San Joaquin County here I come…

Another positive move should happen this week, as Ron prepares to come back into his home county. We don’t have an exact date or place – those we should know by Tuesday I hope – but the Kindred doctors say Ron is functioning at too high a level to remain there. The discharge nurse and I will be checking out facilities, working with the insurance company. This will be a week of good news and more good news…will post as it occurs.

Let’s see…he went to UC Davis Med Center on May 10…left there on June 5…and will be out of Kindred by Friday, July 6. Just under four weeks in Sacramento (three of them in a coma), just under three weeks at Kindred in Folsom (and they predicted at least a month). If he keeps this pace up he will be home in time for our thirty-fifth anniversary in early September!!!

Out of ICU!

Last night Ron was moved from ICU (the intensive care unit) to a regular hospital room. After more than a month he is finally in a small room by himself…much quieter and he is able to rest. He told me he has set a goal of being back in the office by October 1…November 1 at the very latest. Rehab staff works with him daily and has given him exercises he can do in bed and he is pushing himself as hard as he can.

Thanks to those who drop in to visit…he really looks forward to hearing from the outside world.

Shave and a haircut – and lunch!

We all know Ron has the most beautiful wavy grey hair. Unfortunately it was getting long (kind of reminded me of Moses), so last night I gave him a haircut. He looks more professional now…got a shave this morning too. But best of all, he was able to sit up and “eat” lunch! Clear beef broth and apple juice…and we got okayed for a half cup of soda too. We had to go slow and carefully so he didn’t choke…but I’ve never seen him savor a meal more. The nurses say he is improving much more rapidly than they had hoped.

I know he cheers up with visitors…so if you’re in the area of Folsom, drop by and say hi to him.

Fair week…

Sunday Pearl and Lexi and I loaded the goats into the van and caravanned to the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds for our annual week as a 4H family…sitting in the lamb barn, weathering the heat with other families, cheering our kids (actually everyone’s kids) for their efforts in raising a market animal. Lexi’s written her buyer letters with a follow-up last week. Today she washed and sheared her goat (Freto) and practiced showmanship. She’s ready to show and do her best. All this for the first time without Ron present. In years past he’s sacrificed Fathers Day sleeping in to get up at five am and load and haul girls and critters. This year he hears about each day’s progress in his hospital bed in Folsom.

Ron’s therapy continues. He is sitting longer each day and told me he was able to stand (with support) on Friday. Staff is allowing him to consume small amounts of water by sucking on a sponge…we are all pushing for the moment he is allowed to start eating again. The ventilator is gone as of last week…he has been breathing completely on his own since. The little plug for his trac that allowed him to begin speaking last week is rarely used this week. General weakness and occassional disorientation are the continuing problems. Both are solvable, but it will take time.

Our plans for auction day (this Saturday, June 23) are for Carol to be with Ron on the cellphone listening as Lexi sells her goat. Then I’ll call everytime I see a potential pig and let him help me bid. (Ron had a soft spot for kids whose animals didn’t get bids – he was always there to start the bidding and would keep going until he was priced out of his range. Usually. Sometimes he just kept going. On the practical side, he loves pork sausage and bacon…so it wasn’t completely altruistic.)

Family traditions are what keep us strong through tough times. We’re making sure even though Ron is absent, he still helps continue this tradition.

Talking…

Last night I walked into Ron’s room and asked how he was – and he said, “I’m fine.” Momentary shock – I hadn’t heard his voice in more than a month. The nurses put some kind of device into his trac tube and he was able to speak again! In my excitement I made calls to the girls and Ester (by the way, Ester Robinson is the CVSO office secretary) and had him speak to them. The girls were estatic…and Ester too, I would assume, although she is always poised and professional. He was complaining wanting real food and drink…although he can’t begin eating until the therapist okays it (has to be able to swallow and not chock on food/drinks). Another step on the long road home.

Avoid the airshow crowds with this back way in…

There is a big airshow at Mather Field right off Hiway 50 the weekend of June 9-10. To avoid the traffice, here’s a backway in. Basically get off at Grantline Road south of Elk Grove. This is probably shorter in the long run than taking freeways most days…although about the same in terms of time on the road.

Thirty days later…

It is a given that Ron is on the road back to full functionality. Today before i got to the hospital the nurses had him sitting up in a chair (a glorified recliner with wheels that can adjust to any position). While I was there the rehab specialist came in and talked with Ron and did an assessment. He was even able to sit up on the edge of bed and balance momentarily.

Everyone is very optimistic – even to the point of mentioning that one option if he recovers enough might be sending him directly home!!! Of course that is a very optimistic scenario…but both Ron and I like it.

The speech therapist will see him Monday. They want to work on communication and swallowing and eating as well as movement of limbs. But the prime factor in all of this is Ron and what he wants…and at this point he wants to come home. A very powerful motivator.

Right now I’ll probably only post once a week unless something amazing happens. Once again – thank you friends and family. I know your thoughts and prayers made him strong and will keep him strong as he works his way back home.

I want out of here….

Ron is fully alert. Today when Carol & Lexi and I dropped by he was able to move arms, legs, toes and fingers. He gestured to his throat and when asked if he wanted the ventilator off, he emphatically nodded yes. Had to call Nurse Bill in to explain why it had to stay in for a while. But we got a semblance of a timetable as Bill explained what was ahead.

1. Ventialtor and trac must stay in – even if he can breathe without assistance, if there is a problem they must have a way to get air into him quickly.
2. Tomorrow they may try sitting him up in a chair (no, not a normal one…this is like a recliner on wheels).
4. He is breathing nearly completely on his own…so they may have him off the ventilator in the next week to ten days.
5. The neck brack comes of July 1. The trac may come out then too if he is doing well.

He is not at all happy…but seems to understand. After this burst of energy that lasted several hours he went to sleep. Right now he is exceeding expectations.

New beginning…

Ron is at his new “home”…settled in. Staff says it takes four or five days to recover from the transfer, but feel free to drop by and visit. They will spend the next week assessing him as they begin working on weaning him from the ventilator and begnning some rehabilitation.

Moving on…

Wow again.

Today I got the call – Ron is moving out of intensive care to an acute facility in Folsom. As much as I want him home or close to home, the Folsom Kindred Hospital is the best choice for him. So tomorrow at 10am they load him into a medical transport and I follow him up to his new home. Give him a day to settle in and for me to find out what his rehabilitation schedule is before visiting…I’ll post everything in the next few days.

Oh – and I finally got his cellphone. In pieces. It apparently was in his left trouser pocket – right where the force of the accident was.

Kindred Hosptial
223 Fargo Way
Folsom, CA 95630
(916)351-9151

Here’s their map and how-to-get-there instructions.

And here’s something a bit more specific from mapquest.com.