(Bottom) GRAN, LIAM, PAPA MIKE AND MAMA NICOLE IN A REAL RESTAURANT IN SANTA BARBARA.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was away a bit today as my son, daughter-in-law and grandson (Yay!) came up to have lunch with me. I got to hug, kiss and bounce da baby! He's a big, strong boy!
When I got back, Michael felt better and wanted me to help him do his nails and buzz down his beard, which he said was scratchy. (Sorry, beard fans - his days of looking like George Bernard Shaw are over.) Then he wanted to lie down before I finished! I got him to let me even it out and we'll clean it up tomorrow. He looks younger without the beard.
We're still fighting nausea. Michael threw up this morning, even tho we changed the antibiotic Keflex to Cipro. The nurse Rocky thought it might have been because they gave it to him with a pain med and both given together are more likely to do that.
We made sure the doctor's assistant put it in writing into the orders NOT to give the two near each other (Norco pain med is only as needed) and to always wait between the two cans of food to make sure he'll tolerate the quantity.
Was thrilled to see Michael roll the wheelchair himself down the hallway, working with the therapist. Boy, is the hospital in trouble once he gets the hang of it, right Leslie? (Tho with that weaker left hand, he does tend to veer right...but when he's facing a wall, that's how he'll know to correct it.)
He's complaining a lot about the staff, but I have to say it's not valid most of the time. He's hit a period where he's resentful he's here and keeps asking me if he I can take him back with me to the hotel or home.
I always tell him his situation - and that Wed at 8:30 is the swallow test and after that, maybe he can start eating and once he can eat enough calories, they'll remove the tummy tube. Then we can talk about an overnight at the hotel.
And he's already using the urine bottle and toilet or bed pan almost every time. He's also standing perfectly and sitting up straight. He's really come a long way in a week, despite the sleepiness and nausea. It's just hard for him to accept how much good this place is doing him.
Tomorrow: No therapy - all rest.
Closing Note: When I left last night at 11 pm, I gave him his cell phone and we went over pushing #2 for speed dialing me. He found it confusing - but - 30 minutes after I'd dozed off, my phone rang with his signature ringtone (Etta James "At Last"), and I awoke to a shot of adrenalin and confusion. That song! His ring! I hadn't heard it for over a month. It wrenched my heart to hear it again..with love...and fear. Was something wrong?
It was him. He'd figured out the phone. "Sweetie, can you come get me?"
I sighed. "No, honey. Not tonight."
"Okay." He hung up.
Broke my heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment