Dear Friends,
We got the final word and Dwaine is coming home to stay tomorrow at around 11:30. If you have a spare minute to welcome him home, I think he'd be excited to see you. We live at XXXX in Stapleton, 80238.
He's doing so well, it's impossible to truly appreciate his progress if you hadn't seen him at the beginning - pale, with such pain in his head it made him nauseous, unable to speak, unable to move his arm or even shrug his shoulder. It terrified both of us as we spent our sleepless nights together in the surgical intensive care unit at University Hospital. But he slowly improved every day. His medical condition stabilized after three days and we were able to move to the regular hospital room. He learned to swallow again so he could start taking food - first thickened liquids, then pureed food. And then a setback - the debilitating hiccups that wracked his body for hours at a time, which could only be controlled through strong tranquilizers that left him foggy and drowsy. But then more improvements: Getting up to walk for the first time. Watching him move his arm slightly - then a finger. Then lifting his arm. Then moving *all* of his fingers! And finally a smile! I can't remember what triggered the first one, but I'll never forget the moment. Seeing that old Dwaine smile, crashing through the weakened facial muscles, and *still* managing to light up the room. Maybe, just maybe, things were going to be OK.
We watched him fight every step of the way - learning to talk again, learning to eat regular food. Learning to balance and walk firmly without shuffling. Taking endless cognitive tests with almost impossible drills and math word problems he had to do in his head. Learning to take care of himself. And more smiling! Not often . . . but like the sun briefly bursting out of clouds on one of those gray winter days, a special smile that warmed everyone around right down to the toes.
Sigh - and then more setbacks. The trips to the emergency room and re-hospitalization for low blood pressure and a false aneurysm. Terrible, painful disappointments, to be sure, but weathered with strength and courage and a touch of that special Schmidt stubbornness that seems to only shake its fist harder in the face of adversity.
And now, you'll get to see for yourself how far he's come. I'll leave it to you to make your own judgments. But from one who has lived with him for fifteen years, meh - he's the same ol' Dwaine! Maybe a little paler and probably 15 lbs lighter, but still ornery as hell, and sharp as a tack. And still smiling. Oh, sure we still have a ways to go. Dwaine will be in Day Rehab for a while, continuing his work on fine motor skills, driving and getting back to work. But I see that happening very quickly, especially now that he can be at home to rest soundly.
So, with this, the Daily Dwaine-o-Grams have come to an end. He can tell you himself now just how he's doing - he doesn't need me for that. He's very motivated to regain his lightning-fast typing skills - and he will, of course. I've no doubt you'll soon be getting your own messages straight from the source.
So, for a final time, Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone. I thank you all for sharing our joys and sorrows and helping us to cope with this unexpected avalanche. We've both come out stronger for all of it.
Monday, February 21, 2011
January 20, 2011
Dear friends,
Well, I'm recovered enough to remember how to spell "daily", though I must admit I have no recollection at all of how I got home from the hospital with Tim yesterday. I woke up enough to watch an episode of "Cupcake Wars" which inspired me to create a batch of carrot cake cupcakes with butterscotch caramel cream cheese frosting. That was about 9 p.m. last night. LOL! I took them to the nurses at Spalding, who happily devoured every one.
So . . . drum roll . . . and please knock on wood everyone . . . but Dwaine is scheduled to return home THIS SATURDAY at around 11:30! He needs to get a little more medically stable on his bloodwork with the coumadin levels, but that's coming along nicely. I'm being trained on giving him his anti-clotting shot, which is really easy, and he's got some other prescriptions to fill. I was able to get a cane and a shower chair which is pretty much all he needs to get around the house. So, one more day and he can be back here where he belongs, getting better rest, eating what he wants, and taking walks around the courtyard. He's eager to get back to normal life and to continue his rehab work at Spalding. They're working on the schedule now and I will definitely need help with driving (more on that later).
Today he had to demonstrate various levels of ability to Occupational, Physical and Speech Cognitive therapists. Occupational involved getting dressed, working on his thumb and finger exercises. Physical was lots of walking up and down stairs and down the hall and back again - then a bit of "line dancing" which he did "really fast" Julie Jensen said. I wasn't there for his Speech evaluation, but I do know they used that electrical stimulator on his face again (which kind of stings). Then he was able to rest most of the evening.
Tomorrow, I get some more training on showering and other issues. I have no doubt about my ability to help him do whatever needs to be done. He's improving so fast, I don't even know that I'll have to be doing it that long, anyway! He's walking pretty well without his cane - maybe just needs it for a little extra balance for now. His speech is very good, and he's taking calls on his cell phone when he's up and around. His wit is as sharp as ever once more - he's always joking with the nurses about this or that. He's going to be fine at home, as long as he doesn't try to do too much (and knowing him, that's going to be my challenge).
What a journey we've been on since January 1. It seems like a lifetime ago, but it's only about 3 weeks. All the doctors and hospital rooms and conferences and phone calls - they're all a blur. And all that's left now is us, back together again where we should have been. I'm not so naiive as to think it's all behind us - we still have neurology appointments and other issues to work on. But to be able to walk and talk and use your fingers enough to tie your shoes again, when just a few weeks ago you couldn't move your arm or shrug your shoulders? Wow! We've come a long, long way.
And so much of it is due to all of you - your encouragement and nice cards and notes and calls and visits and help in emergencies. I couldn't have made it through myself without it. And I couldn't have been a help to Dwaine. So, I thank you all again.
I'll keep you informed as to his exact time of arrival at the house (8552 E 29th Place in Stapleton). If you want to be there to give him a big welcome, I think that would be a lot of fun! But he'll be tired, so no big party yet. Stay tuned and keep those good vibes coming!
Well, I'm recovered enough to remember how to spell "daily", though I must admit I have no recollection at all of how I got home from the hospital with Tim yesterday. I woke up enough to watch an episode of "Cupcake Wars" which inspired me to create a batch of carrot cake cupcakes with butterscotch caramel cream cheese frosting. That was about 9 p.m. last night. LOL! I took them to the nurses at Spalding, who happily devoured every one.
So . . . drum roll . . . and please knock on wood everyone . . . but Dwaine is scheduled to return home THIS SATURDAY at around 11:30! He needs to get a little more medically stable on his bloodwork with the coumadin levels, but that's coming along nicely. I'm being trained on giving him his anti-clotting shot, which is really easy, and he's got some other prescriptions to fill. I was able to get a cane and a shower chair which is pretty much all he needs to get around the house. So, one more day and he can be back here where he belongs, getting better rest, eating what he wants, and taking walks around the courtyard. He's eager to get back to normal life and to continue his rehab work at Spalding. They're working on the schedule now and I will definitely need help with driving (more on that later).
Today he had to demonstrate various levels of ability to Occupational, Physical and Speech Cognitive therapists. Occupational involved getting dressed, working on his thumb and finger exercises. Physical was lots of walking up and down stairs and down the hall and back again - then a bit of "line dancing" which he did "really fast" Julie Jensen said. I wasn't there for his Speech evaluation, but I do know they used that electrical stimulator on his face again (which kind of stings). Then he was able to rest most of the evening.
Tomorrow, I get some more training on showering and other issues. I have no doubt about my ability to help him do whatever needs to be done. He's improving so fast, I don't even know that I'll have to be doing it that long, anyway! He's walking pretty well without his cane - maybe just needs it for a little extra balance for now. His speech is very good, and he's taking calls on his cell phone when he's up and around. His wit is as sharp as ever once more - he's always joking with the nurses about this or that. He's going to be fine at home, as long as he doesn't try to do too much (and knowing him, that's going to be my challenge).
What a journey we've been on since January 1. It seems like a lifetime ago, but it's only about 3 weeks. All the doctors and hospital rooms and conferences and phone calls - they're all a blur. And all that's left now is us, back together again where we should have been. I'm not so naiive as to think it's all behind us - we still have neurology appointments and other issues to work on. But to be able to walk and talk and use your fingers enough to tie your shoes again, when just a few weeks ago you couldn't move your arm or shrug your shoulders? Wow! We've come a long, long way.
And so much of it is due to all of you - your encouragement and nice cards and notes and calls and visits and help in emergencies. I couldn't have made it through myself without it. And I couldn't have been a help to Dwaine. So, I thank you all again.
I'll keep you informed as to his exact time of arrival at the house (8552 E 29th Place in Stapleton). If you want to be there to give him a big welcome, I think that would be a lot of fun! But he'll be tired, so no big party yet. Stay tuned and keep those good vibes coming!
The Daily Dwaine-o-Gram
Hey there, everyone,
Just a short note tonight, as my head is still spinning a little from the sedation they gave me today. Dwaine is safetly back at Spalding today - he just called and said they'd done all the necessary check-in work again and he was waiting for something to EAT. He sounded great on the phone, so that's just fantastic! Can't wait to see him when I can drive tomorrow.
My colonoscopy came out fine - a few little polyps they removed, but they don't need to see me for three years this time. Yay! Drinking that gallon of flat 7-up just about did me in this time! Blech!
OK, back to bed again. Thanks to Lynn and Jim for helping me today - you obviously did a great job, as he sounded very happy and upbeat - more so than I've heard in weeks. A great birthday present for me!
Just a short note tonight, as my head is still spinning a little from the sedation they gave me today. Dwaine is safetly back at Spalding today - he just called and said they'd done all the necessary check-in work again and he was waiting for something to EAT. He sounded great on the phone, so that's just fantastic! Can't wait to see him when I can drive tomorrow.
My colonoscopy came out fine - a few little polyps they removed, but they don't need to see me for three years this time. Yay! Drinking that gallon of flat 7-up just about did me in this time! Blech!
OK, back to bed again. Thanks to Lynn and Jim for helping me today - you obviously did a great job, as he sounded very happy and upbeat - more so than I've heard in weeks. A great birthday present for me!
The Somewhat Daily Dwaine-o-Gram
Dear Friends,
A lot of events firing off all at once, so bear with me for getting a little behind in the communications.
As you know, on Sunday, we found ourselves back at St. Joe's with a pseudoaneurysm, which is basically a little bubble that forms off the main artery where they did the puncture for the angiogram a few weeks ago. We thought we had it fixed yesterday after the procedure, but this morning's ultrasound showed just a tiny portion still remaining. So, to be safe, they repeated the procedure again today, which involves taking a needle and inserting it directly into the bubble and injecting some blood coagulant. Needless to say, I am quite sure this cannot be a comfortable procedure. But Dwaine came through it again today and after a few hours rest, was up and walking up and down the hallway again. We're hoping this has solved the problem and sometime tomorrow he'll be back at Spalding again to continue rehab. I spoke with the folks there and they believe, if it weren't for the medical issues that have cropped up, Dwaine would be home by now. He's doing so well. So, we're hoping that by the end of this week we may be able to get him back to where he belongs, and he can continue his rehab on Outpatient basis.
I've gotten so many offers for rides to rehab, that I'm sure I can come up with a schedule that might work for everyone, should that be the case. Once we get the word, I'll put something together and float it by all of you to see.
Dwaine's spirits were a bit crushed today when he heard he had to stay another night at St. Joe's. I'm passing along all your nice messages for him to keep him encouraged. He was doing fine when I left this evening, but I'm sure he's just wanting to get back to working on things again instead of having to endure painful procedures over and over again. Here's hoping tomorrow brings some better news, and that he'll be back at Spalding by the afternoon.
I'll be getting my follow-up colonoscopy tomorrow, so I cannot be there with Dwaine during the day. Friends Lynn and Jim have stepped up to watch over things tomorrow morning while I'm getting my own prodding (eek!) So keep us all in your thoughts as we work our way through this minefield. Hoping against hope that we can get him home by this weekend, but we'll see.
Talk to you soon - probably only a quick update tomorrow as I'll be a little woozy!
A lot of events firing off all at once, so bear with me for getting a little behind in the communications.
As you know, on Sunday, we found ourselves back at St. Joe's with a pseudoaneurysm, which is basically a little bubble that forms off the main artery where they did the puncture for the angiogram a few weeks ago. We thought we had it fixed yesterday after the procedure, but this morning's ultrasound showed just a tiny portion still remaining. So, to be safe, they repeated the procedure again today, which involves taking a needle and inserting it directly into the bubble and injecting some blood coagulant. Needless to say, I am quite sure this cannot be a comfortable procedure. But Dwaine came through it again today and after a few hours rest, was up and walking up and down the hallway again. We're hoping this has solved the problem and sometime tomorrow he'll be back at Spalding again to continue rehab. I spoke with the folks there and they believe, if it weren't for the medical issues that have cropped up, Dwaine would be home by now. He's doing so well. So, we're hoping that by the end of this week we may be able to get him back to where he belongs, and he can continue his rehab on Outpatient basis.
