Update 11/15/05
Hello to all,
Today was a much better day than yesterday for Jason.
Jason got up and did a full 2 hour workout at PT.
I believe he said that he did 4 full walks around the room.
Having Aunt Barbara a PT of many years experience is a great blessing this week.
As with Col. Martha, the RN of many years experience, Barbara looks at Jason's activities with professional as well as familial eyes. She tells the staff, "let's do it this way."
One of the problems we have encountered on this floor is that Jason could not fit in a "regular wheelchair." Aunt Barbara went after a more fitting chair and so today we are using a "cardiac chair" which is sorta like a gurney with side rails.
Jason also had a long session of Occupational Therapy in the afternoon.
Preparing for the prosthesis is very high tech. The OT attaches electrodes to Jason's right residual arm at different muscle groups. Jason through flexing the muscles "steers" a car through a maze getting points if he doesn't hit walls. The OT says the better Jason gets the faster the car will go. This practice will train Jason to operate an electric based hand. Next the end of the electrodes are attached to the hand he will use and Jason opens and closes the hand. Jason after one week can literally pick up cones and stack them. Jason is not wearing the hand as his own prosthesis will be created after his arm is healed, the OT holds it.
Next Jason went to an exercise machine for the same arm, his left arm will be in a cast another 4 weeks. The OT said there will be much work to do with the left arm as it will be trained to be his dominant. The surgery was also very extensive and the arm will need rehab. A armband was velcroed above the right elbow. a metal line was attached to a machine that measures resistance, so today for an introduction Jason worked with a 5 pound weight. Just think of it as a way to hold a weight in a hand that is not there to work the upper arm. Again, biofeedback via green bars of different lengths depending on what he lifted. When it comes to working out Jason is totally focused and the OT says he really learns quick.
This ward has its own strange rules. I can't take Jason's basin out of the room. One of the RN's on 65 said, "you are always getting ice, take the basin (everyone is familiar with the plastic basins they give you in the hospital?") and create a ice chest. So we stick in a can of ensure, gatorade, water, milk, and now diet coke and during the day Jason can "mix his drinks" to whatever his tastebuds desire. (Jason can now taste sweet, had some tingling about his right side of his mouth yesterday, said he didn't have today. So nerves are trying to reconnect we think.) I said, "I can't take this to the pantry and refill it? I have been doing it for the last month on 65!" So I guess I have to sneak it out when no one is looking!
On 65 we had our own can of super disenfecting towelettes (you must wear rubber gloves when you use) that we were to use once a shift on every flat surface to keep germs down. On 58, so the story told to me goes, a person was using them to clean the patient, so NONE in the rooms. We have to chase from the RN's!
Jason needs a room freshener sometimes. I asked at the RN desk. "Sorry patients aren't permitted air freshners!" I said, " Ward 65 kept it in his room. Would you please call Jason's MD for me?" The RN station controller(secretary) said, "Wait, let's talkto the LT"( sitting right there). He looked at me and I said, "Look Jason needs it now." Lt Couch said, "Fine I will go to 65 and get some,' about 5 minutes later I had it. This is life from the patient's mother's experience at Walter Reed premier military hospital. Tell me about it! Thank God for my hospice chaplain experience where the patient and the family needs DO REALLY come first. This time I am on the other side of the bed, but my knowledge and experience sure keeps me from backing down from these yokels. You know me and my passion! Good quality health care for Very Seriously Injured, VSI, soldiers from Iraq is my number 1! No questions to be asked by any staff!
Today was a much better day than yesterday for Jason.
Jason got up and did a full 2 hour workout at PT.
I believe he said that he did 4 full walks around the room.
Having Aunt Barbara a PT of many years experience is a great blessing this week.
As with Col. Martha, the RN of many years experience, Barbara looks at Jason's activities with professional as well as familial eyes. She tells the staff, "let's do it this way."
One of the problems we have encountered on this floor is that Jason could not fit in a "regular wheelchair." Aunt Barbara went after a more fitting chair and so today we are using a "cardiac chair" which is sorta like a gurney with side rails.
Jason also had a long session of Occupational Therapy in the afternoon.
Preparing for the prosthesis is very high tech. The OT attaches electrodes to Jason's right residual arm at different muscle groups. Jason through flexing the muscles "steers" a car through a maze getting points if he doesn't hit walls. The OT says the better Jason gets the faster the car will go. This practice will train Jason to operate an electric based hand. Next the end of the electrodes are attached to the hand he will use and Jason opens and closes the hand. Jason after one week can literally pick up cones and stack them. Jason is not wearing the hand as his own prosthesis will be created after his arm is healed, the OT holds it.
Next Jason went to an exercise machine for the same arm, his left arm will be in a cast another 4 weeks. The OT said there will be much work to do with the left arm as it will be trained to be his dominant. The surgery was also very extensive and the arm will need rehab. A armband was velcroed above the right elbow. a metal line was attached to a machine that measures resistance, so today for an introduction Jason worked with a 5 pound weight. Just think of it as a way to hold a weight in a hand that is not there to work the upper arm. Again, biofeedback via green bars of different lengths depending on what he lifted. When it comes to working out Jason is totally focused and the OT says he really learns quick.
This ward has its own strange rules. I can't take Jason's basin out of the room. One of the RN's on 65 said, "you are always getting ice, take the basin (everyone is familiar with the plastic basins they give you in the hospital?") and create a ice chest. So we stick in a can of ensure, gatorade, water, milk, and now diet coke and during the day Jason can "mix his drinks" to whatever his tastebuds desire. (Jason can now taste sweet, had some tingling about his right side of his mouth yesterday, said he didn't have today. So nerves are trying to reconnect we think.) I said, "I can't take this to the pantry and refill it? I have been doing it for the last month on 65!" So I guess I have to sneak it out when no one is looking!
On 65 we had our own can of super disenfecting towelettes (you must wear rubber gloves when you use) that we were to use once a shift on every flat surface to keep germs down. On 58, so the story told to me goes, a person was using them to clean the patient, so NONE in the rooms. We have to chase from the RN's!
Jason needs a room freshener sometimes. I asked at the RN desk. "Sorry patients aren't permitted air freshners!" I said, " Ward 65 kept it in his room. Would you please call Jason's MD for me?" The RN station controller(secretary) said, "Wait, let's talkto the LT"( sitting right there). He looked at me and I said, "Look Jason needs it now." Lt Couch said, "Fine I will go to 65 and get some,' about 5 minutes later I had it. This is life from the patient's mother's experience at Walter Reed premier military hospital. Tell me about it! Thank God for my hospice chaplain experience where the patient and the family needs DO REALLY come first. This time I am on the other side of the bed, but my knowledge and experience sure keeps me from backing down from these yokels. You know me and my passion! Good quality health care for Very Seriously Injured, VSI, soldiers from Iraq is my number 1! No questions to be asked by any staff!
posted by Katy (Scott) Zatsick | 11/15/2005 08:32:00 PM
1 Comments:
GO Katy! You are the woman for this job, I know it brings out your fighting spirit and you love a fight for a good cause.
EXCELLENT news on Jason's eyesight. We are on the second novena to St. Lucy and the help of the buddha has been enlisted.
Can Jason take vitamins? A good B complex would be useful for nerve restoration.
Love,
Judy
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