[nagdu] Middle Oct. update; Ed had a stroke

[Margo and Arrow]

ed, toni and doggies, here's a hug if you all want one.  Am holding you in 
prayer.

margo andArrow
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ed and Toni Eames" <eeames at csufresno.edu>
To: "Recipient list suppressed:"
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 8:28 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Middle Oct. update; Ed had a stroke


> At 05:24 AM 10/15/2009, you wrote:
>>Middle Oct., 2009
>>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Apparently, I neglected to mention Ed did come home on Tuesday Oct. 6 
>>after 7 days in the hospital.  Debbie came to get us after Ed and I went 
>>through all of the discharge rigmarole!  Ed was so thrilled to be back in 
>>his own bed and slept 12 hours that first night.
>>
>>By the next day, he was working to build strength and even shopped for a 
>>half hour with Debbie at the 99 Cent store.
>>
>>The day after discharge, a visiting nurse came to the house and completed 
>>an extremely thorough health questionnaire.  Both Lynn Danell, our 
>>veterinary technician guardian angel, who would be administering the 
>>infusion antibiotic, and retired nurse friend Janet Moore, came to the 
>>house to be shown the procedure by the visiting nurse.  That night, Ed 
>>slept for 9 hours and we were encouraged that he was catching up on 
>>healthy recovery.
>>
>>Thursday our routine was pretty normal with readers and catching up on 
>>e-mail.  Lynn came in the afternoon to tend to the cats and give Ed the 
>>treatment.  We joked that Ed might start meowing after the five week 
>>course of infusions!
>>
>>Thursday night, Ed was restless and did not sleep well.  After going to 
>>Petco with Anita and Eric on Friday morning, Ed admitted to being very 
>>tired.  When he was discharged, the nurse assured him he could do anything 
>>within his strength and shopping was a chore he loved.  After a lunch, 
>>prepared by Ed, he napped for an hour in his Lazy Boy chair.
>>
>>He awoke very groggy and within a few minutes, his speech was slurred and 
>>a left side weakness had begun.  Lynn was here when we observed his 
>>symptoms and 911 was again called.  Each time we've dealth with them, I 
>>have been extremely impressed with their kindness and efficiency.  I 
>>thought I was scared during the first hospitalization, but it was nothing 
>>compared with the terror of knowing he had a stroke!
>>
>>In her calm, take charge manner, Lynn drove me back to St. Agnes and I was 
>>pleased Ed's sense of humor showed through his halting, but mostly 
>>intelligible speech.  Upon hearing the news, Linda Haymond rushed to be 
>>with us during the long vigil in the emergency room.  We joked that 
>>Keebler and Latrell would be confused if he were placed back on the fifth 
>>floor, but in a different room.  After another score of tests, Ed was 
>>admitted to the telemetry floor, room 460, with a diagnosis of moderate to 
>>severe stroke.
>>
>>Saturday morning I felt encouraged when Ed had the nurse call me to ask if 
>>I would be joining him for breakfast.  His speech was understandable. 
>>Several more tests were performed and by the time I arrived at his 
>>bedside, he was not fully awake and could not communicate.  My fears are 
>>so enormous, I had the first of many long crying spells before visiting 
>>him.  I know it is too early to determine damage and I know I need to take 
>>things minute by minute, but not being able to understand him is torture!
>>
>>Keebler, Latrell and I arrive each morning driven by a friend and the 
>>three of us settle in for a 8-10 hour day in the hospital with Ed.  His 
>>left arm is extremely weak, but his left leg is relatively strong.  He 
>>went from intravenous feeding to being spoon fed honey thickened food, due 
>>to partial paralysis of his swallowing mechanisms.  Linda has been coming 
>>every night to feed him and the nursing aids have been most helpful.  On 
>>top of everything else, Ed developed pneumonia and is often very sleepy. 
>>But when the therapists come to work with him, he is eager to do his 
>>exercises.
>>