I've gotten so many offers for rides to rehab, that I'm sure I can come up with a schedule that might work for everyone, should that be the case. Once we get the word, I'll put something together and float it by all of you to see.
Dwaine's spirits were a bit crushed today when he heard he had to stay another night at St. Joe's. I'm passing along all your nice messages for him to keep him encouraged. He was doing fine when I left this evening, but I'm sure he's just wanting to get back to working on things again instead of having to endure painful procedures over and over again. Here's hoping tomorrow brings some better news, and that he'll be back at Spalding by the afternoon.
I'll be getting my follow-up colonoscopy tomorrow, so I cannot be there with Dwaine during the day. Friends Lynn and Jim have stepped up to watch over things tomorrow morning while I'm getting my own prodding (eek!) So keep us all in your thoughts as we work our way through this minefield. Hoping against hope that we can get him home by this weekend, but we'll see.
Talk to you soon - probably only a quick update tomorrow as I'll be a little woozy!
January 17, 2011
Just a short note today.
Dwaine came through the procedure fine and is resting in his room. We hope to be out of St. Joe's by tomorrow afternoon.
Dwaine came through the procedure fine and is resting in his room. We hope to be out of St. Joe's by tomorrow afternoon.
January 16, 2011
Dear Friends,
Sometimes I do have to stop and wonder, Will this nightmare never end?
Dwaine is back at St. Joe's this evening with a false aneurysm in his leg at the site of the angiogram they did a week and a half ago. This is a condition where the wall of the artery develops a small "bubble" where blood flows in and out. It's not bleeding, but cycling through a place it shouldn't be going. He's not in any immediate danger right now, but is in a lot of pain from it. The doctors are going to do a procedure tomorrow where they inject a coagulant directly into the bubble to get it to clot and seal up the section of the artery wall. Once that's done, he'll be OK to go back to Spalding again.
The day started with great promise. Dwaine was doing exceptionally well - did a good 40 minutes of workout with his Occupational Therapist on specific muscle exercises for his left thumb. He proudly showed me how he could roll it around when I walked in the door to his room this morning. He was more chipper than I'd seen in a while. So we talked a bit about being able to go home for good in just a few days - all the signs were pointing to that. He's on regular food, he's walking very well, he's had training in bathing and moving about a room. And after yesterday's day pass where we got in and out of the car, into the house, into and out of bed and the bathroom - well surely he's ready to get out of that hospital, right?
But his leg hurt in his groin. He thought it was just a muscle strain, but I encouraged him to let the nurse check it closely to make sure. Self-diagnosis hasn't been our strong suit these days. So they did. And they called in the doctor right away. He then sent us straightaway to St. Joe's. That was about 1:00 p.m. I just pulled in the drive at 9:00. For a place called "Emergency", things really don't happen very quickly, I must say.
But he is in a very nice private room, and he was resting comfortably when I left. The procedure should take place tomorrow morning, but they didn't have a specific time yet. He's in room 538 at St. Joe's.
I wonder if I had a premonition about today' events in last night's dream. The thing I remember most was being so terribly ANGRY. It took my breath away. I just never get that way - I've never been an angry person. But I was just raging in this dream at some terribly obvious foul play that I can't quite remember. And today, I had a twinge of that anger as I looked at my Favorite Person in the World, lying in yet another hospital bed, waiting to be poked and prodded yet again. Here's a guy who has NEVER done anything mean or cruel to anyone as long as I've known him. Never. And suddenly his whole world is just turned upside down. But he took that in stride and worked his butt off to regain so much of his strength and mobility, only to be hammered again. The thing he was looking forward to the most? Making cookies in the hospital kitchen as part of his therapy. And you know - even that he could take, if someone would just stop shaking the globe for just an effing minute! Can't we let the snowflakes settle for once before some fresh hell rears it's head again?
But one thing I know - I will not let this keep me from being his advocate, protector, cheerleader, partner and friend. No way. It's up tomorrow and down to St. Joe's, being with him through this procedure, helping him get his head back in a good place, and getting him settled again back at Spalding. His biggest disappointment today was knowing that this was going to delay his progress in rehabilitation, so we're going to get back to it as soon as we can. And he's going to wind up making the best-tasting batch of cookies he's ever made. At least - if *I* have anything to say about it.
Sometimes I do have to stop and wonder, Will this nightmare never end?
Dwaine is back at St. Joe's this evening with a false aneurysm in his leg at the site of the angiogram they did a week and a half ago. This is a condition where the wall of the artery develops a small "bubble" where blood flows in and out. It's not bleeding, but cycling through a place it shouldn't be going. He's not in any immediate danger right now, but is in a lot of pain from it. The doctors are going to do a procedure tomorrow where they inject a coagulant directly into the bubble to get it to clot and seal up the section of the artery wall. Once that's done, he'll be OK to go back to Spalding again.
The day started with great promise. Dwaine was doing exceptionally well - did a good 40 minutes of workout with his Occupational Therapist on specific muscle exercises for his left thumb. He proudly showed me how he could roll it around when I walked in the door to his room this morning. He was more chipper than I'd seen in a while. So we talked a bit about being able to go home for good in just a few days - all the signs were pointing to that. He's on regular food, he's walking very well, he's had training in bathing and moving about a room. And after yesterday's day pass where we got in and out of the car, into the house, into and out of bed and the bathroom - well surely he's ready to get out of that hospital, right?
But his leg hurt in his groin. He thought it was just a muscle strain, but I encouraged him to let the nurse check it closely to make sure. Self-diagnosis hasn't been our strong suit these days. So they did. And they called in the doctor right away. He then sent us straightaway to St. Joe's. That was about 1:00 p.m. I just pulled in the drive at 9:00. For a place called "Emergency", things really don't happen very quickly, I must say.
But he is in a very nice private room, and he was resting comfortably when I left. The procedure should take place tomorrow morning, but they didn't have a specific time yet. He's in room 538 at St. Joe's.
I wonder if I had a premonition about today' events in last night's dream. The thing I remember most was being so terribly ANGRY. It took my breath away. I just never get that way - I've never been an angry person. But I was just raging in this dream at some terribly obvious foul play that I can't quite remember. And today, I had a twinge of that anger as I looked at my Favorite Person in the World, lying in yet another hospital bed, waiting to be poked and prodded yet again. Here's a guy who has NEVER done anything mean or cruel to anyone as long as I've known him. Never. And suddenly his whole world is just turned upside down. But he took that in stride and worked his butt off to regain so much of his strength and mobility, only to be hammered again. The thing he was looking forward to the most? Making cookies in the hospital kitchen as part of his therapy. And you know - even that he could take, if someone would just stop shaking the globe for just an effing minute! Can't we let the snowflakes settle for once before some fresh hell rears it's head again?
But one thing I know - I will not let this keep me from being his advocate, protector, cheerleader, partner and friend. No way. It's up tomorrow and down to St. Joe's, being with him through this procedure, helping him get his head back in a good place, and getting him settled again back at Spalding. His biggest disappointment today was knowing that this was going to delay his progress in rehabilitation, so we're going to get back to it as soon as we can. And he's going to wind up making the best-tasting batch of cookies he's ever made. At least - if *I* have anything to say about it.
January 14, 2011
Dear Friends,
A banner, red-letter, bang-up day today. And first, for those planning on visiting on Saturday - WE HAVE A HOME PASS for 9:30 to about 1:30. So, if you're planning on stopping by the hospital, plan on being there after 1:00 or so. We are going to go home for a few hours to check out the house, see how things work with Dwaine getting around, getting in and out of the car, reaching things in the bathroom and kitchen, and just generally enjoying being home. Dwaine hasn't been home since December 11, so he's SUPER excited about this opportunity.
Today was a busy day and Dwaine just hit everything out of the ballpark all day. His Physical Therapy focused on walking and balance issues. He had to sit on a giant orange ball and keep his balance while keeping his feet together and apart on the floor. Tricky, especially when you have pulled a groin muscle the morning before. He's able to walk quite a long distance, as well as up and down stairs with no assistance at all. And not just one step at a time either. *&*(# Overachievers!
Occupational Therapy involved taking a long, hot shower. Which I'm sure was heavenly, since he missed shower day on Walpurgisnacht. So he got himself scrubbed and shaved and teeth brushed and was back in bed just in time for Speech Therapy. The therapist first worked on applying an electrical stimulator to various nerves on the left side of Dwaine's face to stimulate the muscles into action. Even the one application showed remarkable improvement on his eyebrow and lips. That will become part of his regular therapy for a while.
We spent the last part of the day meeting with a psychologist for about an hour together. He asked many questions about mood changes, what kind of support Dwaine had at home, and probed a bit on depression. Dwaine was very clear that he was not depressed in the slightest, and was very encouraged about his own progress and just wanted to keep on working to get better. It was amazing to see that Steel Magnolia determination flowing forth from him. Haha!
We had lovely visits from friends Lynn Moran, Paul Oser and Katie Bailey. Lynn and Katie brought treats, so they're in the doubleplusgood category. Paul gets a check (haha! Just kidding, Paul). But the conversations were lively and stimulating and again I saw Dwaine give a good belly-laugh unlike any I've heard in two weeks. It was a joy to see.
The doctors are very encouraged with Dwaine's progress. There is a meeting Monday with all the different therapists to talk about a release date, and they all believe it will be very soon. At that point, they are recommending Dwaine for the Daily Intensive through an outpatient program. This is basically the same program he has now, except he gets to come home each day. We both believe this would be FANTASTIC. The program is good and challenging, and being able to be home at night to rest would only add to the effectiveness. The trick will be finding drivers each day. So, for those who are still interested in helping our Dwaine, let me know if you are available to give him a ride to therapy at about 9:00 a.m. in the morning and return to collect him at about 3:00 in the afternoon. You can even mix/match the inbound and outbound if you want. Once I get the word, I'll let all of you know and we can try to work out a schedule that will work for everyone.
I've just never felt so encouraged as I have today. Perhaps it's just the slight giddyness I feel knowing he is going to be home for a while tomorrow. Or from seeing him doing so well with everything today. Or from the great lively conversation I saw him have today. I dunno. But I think it's going to be hard for me to sleep tonight.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone! And wish us well tomorrow. We love you all and appreciate so much all of your thoughtful cards, flowers, plants, balloons and calls. It's really quite overwhelming.
A banner, red-letter, bang-up day today. And first, for those planning on visiting on Saturday - WE HAVE A HOME PASS for 9:30 to about 1:30. So, if you're planning on stopping by the hospital, plan on being there after 1:00 or so. We are going to go home for a few hours to check out the house, see how things work with Dwaine getting around, getting in and out of the car, reaching things in the bathroom and kitchen, and just generally enjoying being home. Dwaine hasn't been home since December 11, so he's SUPER excited about this opportunity.
Today was a busy day and Dwaine just hit everything out of the ballpark all day. His Physical Therapy focused on walking and balance issues. He had to sit on a giant orange ball and keep his balance while keeping his feet together and apart on the floor. Tricky, especially when you have pulled a groin muscle the morning before. He's able to walk quite a long distance, as well as up and down stairs with no assistance at all. And not just one step at a time either. *&*(# Overachievers!
Occupational Therapy involved taking a long, hot shower. Which I'm sure was heavenly, since he missed shower day on Walpurgisnacht. So he got himself scrubbed and shaved and teeth brushed and was back in bed just in time for Speech Therapy. The therapist first worked on applying an electrical stimulator to various nerves on the left side of Dwaine's face to stimulate the muscles into action. Even the one application showed remarkable improvement on his eyebrow and lips. That will become part of his regular therapy for a while.
We spent the last part of the day meeting with a psychologist for about an hour together. He asked many questions about mood changes, what kind of support Dwaine had at home, and probed a bit on depression. Dwaine was very clear that he was not depressed in the slightest, and was very encouraged about his own progress and just wanted to keep on working to get better. It was amazing to see that Steel Magnolia determination flowing forth from him. Haha!
We had lovely visits from friends Lynn Moran, Paul Oser and Katie Bailey. Lynn and Katie brought treats, so they're in the doubleplusgood category. Paul gets a check (haha! Just kidding, Paul). But the conversations were lively and stimulating and again I saw Dwaine give a good belly-laugh unlike any I've heard in two weeks. It was a joy to see.
The doctors are very encouraged with Dwaine's progress. There is a meeting Monday with all the different therapists to talk about a release date, and they all believe it will be very soon. At that point, they are recommending Dwaine for the Daily Intensive through an outpatient program. This is basically the same program he has now, except he gets to come home each day. We both believe this would be FANTASTIC. The program is good and challenging, and being able to be home at night to rest would only add to the effectiveness. The trick will be finding drivers each day. So, for those who are still interested in helping our Dwaine, let me know if you are available to give him a ride to therapy at about 9:00 a.m. in the morning and return to collect him at about 3:00 in the afternoon. You can even mix/match the inbound and outbound if you want. Once I get the word, I'll let all of you know and we can try to work out a schedule that will work for everyone.
