Hell on Earth

Haha! Catching up on this thread really put me in a good mood Blind! It really is amazing what the human body can overcome, tell your dad to keep up the good work!
 
Update:

I'm running about 12 hours behind on these, sorry. This morning my dad was showing similar finger movement in his right hand and his left was even better.

Our latest concern is that he has developed a red spot on his back that may be a bed sore that is forming from the inside out - that's the worst kind. He keeps insisting on being on his back and not on either side - that's going to change. He can't be on his back except for PT and to eat, then he has to be back on his sides to let this thing heal. In spinal cord injuries (SCI) above T6, there is a strong chance of Autonomic Disreflexia - essentially the Vegas nerve that goes to the heart starts picking up "warning" sensations, such as pain or a full bladder, and tires to take that signal to the brain. The problem is that in doing so it stimulates the heart, resulting in rapid pulse and high blood pressure, which can lead to stroke. So this bed sore is not just a sore, but potentially life-threatening. Not to mention SCI also results in some compromising of the immune system due to the damage to the autonomic response.

Damn, sorry to go all doctor-vocab on you guys.
 
Thanks for the update Blind - given how far your Dad's come so far, I'm sure a bed sore won't beat him.
 
Great to hear some more good news. Happy Thanksgiving wishes to your dad.
 
good to hear that your dada is making progress. I'm sure this minor setback will be only temporary and he will soon be making further improvements.
 
After just one day of not being on his back except to eat and for PT, the sore is already reduced in size. The new plan is working.
 
:DGreat to hear!
 
After just one day of not being on his back except to eat and for PT, the sore is already reduced in size. The new plan is working.

http://img204.imageshack.**/img204/1117/motivator2372812ya1.jpg
 
Been a while since I've checked up but I'm glad to see that everything is going smoothly.:)
 
After just one day of not being on his back except to eat and for PT, the sore is already reduced in size. The new plan is working.

Fantastic news. Great to hear the improvements :D
 
Update:

Sorry for how long it's been.

My dad was having a rough go of it, he was really pale and tired all the time - but that didn't stop him from pushing the clunker of a wheelchair the length of a football field for physical therapy! The chair is a high-back design and not one of the nice lightweight ones (anyone know if Lotus makes a wheel chair?) The wheels on this thing are horrible - the plastic flexes between the spokes so it's like trying to push it through sand. Not that it mattered to my dad, he pushed on anyway.

He has talked to Respiratory Therapy about the vent a couple times, he says he feels better breathing without it. They put him on the vent at night and he always wakes up exhausted. I asked if the filters need to be changed, or possibly the whole machine. He gets Albuterol treatments a couple times a day and I was worried that it may have clogged the filters or the machine. They told me that Albuterol doesn't do that. Well, guess what? They finally changed the filters and it's all better now - the vent is doing what it's supposed to do. I may just be a Psychology student, but I'm no idiot.
 
It's a good thing your dad has you around Blind. Good to hear the physical therapy is going well, even with the rickety wheelchair!
 
Hey, it's good to hear that your dad's continuing the recovery so well. So the wheels keep flexing on that chair hey? How about this wheel?
carbonkarma.jpg

It's made from 100% Carbon Fibre ;) (It's also purty :p)

Good thing you asked them about the respirator. Sometimes the staff may be stubborn but, it's you responsibility to keep asking if you're not sure. It's excellent that your dad can now breath a little easier. :thumbsup:

Hoping for a speedy recovery,

-Gman
 
Update:

Good: My dad is still making progress
Bad: He's contracted pneumonia again, which has knocked him on his proverbial ass
Good: We are getting bids for residential elevators and modifications to the house
Bad: My mom's S80 developed a problem with the central locking and had to go in for service
Good: They said they would give us a loaner car
Bad: They were out of loaner cars
Good: so they rented me one
Bad: a Chevy Malibu

And all that was by 10:00 AM today. More later, and a driving review of the *gag* Malibu. (I feel the need to rant about something).
 
Update:

Good: My dad is still making progress
Bad: He's contracted pneumonia again, which has knocked him on his proverbial ass
Good: We are getting bids for residential elevators and modifications to the house
Bad: My mom's S80 developed a problem with the central locking and had to go in for service
Good: They said they would give us a loaner car
Bad: They were out of loaner cars
Good: so they rented me one
Bad: a Chevy Malibu

And all that was by 10:00 AM today. More later, and a driving review of the *gag* Malibu. (I feel the need to rant about something).

BASTARDS! as if having your father hospitalised and dealing with the daily trips back and forth from the hospital weren't enough. They spit in your face and rub salt in your wounds with that! A plague on their houses.

/I'd be bummed too.
 
I just drove home and realized that it's not the Malibu, it's the Impala. Not that it makes a difference, the car still blows harder than one of these:



(click image for hint)
 
Only GM can make a car so badly, that you don't care what it's called, you just want to drive anything else. I can empathise with you on that, I had to rent a Chevrolet Uplander people carrier/minivan when some idiot crashed into the back of my Altima. That was the worst car I've ever driven, everything about it was horrible and revolting.
 
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