Among Friends

[viva923]

hey all

miserable day for me, plain awful, nothing to write about

tomorrow all

[yock]

praise the Lord!. 

Can't remember what my last update was. The days are all one big glob full of ups and downs. 
merle is improving. He is now on progressive floor.  He finally started to swallow. He's at level 1 but he's trying.  They do PT every day. Yesterday they had him stand by bed.  We were so thrilled with all of this.  

His speech is coming back. Memory is garbled.  But he makes little jokes and he loves those young nurses.  Yesterday morning I got a call about 6 from his nurse.  She said merle really wants to talk to joe.  Ok I said. I didn't have my hearing aids in.   He said I need to talk to joe. You mean your grandson joe.  Yes.  I said where are you. He said I'm in north Manchester in front of a TV set and I need to switch cars with joe. Can he do it tonight.  I said I don't know. Does it have to be tonight?  yes.  I said merle you are not in north Manchester you are In Parkview hospital.  No I'm not he says. You can bet on that.   Ok.  I don't think Joe can transfer tonight. Can it wait a little while.  He says do you agree with that?  Yes I said. Ok. Well do it later and he dropped the phone which he had been holding onHis own. 

we get to do zoom meetings and he seems to enjoy those. Especially his great grandchildren.  Nurses have been absolutely wonderful and we all learned to zoom together.  

we get so excited when we have a good zoom and he started swallowing and then we take a little step backwards. But overall I think we are moving mostly forward.  They believe he is probably over the virus and just needs to get stronger. I don't know what happens next.  It's a day by day hing sometimes a minute by minute. My daughter is a great help. We take turns calling in morning and night and updating all his dealers and friends.  She schedules the zooms.  

night before last he pulled all his tubes out except one that he gets nutrition from.   But yesterday they removed his catheter. They've removed the j tube. Not sure when Iv Goes.  It's a learning experience for sure.  Thanks for all the prayers.  My neighbor has mowed our grass four times.   Bless his heart.   I want my dogwoods to open but am afraid they got nipped. 

joe carried chais to sunroom and I'm conditioning them.  Our sunroom faces the south do even with the cold if the sun shines it is quite cozy.   Not so good when temps go up but we have a ceiling fan.  

We are moving on.  

[Bird mama]

Oh @viva923  I'm sorry that you had a lousy day yesterday.

[Bird mama]

Betty @yock thank you for sharing an update because I was starting to get a little nervous about Merle's progress.

Medical people and researchers are learning every day about this coronavirus.  When they say it is a novel virus they are not kidding - this thing is unlike any virus that's hit the world.  There have been reports lately that some patients have almost stroke like symptoms which could explain Merle's memory issues right now and him not knowing where he is at this time. 

This doesn't mean it's permanent, it's the trauma from the virus.

It's going to take time for his speech and being able to swallow and eat your cooking.  I'm so happy they are getting him out of that bed.  Movement is life and Merle needs to be upright even a couple of times a day to work all of the sedation and anti-anxiety drugs they gave him when they had him on the ventilator.

[viva923]

hey all

not much today.

chores done,walk in. wash in dryer.

will check in later.

[Epicurean]

Yock,good to hear from you. Good news about your hubby! 
don't yet get too concerned about his memory/confusion. It's normal in people who have spent time in ICU,and made worse in patients on ventilators.  It make take longer than you want it to,but he's coming along well.

will continue to send good thoughts to you both.

[geezerette]

@yock 

Oh, that is such wonderful news about your Merle!  

Even though I'm sure you would like him home with you immediately, just the fact that he continues to improve must ease your mind tremendously.  He's had a pretty rough go of it, so it probably will take him a while to regain some of his abilities.  I'll bet he's just as anxious to get back to you as you and your family are to have him come home.

You're lucky to have such a loving family to care for you in the meantime.

🙏❤️

[viva923]

hey all

not much tonight. 

Just a check in. See all tomorrow

[viva923]

hey all

not much here today

chores done,walk in, have large load of clothes to fold, will check in later.

[Bird mama]

Hello all, there isn't much going on at my part of the Back Fence.  We had some more snow late yesterday afternoon.  I'm debating what to eat for lunch/dinner