I've just never felt so encouraged as I have today. Perhaps it's just the slight giddyness I feel knowing he is going to be home for a while tomorrow. Or from seeing him doing so well with everything today. Or from the great lively conversation I saw him have today. I dunno. But I think it's going to be hard for me to sleep tonight.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone! And wish us well tomorrow. We love you all and appreciate so much all of your thoughtful cards, flowers, plants, balloons and calls. It's really quite overwhelming.
January 13, 2011
Dear Friends,
Thank goodness we have only one more day of Intensive for this week. Our poor Dwaine is just beat. He's been an incredible trooper after all the events of this week! And just one more day and we get a bit of a weekend break.
Today Dwaine had a long, full day of evaluations - first Occupational Therapy beginning at 7:00, then Physical Therapy at 9:00. Then a break for rest and lunch, and another P/T at 1:30 and Speech/Cognitive at 2:30. So by 3:30, he was just totally beat. Friend Julie Jensen spent the morning watching Dwaine as I took the chance to just sleep in for a bit and do some work. I arrived in time for his afternoon P/T where he made 50 out of 56 points on his balance evaluation! Damn overachievers, always wrecking the curve! After that I watched a full hour of Cognitive evaluation, where Dwaine had to answer more of those math word problems, sentence writing, word categories, etc. He did really well, with just a note on having to work on maintaining his focus and concentration when faced with distractions. The test they used for that was so difficult, though, I'm not sure *I* could have passed it. He had to take a list of numbers on a piece of paper and put a mark through every one that was even, and at the same time - with his left hand - click a clicker whenever he heard a voice on an audio tape say the word "two." Holy cow! No wonder he was tired.
During dinner, Dwaine was very silent. He munched away at his chicken-fried chicken and carrots like a man on a mission. It's at times like this that I wonder if I'm giving him what he needs. He's so tired he becomes somewhat curt and unresponsive when I ask if he's too cold or hot or if he wants to watch TV. Am I babying him too much? Being a pest? Smothering? So I just try to feel out what he wants and leave him alone. What he wanted tonight was to crawl back into bed and sleep. So I helped him out of his chair, got him situated comfortably, and floated the sheet and blanket over him like my mom did when I was a kid. All my own insecurity vanished when he gave me that familiar goodnight smile as I put on my coat and gathered up my things to go.
I believe that, hidden somewhere deep inside, is an intangible energy that makes each one of us a unique human being. Sometimes our body gets in the way of that energy. And yet, somehow that energy finds it's own way to sneak out and let us know it's still there. Even when you're exhausted from working hard, from not getting good sleep, from being poked and prodded and tested six ways to Sunday - that special energy reveals itself as if to say, "Hey! Here I am! I haven't changed a bit! I'm still that little boy, that young man, that newbie teacher, that mentor, that coach, that friend . . . it's all here!" When you see that, even through exhausted silence, you find that you've communicated more thoroughly than a hundred conversations could ever accomplish.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone. And if you have any spare energy - send it Dwaine's way tonight.
Thank goodness we have only one more day of Intensive for this week. Our poor Dwaine is just beat. He's been an incredible trooper after all the events of this week! And just one more day and we get a bit of a weekend break.
Today Dwaine had a long, full day of evaluations - first Occupational Therapy beginning at 7:00, then Physical Therapy at 9:00. Then a break for rest and lunch, and another P/T at 1:30 and Speech/Cognitive at 2:30. So by 3:30, he was just totally beat. Friend Julie Jensen spent the morning watching Dwaine as I took the chance to just sleep in for a bit and do some work. I arrived in time for his afternoon P/T where he made 50 out of 56 points on his balance evaluation! Damn overachievers, always wrecking the curve! After that I watched a full hour of Cognitive evaluation, where Dwaine had to answer more of those math word problems, sentence writing, word categories, etc. He did really well, with just a note on having to work on maintaining his focus and concentration when faced with distractions. The test they used for that was so difficult, though, I'm not sure *I* could have passed it. He had to take a list of numbers on a piece of paper and put a mark through every one that was even, and at the same time - with his left hand - click a clicker whenever he heard a voice on an audio tape say the word "two." Holy cow! No wonder he was tired.
During dinner, Dwaine was very silent. He munched away at his chicken-fried chicken and carrots like a man on a mission. It's at times like this that I wonder if I'm giving him what he needs. He's so tired he becomes somewhat curt and unresponsive when I ask if he's too cold or hot or if he wants to watch TV. Am I babying him too much? Being a pest? Smothering? So I just try to feel out what he wants and leave him alone. What he wanted tonight was to crawl back into bed and sleep. So I helped him out of his chair, got him situated comfortably, and floated the sheet and blanket over him like my mom did when I was a kid. All my own insecurity vanished when he gave me that familiar goodnight smile as I put on my coat and gathered up my things to go.
I believe that, hidden somewhere deep inside, is an intangible energy that makes each one of us a unique human being. Sometimes our body gets in the way of that energy. And yet, somehow that energy finds it's own way to sneak out and let us know it's still there. Even when you're exhausted from working hard, from not getting good sleep, from being poked and prodded and tested six ways to Sunday - that special energy reveals itself as if to say, "Hey! Here I am! I haven't changed a bit! I'm still that little boy, that young man, that newbie teacher, that mentor, that coach, that friend . . . it's all here!" When you see that, even through exhausted silence, you find that you've communicated more thoroughly than a hundred conversations could ever accomplish.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone. And if you have any spare energy - send it Dwaine's way tonight.
January 12, 2011
Dear Friends,
Compared with yesterday, today was absolutely wonderful. When I left, Dwaine was back at Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital, nestled in his warm bed, stomach full of a good dinner that he polished off with an appetite I've not seen since December 31. He needs a good night's sleep and I think that's what he's going to get tonight!
As I left, he gave me his "peace sign" wave - and it took me back to some 15 years ago when we were just beginning to date. I was living in an apartment on Humbolt Street at the time. We'd make a date and as the time approached, I'd anxiously peer over my balcony to see if I could see him coming down the street. Of course, I didn't WANT him to see me watching for him - there's some rule in dating that says you can't appear too interested, too quickly (when in fact I was utterly besotted with him from the first moment I met him!) And sure enough, he'd come strolling down the street and catch me watching and give me that two-fingered wave. That big smile, cowboy hat and twinkling eyes - that was it for me. And we've been together ever since.
Yesterday was rough, though it started out very well. We had physical therapy in the morning, with Dwaine working on his walking and balance again. He did several exercises without his cane - culminating in a walk back to his room holding a full cup of water in his left hand! It was very encouraging for me . . . what I didn't notice is how tired and wan Dwaine was looking. We had a bit of rest and then it was on to another session. In occupational therapy we practiced moving about a living room, with deep cushioned sofas and rugs and such. It was a trick to get out of the sofa, but he managed OK. Then he practiced with his left hand and arm, moving what looked like Nerf-lollipops from different pegs to a rack where he had to lift them quite high and still maintain his grip. By the end of that, his grasp was getting pretty worn out. Then later in the afternoon came that fateful balance test where he started getting woozy. His blood pressure dropped quickly and he broke out into a sweat. We got him back to his room and - for safety - they transported him to University, then overnight at St. Joe's for observation and some standard blood pressure tests to make sure there wasn't some underlying problem. All the tests came back fine, so he was moved back to Spalding to a warm, rousing welcome from the staff (who have also fallen in love with him and love to joke around with him). We got him settled in today, fed him a great dinner of sirloin steak, a stuffed baked potato, broccoli, and a garden salad. The only thing left was the potato skin and a little of the steak ("It's a little tough," he says, through another mouthful of potato).
We had a quick visit from Lisa Sullivan, who dropped off some nice gifts. Just as she arrived, the vision specialist arrived for his exam. He found nothing alarming, just a typical lag in the signal from Dwaine's left eye to his brain, the prognosis being very good that he would eventually recover all of that deficit with the right training. So more good news! We were both very happy.
And now, he just needs some good rest and fluids. I'm pushing the water all the time (which probably drives him nuts). But he's feeling so much better and looking so much more comfortable. His speech has improved remarkably over the past few days - even getting some of that natural lilt in tone that natural speech has. He's far more confident in speaking again (don't be surpised to get a phone call from him now!) He's also really pushing himself to use his left arm and hand, and not neglect them. He used his left hand to hold and squeeze the toothpaste onto his brush as he brushed his teeth today - a pretty fine motor skill coupled with strength building.
So, for all the setback yesterday, I feel like we more than made up for it today. He's just doing remarkably well.
Does anyone remember those old Christmas calendars you used to get as kids? Maybe it's just a German thing. We used to get December calendars that had little covers over each day. As the day arrived, you got to open one of the little doors and there would be some surprise behind it - a toy, cartoon or other gift. That's sort of what it's like working with Dwaine each day. At the beginning of all this, there were a lot of closed doors, and part of the Dwaine we all know was hidden behind them. But with each day, we get to open another little door and find more of our old friend behind it. Yes, sometimes you run into a Walpurgisnacht door, the day where the Devil comes to whip the bad little boys and girls and give them coal instead of gifts (another German thing - you'll have to Google it). That was yesterday. But after that nasty day comes the promise of Christmas! And I'm more confident than ever we're going to have a great gift waiting for us when it arrives.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone. Especially you, Dwaine. Looking forward to the day you can be home with me again.
PS. For those who just got added, Dwaine's at Spalding Rehabilitation, 900 Potomac Street, Aurora, CO 80011, in room 203. During the week, the best visiting times are from 3:30 to 6:00. Weekends are less busy, so just dropping by is not bad - he may have a short session that you'd have to wait through, but it doesn't take too long. He loves seeing people, so feel free on the weekends - we can make it a party! During the week, give me a call at 303 588 0889 and I can let you know if it's a good time to visit. He gets pretty pooped after a long day!
Compared with yesterday, today was absolutely wonderful. When I left, Dwaine was back at Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital, nestled in his warm bed, stomach full of a good dinner that he polished off with an appetite I've not seen since December 31. He needs a good night's sleep and I think that's what he's going to get tonight!
As I left, he gave me his "peace sign" wave - and it took me back to some 15 years ago when we were just beginning to date. I was living in an apartment on Humbolt Street at the time. We'd make a date and as the time approached, I'd anxiously peer over my balcony to see if I could see him coming down the street. Of course, I didn't WANT him to see me watching for him - there's some rule in dating that says you can't appear too interested, too quickly (when in fact I was utterly besotted with him from the first moment I met him!) And sure enough, he'd come strolling down the street and catch me watching and give me that two-fingered wave. That big smile, cowboy hat and twinkling eyes - that was it for me. And we've been together ever since.
Yesterday was rough, though it started out very well. We had physical therapy in the morning, with Dwaine working on his walking and balance again. He did several exercises without his cane - culminating in a walk back to his room holding a full cup of water in his left hand! It was very encouraging for me . . . what I didn't notice is how tired and wan Dwaine was looking. We had a bit of rest and then it was on to another session. In occupational therapy we practiced moving about a living room, with deep cushioned sofas and rugs and such. It was a trick to get out of the sofa, but he managed OK. Then he practiced with his left hand and arm, moving what looked like Nerf-lollipops from different pegs to a rack where he had to lift them quite high and still maintain his grip. By the end of that, his grasp was getting pretty worn out. Then later in the afternoon came that fateful balance test where he started getting woozy. His blood pressure dropped quickly and he broke out into a sweat. We got him back to his room and - for safety - they transported him to University, then overnight at St. Joe's for observation and some standard blood pressure tests to make sure there wasn't some underlying problem. All the tests came back fine, so he was moved back to Spalding to a warm, rousing welcome from the staff (who have also fallen in love with him and love to joke around with him). We got him settled in today, fed him a great dinner of sirloin steak, a stuffed baked potato, broccoli, and a garden salad. The only thing left was the potato skin and a little of the steak ("It's a little tough," he says, through another mouthful of potato).
We had a quick visit from Lisa Sullivan, who dropped off some nice gifts. Just as she arrived, the vision specialist arrived for his exam. He found nothing alarming, just a typical lag in the signal from Dwaine's left eye to his brain, the prognosis being very good that he would eventually recover all of that deficit with the right training. So more good news! We were both very happy.
