A Simple Timeline

A Simple Timeline...

March 9, 2014- Admitted to St E with minor symptoms (on eve of move from house to condo*)
March 10- Guillain-Barre diagnosis and progression to full paralysis and intubation
March 12- Transfer to University Hospital NSICU
March 12-26- NSICU at UC
March 26-27- Brief stay at LTAC- Drake Hospital at Christ
March 27- Emergency surgery for bleeding trach, transfer to SICU
March 28-April 14- SICU at Christ (pneumonia and PE treatment)
April 14-19- MICU at Christ
April 19th- Transferred back to Drake Hospital (at Christ) ROOM 3083 (Easter weekend)
July 31- First time outside in 21 weeks
August 25- First meal in 5 1/2 months
October 16- 67th birthday at Drake
October 31- MICU at Christ for treatment of pneumonia and MRSA infection
November 17th- Return to Drake Hospital (at Christ)
Thanksgiving-Christmas-47th Anniversary- New Year 2015
January 17th- Hematoma (dealt with for about a month following)
March 19- 2 weeks off the ventilator! Trach capped for first time ;)
April 4&5- Baptism service and Easter
April 20- "So long" party with Drake staff
April 23- Move to Providence Pavilion rehab center in Covington, KY
May 26- June 10th- St E hospital (trach out, MRSA treatment)
June 10th- moved to Gateway Rehab in Florence, KY (feeding tube removed)
July 2nd- moved to Rosedale Green in Latonia, KY
August 8th- first time sitting in the seat of a car in 17 months
Oct 16th- 68th birthday party at Rosedale
November 26th- Thanksgiving with family+ at the Rickerts
*November 27th- first time in condo since purchase*
January, 2016- began using a motorized wheelchair controlled by head
July 10- move to HealthSouth rehab to prepare for move to assisted living
July 28, 2016- moved to Elmcroft Assisted Living in Florence, KY. After 871 long nights apart finally sharing a roof with wife again!!
August 2018- moved out of Elmceoft. Steve to Emerald Trace. Nancy to the condo.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

End of Year Update

Where did 2017 go?

(Delayed posting this while Nanćy has been ill)

Here we are! A few more days and it will be Christmas. I have most of my shopping done, but due to my illness, have done everything by using technology that was at my fingertips. Doing my shopping this way didn’t bring me a plethora of spare time, but it insured that I got the best pre-holiday price, and I was assured, by the shear reach of the ‘net, that my choice would be in stock. 

This practice also insures that I will not be forgotten anytime soon, because of all the "special” deals that are already showing in my inbox, now that I am “officially” registered as a customer of their site.

Don’t get me wrong, I would welcome some spare time, but I have concluded that shopping online does not make time slow down. It just gets filled with Dr. Appts., and other stuff. It seems like we just got here (Elmcroft), but we have been here 16 months, practically, long term residents. Our condo is just 7 or so, miles away, so we go there frequently to get away from it all, only when we get there, “it all”, seems to have followed us. 

Eventually, we hope to get me back to the condo, with me in better working order. I need to get into our basement to do some additional culling, and unpacking. I know folks that claim to have unopened boxes from a previous move, but we really do!

Earlier, this year, I tried acupuncture as a means of helping my muscles remember their function. This was interesting, but in my case, not successful. I remember the doctor putting one of the needles in my forehead, only to be told by those near me that the doctor was just seeing how far she could “push” me.

Skeptical is my middle name, so I first talked with our family Dr., who, it turns out, was actually trained by the person that ended up administering acupuncture to me. The doctor (MD) that did my treatment from within the Dr’s group we have used for years. She now teaches this to other doctors in the group how this procedure is performed. In fairness to the technique, I did have a temporary pain reduction in my legs and arms, but the affect wòre off shortly after the session ended.

This Spring and Summer, I spent part of my time (2 weeks) in the hospital and in a skilled nursing rehab hośpital. Just prior to that, I somehow turned an afternoon’s procedure to break up a kidney stone, into a four operations, and 5 weeks of distraction, therapy, and frustration

I have very slight movement of a couple fingers and thumb on my right hand. Nanćy, and others says my left is starting as well. It is a reallyweird feeling to close your eyes and feel yourself making a fist (or any movement) only to open your eyes and find your hand unmoved, just laying there like a lump of clay.

Earlier, last month, Nanćy and I learned that a new neurologist had joined staff at the Wexner Center at Ohio State. He came from The Mayo Clinic, and specializes with the treatment of GBS. He also helped elevate Wexner to a “Center of Excellence” within the International GBS/CIDP Organization. We met with him earlier this month, and head back up to Columbus at the end of the month, after Christmas.

I like him very much. He really impressed us. He has actually seen this Syndrome in many other patients. Most of the Dr’s I have seen have very limited exposure to the syndrome, with many admitting that they have only read about it, and have no basis for or experience with treatment options. Of course, it didn’t hurt when his first recommendation was to increase my Salt intake.

This interaction was immediately pounced upon by Nancy and Becky, who also attended this “meet and greet” appointment. Needless to say I was reminiscent of the trouble I had 35 years ago, finding a grossly overweight, cigarette smoking, alcoholic doctor to do an employment physical.

Well, Christmas is upon us, and the weatherman’s prediction for snow is everywhere. I think that if God has any influence over our grandchildren, I would think long and hard about being weather-person as an occupation. After all, when an Engineer makes a mistake, buildings can collapse and bridges can fall down. At the very least, the mistake prone Engineer will probably not be assigned to anymore prime projects.

In contrast, weathermen, I have known, have all failed at their craft. But rather than be fired, they tend to get promoted to network levels, and receive payroll perks. Quay, sera, sera...

Hopefully, I’ll see you all in the New Year! Merry Christmas!

Steve

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Sent from Gmail Mobile via my iPad For updates on my recovery, see "howsstevedoing.blogspot.com"

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