Welcome note

When my husband and I set out to find and take pictures of wheelchair accessible waterfalls in every U.S. state, we were excited about the challenge. We gave ourselves no time limit to accomplish our feat; however, we had one mutually agreed upon rule that dictated how long we would stay in any given area. That rule was to never shiver again. Needless to say, adhering to this rule presented a new challenge. The new challenge was to find a waterfall that was actually flowing. Visiting mid-west and eastern states during months that prevented us from shivering are the same months that are hot enough to dry up streams; hence, little or no water flow for waterfalls. The natural scenery and picturesque landscapes warrant a second visit in the early spring right after the snow melts.

Bob and Jan

Bob and Jan
Christmas Eve

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Monday, November 30, 2009

Visualize this...

Picture this...Bob in his wheelchair with pants on, that aren't his, and are ten sizes bigger than what he usually wears, guitar in his lap, hair messed up, and a CD of Wide Load (the band he plays in in MN) playing in the background. The kind of music Wide Load plays is classic country. Have it pictured? The only thing missing from this picture is a piece of wheat hanging out of Bob's mouth and suspenders attached to his pants that are pulled up to his armpits.



Bob played his guitar a little today. He said it was too out of tuned to play with the CD. He sang along though. He hasn't lost his singing voice. He likes to show off to the nurses. With the knee slapping, foot-stopping old country music on, the nurses dance around while Bob sings. (now that's another sight to picture)



I saw Bob's pressure wound today. It is almost healed shut. Time is almost up for quarantine. So, now, the focus needs to be on getting him standing.



Sanity to the Lunacy...Bob will be retested on Friday to see if the C-Diff infextion has cleared. Then, another test will be done next Friday. If both are negative, he'll be cleared of quarantine.



"How ya' doin', Bob"..."I'm feeling pretty good. My memory is as good as what it was last time you asked." When was that? hahaha...

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
"Father in heaven, today I declare my thanks to You for all You have done in my life. Help me see Your hand of blessing as I continually acknowledge and praise Your name. Fill me with Your peace and joy as I keep You first place in all that I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen"

Have you checked out travel-mobility.com yet? Check out our new website. Pass it on too. We'd appreciate it. If you'd like an online home business of your own, go to the website, click on Become a Rep.

Jill Bolte Taylor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU It'll make you cry, it's so amazing.
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stroke info
aneurysm info
VA Healthcare System, Transitional Care Unit, 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg, OR 97470 Room 108A

Sunday, November 29, 2009

wait wait wait...

Bob is just bidding his time waiting for the pressure wound to heal, his infections to be cleared, and his leg strength to improve. He's ready to break out of the VA joint. I feel that his memory has significantly improved. He actually knows where he is now on a consistant basis.


I mixed grape juice and apple juice together in a bottle for him to drink. Bob told me the new juice is called "grapple". Tell me, does that sound like a person whose brain is thinking or not? THINKING, I think!


We played "Guess Who?" today. He learned the strategies for winning very quickly. We had fun.


I taped one of his eye lenses of his glasses, so he's able to use just one eye for vision. His eyes still aren't coordinating well. Bob closes his one eye automatically, in order to see an object; otherwise, he's looking at two separate things. It drives him crazy.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
"Father in heaven, today I declare my thanks to You for all You have done in my life. Help me see Your hand of blessing as I continually acknowledge and praise Your name. Fill me with Your peace and joy as I keep You first place in all that I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen"

Have you checked out travel-mobility.com yet? Check out our new website. Pass it on too. We'd appreciate it. If you'd like an online home business of your own, go to the website, click on Become a Rep.

Jill Bolte Taylor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU It'll make you cry, it's so amazing.
email
stroke info
aneurysm info
VA Healthcare System, Transitional Care Unit, 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg, OR 97470 Room 108A

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Not so great day...

Bob was having a down day today. His catater needed replaced, and he was given another suppository. Heavens, what else could go wrong with his lower half? Oh, yes, the pressure wound. I guess that does it for all of the openings on the lower half of his body.


He didn't eat well at lunch, but he did drink a lot of fluids. He did that in hopes to ward off another UTI, since the catater malfunctioned this morning.


I bought two games for us to work on his memory and recall. I got "memory"; a concentration game and "Guess Who?"; a game that requires naming characteristics to determine your opponents hidden person.

I've decided to take it upon myself to help Bob stand everyday. I've had enough of the "downtime" from physical therapy due to his infection isolation. It will be interesting how I will accomplish this task. I'll keep you posted.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father in heaven, today I declare my thanks to You for all You have done in my life. Help me see Your hand of blessing as I continually acknowledge and praise Your name. Fill me with Your peace and joy as I keep You first place in all that I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen"

Have you checked out travel-mobility.com yet? Check out our new website. Pass it on too. We'd appreciate it. If you'd like an online home business of your own, go to the website, click on Become a Rep.

Jill Bolte Taylor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU It'll make you cry, it's so amazing.

email

stroke info

aneurysm info

VA Healthcare System, Transitional Care Unit, 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg, OR 97470 Room 108A

Friday, November 27, 2009

Not much going on...

I don't believe it. I don't have much to say; not even a little tidbit. Bob is doing well today. I tried to help him sit on the edge of the bed. I don't know how the nurses do it. I had one heck of a time moving him two inches. How do those nurses do it to make it look so easy?

We worked on memory some today. He still can't put names to things, like list fruits. Bob's response, "I don't know. I have them pictured in my head, but I don't know what they're called." He can tell you all of the characteristics; just not the name.