And now, he just needs some good rest and fluids. I'm pushing the water all the time (which probably drives him nuts). But he's feeling so much better and looking so much more comfortable. His speech has improved remarkably over the past few days - even getting some of that natural lilt in tone that natural speech has. He's far more confident in speaking again (don't be surpised to get a phone call from him now!) He's also really pushing himself to use his left arm and hand, and not neglect them. He used his left hand to hold and squeeze the toothpaste onto his brush as he brushed his teeth today - a pretty fine motor skill coupled with strength building.
So, for all the setback yesterday, I feel like we more than made up for it today. He's just doing remarkably well.
Does anyone remember those old Christmas calendars you used to get as kids? Maybe it's just a German thing. We used to get December calendars that had little covers over each day. As the day arrived, you got to open one of the little doors and there would be some surprise behind it - a toy, cartoon or other gift. That's sort of what it's like working with Dwaine each day. At the beginning of all this, there were a lot of closed doors, and part of the Dwaine we all know was hidden behind them. But with each day, we get to open another little door and find more of our old friend behind it. Yes, sometimes you run into a Walpurgisnacht door, the day where the Devil comes to whip the bad little boys and girls and give them coal instead of gifts (another German thing - you'll have to Google it). That was yesterday. But after that nasty day comes the promise of Christmas! And I'm more confident than ever we're going to have a great gift waiting for us when it arrives.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone. Especially you, Dwaine. Looking forward to the day you can be home with me again.
PS. For those who just got added, Dwaine's at Spalding Rehabilitation, 900 Potomac Street, Aurora, CO 80011, in room 203. During the week, the best visiting times are from 3:30 to 6:00. Weekends are less busy, so just dropping by is not bad - he may have a short session that you'd have to wait through, but it doesn't take too long. He loves seeing people, so feel free on the weekends - we can make it a party! During the week, give me a call at 303 588 0889 and I can let you know if it's a good time to visit. He gets pretty pooped after a long day!
January 11, 2011
Dear Friends,
Sorry, I'm just too tired to wax poetic this evening. As I write, Dwaine is hopefully sleeping at St. Joseph's Hospital in Room 735. So if you're planning on visiting on Wednesday, you will need to hold off a bit. We had a minor setback today, but I'm confident we'll be back on track in a day or so.
We were very busy today on our Intensive. Dwaine worked hard on Physical Therapy in the morning, followed by Speech/Cognitive and breakfast. Then we had a break and then Occupational Therapy. Around 3:00 it was time for PT again, so we "hauled his sorry ass out of bed" (his words, not mine), and went to the gym again. They were giving him a test on his balance, and he got woozy and broke out into a flop sweat. They took his pressure and it was very low. So, they took him back to his room and called University Hospital, just to be safe. They picked him up and took him to Emergency, where they ran the standard battery of tests and found nothing. But Kaiser wanted to see him at St Joe's for the night, so he was transferred there. We're both pretty sure it's just dehydration (he'd hardly drank any water the last few days, and was passing a lot of fluid in long-delayed BMs). The Doctor at St. Joe's couldn't see anything obviously wrong, but they'll run a few more tests tomorrow just to make sure. Then we'll be back at Spalding again, picking up where we left off. Dwaine was already feeling much better after getting a liter of fluid through IV.
It's almost midnight after all that, and I'm exhausted myself. I was able to leave when Dwaine was checked over by the Doc and was given a sleeping medicine to make sure he has a good night's sleep. He looked really comfortable when I left, so I felt OK. We had help today from Dwaine's nephew Jason who stopped by to visit just as we were being whisked away to University. He was able to stay with Dwaine while I ran home and rescued the "girls" from the cold. Chuck Weisbrook also stopped by and left a note on Dwaine's bed at Spalding (thanks Chuck - sorry we missed you!)
Tomorrow, I'll relate my experience waiting in the ER at University. LOL!
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone, and I hope Dwaine is snoring up a storm.
Sorry, I'm just too tired to wax poetic this evening. As I write, Dwaine is hopefully sleeping at St. Joseph's Hospital in Room 735. So if you're planning on visiting on Wednesday, you will need to hold off a bit. We had a minor setback today, but I'm confident we'll be back on track in a day or so.
We were very busy today on our Intensive. Dwaine worked hard on Physical Therapy in the morning, followed by Speech/Cognitive and breakfast. Then we had a break and then Occupational Therapy. Around 3:00 it was time for PT again, so we "hauled his sorry ass out of bed" (his words, not mine), and went to the gym again. They were giving him a test on his balance, and he got woozy and broke out into a flop sweat. They took his pressure and it was very low. So, they took him back to his room and called University Hospital, just to be safe. They picked him up and took him to Emergency, where they ran the standard battery of tests and found nothing. But Kaiser wanted to see him at St Joe's for the night, so he was transferred there. We're both pretty sure it's just dehydration (he'd hardly drank any water the last few days, and was passing a lot of fluid in long-delayed BMs). The Doctor at St. Joe's couldn't see anything obviously wrong, but they'll run a few more tests tomorrow just to make sure. Then we'll be back at Spalding again, picking up where we left off. Dwaine was already feeling much better after getting a liter of fluid through IV.
It's almost midnight after all that, and I'm exhausted myself. I was able to leave when Dwaine was checked over by the Doc and was given a sleeping medicine to make sure he has a good night's sleep. He looked really comfortable when I left, so I felt OK. We had help today from Dwaine's nephew Jason who stopped by to visit just as we were being whisked away to University. He was able to stay with Dwaine while I ran home and rescued the "girls" from the cold. Chuck Weisbrook also stopped by and left a note on Dwaine's bed at Spalding (thanks Chuck - sorry we missed you!)
Tomorrow, I'll relate my experience waiting in the ER at University. LOL!
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone, and I hope Dwaine is snoring up a storm.
January 10, 2011
Dear Friends,
Call me Fern.
Remember the kids' book Charlotte's Web? Cute pig? Clever spider? Smart-aleck rat? And then there was Fern . . . Fern Arable. She isn't really a character in the story as much as a portal through which the story flows. She sits on a milk stool in the corner of the barn, while Charlotte and Co. dream up their elaborate plans to save lovable Wilbur from an untimely fate. I feel like Fern these days - sitting on a naugahyde lounge chair, watching my best friend fighting through this very personal disaster with every weapon he and our new friends can think of. And like Wilbur, we're outwitting our foes, slowly but surely.
Today was the first day of Intensive Rehab. And it was intense. Dwaine was up in the Rehab Gym before I even arrived at 8:00 a.m., walking up and down a set of faux stairs using a cane. Up one side, down the other. 2 more times, 3 more times, "just one more and we'll stop." Then it was on to the sample ramp, and then the curb. Then he moved on to a set of balancing exercises on the parallel bars. Then the long walk back to his room for a short rest. We weren't there more than 5 minutes and the speech therapist, Joan, arrived for breakfast and swallowing observations. So another walk down to the cafeteria. While Dwaine tucked in to scrambled eggs and oatmeal, Joan observed his swallowing and announce that she thought he'd be ready for a regular diet by tomorrow morning. (We'd gotten switched back to the soft diet after the vomiting episode yesterday.) After that, a trip back to the room for a rest. I went to work on the laptop to try to answer some emails, and while sitting there, I watched Dwaine go by yet again with the OT, who wanted to test him for his sense of direction and route memory. After the emails, I found him resting in his room again, already worn out from the exertion. But we weren't done yet, . . . oh no. The therapist asked me to move my car up to the front of the building so we could have Dwaine practice getting in and out of the car. We got him bundled up in long pants, shoes and coat and it was down all the stairs and outside. He made it in and out of the car with no problems at all. Then back inside for a rest again.
A short time later, in walks another speech therapist for an introduction and interview. She asked about his goals and sense of progress so far, and a dozen other questions. This portion of the day was the most emotionally draining. Being asked about your goals and whether you recognize your own limitations, when just a week ago, you were perfectly fine and healthy, is very difficult. I was very glad I was there for this section. And, in his usual style, Dwaine not only answered everything, he remembered that the therapist's husband was working on his counseling degree and encouraged him to do his internship at Mapleton. "President Obama visited our school to recognize it as a model for reform," he said. Some Guy, huh?
After she left, lunch arrived. I ran back to the house to let the girls out. By the time I got back, he was snoozing on his bed. Snoozing without any hiccups - thankfully the medication seems to be working well. Terrific!
I watched his Radiant round face, sleeping soundly on his bed and was amazed at his fortitude. He tackled every single thing today without a single complaint, even though I knew he was very tired after the first session. He just kept plugging away, like an Energizer Bunny.
Finally, it was time for dinner - we decided to eat in the room, watching "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" on television. I left around 7:15, and Dwaine was bundled in bed, ready for some good sleep. Like Fern, I pushed back my milk stool, gathered up my things, and headed to my car.
Life happens around Dwaine. People gravitate to him. His heart is big and generous and open and willing to share whatever he has with whoever needs something. He has always been Humble, and constantly puts others before himself. But now he needs us. If you want to send a special card of encouragement, I'm delivering them personally each morning. We open them and read them together. They are very uplifting to him. He looks at them often. If you get a chance, drop a card with a note in the mail to Dwaine Schmidt, 8552 E 29th Place, Denver, CO 80238.
And if anyone tells him I compared him to a pig, they are in deep trouble.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone!
Call me Fern.
Remember the kids' book Charlotte's Web? Cute pig? Clever spider? Smart-aleck rat? And then there was Fern . . . Fern Arable. She isn't really a character in the story as much as a portal through which the story flows. She sits on a milk stool in the corner of the barn, while Charlotte and Co. dream up their elaborate plans to save lovable Wilbur from an untimely fate. I feel like Fern these days - sitting on a naugahyde lounge chair, watching my best friend fighting through this very personal disaster with every weapon he and our new friends can think of. And like Wilbur, we're outwitting our foes, slowly but surely.
Today was the first day of Intensive Rehab. And it was intense. Dwaine was up in the Rehab Gym before I even arrived at 8:00 a.m., walking up and down a set of faux stairs using a cane. Up one side, down the other. 2 more times, 3 more times, "just one more and we'll stop." Then it was on to the sample ramp, and then the curb. Then he moved on to a set of balancing exercises on the parallel bars. Then the long walk back to his room for a short rest. We weren't there more than 5 minutes and the speech therapist, Joan, arrived for breakfast and swallowing observations. So another walk down to the cafeteria. While Dwaine tucked in to scrambled eggs and oatmeal, Joan observed his swallowing and announce that she thought he'd be ready for a regular diet by tomorrow morning. (We'd gotten switched back to the soft diet after the vomiting episode yesterday.) After that, a trip back to the room for a rest. I went to work on the laptop to try to answer some emails, and while sitting there, I watched Dwaine go by yet again with the OT, who wanted to test him for his sense of direction and route memory. After the emails, I found him resting in his room again, already worn out from the exertion. But we weren't done yet, . . . oh no. The therapist asked me to move my car up to the front of the building so we could have Dwaine practice getting in and out of the car. We got him bundled up in long pants, shoes and coat and it was down all the stairs and outside. He made it in and out of the car with no problems at all. Then back inside for a rest again.
A short time later, in walks another speech therapist for an introduction and interview. She asked about his goals and sense of progress so far, and a dozen other questions. This portion of the day was the most emotionally draining. Being asked about your goals and whether you recognize your own limitations, when just a week ago, you were perfectly fine and healthy, is very difficult. I was very glad I was there for this section. And, in his usual style, Dwaine not only answered everything, he remembered that the therapist's husband was working on his counseling degree and encouraged him to do his internship at Mapleton. "President Obama visited our school to recognize it as a model for reform," he said. Some Guy, huh?
After she left, lunch arrived. I ran back to the house to let the girls out. By the time I got back, he was snoozing on his bed. Snoozing without any hiccups - thankfully the medication seems to be working well. Terrific!
I watched his Radiant round face, sleeping soundly on his bed and was amazed at his fortitude. He tackled every single thing today without a single complaint, even though I knew he was very tired after the first session. He just kept plugging away, like an Energizer Bunny.
Finally, it was time for dinner - we decided to eat in the room, watching "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" on television. I left around 7:15, and Dwaine was bundled in bed, ready for some good sleep. Like Fern, I pushed back my milk stool, gathered up my things, and headed to my car.
Life happens around Dwaine. People gravitate to him. His heart is big and generous and open and willing to share whatever he has with whoever needs something. He has always been Humble, and constantly puts others before himself. But now he needs us. If you want to send a special card of encouragement, I'm delivering them personally each morning. We open them and read them together. They are very uplifting to him. He looks at them often. If you get a chance, drop a card with a note in the mail to Dwaine Schmidt, 8552 E 29th Place, Denver, CO 80238.
And if anyone tells him I compared him to a pig, they are in deep trouble.
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone!
