Progress and milestones

From Nancy:

 So thankful for Steve’s continuing progress and milestones. Everyone who hasn’t seen him for a few weeks comments on how much better he looks and his increasing alertness. The Gondoshs visited Wednesday and reported on how much easier it was to communicate and it seemed like “Steve was back.” Rick Thomas says he sees a difference each week when he visits. 

With being more aware and alert, Steve is able to make his needs better known. There is often frustration when these are not met in the time frames he wishes. Sometimes they can’t be met at all, as in a limit on ice chips per hour. Can you imagine? His “world” is still the four walls and he can’t get perspective on the whole floor and what’s going on that pulls staff in so many directions. The visits and cards are cords to the outside world.  Again, thank you!

Here are  the big events of the week: 

·         Swallowing is coming back….ice chips have been forbidden up to now as the smallest bit of water could go to the lungs. You’ll remember that we specifically have been praying for swallowing and speaking in the month of June.  He will have a swallow test with a camera threaded down his throat, probably this week. That means there's a possibility that more is going on than we can see!

·         There will be more opportunities now for speaking since a new trach has been put in that not only suctions way deep but also allows for the easy insertion of a valve by certain staff so he can practice using his vocal cords. He has enough air available to make sounds and words for a little bit at a time…that’s also a big thing!

·         The left eye looks a lot better and Dr. Krause was able to speak to Steve’s doctor at Cincinnati Eye to get some advice. He thinks the drooping and redness and dislocation of the pupil are due to nerves not being fully awake yet. He doesn’t think the eye itself is damaged! Praise God!

·         With the help of something called a Hoyer Lift, a big sling-like contraption, (see sidebar picture), Steve was able to be placed in a recliner. It was so comfortable for him….see the peaceful picture of him sleeping. He has been placed in it twice this week. It takes about 5 people to get things in position so this doesn’t happen every day. I can sit beside him on the same level, almost like being at home!

On the home front, I had a wonderful retirement lunch with friends from the library where I worked. It was at Brios and Tim was able to be there also. A really special time of reminiscing about the last 11 years! 

AND Connie Thomas, Sue Ann Walker, and I finished the second coat of paint in the lower level and the carpet was installed on Wednesday! Again, my thanks to Jane Templeton and Debbie Ritchie for the first day of painting. A special thanks to Connie, who not only painted with me for nine hours, but orchestrated the whole process in helping me get carpet and paint samples, a great contractor, and also deal with insurance snags. They made an overwhelming job fun….not Kings Island fun, but fun nonetheless! So thankful to have the room back together after the pipe-bursting incident six weeks ago!

Thanks for checking in!

Nancy