. 

Thanks again for all the thoughts and prayer.

How it all began

It has been an emotional few days.  On Saturday June 23 Nancy was admitted to the Crozer Chester Medical Center with internal bleeding and an elevated heart rate.  I talked to her Sunday morning and she was ok and waiting for her doctors to come in on Monday.  Mark and I went to the hospital at about 11:00 am for visiting hours.  As we walked through the hospital I heard on the PA system something about room 4504 (that was Nancy's room).  When we got to the room there were many people in the room and the hall.  We spoke with a doctor who told us that Nancy had collapsed and had lost a lot of blood.  She was being moved to the ICU.  We waited until they moved her and we had a chance to talk to the ICU doctor.  Dr. Williams told us that Nancy would be sleeping most of the time so we left for Virginia so Mark could go to work on Monday and I could pick up clothes and the pills I take.

Monday morning at about 5:30am a doctor from the ICU call to give an update, which was not encouraging.  I left VA to come back to PA.  When I got to the hospital Nancy was awake but not too alert.  The doctors said that Nancy was not well enough to withstand any type of testing to determine what was causing the bleeding. The plan was to wait and see.

Tuesday Nancy slept most of the day.  The report was she was stable but critical.

Wednesday I walked in to find Nancy awake, alert and ready to give me a to do list.  She is still critical but it looks like she is progressing.

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.  God is amazing.  Nancy lives alone and if Mark and I hadn't been visiting who knows what might have happened.  God put is here so we could get Nancy to the hospital and be here to support her.