January 9, 2011
Hello everyone,
Trying to type with one hand and play with Gracie and Greta with the other. Poor things . . . they've been home alone most of today with no one to play with. After such a nice long stay with Judy and Jim where they had two buds to hang out with, coming back home here must be kinda boring for them. But it sure is nice to have their company on a cold night like this. So forgive me for a typo or two - they're playing with Mr. Fox and I have to join in.
Today started out with a very difficult cognitive assessment for Dwaine. This was a scary test, and one that I was anxious about (so I can only imagine what he was going through). The physical results of a stroke are obvious - loss of limb strength, maybe some vision, speech, some muscle tone, etc. But the cognitive impact can be as complicated as the brain itself. The other day, a therapist had Dwaine draw a person figure inside a box. He drew it perfectly, and she explained, "Sometimes, when people have a stroke, they lose the ability to perceive the impacted side of their body. So they draw figures that have only one arm and one leg." Wow. There's a lot we don't know about how we're made, huh?
Anyway, the test was long and complicated. The therapist sat Dwaine in a comfy chair and started out by saying, "OK, I'm going to tell you that I have three things to do today with I leave. I want you to repeat those three things back to me. Then later in the session, I'm going to ask you again what they were." So she rattled off three common errands, which Dwaine rattle right back with no problem. Then she proceeded to look at some number sense problems. She's read of a string of numbers and ask Dwaine to give them back to her in reverse order. She started with four, then five and then six numbers. Now, you try it with a friend and see how well you do. I was sitting there and had to really work at it to remember the six numbers and recite them backwards (without seeing them or being able to write them down, mind you). He did fine on that one. Then she moved to word problems, to which Dwaine let out a groan. "I've never been good at word problems." But, nonplussed, she moved ahead anyway. "If you buy 4 lbs of tomatoes at 3.19 a pound, how much do you have to pay?" Dwaine thinks for a minute, draws the numbers out on his leg (no pen and pencil allowed), and comes up with the correct answer. Then it was recite the sentence backwards, word for word - then recite the sentence by putting all the words in alphabetical order (try THATone, it's really hard.) And on and on it went, for 40 minutes. At the end, she asked if he could tell her what errands she had to run that day. He got all three things with no problem.
I felt a lot better afterward.
Unfortunately, Dwaine didn't feel better. In fact, just after she left, he vomited up his breakfast. The poor guy was so worked up about it, it made him throw up. I felt so bad for him. But we got him all cleaned up and back in bed for a rest. The therapist told us that fatigue is the number one problem after any stroke - and Dwaine is one tired puppy.
All was well for a while. Dwaine had his lunch and then picked up another bout of spasmodic hiccups. These are not just your regular hiccups. This is one hiccup, followed by another in short succession, then about 8 spasms of the diaphram. This repeats over and over for hours. It's been so bad, he's actually gotten short of breath because of the involuntary closing of the larnyx. All I know is it scares the crap out of me. I've tried working on deep breathing and relaxation exercises to see if that has any impact, but not so far. The only thing that seems to help is a dose of Thorazine, the tranquilizer. So we've decided to keep taking that for now. With Thorazine and without the hiccups, he may be a little more "out of it", but at least he eats better and can communicate well. We'll just have to deal with that other problem when we can.
So tomorrow is the start of our Rehab Intensive. We expect it to last two weeks - then hopefully, he can come home and keep working from there. He's ready to start. It's three full hours a day, with rest breaks in between. I'm sure he's going to be really wiped out tomorrow. But he's been learning so much with every session that we really get to see progress. And at some point, he'll get to be able to go through the cafeteria line and pick out his own food. That will be a lot better, too.
So, I'd better get to bed myself. After that last session with the Olympic Games, I'm going to have to get my rest, too.
One last thing. Tomorrow morning, I'll be getting a schedule of our activities for the day. Because it's so intense, we really need to limit visits from friends. I'm sure you all understand. If you want to stop by and see him for a bit (which he LOVES, don't get me wrong), please call first at 303 588 0889, and I can let you know when a good time might be. That way you don't catch him while he's sleeping or in a class. Tomorrow is a big orientation day, too, so probably not the best day for visiting.
With that, I'll say Good Night and Sweet Dreams. I'm dreaming of having that lug back home with me very soon. I need someone to play with these mutts!
Trying to type with one hand and play with Gracie and Greta with the other. Poor things . . . they've been home alone most of today with no one to play with. After such a nice long stay with Judy and Jim where they had two buds to hang out with, coming back home here must be kinda boring for them. But it sure is nice to have their company on a cold night like this. So forgive me for a typo or two - they're playing with Mr. Fox and I have to join in.
Today started out with a very difficult cognitive assessment for Dwaine. This was a scary test, and one that I was anxious about (so I can only imagine what he was going through). The physical results of a stroke are obvious - loss of limb strength, maybe some vision, speech, some muscle tone, etc. But the cognitive impact can be as complicated as the brain itself. The other day, a therapist had Dwaine draw a person figure inside a box. He drew it perfectly, and she explained, "Sometimes, when people have a stroke, they lose the ability to perceive the impacted side of their body. So they draw figures that have only one arm and one leg." Wow. There's a lot we don't know about how we're made, huh?
Anyway, the test was long and complicated. The therapist sat Dwaine in a comfy chair and started out by saying, "OK, I'm going to tell you that I have three things to do today with I leave. I want you to repeat those three things back to me. Then later in the session, I'm going to ask you again what they were." So she rattled off three common errands, which Dwaine rattle right back with no problem. Then she proceeded to look at some number sense problems. She's read of a string of numbers and ask Dwaine to give them back to her in reverse order. She started with four, then five and then six numbers. Now, you try it with a friend and see how well you do. I was sitting there and had to really work at it to remember the six numbers and recite them backwards (without seeing them or being able to write them down, mind you). He did fine on that one. Then she moved to word problems, to which Dwaine let out a groan. "I've never been good at word problems." But, nonplussed, she moved ahead anyway. "If you buy 4 lbs of tomatoes at 3.19 a pound, how much do you have to pay?" Dwaine thinks for a minute, draws the numbers out on his leg (no pen and pencil allowed), and comes up with the correct answer. Then it was recite the sentence backwards, word for word - then recite the sentence by putting all the words in alphabetical order (try THATone, it's really hard.) And on and on it went, for 40 minutes. At the end, she asked if he could tell her what errands she had to run that day. He got all three things with no problem.
I felt a lot better afterward.
Unfortunately, Dwaine didn't feel better. In fact, just after she left, he vomited up his breakfast. The poor guy was so worked up about it, it made him throw up. I felt so bad for him. But we got him all cleaned up and back in bed for a rest. The therapist told us that fatigue is the number one problem after any stroke - and Dwaine is one tired puppy.
All was well for a while. Dwaine had his lunch and then picked up another bout of spasmodic hiccups. These are not just your regular hiccups. This is one hiccup, followed by another in short succession, then about 8 spasms of the diaphram. This repeats over and over for hours. It's been so bad, he's actually gotten short of breath because of the involuntary closing of the larnyx. All I know is it scares the crap out of me. I've tried working on deep breathing and relaxation exercises to see if that has any impact, but not so far. The only thing that seems to help is a dose of Thorazine, the tranquilizer. So we've decided to keep taking that for now. With Thorazine and without the hiccups, he may be a little more "out of it", but at least he eats better and can communicate well. We'll just have to deal with that other problem when we can.
So tomorrow is the start of our Rehab Intensive. We expect it to last two weeks - then hopefully, he can come home and keep working from there. He's ready to start. It's three full hours a day, with rest breaks in between. I'm sure he's going to be really wiped out tomorrow. But he's been learning so much with every session that we really get to see progress. And at some point, he'll get to be able to go through the cafeteria line and pick out his own food. That will be a lot better, too.
So, I'd better get to bed myself. After that last session with the Olympic Games, I'm going to have to get my rest, too.
One last thing. Tomorrow morning, I'll be getting a schedule of our activities for the day. Because it's so intense, we really need to limit visits from friends. I'm sure you all understand. If you want to stop by and see him for a bit (which he LOVES, don't get me wrong), please call first at 303 588 0889, and I can let you know when a good time might be. That way you don't catch him while he's sleeping or in a class. Tomorrow is a big orientation day, too, so probably not the best day for visiting.
With that, I'll say Good Night and Sweet Dreams. I'm dreaming of having that lug back home with me very soon. I need someone to play with these mutts!
January 8, 2011
Somebody said, "Life is shit, and then you die." Whoever that was just doesn't know shit from shinola.
Dwaine and I have had our share of real shit. But when I saw him this morning during our physical therapy session, kicking a soccer ball while standing on his own two feet (and using good form, I might add), I realized that even when you're swimming in manure, life is always a better option.
Work started early this morning, with Dwaine getting up and dressed before I got to Spalding at 8:00 a.m. He'd already had the regular nursing checks, medications for blood pressure and blood thinners and a Thorazine for his chronic hiccups. He was busy eating his breakfast with the speech/cognitive therapist when I walked in. She watched him eat a variety of textures, drink some fluids with different consistencies, and decided he was ready to try a regular diet again. Good news! He was sure getting tired of applesauce.
Soon after that we were introduced to our physical therapist, Vicky, who proceeded to lead us down to the Rehab Gym, a big room full of a huge variety of equipment, lit by skylights so that it's bright and very cheery. She asked Dwaine if he liked any sports. He told her he used to play soccer. "Soccer, huh?" She then proceeded to start rummaging around for various items - a ball, some orange cones, and some other items to create a "goal" of sorts. She then had Dwaine stand by himself and had me roll the ball to him. He had to kick it back through the goals. He did this a few dozen times with nary a miss. By the end, he was able to switch feet on the fly, depending on how the ball was coming at him (my aiming being a lot worse than his kicking.)
Then we moved to ping pong. Vicky had Dwaine grasp a large ping-pong paddle in his left hand ("Just look at your hand and say, "Open!" - and by golly, he was able to do it!). Then we batted the balloon back and forth for quite a while. I was working up way more of a sweat than he was. Sheesh. I've always sucked at sports.
Then it was on to baseball (OK, am I sensing a theme here?), where Dwaine had to grasp a large plastic bat ("Open!") while whacking away at a cylindrical cushion suspended from a cable. The trick was to get the cushion to swing and then whack it right when it got to its apex. This is all with his left hand, mind you. He slugged away at that until he just couldn't hold on to that bat anymore. For a minute there, I definitely felt some inner aggression being pounded out on that poor cushion. Therapeutic on multiple levels, perhaps?!
Then it was horseshoes. The trick was to pick up the horseshoe, then place it on a numbered peg. And there were a boatload of horseshoes. But he did it all . . . until his poor little hand was just shaking with exertion. Then Vicky walked us back to the room. When we got there, we had one more task: Get in and out of the bathroom and do some business. First, she trained me to work with him on walking. Then I had Dwaine stand up, get to a walker (just for safety), get into the bathroom, sit down, get back up, and get back to bed again. I am now a certified walker-helper! LOL! I wonder if I get a certificate?
After that, we both needed a rest. Tim Charney and Lynn and Jim Moran stopped by to chat for a while. That was a lot of fun, with Dwaine being his bubbly self - witty, laughing and smiling, and joining in the fun. Lunch arrived soon after (real food! Beef Stroganoff with Green Beans!) Then a visit from Judy and Jim Sylvester. More stories, more laughing, more fun.
As the day wore on though, Dwaine started to fade as his fatigue caught up with him. On top of that, we'd decided to taper off the Thorazine to see if he really needed it for his hiccups. Well, they returned with a vengeance, so the answer is "yes" at this point. So, after another nice visit from Rich and Tim, and some dinner, I left to let him bed down for the night. As I kissed him on the head, he said, "I love you so much honey." I sat down and told him how we're both in this together, and that I will always be there to share this burden, for as long as it lasts. I just know, though, that with his strength, he's going to be able to be home very soon, and that we can continue this work from a home base that's full of warmth, love, and the comfort of familiar things. He just glowed. I was so happy being able to share that moment with him . . . I'll never forget it as long as I live.
When you've orbited a star as bright as Dwaine - like I have for 15 years - you kinda get used to that white-hot light. The thought of living without it is . . . well . . . unthinkable. I can't even comprehend it. Dwaine is the type of guy who doesn't just leave a hole, he leaves a black hole. When he's not around, the light that emanates from him starts getting sucked backward until you're left in utter darkness. And thankfully, though we may have to swim through a bit of manure for a while, that light is beginning to get brighter and brighter. I just can't miss a minute of this.
So, signing off for now. Gotta finish the cupcakes for the nurses tomorrow. Really, who doesn't like a good cupcake?
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone - especially you, Dwaine. I love you - always have.
