Wednesday: A trip to Mologne House
Dow took the morning shift one last time before heading off to Chicago later in the day. Dow and Jason have been working on college aps and job interests when people tell Jason of a position that he might be interested in. George Washington University here in DC has a degree in Security Management that sounded interesting to Jason. Jason is also interested in positions in the FBI.
Dow is taking Jason's computer back to Chicago to "clean it up." Now there are computers everywhere. Jason received the one he had in Iraq as his friends brought all the electronics in a huge packing case from Ft. Stewart. Jason has a computer in Chicago, one in his room, and one in the Mologne House room that Dow brought from Chicago so that I could have one for email. Oh Yes, the VA will be giving Jason a voice activated computer which should be arriving soon... Computers seem to be something agin to rabbits as far as I can tell.
Morning PT remains the same routine, trying to move Jason's mouth ever more open and trying to move his right hip out of the frozen position. The electrodes to Jason's face have now opened his mouth to two centimeters. In the afternoon of OT I saw Jason work with a new exercise. Imagine a board with pegs about 3 feet wide. The pegs are in a shape of a triangle, square and kidney bean. There are four sets of pegs one is located above the head, one about eye level, one at waist level, and one about twelve inches off the floor. Jason has to move the shapes, rehanging each at the level he's working on. The hardest was at the lowest level where he had difficulty bending over and reaching down to put the shape on the pegs. Heidi said that the board was at the highest it could go. Jason was wearing his electric prosthetic which is plastic and not working because his arm has shrunken. he rested it at the waist level edge and slid off balance. "Ouch" he got pinched by the peg board and prosthetic. Really took him back for a couple of minutes. In the afternoon session of PT Jason, and Dow setting them up, worked with weights to strengthen his upper arms and back. They visited with Col Andrew and his wife Lisa whom we hadn't seen since before Christmas.
At 1PM John Veldoni, Jason, Dow and I took a trip to Mologne House Hotel to see what Jason needs at this time to transition to outpatient. Jason was able to sit on the bed by himself if an extra set of box springs was added to the height. John said he would address getting the bed to the correct height. For bath safety Jason also needs a suction bath mat for the floor as his balance is not good and a on a slippery wet floor.... The challenge now becomes one of moving the great bureaucracy--Army and contractor who runs Mologne House Hotel to decide how to get a set of box springs. After visiting the room, we stopped by the front desk where the manager (I assume) steadfastly held to "No we don't provide extra box springs...It can not be done..." when John V requested the item. I will leave this snarl of authority/responsiblity up to the Army and various administrators to wrestle the bureaucracies into submission and provide an inpatient who can become an outpatient the required equipment to make it happen. It has to be so frustrating for all involved, especially the military dealing with civilians. No chain of command there.
As Wednesday is Quixote Center liturgy evening and pot luck dinner, Martha picked me up at 5PM and we headed off for the evening. It is always good to visit the center and experience the peace of God so very present there. Nancy one of the regular attendees loves to make wine. So far we have tasted pear wine and tomato wine. Tomato wine has a hint of tomato and is clear, no color. I was amazed but she said color is lost in the creation of the wine.
Today was also cell phone day as Jason was reconnecting himself via the phone. He tinkered with it for quite some time, resting on his bed. I left him happily connected to the "cellular world" after getting him a roasted chicken Subway from the first floor lobby for his dinner.
Dow is taking Jason's computer back to Chicago to "clean it up." Now there are computers everywhere. Jason received the one he had in Iraq as his friends brought all the electronics in a huge packing case from Ft. Stewart. Jason has a computer in Chicago, one in his room, and one in the Mologne House room that Dow brought from Chicago so that I could have one for email. Oh Yes, the VA will be giving Jason a voice activated computer which should be arriving soon... Computers seem to be something agin to rabbits as far as I can tell.
Morning PT remains the same routine, trying to move Jason's mouth ever more open and trying to move his right hip out of the frozen position. The electrodes to Jason's face have now opened his mouth to two centimeters. In the afternoon of OT I saw Jason work with a new exercise. Imagine a board with pegs about 3 feet wide. The pegs are in a shape of a triangle, square and kidney bean. There are four sets of pegs one is located above the head, one about eye level, one at waist level, and one about twelve inches off the floor. Jason has to move the shapes, rehanging each at the level he's working on. The hardest was at the lowest level where he had difficulty bending over and reaching down to put the shape on the pegs. Heidi said that the board was at the highest it could go. Jason was wearing his electric prosthetic which is plastic and not working because his arm has shrunken. he rested it at the waist level edge and slid off balance. "Ouch" he got pinched by the peg board and prosthetic. Really took him back for a couple of minutes. In the afternoon session of PT Jason, and Dow setting them up, worked with weights to strengthen his upper arms and back. They visited with Col Andrew and his wife Lisa whom we hadn't seen since before Christmas.
At 1PM John Veldoni, Jason, Dow and I took a trip to Mologne House Hotel to see what Jason needs at this time to transition to outpatient. Jason was able to sit on the bed by himself if an extra set of box springs was added to the height. John said he would address getting the bed to the correct height. For bath safety Jason also needs a suction bath mat for the floor as his balance is not good and a on a slippery wet floor.... The challenge now becomes one of moving the great bureaucracy--Army and contractor who runs Mologne House Hotel to decide how to get a set of box springs. After visiting the room, we stopped by the front desk where the manager (I assume) steadfastly held to "No we don't provide extra box springs...It can not be done..." when John V requested the item. I will leave this snarl of authority/responsiblity up to the Army and various administrators to wrestle the bureaucracies into submission and provide an inpatient who can become an outpatient the required equipment to make it happen. It has to be so frustrating for all involved, especially the military dealing with civilians. No chain of command there.
As Wednesday is Quixote Center liturgy evening and pot luck dinner, Martha picked me up at 5PM and we headed off for the evening. It is always good to visit the center and experience the peace of God so very present there. Nancy one of the regular attendees loves to make wine. So far we have tasted pear wine and tomato wine. Tomato wine has a hint of tomato and is clear, no color. I was amazed but she said color is lost in the creation of the wine.
Today was also cell phone day as Jason was reconnecting himself via the phone. He tinkered with it for quite some time, resting on his bed. I left him happily connected to the "cellular world" after getting him a roasted chicken Subway from the first floor lobby for his dinner.
posted by Katy (Scott) Zatsick | 1/19/2006 09:51:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home