Day 16 Saturday

Saturday- the days seem to run together. Today I did a few things here at the Vineyard, & got a haircut on the way to the hospital (Sorry Janna). I am really second guessing my thought of letting the gray grow out. LOL My hair straightener stopped working, so I need to get a new one. Wow- my hair is wild today!
I also realized thanks to BIL Rick that I can get a head set for my phone (I hope), & Mike can at least hear people talking to him. And as bad as I hate to admit it appears I have lost my debit card!!!! That stinks.
Brad talked to the man who found Mike & stayed with him. He said that was the hardest thing he has ever done, & he is a firefighter. Joey- you will forever be remembered as the one who saved Mike for us! Our own special angel. I don't know If I said it or not, but Mike quit breathing twice that I have been told of at the scene. Also getting him out of the car was extremely difficult, so we owe all the Paramedics & everyone who helped at the scene a huge thanks!
I arrived at the hosp earlier than I thought it was. Mike was in & out for a while. The trauma Dr's came by & checked on him & they said the same thing everyone says- hes going to Shepard. And I said what I always say- not necessarily. LOL Those Docs looked stunned. I said it depends on insurance, but I'm trying. One of them said they are trying also, but Uncle Sam, insurance & something else make it hard. They also said the back brace is for when Mike can sit up. Hmmmm.... now I wonder when that will be! I piped in & said that I don't think anyone knows anything about it. Wherever Mike goes, the brace goes with him. LOL And no one knows what, where, when, or why.
We had a sweetheart nurse today- she put in a request for Mikes trache to be changed to the type so he can talk. But of course that goes thru the speech dept after the Drs approve it. Big hospitals!
It seems that when I am not there Mike likes to pull his feeding tube out. Which is not good because they have to have a xray after replacement showing that its where its supposed to be. So they restrain his arms. The nurse said that I may have a calming effect on him, which made me feel good cus I barely know that Mike knows I am there. I worry that he will get depressed laying in this bed day after day. Brother Rick talked to Mike as I held the phone. That was cool! Not sure what was said but sometimes Mike would open his eyes really wide like in surprise! And Mike watched some TV- they can sit him up some & he can see the TV now.
The big news was that they were moving him to the Neuro floor on 5th. So I wasn't leaving then for sure. So I just stayed & read in my book reader some, then watched TV with Mike. I teased him & told him its our typical Saturday night- watching TV. They never did get him moved- there was some kind of confusion about the room status. At one time Mike was waving his hand fanning himself- so I asked a nurse if the air could be turned down. She said no- but they would get a fan. Then  a few dif ones came in to move him up in the bed & they commented how hot & humid it was. We were roasting. Come to find out- the man in the other bed was cold, so they opened a window for him & then he went to dialysis & was gone for HOURS! And the AC is on his side- so it went right out the window & the humidity & heat found its way in. Mike liked the fan- so we left it on anyway. When I left he had not been moved, & they weren't sure if he would be tonight or not.
Then I tried to find the Wal-Mart- as usual I didn't. Guess I'll go in the morning. Maybe I'll fix my hair in Mikes room in the morning. LOL
I like coming back earlier than 10:00 pm after visitation. I get a good wind-down & maybe I'll start going to bed earlier now. Guess I should think about the eastern time zone in case we go to Shepard.
Ive been kind of watching Peter Pan as we sit here- I needed a mindless TV show tonight.
Love to everyone & ask those angels to drop by.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Day 15- Friday March 25, 2011


.by Robin Tomlin Rakes on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 11:25pm.
Two weeks- but 15 days. In some ways it seems much longer. And I have the easier part of this healing. In some ways its good that Mike has been "drugged out" of a lot of this. Less boredom for him, we all know how he hates sitting still.
Mike was much better today, between his eye expression & hand movements, he got most of his messages across.
Today was the day that I realized he wants to know what happened. Even though he cant talk, I knew it. So I told him what had happened, about his injuries, but I didnt go into details. You could tell he didnt know much of this, he understood the injuries better, but when I told him he has been there for 2 weeks he was shocked. After that you could just see it going around & around in his mind. I kept telling him how great he is doing, & he had angels, prayers & God looking out for him. And how much he has improved in record time.
When I went back tonight he still seemed to be tossing it all around in his brain. It took us days to realize this really happened, so it might for him. It is still unbelievable to me.
Monday the liaison from Shepard will be here to talk to us. So no trip to Enterprise. I hope that soon he will be moved to the neuro unit. They have private rooms. These shared rooms on the PCU unit are awful. The people in the next bed were not happy that a chair was taken from their side to Mikes so I could sit. And they repeated that many times. After a while most of them left, the wife & I talked for a few minutes- she seemed nice. I felt sooo bad for the older man- tonight they were trying to find a vein- and they couldnt, even using a ultrasound. They kept trying & he hurt every time. When I left it had been 1 1/2 hrs & they still hadn't got one.
Other than that & missing my family- that sums up today.
Thank you aGAIN to everyone for keeping us in your prayers.

.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Day 14- almost 2 weeks


.by Robin Tomlin Rakes on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 12:52am.

HI everyone. It is hot down here already! But also beautiful.
Tomorrow morning will be 2 weeks since Mikes accident. I have heard it- but never really lived it like this- its amazing how your lives can change in a matter of seconds.
Mike got moved to a step down unit to PCC... Progressive Critical care. I thought that was exciting til I saw the room he is sharing, & trust me- you will not have many visitors at once in there!! It is a shared room & since he is by the door his side is darkkkkkk. Yuck. Oh well- this means hes getting better. Room 325. But no room for me to do any computer work- that's for sure!
Also it appears that the person from Shepherd Center, or maybe I did, jumped the gun a bit.... cus not everything is as go as she told me. I was trying to get some paperwork done & ended up talking to the insurance company & checked on this. And yes- I had planned on checking on it anyway. So I need to talk to the social worker tomorrow & see whats happening. At least in this unit the visiting hours are flexible.
He's still not able to talk due to the trachea. Another thing to find out- why they haven't tapped that thing off so he can start learning to talk again. I hope the nurses are as great on this unit as they were on the other one.
That's most of the days events. My host family took me & our other house guest to dinner tonight. It was really good. This restaurant opened in 1939, & it is still in the same place. I dont think it has been updated very much since then... but as long as the food is good that's what matters.
OK- night everyone- please remember Mike in your prayers. Love Yall!!!

.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Pandora