Dwaine and I have had our share of real shit. But when I saw him this morning during our physical therapy session, kicking a soccer ball while standing on his own two feet (and using good form, I might add), I realized that even when you're swimming in manure, life is always a better option.
Work started early this morning, with Dwaine getting up and dressed before I got to Spalding at 8:00 a.m. He'd already had the regular nursing checks, medications for blood pressure and blood thinners and a Thorazine for his chronic hiccups. He was busy eating his breakfast with the speech/cognitive therapist when I walked in. She watched him eat a variety of textures, drink some fluids with different consistencies, and decided he was ready to try a regular diet again. Good news! He was sure getting tired of applesauce.
Soon after that we were introduced to our physical therapist, Vicky, who proceeded to lead us down to the Rehab Gym, a big room full of a huge variety of equipment, lit by skylights so that it's bright and very cheery. She asked Dwaine if he liked any sports. He told her he used to play soccer. "Soccer, huh?" She then proceeded to start rummaging around for various items - a ball, some orange cones, and some other items to create a "goal" of sorts. She then had Dwaine stand by himself and had me roll the ball to him. He had to kick it back through the goals. He did this a few dozen times with nary a miss. By the end, he was able to switch feet on the fly, depending on how the ball was coming at him (my aiming being a lot worse than his kicking.)
Then we moved to ping pong. Vicky had Dwaine grasp a large ping-pong paddle in his left hand ("Just look at your hand and say, "Open!" - and by golly, he was able to do it!). Then we batted the balloon back and forth for quite a while. I was working up way more of a sweat than he was. Sheesh. I've always sucked at sports.
Then it was on to baseball (OK, am I sensing a theme here?), where Dwaine had to grasp a large plastic bat ("Open!") while whacking away at a cylindrical cushion suspended from a cable. The trick was to get the cushion to swing and then whack it right when it got to its apex. This is all with his left hand, mind you. He slugged away at that until he just couldn't hold on to that bat anymore. For a minute there, I definitely felt some inner aggression being pounded out on that poor cushion. Therapeutic on multiple levels, perhaps?!
Then it was horseshoes. The trick was to pick up the horseshoe, then place it on a numbered peg. And there were a boatload of horseshoes. But he did it all . . . until his poor little hand was just shaking with exertion. Then Vicky walked us back to the room. When we got there, we had one more task: Get in and out of the bathroom and do some business. First, she trained me to work with him on walking. Then I had Dwaine stand up, get to a walker (just for safety), get into the bathroom, sit down, get back up, and get back to bed again. I am now a certified walker-helper! LOL! I wonder if I get a certificate?
After that, we both needed a rest. Tim Charney and Lynn and Jim Moran stopped by to chat for a while. That was a lot of fun, with Dwaine being his bubbly self - witty, laughing and smiling, and joining in the fun. Lunch arrived soon after (real food! Beef Stroganoff with Green Beans!) Then a visit from Judy and Jim Sylvester. More stories, more laughing, more fun.
As the day wore on though, Dwaine started to fade as his fatigue caught up with him. On top of that, we'd decided to taper off the Thorazine to see if he really needed it for his hiccups. Well, they returned with a vengeance, so the answer is "yes" at this point. So, after another nice visit from Rich and Tim, and some dinner, I left to let him bed down for the night. As I kissed him on the head, he said, "I love you so much honey." I sat down and told him how we're both in this together, and that I will always be there to share this burden, for as long as it lasts. I just know, though, that with his strength, he's going to be able to be home very soon, and that we can continue this work from a home base that's full of warmth, love, and the comfort of familiar things. He just glowed. I was so happy being able to share that moment with him . . . I'll never forget it as long as I live.
When you've orbited a star as bright as Dwaine - like I have for 15 years - you kinda get used to that white-hot light. The thought of living without it is . . . well . . . unthinkable. I can't even comprehend it. Dwaine is the type of guy who doesn't just leave a hole, he leaves a black hole. When he's not around, the light that emanates from him starts getting sucked backward until you're left in utter darkness. And thankfully, though we may have to swim through a bit of manure for a while, that light is beginning to get brighter and brighter. I just can't miss a minute of this.
So, signing off for now. Gotta finish the cupcakes for the nurses tomorrow. Really, who doesn't like a good cupcake?
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone - especially you, Dwaine. I love you - always have.
Well . . . I know it's Friday at least.
It was a very busy day in Dwaine-land today. We made a move to Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital at 900 Potomac Street. Dwaine is now ensconced in room 203, and last I saw him, he was lying on his side, snoozing away. Damn that guy can work hard.
I worked with Kaiser and University Hospital yesterday to make sure Dwaine didn't have to make an interim transition to St. Joseph's, but could go directly to Spalding. Kaiser was very good to work with and made the fix with a phone call to the patient advocate at University. It's so easy to feel so helpless in these situations. They don't really have a step-by-step diagram of how to maneuver the labyrinth and you end up calling people until you find the right path. But thankfully, it was a well-lit, amenable path and everything worked out perfectly. We're both very happy with how it's worked out.
This morning while we were waiting for the transfer, friends Ron and Deb came by for a visit. Dwaine had slept really well last night, so he was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and more ornery than I'd seen him in a week. His humor was back in aces - smiling and actually laughing as he recounted his Zoomba dance down the hospital hallway on his first walking excursion the day before. "I had Julie on one side, and Alvin on the other, and every time one would say something to me, I'd veer off in that direction, then back again. I'm sure it was quite a sight." He promised as official Zoomba instructor, he'd teach us all his moves at a date to be named. His physical therapist was not so amused, and said he'd have to knock off the conversation next time so he could steer straight (and I'm not even going to touch that one).
He had another walking excursion today at University, which was cool. Even though they knew he was being transferred, they still kept up with his PT work. He took another long walk down the hallway at University and did spectacularly well.
To get into Spalding, you have to be able to demonstrate that you are committed to rehabilitation work, that you have goals you want to reach, and that you are strong enough to work for at least 3 hours per day. And you have to be off any IV drip systems. As you know, he'd been on heparin to keep his blood thin and free from clotting. So we had to wean off the heparin and move to a pill-form of coumadin or warfarin. He'll probably have to be on this for the rest of his life, so that's a life change we will be dealing with. Dwaine's never been on any regular medication, so we'll have to work on him to make sure he's being consistent with it.
About 1:00, the ambulance fellas rolled up with their gurney and away we went. I packed up the room and the dozens of cards, numerous vases of beautiful flowers and plants, balloons and even a large poster made by a group of the kids at York. He got into his room and settled in bed for a bit, but not for long. A therapist was in to begin meeting with him within a half hour. She went through an inventory of questions about his work, life, living situation, and ultimate goals for therapy. Then he got to work. She was very, very impressed with how far he'd already progressed in less than a week. He can now move both arms, shrug both shoulders, work his lips and mouth a lot better, and - wait for it - I watched as she coaxed him to move almost all of the fingers on his left hand independently. His index finger can tap, his thumb can clench in and out and make circles, and he can pinch his fingers together strongly enough to pick up small items. And that was in his first session. After he was done, she said, "Dwaine, I'm confident that you will regain full use of your arm and hand." Hooray!
After that, there was a short rest time, then another therapist came in for ANOTHER walking session. This time with a wheeled walker. But he only went a little way with that before she switched him to a quad-cane. He walked quite a ways using just the cane. He was tired and had to roll back to his room in the chair. But again, the prognosis - walking on is own before he leaves the hospital.
You can imagine that after all this, Our Guy was just flat out pooped. So we ordered him some dinner and I left for the day. This is the first night since the stroke that I've been away from him and I feel a little lost. If I'm not with him, I feel like I can't really help him. But like so many have told me, I can't help him if I push myself to exhaustion - and I am a MAN ON THE EDGE. So, I'm here at home and looking at bed at 7:15. I wonder if my TIVO taped anything good? I can probably get through the first 15 minutes of Big Bang Theory. . . .
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone, especially to our beloved Dwaine as he continues to recover. Whatta guy!
I worked with Kaiser and University Hospital yesterday to make sure Dwaine didn't have to make an interim transition to St. Joseph's, but could go directly to Spalding. Kaiser was very good to work with and made the fix with a phone call to the patient advocate at University. It's so easy to feel so helpless in these situations. They don't really have a step-by-step diagram of how to maneuver the labyrinth and you end up calling people until you find the right path. But thankfully, it was a well-lit, amenable path and everything worked out perfectly. We're both very happy with how it's worked out.
This morning while we were waiting for the transfer, friends Ron and Deb came by for a visit. Dwaine had slept really well last night, so he was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and more ornery than I'd seen him in a week. His humor was back in aces - smiling and actually laughing as he recounted his Zoomba dance down the hospital hallway on his first walking excursion the day before. "I had Julie on one side, and Alvin on the other, and every time one would say something to me, I'd veer off in that direction, then back again. I'm sure it was quite a sight." He promised as official Zoomba instructor, he'd teach us all his moves at a date to be named. His physical therapist was not so amused, and said he'd have to knock off the conversation next time so he could steer straight (and I'm not even going to touch that one).
He had another walking excursion today at University, which was cool. Even though they knew he was being transferred, they still kept up with his PT work. He took another long walk down the hallway at University and did spectacularly well.
To get into Spalding, you have to be able to demonstrate that you are committed to rehabilitation work, that you have goals you want to reach, and that you are strong enough to work for at least 3 hours per day. And you have to be off any IV drip systems. As you know, he'd been on heparin to keep his blood thin and free from clotting. So we had to wean off the heparin and move to a pill-form of coumadin or warfarin. He'll probably have to be on this for the rest of his life, so that's a life change we will be dealing with. Dwaine's never been on any regular medication, so we'll have to work on him to make sure he's being consistent with it.
About 1:00, the ambulance fellas rolled up with their gurney and away we went. I packed up the room and the dozens of cards, numerous vases of beautiful flowers and plants, balloons and even a large poster made by a group of the kids at York. He got into his room and settled in bed for a bit, but not for long. A therapist was in to begin meeting with him within a half hour. She went through an inventory of questions about his work, life, living situation, and ultimate goals for therapy. Then he got to work. She was very, very impressed with how far he'd already progressed in less than a week. He can now move both arms, shrug both shoulders, work his lips and mouth a lot better, and - wait for it - I watched as she coaxed him to move almost all of the fingers on his left hand independently. His index finger can tap, his thumb can clench in and out and make circles, and he can pinch his fingers together strongly enough to pick up small items. And that was in his first session. After he was done, she said, "Dwaine, I'm confident that you will regain full use of your arm and hand." Hooray!
After that, there was a short rest time, then another therapist came in for ANOTHER walking session. This time with a wheeled walker. But he only went a little way with that before she switched him to a quad-cane. He walked quite a ways using just the cane. He was tired and had to roll back to his room in the chair. But again, the prognosis - walking on is own before he leaves the hospital.
You can imagine that after all this, Our Guy was just flat out pooped. So we ordered him some dinner and I left for the day. This is the first night since the stroke that I've been away from him and I feel a little lost. If I'm not with him, I feel like I can't really help him. But like so many have told me, I can't help him if I push myself to exhaustion - and I am a MAN ON THE EDGE. So, I'm here at home and looking at bed at 7:15. I wonder if my TIVO taped anything good? I can probably get through the first 15 minutes of Big Bang Theory. . . .
Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone, especially to our beloved Dwaine as he continues to recover. Whatta guy!
January 6, 2011
Hi everyone,
How things can change so quickly in life. A week ago, Dwaine and I were sunning ourselves by the pool at the lovely Lindo Mar resort in Puerto Vallarta. Life consisted of choosing chicken or fish for dinner, and what restaurant we'd be eating it in. Today, the choices are so very different, and none of them pleasant. But that's just one of those constant reminders that you cannot depend on the future to be the future you expect. I learned that ten years ago when I went through my lymphoma, and again a year ago with colon cancer. And Dwaine was with me all that time. The one thing that I can be happy about is that I get the opportunity now to be the helper to him he's always been to me.
Today was a very busy day in Dwaine-land. First, he had physical therapy that focused on walking. So they got him out of bed and walking right down the hallway. And it's a long hallway! Then they gave him a squeezy toy (in the shape of an adorable little blue elephant) and had him work on squeezing that for a while. Then they had another trick where he had to take a lump of play-dough and dig out the marbles that had been buried in it. He was able to get two of the three marbles out before getting too tired from concentrating so hard!
I had some lovely help today from good friend Julie Jensen who was able to stay with Dwaine while I went home and started working on the three-week backlog of mail and bills. Julie kept track of everything all the doctors told to Dwaine so that I could keep up. There's a lot for me to learn as well as Dwaine. I need to learn how to encourage him to mimic everything he does with his right hand with his left hand as well. I need to work with him on doing shoulder shrugs. I need to help him with relearning to eat a variety of food (more about that later).
