A much better day today.    Dick is still not sleeping well and of course the problems have not magically disappeared.   But there are improvements.

He is getting therapy every day.   They have to use the lift to get him to and from the bed and the wheel chair.  So the exciting time will be when he can transfer himself.   I am sure we will move very slowly, especially until next Friday, when he sees Dr. Fehrman and gets the bandage off and an idea of how the healing is going.   In the meantime, the other stump has swollen a bit too so they are wrapping it so that it till fit into the new prosthesis.

Tim, from Wisconsin Prosthetics, will come to evaluate on Tuesday at one PM.   So everything is in the works.

I haven't done anything BUT be with Dick so I have no other news so I will sign off and see what happens tomorrow.

God love you.

Mary

Well, the end of another day.   It was a bit better.  

I went over to Rocky Knoll after Jody got here to take Dick's prosthesis and some of the stockings that go with it so he would have them for his therapy sessions if they were needed.   As it turns out, the stump on his left leg is swollen too, so they are going to wrap it in an ace bandage to help bring it down before Tim from Wisconsin Prosthesis comes to see him next Tuesday at 1PM.    (See, things are falling in place a bit.)

I stayed for a bit then came home again to lock up after Jody left and to finish some of the projects that I am trying to get done around here, such as bill paying.

I left shortly after noon to go to the bank and meet my bank friends for lunch.   They were unaware of the surgery, though Marlene knew that it was imminent.   So I updated them and enjoyed the rest of the hour being with friends who understand and know when to talk and when to talk about something else. 

I went directly from there back to Rocky Knoll and spent the afternoon and part of the evening with him.   He is so glad to have me there that I hate to leave, but I get so tired.   I watched his physical therapy session and we had dinner together.   I brought a salad from home for my dinner rather than buy dinner there tonight.    I will vary that.

There are still problems but with the long weekend, I don't know how many can be solved soon.   I must be vigilant and have been trying to point out problems that I see.   They are very caring and are trying very hard to help him.

So we head in to the 4th of July weekend with some things better and some things at a standstill. 

Enjoy your holiday.  The weather is supposed to be hot but OK and guess what?   I think the corn is at least almost "knee high by the 4th of July."   Of course the big thing is going to be if the farmers were able to get enough crop in.

Gold love you

Mary

I was much too tired to blog last night.   Sorry.

Dick was transferred to Rocky Knoll yesterday afternoon.    It was not an easy transfer for him but he is there.   The staff is wonderful  and we were delighted to find that Courtney, one of the nurses that was at Plymouth Care Center, is now in charge of the nurses during the day at Rocky Knoll. 

So, today was a very busy day.   Dick got into his routine, a bit anyway.   He got bathed and dressed.  They brought his breakfast to him but he and I went to the dining room for lunch together.    The meal,  was quite good and the dining room is very pleasant.  He has to be moved from his bed to the wheel chair with the Hoyer Lift, the same as the last time.   This will continue until he can transfer by himself.

This afternoon, both occupational and physical therapy staff evaluated him so he is on his way to independence.  He is anxious to be home, so I know that he will work hard to get here.   Today, he was so tired though.

Every day will get better (I Hope!)   We've actually been saying that for a while.   But with all the support and prayers lifting us up I know that everything will be Okay.

So.   Til tomorrow.   God love you

Mary

Tuesday done.  

I got to the hospital at about 8:30.   I got up at 6:30.  Showered, took care of Roxie, ate breakfast and took out the trash.

Dick said he had a rough night but was still feeling better than he did yesterday.    He still has some discomfort in his chest but it has eased.   His breathing is still a bit rough but that too is improving.    He is still on antibiotics, fluids and oxygen.   We still do not know how long he will be at Sheboygan Memorial.

Therapy is coming in to do small things with him now, so he will be maintaining his muscle tone.   He has to move slow because he is so weak but he is trying very hard.

I went to JMKAC for the meeting about the Irish Day that they are going to do in January.   It was a good break in the day.   We met from 11AM to noon and I had lunch at the Art Center with one of the ladies.   She introduced me to Ruth Kohler, the director of the Art Center.   Ruth remembers Dick well.

This is going to be an exciting event and I am able to provide lots of help with many things truly Irish, or I know where to look.   They want me to read my poetry also.   I will enjoy that and sharing some of the great poets also.   I think it would be good to be able to let people know the importance of poets, musicians and storytellers in old Ireland.

So I spent the afternoon with Dick and we had dinner together before I came home for the night.   It is almost bedtime again and I am grateful.

Take care of yourselves.    You are all so special to me.

God love you.

Mary

Another day at the hospital.    Last night, Dick started experiencing pain in his chest on the left side.    He was really uncomfortable.   So another battery of tests and another uncomfortable night for him.    By the time I arrived in the morning they had eliminated heart.   During the morning they did a Cat Scan and  eliminated a blood clot.    Glory be to God, it is "just" pneumonia again.  That can be cured.

Now that he has antibiotics for the pneumonia and diuretics to help clear the fluid build up in the lungs, I believe that he will start improving noticeably.   

Dr. Phelan sad that Dick will not be leaving for Rocky Knoll for at least two days.   Not until he feels that Dick is strong enough.

Therapy is coming in already and that will help keep his physical strength up.   His appetite is improving.  He had fruit and toast for breakfast and chicken stir fry for lunch. 

I left at about 5PM tonight so that I can get to bed earlier and be ready for tomorrow.   The days are SO long.   I have a meeting for CWI - in Sheboygan- at 11AM to 12:30PM tomorrow.   So I will go and that will break up the day.

I stopped to see Mom for just a few minutes on the way home.   I knew that she would feel better hearing about Dick from me.   

So, it is almost 9 and I have determined that I am going to bed then, no matter what.

So.  Till tomorrow's report.  I love you all.

Mary

This will be short and sweet as I am again tired and need to get rested up.

The days don't get much easier.    I slept until after 7AM, then got up, ate, showered, checked my emails and made a couple of calls, then headed out to the Hospital.    I got there between 9 and 9:30AM, just in time to walk out of Intensive Care with him as he was stable enough to be moved down to the second floor surgery recovery floor.

He is in room 261, the same room he started in.  The phone in his room is 920-451-5261. 

He slept most of the day.   I did crossword puzzles and sewed and did a bit of studying on Morgan Llewelyn's 1916 as he dozed.    After lunch, he and I got to wondering about therapy and his sitting in a chair to relieve his bottom discomfort.  So I checked.    I am glad I did as the information on that had gotten buried in the pile of papers and we would not have had the therapy at all.   He still needs an evaluation but something is happening.   Bobbie came to visit at about 3 PM so I wasn't alone all day.

Bill was frying out pork chops for them so she left at about 5PM to prepare the side dishes.   Rosemary potatoes, she mentioned.   That sounds good.

I left for 6PM Mass at St. Clements at 5:30or so.  That was an experience.   I got there and discovered that it is the Spanish Mass.    The Mass is the Mass so the format is the same all over the world.  And they did have an English translation in the Missal so I was able to follow the readings.   The sermon was mostly a loss though I did get that this is a big feast in the church.  The Body and Blood of Christ.     The music was lovely.   I couldn't sing along, really but they clap a lot too and I could do that.    Nice service but very poorly attended.

So home again.    I must rest for tomorrow.   Hopefully all will go well tonight with Dick and he will feel better than today.

Thanks for all your prayers and love

Mary