Category: Acuity

Update 4.11.18

Houdini is now Bob’s nickname. Today, he was somehow able to maneuver himself to remove his entire trach! Mind you, he has the socks. And mitts. AND RESTRAINTS. I was at a doctors appt for myself when I got this news from his respiratory therapist. They were taking my blood pressure. It was high. He’s killing me. 😡

His bed was a wider model so that it was also longer because he is so tall. He was able to slide and shimmy down to his right side and get his right hand up to his neck. He then spun his mitt around and pulled out the trach. When the nurse did her next check, he had the trach in his mouth chewing on it. Never yelled. He didn’t desat. No blood. So no one knew. They kept it out because his O2 is around 94-95% so he is doing well maintaining his own airway. 🤦‍♀️ So the trauma team in ICU telling me two weeks ago that the trach would be in for 2-3 months had not met my conscious, stubborn, willful, and determined husband. He is now hooked up to very few monitors and also got his beard trimmed last night. He has two new scars in his head from the head laceration from impact as well as the drain. He is looking better and better. He yells at me and curses at me a fair amount. And he doesn’t remember that iced tea is my favorite drink. He’s just frustrated and confused. I am too most days. 🙄 I’m also a bit bummed that neither PT nor Speech came to see him today. He keeps bugging me for something to drink. He can’t have it without the speech therapist to monitor him. So he was talking to me about where to get food for him…

B: Try the cafeteria. If you’re not gonna try it you’re just wasting my time.

I love him. I do. He also told me we could go on vacation wherever I want when he’s all better. I didn’t record it. You are all my witnesses. 😘 All our love, Karen and Bob xoxo

Update 4.10.18

Good day today also. TBI patients lose their filter and Bob is no exception. I try not to laugh at the funny stuff he says because it makes him so much angrier.

B: help me

K: with what?

B: these gloves. Get them off (he still has mitts on)

K: I can’t. Holly (nurse) says I’m not allowed.

B: I’m not asking you to go on an illegal mission.

Then I laugh and he gets mad. And I feel bad. He really wants out of this bad hotel. He was seen by PT and Speech today. Speech had him propped up in bed and had a couple of ice chips, a few sips of water and two spoonfuls of pudding. All dyed bright blue to make sure he wasn’t aspirating anything. He did well, but his tongue, lips and cheeks are out of practice for eating so they were sluggish. He was evaluated by Moss Rehabilitation today and he will be presented to their board tomorrow morning. Please pray for his acceptance. Magee Rehabilitation comes Thursday to evaluate and I tour both facilities on Thursday. I plan to make my first and second choice selection by Friday. Please pray for me to make the one that is in Bob’s best interest. Keep praying for all of us. We will still need these prayers for quite some time. Thank you all for loving us. Love, Karen and Bob

Belly full of Blue Pudding…

Update 4.9.18

Bob is cracking me up. He has said some funny stuff and some really sweet stuff mixed in with a dash of crazy today.

Conversation about our Foster Son:

Karen: do you know the baby’s name?

Bob: I don’t know. They come and go.

Conversation about work:

K: do you know what I do for work?

B: you teach.

K: what do you do?

B: a lot.

K: I know. But what’s your job?

B: to make all the money.

Random Conversation.

B: you infuriate me

K: why?!?

B: your lack of knowledge

K: regarding what?

B: your hotel choice. This is a bad one.

K: this isn’t a hotel. It’s a hospital.

B: I thought we were checking out today.

On Alexa:

B: Alexa, bring me Kathryn

K: who?

B: my cousin, Kathryn.

K: Kathy?

B: yes.

So we called her. Then he became increasingly irritated that the Alexa in the room didn’t work when he had just set it up yesterday. (There is no Alexa in the room). He also told Mikey “I love you Buddy”, which is his nickname for Mikey. He told me he loved me often. Keep on praying! Love, Karen and Bob xoxo

Update 4.8.18

BOB IS AWAKE AND TALKING! He answered the following questions earlier:

Where are you? Philly (I have talked non stop about sending him to rehab in Philly)

What year is it? 1986 (his birth year)

Who is the president? Trump

Please excuse my excitement in the video. I wasn’t sure if he was saying Karen or Girlie (his nickname for me). And also excuse my hysterical sobbing.

He also said “not right now” when I asked if he wanted to talk to Michael and shortly after requested a “Pepsi” when I asked him what he needed. *we just FaceTimed with Michael and Bob told Mikey he loved him twice* He also stuck his tongue out crazy far and moved his right foot when asked. Vent update: he’s just on the collar and breathing 21% oxygen which is what room air is. PRAISE GOD!!! Keep those prayers coming! Today is an amazing day!!! Love, Karen and Bob