>>Luckily, Keebler has learned our way to the elevators, the outside grass 
>>and back to the hospital room.  I feel much less helpless in that way. 
>>But we have had hospital glitches, increasing my anxiety and frustration.
>>
>>Each day of his stays at St. Agnes, nurses and nursing aids write their 
>>name and a number on a board in Ed's room.  It took several days before 
>>someone explained to me that these numbers were cell phone numbers for 
>>quick access to the nursing staff.  Ed did not want a Foley catheter, 
>>having had a nightmare experience several years ago with a nursing aid who 
>>pierced the bladder while trying to insert it.  It took several days of 
>>urinal searches by me and accidental spilling by Ed until a nurse's aid 
>>told us about a condon catheter, a non invasive procedure.  The most 
>>egregious error was the doctor failing to order a diabetic diet, causing 
>>Ed's glucose to spike , then giving him extra insulin.  Thank goodness 
>>Linda noticed when feeding him.  When Janet Moore visits, she can read the 
>>chart and interpret things to me the doctor has not covered well.
>>
>>For me, the most frightening part of seeing Ed is that he has turned from 
>>a vital, involved and active man into an old man with halting speech and 
>>very little mobility.  We have been partners in most advocacy and 
>>educational efforts, it is difficult to deal with the unknown.
>>
>>Ed received physical, occupational and speech therapy at St. Agnes, but we 
>>are looking forward to discharge on Oct. 16 when he will be transferred to 
>>the San Joaquin Valley Rehabilitation Center where he will receive 
>>extensive therapies.  I hope his speech is quickly strengthened so our 
>>communication will be smoother.  I don't do well with the unknown, so hope 
>>we can see an upward trend in his recovery.
>>
>>Our many friends have been extremely supportive and caring for me as well 
>>as for Ed.  I get a ride home, but  come home exhausted and, after feeding 
>>the animals, drop into bed, but sleep only five or six hours, so I can 
>>work on the update and get a little of my own stuff accomplished.  Marsha 
>>discovered Latrell was working on a hotspot, probably due to his stress 
>>level, seeing Ed but not taking any walks with him.  I think we caught it 
>>early and are treating it with Benedril.
>>
>>One evening after Stephanie and I left, Linda brought her laptop and 
>>encouraged Ed to dictate an addendum to this update.  As you will read, 
>>his sense of humor remains and his goal of getting well and eating again 
>>is strong.  He is mostly cognitively alert.  Read his own words:
>>
>>Dear Friends,
>>
>>Toni has been keeping you updated on events in my recent medical life. 
>>One of the outstanding events has been the outpouring of love and help on 
>>a daily basis.  Toni usually handles the calls and gives updates on the 
>>latest news.  It completely overwhelms me, this outpouring of love and 
>>concern.  I think it creates a new group in my life which I am referring 
>>to as my St. Agnes support team.  These folks have all been part of our 
>>lives for quite awhile and with the additional commitment of help and 
>>love.
>>
>>Today I started rehab and my goals are to get out of here as soon as 
>>possible and to eat a full meal with all of the fixings!  Under speech 
>>therapy I  now swallow liquids like applesauce, thickened apple juice, 
>>chocolate pudding and soup.  One of my dreams now is to attack a glass of 
>>water with ice cubes and be able to swallow it without aspiration 
>>problems.  Another enticing image is a tall glass of Sam Adams Beer.  If I 
>>were at Black Angus I would have it.
>>
>>Dr. Telles, my cardiologist, visited a few minutes ago and was quite 
>>dismayed to discover Toni had taken Keebler and Latrell home.  He is a dog 
>>lover deeply attached to a Labrador pet in his home.  He has certainly 
>>made the staff aware of how welcomed the dogs should be and he has set the 
>>tone for the cardiac units.
>>
>>Of course, Toni is my anchor and joy in this current medical morass.
>>
>>Ed
>
>
>
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