One thing Dwaine is struggling with is a recurring case of hiccups. I should say Megahiccups. These are multiple spasms of his diaphram that shake his whole body and make it difficult for him to rest properly. He's on a new medication that seems to be working to control them. Let's hope so.
Another problem is eating. The stroke has impacted his ability to swallow, as it does in about 87% of people who have strokes. Most recover their ability to swallow, and Dwaine is already on the road to recovery as he can swallow pureed-type foods like applesauce and mashed potatoes. But it seems eating also triggers his hiccups. So he's just very leery about eating anything at all, and that's a problem. Here's where the Schmidt stubborn-ness isn't such a good thing. I try suggesting all sorts of foods for him to try, thinking one of them might whet his appetite, but so far his answer is always "no." So if anyone has any great ideas, I'm all ears!
Finally, we are looking at a move to another hospital, I'm just not quite sure which one. Ultimately, he'll be admitted to Spalding Rehabilitation, which is one of the best rehab hospitals in the west. So we're both excited about getting there and working hard on learning and moving forward. The question is, will he have to move to St. Joseph's in the interim. He's still on his heparin drip for another day or so, so he has to be in hospital care. Kaiser always wants patients back in their network (which is a great system - I've been treated through two cancer episodes and have had no complaints with Kaiser). But to create another short transition just to get him back into the system doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So I'm trying to keep him here until he can move directly to Spalding. Hopefully we can make that happen.
But for right now, he's getting a really good nap with the TV on, just like at home. The only thing missing is Gracie and Greta sleeping beside him on the bed. And someday soon we'll be seeing that again.
How things can change so quickly in life. A week ago, Dwaine and I were sunning ourselves by the pool at the lovely Lindo Mar resort in Puerto Vallarta. Life consisted of choosing chicken or fish for dinner, and what restaurant we'd be eating it in. Today, the choices are so very different, and none of them pleasant. But that's just one of those constant reminders that you cannot depend on the future to be the future you expect. I learned that ten years ago when I went through my lymphoma, and again a year ago with colon cancer. And Dwaine was with me all that time. The one thing that I can be happy about is that I get the opportunity now to be the helper to him he's always been to me.
Today was a very busy day in Dwaine-land. First, he had physical therapy that focused on walking. So they got him out of bed and walking right down the hallway. And it's a long hallway! Then they gave him a squeezy toy (in the shape of an adorable little blue elephant) and had him work on squeezing that for a while. Then they had another trick where he had to take a lump of play-dough and dig out the marbles that had been buried in it. He was able to get two of the three marbles out before getting too tired from concentrating so hard!
I had some lovely help today from good friend Julie Jensen who was able to stay with Dwaine while I went home and started working on the three-week backlog of mail and bills. Julie kept track of everything all the doctors told to Dwaine so that I could keep up. There's a lot for me to learn as well as Dwaine. I need to learn how to encourage him to mimic everything he does with his right hand with his left hand as well. I need to work with him on doing shoulder shrugs. I need to help him with relearning to eat a variety of food (more about that later).
One thing Dwaine is struggling with is a recurring case of hiccups. I should say Megahiccups. These are multiple spasms of his diaphram that shake his whole body and make it difficult for him to rest properly. He's on a new medication that seems to be working to control them. Let's hope so.
Another problem is eating. The stroke has impacted his ability to swallow, as it does in about 87% of people who have strokes. Most recover their ability to swallow, and Dwaine is already on the road to recovery as he can swallow pureed-type foods like applesauce and mashed potatoes. But it seems eating also triggers his hiccups. So he's just very leery about eating anything at all, and that's a problem. Here's where the Schmidt stubborn-ness isn't such a good thing. I try suggesting all sorts of foods for him to try, thinking one of them might whet his appetite, but so far his answer is always "no." So if anyone has any great ideas, I'm all ears!
Finally, we are looking at a move to another hospital, I'm just not quite sure which one. Ultimately, he'll be admitted to Spalding Rehabilitation, which is one of the best rehab hospitals in the west. So we're both excited about getting there and working hard on learning and moving forward. The question is, will he have to move to St. Joseph's in the interim. He's still on his heparin drip for another day or so, so he has to be in hospital care. Kaiser always wants patients back in their network (which is a great system - I've been treated through two cancer episodes and have had no complaints with Kaiser). But to create another short transition just to get him back into the system doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So I'm trying to keep him here until he can move directly to Spalding. Hopefully we can make that happen.
But for right now, he's getting a really good nap with the TV on, just like at home. The only thing missing is Gracie and Greta sleeping beside him on the bed. And someday soon we'll be seeing that again.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
At least, I think it's Wednesday - the days are just sorta starting to blur together a bit. I'll just go with it.
So today we had an angiogram, which is a procedure where they snake a tiny camera from a large artery in your groin up to your neck. Just the usual fun for Dwaine these days. But he came through beautifully and is now resting comfortably in his room. He's had a hit of Thorazine to eliminate a stubborn case of hiccups, so he's pretty out of it.
They found a tear on his carotid artery, just as they'd suspected. They want to wait to fix the constriction they found in it until after his brain has had a few weeks to heal. They don't want to "turn on the floodgates" until things have had a chance to settle down. But in the meantime, he can do whatever he wants (which is SLEEP, it seems! LOL!) But he'll be working on his cognitive therapy and physical/OT therapy in the meantime.
Interesting thing from the speech therapist today. She has a cognition test where you look at a book with pictures and you either have to say what the picture is, or what the letter is, or what's wrong with the picture, or what pattern is shown on one page after another. It's very clever. Dwaine seemed to do fine, but she didn't really go through the results with us until tomorrow. I don't notice much about his cognition - when he's not completely exhausted, and even though his speech is not clear, what he actually SAYS makes perfect sense. Understanding him is MY problem. And when he's not too tired, he speaks a lot more clearly. I'm really confident that, with a big chunk of work, he's going to get his speech back to normal.
And just a few minutes ago, I saw him use his left hand to scratch his face! I don't think he even knew he did it. Yeah, it was maybe a little cludgy, but considering he couldn't even lift his arm off the bed when we got here, it's amazing. Again, with a lot of hard work, we're going to get his strength back! Or at least as much of it as any person can possibly get.
As I talked with the doctor after his angiogram, I was struck by how close we came to losing our Dwaine. He told me the tear was almost as long as a finger! That he's battled back so far, so fast, is a testament to those Schmidt/Taylor stubborn genes! We're all really lucky to have him with us, and for many long years to come.
So, signing off from the twelfth floor of University Hospital, deep in the heart of East Colfax, I say Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone.
So today we had an angiogram, which is a procedure where they snake a tiny camera from a large artery in your groin up to your neck. Just the usual fun for Dwaine these days. But he came through beautifully and is now resting comfortably in his room. He's had a hit of Thorazine to eliminate a stubborn case of hiccups, so he's pretty out of it.
They found a tear on his carotid artery, just as they'd suspected. They want to wait to fix the constriction they found in it until after his brain has had a few weeks to heal. They don't want to "turn on the floodgates" until things have had a chance to settle down. But in the meantime, he can do whatever he wants (which is SLEEP, it seems! LOL!) But he'll be working on his cognitive therapy and physical/OT therapy in the meantime.
Interesting thing from the speech therapist today. She has a cognition test where you look at a book with pictures and you either have to say what the picture is, or what the letter is, or what's wrong with the picture, or what pattern is shown on one page after another. It's very clever. Dwaine seemed to do fine, but she didn't really go through the results with us until tomorrow. I don't notice much about his cognition - when he's not completely exhausted, and even though his speech is not clear, what he actually SAYS makes perfect sense. Understanding him is MY problem. And when he's not too tired, he speaks a lot more clearly. I'm really confident that, with a big chunk of work, he's going to get his speech back to normal.
And just a few minutes ago, I saw him use his left hand to scratch his face! I don't think he even knew he did it. Yeah, it was maybe a little cludgy, but considering he couldn't even lift his arm off the bed when we got here, it's amazing. Again, with a lot of hard work, we're going to get his strength back! Or at least as much of it as any person can possibly get.
As I talked with the doctor after his angiogram, I was struck by how close we came to losing our Dwaine. He told me the tear was almost as long as a finger! That he's battled back so far, so fast, is a testament to those Schmidt/Taylor stubborn genes! We're all really lucky to have him with us, and for many long years to come.
So, signing off from the twelfth floor of University Hospital, deep in the heart of East Colfax, I say Good Night and Sweet Dreams everyone.
January 4, 2011
Dear Friends of Dwaine,
Writing tonight from Room 1215 at University Hospital with Dwaine snoozing softly right here. He's had a very busy day and is just "worn out" as he says. He had to have a shot of Thorazine to get his hiccups under control for his CT scan, so that made him even more "worn out" than ever! So he's getting a well-deserved nap.
We started off with a CT scan and angiogram, but as I mentioned, Dwaine got a case of hiccups and had to reschedule for later in the day. So we entertained lots of great visitors who all wanted to see The Guy and let him know how much they care and hope that he gets well soon. His team of neurologists came in and did their usual tests which showed more strength returning. He was able to grasp the doctor's hand pretty firmly, spread his fingers out, lift his arms and legs, push hard against the bed and basically looking good all over.
The speech pathologist had a short time this morning, as they were going to take Dwaine to get his CT scan and angiogram. But she was able to talk a little about how a stroke can impact the brain's ability to deal with problems, anticipate events, stay focused and undistracted and all sorts of other moment-by-moment events we encounter. Dwaine's affect has been impacted by the stroke, in that he doesn't always display that quick easy smile he always had. He doesn't always join in on laughing at a joke quite like he used to. But it comes and goes - yesterday when friends Ron and Deb arrived, it was Dwaine who broke into the "Hello Party!" line he's always had. He raised his hands up to dance and I saw a genuine smile on his face. But that doesn't always happen, and I don't want anyone to feel he's not really appreciative of your visit if he doesn't. He is aware of everything and comments on it all later. Partly he just gets very, very tired and can't always keep up the energetic personality he's always had. Partly, his brain is just working so hard to re-wire everything it used to do without a thought that it doesn't leave much energy left for anything else. I'm confident that we'll get our Dwaine back in full force, because I can't imagine anything keeping THAT personality down for long!
Around 1:00, the neurologists came back with the results of the angiogram, and the results were . . . another exam. Tomorrow he's scheduled for an arteriogram, which is a procedure that snakes a tiny camera up through an artery to get a close-up look at the problem spot to see what is going on. They said that the angiogram seemed to show that the tear was healing, but not wide enough to allow for the right kind of blood flow. So, while he may be getting stronger under the haparin, he won't progress as far as he should until that problem is fixed. So, as soon as I hear anything, I'll send out another Dwaine-o-gram and let you all know.
So, now we get to deal with some of the insurance stuff and here's where I might need a little help. Dwaine has Kaiser insurance, and University Hospital is outside the Kaiser network. So that means at some point we'll be moving to St. Joseph's, which is a fine hospital too. But University is in the top 10 in the country, and I'd like him to stay here as long as possible. The doctors believe they are the only one's who can do the type of intervention work that Dwaine needs, so they think he'll be able to stay here until the rehabilitation phase. If there's anyone out there who knows how to work with Kaiser to help make sure this happens, THAT is something I could really use. If anyone deserves the best care in the world, it's our Dwaine. I need a powerful advocate who can take his case if I need to.
That's all for now. He's still asleep, though he woke up for a minute and asked me to order him a cheeseburger. I wonder if that's on his diet . . .
Writing tonight from Room 1215 at University Hospital with Dwaine snoozing softly right here. He's had a very busy day and is just "worn out" as he says. He had to have a shot of Thorazine to get his hiccups under control for his CT scan, so that made him even more "worn out" than ever! So he's getting a well-deserved nap.
We started off with a CT scan and angiogram, but as I mentioned, Dwaine got a case of hiccups and had to reschedule for later in the day. So we entertained lots of great visitors who all wanted to see The Guy and let him know how much they care and hope that he gets well soon. His team of neurologists came in and did their usual tests which showed more strength returning. He was able to grasp the doctor's hand pretty firmly, spread his fingers out, lift his arms and legs, push hard against the bed and basically looking good all over.
