Graduation Day

I would like for you to meet another member of Louie's health care team. Jocelyn is the physical therapist that has worked with Louie for the pastseveral months. She may be only 5 feet tall , but I would pair her against anyone for strength and agility. In the beginning she would patiently organize wound vacs, IV's, suction tubes, drains, etc. to painstakingly get him up to first sitting, and later standing and slowly walking to the window. The process of getting him "ready" was long and complicated but she patiently did so for the few steps he was able to withstand. After that she would reverse the whole process to get him back in bed again. He would make progress only to be set back after skin grafts (no physical therapy for 3 weeks). Each time however when Dr. Duke said physical therapy could be resumed she was back again to start over. He has soared under her direction and she has taught me so much!! As each set of goals was met, new goals were determined. She taught us how to work together using the wheelchair, the walker , the IV pole and other apparatus. I did not realize that she was slowly moving us toward independence with only each other. We were able to leave the room -- going to the chapel and even outside. There is certain criteria set for floor patients and he has met each of them. Today, as she put it, was Graduation Day. We will now, three times a day, do the work she set out for him on our own. We will continue toward building his strength as Dr. Duke gets him ready to go home. When he returns to El Campo he will continue physical therapy locally. When Jocelyn first mentioned that she would not be with us each day, I was quite honestly afraid. She is a joy to have around and I had come to think of her as our safety net. We have practiced alone in the evenings this week and I think we are ready to fly. She will still be around the floor to answer questions, if needed. Letting go is hard, but another measure of success. Thank you , Jocelyn!!

Love to all, Ruthie


Pictures from the last day of therapy

Learning to step up and down is literally crucial for his trip home. It get's him in the front door. :) He did great!

Field Trip

Dr. Duke recently invited Louie on an outing to the 2nd Floor--Surgery. He told us many people had been asking about Louie and wanted to see him. These people were amazed at how good he looked - claiming they never would have recognized him! Dr. Duke, (ever perceptive, of course) answered, "Of course not , you've never seen him with his clothes on!!!"

Their picture was taken in front of operating room 18 where Louie had the majority of his 94 surgeries.


Love to all, Ruthie

Popsicles and The Great Outdoors

Anniversary Date


Popsicles with Cayla and Suzanne



A Breath of Fresh Air - Outside for the First Time



With Dad pushing his IV pole and Mom pushing his wheelchair, they're quite a team!!!

ENT Report

Louie visited the audiologist last week and she tested his hearing. She was very concerned about the large amount of wax that can build up in a person's ears when they have been laying flat for over 7 months.

Although she was able to test him, she recommended he see an ENT for evaluation, She found medium to profound hearing loss in both ears especially to high pitched sounds. She wants to retest him after his ENT appointment. The next day we again travelled to the basement. This time for a visit to the ENT. This doctor found extreme impacted wax, fluid behind the wax in both ears and a punctured ear drum in his right ear. All of this would definitely make him feel that he couldn't hear much of anything. The ENT worked on him for quite some time and then recommended antibiotic drops and mineral oil. The main outcome of all of this is that HE CAN HEAR SO MUCH BETTER!!

For the first time he hears the Life flight helicopters coming in. We also have our TV at a MUCH more normal level so not everyone on the floor is enjoying (or not) the same program he is watching. Regularly there is a shoot out (John Wayne) or battlefield sounds (any war movie) coming from our corner.

Dr. Duke , in one of his funny and helpful moments reminded Louie how very useful that selective hearing is and how he should definitely hang on to some of it. GEEZ !!!!

Louie of course loved that but I was thinking "don't you have something else you need to be doing??? --- you, know medical emergency , saving someone else's life etc. etc. All of a sudden he comes up with all these words of wisdom!! I reminded him that he might not be such a good influence on my husband. Do you think that bothered him????---not at all.

On the other hand, Louie is working hard and moving toward home--keep praying. Dr. Duke says we are on the "home stretch".

Love to all,
Ruthie

Thankful

Sunday , for the first time since January, Louie and I attended church together. We don't always have a Catholic Mass here at Hermann, so I usually walk down to the Methodist Hospital for their Mass.

This week however, (when we had just learned to be self sufficient with the wheelchair) Mass was said in Hermann Pavilion on the Ground Floor. We made it to our destination successfully and I didn't loose him on any of the ramps. It was wonderful to be there with him--we have so much for which to be thankful!!

I teased Louie about getting him all cleaned up and shaved so God would recognize him since he had not been to church in so long. Somehow, though, I think God would find him familiar---He has been holding Louie in His hands all along.

Love to all,
Ruthie

Goodbye to the Trach

Heide took it out today!

A Few Pictures

Dad and Mark - Very few days have gone by where mom and dad have not had visitors. They love it!

Leave it to dad to use his mechanic hands and want to fix his own wheel chair. :)

Cayla and Mimi

Tate showing off his new camouflage shoes to Pawpaw. Actually they aren't so new anymore, but he still loves to show them off.

Things are going really well. The catheter was removed this week and he's been off of oxygen. He's able to sit in the chair for much longer periods of time (over 3 hours yesterday), and he's able to sit and walk without his NG hooked up. Rumor has it that the trach may be taken out soon. Dr. Duke has yet to divulge this information himself, but it sounds like a great idea to us!