He's still good with the stories. Bob told us he was a controller on a submarine in the Army; in addition to raising cattle and pigs for the Army. Oh, and he was a cook for a short time, as well as being a cardiac ICU nurse (which is fact).

Sanity to the lunacy...When leaving tonight, T told me he loved me, gobs and gobs. Isn't he too cute?

"How ya' doin, Bob?" "I feel good." "I feel better now that we're getting the music all set up for next year." (Your guess is as good as mine on what he means.) "Also, my ass hurts." hahaha... (He hates sitting in the wheelchair, due to his pressure wound.)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
"Father in heaven, today I declare my thanks to You for all You have done in my life. Help me see Your hand of blessing as I continually acknowledge and praise Your name. Fill me with Your peace and joy as I keep You first place in all that I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen"

Have you checked out travel-mobility.com yet? Check out our new website. Pass it on too. We'd appreciate it. If you'd like an online home business of your own, go to the website, click on Become a Rep.

Jill Bolte Taylor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU It'll make you cry, it's so amazing.
email
stroke info
aneurysm info
VA Healthcare System, Transitional Care Unit, 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg, OR 97470 Room 108A

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. If you are going to shop tomorrow during Black Friday, remember, "There are nut cases out there." and "I'm not picky when it comes to receiving gifts of any kind." :-)


We picked T up today to come home for Thanksgiving. He didn't remember what we were doing. It was nice to see that he remembered the house, though. He likes the new addition, and seemed excited about getting back to work in his new office.


Sanity to the Lunacy...There is no sanity to this lunacy...Bob was given a suppository this morning before we picked him up. What the hell were they thinking? Luckily nothing happened while we were home. (At least I don't think)


"How ya' doing Bob?" "I am thankful for all the food, and thankful I have a loving family to spend the day with."

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
"Father in heaven, today I declare my thanks to You for all You have done in my life. Help me see Your hand of blessing as I continually acknowledge and praise Your name. Fill me with Your peace and joy as I keep You first place in all that I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen"

Have you checked out travel-mobility.com yet? Check out our new website. Pass it on too. We'd appreciate it. If you'd like an online home business of your own, go to the website, click on Become a Rep.


Jill Bolte Taylor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU It'll make you cry, it's so amazing.
email
stroke info
aneurysm info
VA Healthcare System, Transitional Care Unit, 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg, OR 97470 Room 108A

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Tomorrow is going to be a good day...

I got the van! Well, I'm all set up to bring my T home for Thanksgiving dinner. I borrowed the van from Umpqua Disabilities Network. The house is all clean and disinfected. All the food is bought and waiting for someone to cook it. Oh, I guess that would be me! I'm excited to have my T home for the day.


I think it will be a good thing for Bob to get out in the world and to see where he is. Being stuck behind four walls for six months can leave a person wondering where the heck they are.


Sanity to the Lunacy...I didn't get to see my T long today. I did my morning visit, then I came home to disinfect the house, and then tutor. We played UNO. I won one game. He won one game, and he made sure I knew that he knew we were tied one game a piece! Smart ass


How ya' doing Bob? I'm doing good today. My arms are stiff. My leg is "dead". I need to drink lots of water.


A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father God, today I choose to give You thanks. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for setting me free. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus! I know You have a good plan for me. Thank You for leading and guiding me and for keeping me close to You all the days of my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Have you checked out travel-mobility.com yet? Check out our new website. Pass it on too. We'd appreciate it. If you'd like an online home business of your own, go to the website, click on Become a Rep.

Jill Bolte Taylor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU It'll make you cry, it's so amazing.

email

stroke info

aneurysm info

VA Healthcare System, Transitional Care Unit, 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg, OR 97470 Room 108A

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

T's journaling...

I received information from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. They suggest that anyone who survives a brain aneurysm is a rarity, and journaling will not only help the survivor recover emotionally and mentally, it will help other survivors learn how others are coping. It is a good tool, also, for the survivor to look back to see their progress.


Therefore, this blog is going to have a new section added to it. It will be titled, "How Ya' Doing, Bob". It will include quotes from Bob about how he is feeling, what he is feeling, what he is thinking, and anything else that comes to his mind on that day.


I'll continue to give my "lowdown on the lunacy". The lunacy of the day was Bob's hair. It looked like Albert Einstein's. hahahaha...I think it's getting a little out of control. And to think, a few months ago, I had the beautician shave it all off to even it out after Bob's surgery. You know, I never mentioned...when Bob had his brain surgery, they only "prepped" the area of the insertion site by shaving that part of his head. No, they didn't shave the whole head (which you'd think they would do). They only shaved part of his head. Goofy.


"How Ya' Doing, Bob" - "I feel good. It's a fair amount of work trying to stay in touch with what's going on." Finish this sentence, My memory..."sucks". "I need to repeat out loud what people say. And, I have to pay attention more."


"I passed my food challenge of eating most of my dinner and one dessert."

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father God, today I choose to give You thanks. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for setting me free. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus! I know You have a good plan for me. Thank You for leading and guiding me and for keeping me close to You all the days of my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Have you checked out travel-mobility.com yet? Check out our new website. Pass it on too. We'd appreciate it. If you'd like an online home business of your own, go to the website, click on Become a Rep.

Jill Bolte Taylor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU It'll make you cry, it's so amazing.
email
stroke info
aneurysm info
VA Healthcare System, Transitional Care Unit, 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd, Roseburg, OR 97470 Room 108A