Neuro Critical Care

 

We continue to live life from the Neuro Critical Care (6th floor) at Riverside Hospital.  We are thankful for the attention and care Tom is receiving.  Yesterday the Hemovac (drain) was removed!  I helped clean up the area on his head and gave extra attention to his ears where a lot of dried blood came to rest.  Tom said it felt so good to get that cleaned out and I'm sure he can hear better too!
Last night it was fun for me to teach Katie McIntosh and Katherine Weakley how to play Skip-Bo.  No one is allowed in Tom's room from 6:30-8:30 a.m. and p.m.  So we all enjoy fellowship together in the waiting room.  I walked back into Tom's room with the Skip-Bo cards and he said "let's play"!  Of course he is learning how to compensate without the use of his right hand.  He used his mouth to hold cards and continued on to beat me!  He was done after one game and told Sarah and I to play.  From his vantage point he could help Sarah and made several suggestions to bring her to victory.  After they both beat me they broke into song singing "We Are the Champions".
Cheryl spent the night with him again and Tom was restless here while I was restless at home.  They finally gave him medication to sleep and he did great through the night with neurological tests every 2 hours instead of hourly.  On the other hand, I didn't take medication and therefore didn't get the sleep that he did.  I believe I need a neurological exam!
Today he had his arterial line removed which is one more step to freedom from wires, bells and whistles.  The bandage was removed from his head and I counted 38 staples closing his surgery incision!  We are still not seeing the right side movement we want, but we are grateful for the occupational and physical therapists who continue to give us hope.  They want Tom up in a chair to eat his meals.  We've accomplished that twice and he is worn out from the activity.  They are so encouraged by Tom's willingness to work hard along with a good attitude.  I believe he is the most pleasant patient here.  It was so great to arrive today and find out Shawna is his nurse!  If you remember from our March stay, Shawna was instrumental in Tom getting the critical care he needed at the critical moments before his "emergency" second surgery.  Also, Shawna's "side-kick" Lauren Schrofer Evans, is on Tom's floor today.  She is an amazing nurse who is a Worthington Christian graduate.  We love our team of nurses today!
For those of you who don't know, the ball has begun rolling on getting our home handicap accessible so we can bring Tom home.  A "team" of family and friends gathered at our home this morning to evaluate our options.  We believe we will turn our living room into a bedroom and open a doorway into the half bath/laundry room.  The laundry will be moved to the basement where we already have hook-ups and the laundry room will then be the shower stall!  We are so thankful to my dad, Kent Homoelle, Mark Humrichouser, Elden Deskins, Mike England and Kay Scott (Physical Therapist) for making this a reality for us.  Tom's eyes lit up today when I mentioned we would get him home!

"Your heart must not be troubled.  Believe in God;

believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many dwelling places;

if not, I would have told you.  I am going away to prepare a place for you,

If I go away and prepare a place for you,

I will come back and receive you to Myself,

so that where I am you may be also.

You know the way where I am going."

John 14:1-4