The speech pathologist had a short time this morning, as they were going to take Dwaine to get his CT scan and angiogram. But she was able to talk a little about how a stroke can impact the brain's ability to deal with problems, anticipate events, stay focused and undistracted and all sorts of other moment-by-moment events we encounter. Dwaine's affect has been impacted by the stroke, in that he doesn't always display that quick easy smile he always had. He doesn't always join in on laughing at a joke quite like he used to. But it comes and goes - yesterday when friends Ron and Deb arrived, it was Dwaine who broke into the "Hello Party!" line he's always had. He raised his hands up to dance and I saw a genuine smile on his face. But that doesn't always happen, and I don't want anyone to feel he's not really appreciative of your visit if he doesn't. He is aware of everything and comments on it all later. Partly he just gets very, very tired and can't always keep up the energetic personality he's always had. Partly, his brain is just working so hard to re-wire everything it used to do without a thought that it doesn't leave much energy left for anything else. I'm confident that we'll get our Dwaine back in full force, because I can't imagine anything keeping THAT personality down for long!
Around 1:00, the neurologists came back with the results of the angiogram, and the results were . . . another exam. Tomorrow he's scheduled for an arteriogram, which is a procedure that snakes a tiny camera up through an artery to get a close-up look at the problem spot to see what is going on. They said that the angiogram seemed to show that the tear was healing, but not wide enough to allow for the right kind of blood flow. So, while he may be getting stronger under the haparin, he won't progress as far as he should until that problem is fixed. So, as soon as I hear anything, I'll send out another Dwaine-o-gram and let you all know.
So, now we get to deal with some of the insurance stuff and here's where I might need a little help. Dwaine has Kaiser insurance, and University Hospital is outside the Kaiser network. So that means at some point we'll be moving to St. Joseph's, which is a fine hospital too. But University is in the top 10 in the country, and I'd like him to stay here as long as possible. The doctors believe they are the only one's who can do the type of intervention work that Dwaine needs, so they think he'll be able to stay here until the rehabilitation phase. If there's anyone out there who knows how to work with Kaiser to help make sure this happens, THAT is something I could really use. If anyone deserves the best care in the world, it's our Dwaine. I need a powerful advocate who can take his case if I need to.
That's all for now. He's still asleep, though he woke up for a minute and asked me to order him a cheeseburger. I wonder if that's on his diet . . .
January 3, 2011 (to all)
Hello everyone,
First, if you know of someone who needs this info, please feel free to forward to whoever you like. It would help if you cc: me as well, and I'll add their address to the list. I'm trying to update as best I can, so if you are getting this by someone who forwarded it - know that I'm piecing this together from my own email book which isn't NEARLY as extensive as our Dwaine's! But I'm getting there.
Thanks for all the well-wishes, it's been so gratifying and uplifting to Dwaine to see all the messages from people who are concerned and thinking of him. And all that good ju-ju must be working because he continues to improve remarkably.
Today he had an ultrasound which showed no additional clots floating around anywhere. His headache continues to subside, so that's been a great thing too - I think he was most distressed about that constant pain. The doctor said that could linger for up to two weeks, so we'll keep an eye on it.
The doctors will be doing an angioplasty tomorrow or Wednesday. That will help them see the actual vein that tore so that they know if it's already healing on its own (very likely), or whether they need to treat it with a stint or angioplasty. They're saying that the carotid artery must have tore a tiny bit, and as it was trying to heal itself, it threw off tiny clots into the brain. That's what caused the stroke.
When Dwaine first arrived at the hospital, he was barely intelligible, and couldn't move his left arm at all. Now, after two days of heparin treatment, he's got some movement back into the fingers on his left hand, and his speech is greatly improved. They're beginning to say that he's looking at a very, very strong - if not full - recovery. But it will take time and practice and work. And knowing Dwaine, he'll do what he needs to do to get better.
Emotionally, yesterday was a very hard day. He couldn't move his hand at all and was very, very frightened. I was desperate to figure out how to help him. Thankfully, he has so many, many good friends who are willing to drop everything and send him encouraging notes and stories that today he's bouncing back and I've seen him actually smile and laugh today. I am so thankful to all of you. I just couldn't do this without your support and Dwaine is benefiting so much from your love.
As his strength picks up, I know he would like visits from people. He does get very, very tired after a visit, so please just know that it's nothing personal if I have to shoo people out after a bit. It really just depends on the time of day and whether he's just had a pill or not - sometimes they make him very sleepy. If you want to visit, he's been moved into out of Intensive Care and is now in a regular room (though very nice - holy cow!). He's in 1215 at University Hospital. We expect he'll be here for at least another 4 days as they wean him off the heparin and onto coumadin. He'll be on that for about 3 months or so. But everything looks very good!
First, if you know of someone who needs this info, please feel free to forward to whoever you like. It would help if you cc: me as well, and I'll add their address to the list. I'm trying to update as best I can, so if you are getting this by someone who forwarded it - know that I'm piecing this together from my own email book which isn't NEARLY as extensive as our Dwaine's! But I'm getting there.
Thanks for all the well-wishes, it's been so gratifying and uplifting to Dwaine to see all the messages from people who are concerned and thinking of him. And all that good ju-ju must be working because he continues to improve remarkably.
Today he had an ultrasound which showed no additional clots floating around anywhere. His headache continues to subside, so that's been a great thing too - I think he was most distressed about that constant pain. The doctor said that could linger for up to two weeks, so we'll keep an eye on it.
The doctors will be doing an angioplasty tomorrow or Wednesday. That will help them see the actual vein that tore so that they know if it's already healing on its own (very likely), or whether they need to treat it with a stint or angioplasty. They're saying that the carotid artery must have tore a tiny bit, and as it was trying to heal itself, it threw off tiny clots into the brain. That's what caused the stroke.
When Dwaine first arrived at the hospital, he was barely intelligible, and couldn't move his left arm at all. Now, after two days of heparin treatment, he's got some movement back into the fingers on his left hand, and his speech is greatly improved. They're beginning to say that he's looking at a very, very strong - if not full - recovery. But it will take time and practice and work. And knowing Dwaine, he'll do what he needs to do to get better.
Emotionally, yesterday was a very hard day. He couldn't move his hand at all and was very, very frightened. I was desperate to figure out how to help him. Thankfully, he has so many, many good friends who are willing to drop everything and send him encouraging notes and stories that today he's bouncing back and I've seen him actually smile and laugh today. I am so thankful to all of you. I just couldn't do this without your support and Dwaine is benefiting so much from your love.
As his strength picks up, I know he would like visits from people. He does get very, very tired after a visit, so please just know that it's nothing personal if I have to shoo people out after a bit. It really just depends on the time of day and whether he's just had a pill or not - sometimes they make him very sleepy. If you want to visit, he's been moved into out of Intensive Care and is now in a regular room (though very nice - holy cow!). He's in 1215 at University Hospital. We expect he'll be here for at least another 4 days as they wean him off the heparin and onto coumadin. He'll be on that for about 3 months or so. But everything looks very good!
January 3, 2011
Dwaine was thinking about you two and wanted to send you this picture update.
The first is how he's feeling.
The second is a special message for you guys, who are still enjoying a lovely time in Mexico while we're up here enjoying hospital food! LOL!
I'll send an update along right away - he just feel asleep for the night so I've got time to put it all together. In short, he's progressing amazingly well, has some motion in his left hand again, so things are really looking up.
January 2, 2011
Dwaine is resting right now, so I have a minute to send out an email to everyone. Thanks for all your well-wishes, they are not misplaced as he is doing a bit better every day.
The heparin treatment appears to be working pretty well, except for his left hand, which is still pretty tight, and his speech, which is going to take some work. The doctors said it was a tear in his carotid artery and they're studying the MRI scans to see if they need to do an angioplasty. They'll know tomorrow or so. Until then, he's doing daily therapy now and was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair pretty much by himself. He had solid food today, just a few bites of sandwich and cottage cheese and fruit and ice cream, but he did pretty good. Choking a little on liquids - I just think they're extra-hard to manage with the left side of his tongue a bit out of whack.
Lots of visitors today, everyone wants to wish him well, which is not surprising considering how he's always the one sending cards and notes to others over the years! All visits are truly appreciated, but remember he needs to rest a lot. He can usually do about 15 minutes or so before he starts getting really tired and needs some quiet time. I'm sure over time that will improve, but for now that's probably the best. Usually from 9:00 to noon is good, toward the lunch time he works on eating then needs to rest for a few hours. After 5:00 might be another good time until about 7 or so. He's at University Hospital in Fitzsimmon's in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit in room 230. My cell is 303 XXX XXXX.
I tell myself that Dwaine's always been strong as an ox, so if anyone can bounce back from this, it's him. And with all of us who love him here to help him out, how could he NOT get better?
Talk to you all more when I hear more.
The heparin treatment appears to be working pretty well, except for his left hand, which is still pretty tight, and his speech, which is going to take some work. The doctors said it was a tear in his carotid artery and they're studying the MRI scans to see if they need to do an angioplasty. They'll know tomorrow or so. Until then, he's doing daily therapy now and was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair pretty much by himself. He had solid food today, just a few bites of sandwich and cottage cheese and fruit and ice cream, but he did pretty good. Choking a little on liquids - I just think they're extra-hard to manage with the left side of his tongue a bit out of whack.
Lots of visitors today, everyone wants to wish him well, which is not surprising considering how he's always the one sending cards and notes to others over the years! All visits are truly appreciated, but remember he needs to rest a lot. He can usually do about 15 minutes or so before he starts getting really tired and needs some quiet time. I'm sure over time that will improve, but for now that's probably the best. Usually from 9:00 to noon is good, toward the lunch time he works on eating then needs to rest for a few hours. After 5:00 might be another good time until about 7 or so. He's at University Hospital in Fitzsimmon's in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit in room 230. My cell is 303 XXX XXXX.
I tell myself that Dwaine's always been strong as an ox, so if anyone can bounce back from this, it's him. And with all of us who love him here to help him out, how could he NOT get better?
Talk to you all more when I hear more.
January 1, 2011
I'm hoping most of you have already heard, but I wanted to try to fill everyone in on what's been happening with Dwaine.
We returned from Mexico today and got in to Denver around 5:30 or so. Dwaine seemed fine on the plane, though he'd had a headache for a few days. He thought it was from a sinus problem from a cold he'd had for a week down there. He'd been taking cold medicine for a while, but it didn't seem to be helping. Anyway, I got off the plane and assumed he was right behind me. I got down the hallway toward Customs a bit, then realized he wasn't there. So I waited a while and still, no Dwaine. So I went back down the hallway and found him walking oddly and unable to carry his carryon bag properly. He looked pale and his mouth was hanging oddly. I knew right away something was very wrong. He couldn't speak clearly, so I ran to try to find some help and finally called 911 on my cell. They transferred me to DIA emergency and they sent paramedics right away. We got through Customs somehow and whisked to University Hospital by ambulance. By that time, Dwaine couldn't lift his left arm very well and his left side was numb. They took him in for a CT scan and found what looked like a blood clot in his brain. So they were going to give him clotbuster medicine, but after looking at the scans closer, it appeared there may be a tiny tear in his artery. Clot busters could actually cause bleeding, so they decided to start him with heparin instead. After about 30 minutes of that, he was able to raise his left arm again, though he still can't grasp my hand yet. His speech is getting much better. He is still thinking clearly, so that's very good. But he still has the headache and a bit of nausea. They're going to treat him through the evening and then work on a further plan tomorrow a.m.
I'm here and won't be leaving any time soon, until I feel he's truly getting better. I know you all care deeply for Dwaine and know that you would want to know.
We returned from Mexico today and got in to Denver around 5:30 or so. Dwaine seemed fine on the plane, though he'd had a headache for a few days. He thought it was from a sinus problem from a cold he'd had for a week down there. He'd been taking cold medicine for a while, but it didn't seem to be helping. Anyway, I got off the plane and assumed he was right behind me. I got down the hallway toward Customs a bit, then realized he wasn't there. So I waited a while and still, no Dwaine. So I went back down the hallway and found him walking oddly and unable to carry his carryon bag properly. He looked pale and his mouth was hanging oddly. I knew right away something was very wrong. He couldn't speak clearly, so I ran to try to find some help and finally called 911 on my cell. They transferred me to DIA emergency and they sent paramedics right away. We got through Customs somehow and whisked to University Hospital by ambulance. By that time, Dwaine couldn't lift his left arm very well and his left side was numb. They took him in for a CT scan and found what looked like a blood clot in his brain. So they were going to give him clotbuster medicine, but after looking at the scans closer, it appeared there may be a tiny tear in his artery. Clot busters could actually cause bleeding, so they decided to start him with heparin instead. After about 30 minutes of that, he was able to raise his left arm again, though he still can't grasp my hand yet. His speech is getting much better. He is still thinking clearly, so that's very good. But he still has the headache and a bit of nausea. They're going to treat him through the evening and then work on a further plan tomorrow a.m.
I'm here and won't be leaving any time soon, until I feel he's truly getting better. I know you all care deeply for Dwaine and know that you would want to know.
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