Thursday, February 19 … Bunko Blessings

Update by Cindy. As many of you know, I have played bunko once-a-month with the same group of ladies for the past 10 years. Most of these women are moms of my daughter’s friends that she went to high school with, a former co-worker, and my own mother. We are all a very close knit bunch that together have experienced all life has to offer. Besides our monthly themed bunko nights that are all about friendship, food, and laughter, we share wonderful memories of high school sports, homecomings, proms and graduation, dealing with empty nest syndrome, the expense of college years, the anxiety of spring break trips, and treasure the joy over engagements, wedding planning, and now for some, the blessed event of grandchildren. We also love to travel together and have taken exciting trips to New York City, San Francisco and the beaches of Mexico, and have spent countless weekends at lake houses and beach houses playing games, eating and soaking in the sun (or rain in some instances)! We’ve also supported each other through the tough times of broken marriages, surgeries, cancer and cancer scares, deaths of family members and beloved pets. So, I don’t know why I was so surprised to learn that this group of amazing women, as well as a few former co-workers, are spearheading an effort to raise funds to aid George & I in purchasing some handicap equipment and accessories, pay 2009 medical deductibles, and perhaps even do a small bathroom remodel, to make our lives a little easier at home. After bunko on Wednesday night, I was given a beautiful card and a gift bag filled with their own “love offering” inside to get us started, (a few ladies had already left when the camera came out!) and wheels are already in motion for a benefit garage sale in April, so we’ll let you know when that will be taking place so you can either donate some of your own gently used treasures or come shop with us!! George & I are overwhelmed by this act of generosity and kindness, and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts! I also want to thank my wonderful daughter and son-in-law who spend countless hours each week helping me care for George. Without their help (and the understanding management team I work for), I don’t know how I would keep my full-time job and get away for these monthly gatherings with my friends that keep me sane! Thank you so much, Lindsay & Dave; you’re a blessing to us!!

George had a VIP visit this evening! Kelley Lloyd, George’s physical therapist from Katy Rehab came by to check on him. Kelley keeps up with the blog, and I think she was as nervous as I was over the fact that George didn’t get much “walking” time at Cane Island. We had a great time catching up, and then curiosity got the best of us, so we decided to get George up on his feet and let Kelley see what she thought. They did a little “slow dancing” to check George’s balance and weight shifting ability and then they took off down the hallway. Kelley thought George did great, and even though he didn’t get much practice walking, his muscle tone and reflexes were stronger. She was pleased with his progress in the weeks since he left KRH, and was also happy to hear that we have a great team working with him from Home Health Resources. I think we will only have them another week or so, and then hopefully insurance will approve out-patient therapy at KRH. Our goal is to get George walking!! After Kelley left, the Ligon’s (and Mari & Sam too!) came by and picked us up for a dinner date. I’ve been curious to see if a SUV would be easier than a car to get George in and out of, but their Ford Edge (which is actually one of the new crossovers) required just as much effort for George and the wheelchair! So, I guess once I have some spare time on my hands (ha!), I still have a little SUV shopping to do!

Wednesday, February 18 ... Hump Day Update

It's been a busy few days at the Luker residence getting Dad settled in at home. Mom has had to remove the loveseat and a trunk from the den and change the direction of the kitchen table to open the living areas up so Dad move his wheelchair pretty easily from room-to-room. The bedroom also had to be rearranged to make room for Dad's hospital bed which we hope only has to be used short term. Mom & Dad had just bought a new bedroom set before Dad's stroke, and the bed is too high for Dad to get in/out of right now. Having the rails on the hospital bed make it easier for Mom to help him get in/out of bed as well. Besides rearranging the house, Dad has also been busy with his medical team. He has had visits from Mike, whom you were introduced to on Saturday's blog, and so far the foot that was cut at Cane Island is healing nicely. Cathy, his physical therapist, came by on Monday to meet Dad and do an assessment of his walking ability as well as show him how to use the kitchen countertop as an aid to help him get a workout by standing and sitting 5-10 times in a row from his wheelchair. Cathy told Mom she could throw the dinner dishes in the sink too and have Dad stand there and rinse them before she puts them in the dishwasher. Mom said she REALLY liked Cathy!! Today, Kevin, an occupational therapist came by to evaluate Dad's ability to take care of his own needs. Kevin told Dad that they would work with him to help him gain his independence in several areas, especially dressing and grooming. Kevin showed Dad a way he could practice putting on his own socks, as well as change shirts and put on a jacket. Kevin's assistant will be seeing Dad a few days a week to work on these things to take some of the responsibility off of Mom since she has to go to work each day. It has not been all work and no play, however. On Sunday, we all attended Sam's baptism. Sam is Mari's (one of my best friend's) little boy, and I am now one of his many Godmothers! After church, we all went out to Brookwood Community to have lunch. Dad had fun seeing everyone and bouncing Sam and Garrett (another friend's little boy) on his lap. Who wouldn't; they are the cutest, happiest, and most lovable little boys ever! Mom wanted me to be sure to tell all of you to feel free to stop by and visit Dad at home. It might be best to call ahead just to make sure he isn't scheduled for a therapy session or a doctor's appointment, but we know he would love to see or hear from his friends. He gets a bit discouraged being home and not being able to do all the things he did before, but we keep telling him to be patient and keep working hard, and he'll get there. Mom's wonderful boss, Anna Williams, sent her an email yesterday morning that sure encouraged her and comforted her after having a rough start to the day. She wanted me to share it with you because she knows that she and Dad are not the only one dealing with problems. "Cast away all fear. No fear shall remain. Only peace in the midst of chaos. You will walk on water by holding My hand as the wind and storm blows around you ... for I am with you. Right beside you whispering in your ear. Do not quit, dear one. Keep walking even though the sky seems dark. I can see all things. You will not sink. I am with you. Do not be afraid. I am making a way through this, not around this, but through this. This is a path I have laid out for you. But it leads to good. Don't I love you? Don't I care for you as only a Father can? Yes! Don't doubt my love for you, my precious daughter. Your heart is large and full of capacity for more of Me. Now is the time to come and drink Me in. You need more of Me. Only I will sustain you in the dark and lonely times. But I will brighten your eyes. I am the giver of hope. And there IS hope, dear one. There is always hope in Me. (Romans 15:13). AMEN!!

Saturday, February 14 … Happy Hearts!

Update by Cindy. Happy Valentines Day to everyone! It was nice having MY valentine home with me. I didn’t have time to shop for him, but George said bringing him home was the best present I could give him. I did fix him a nice dinner … shrimp scampi, ceasar salad and asparagus; and my plan was for us to dine by candlelight, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. By 6 p.m., I had a backache from all of the transfers we did on our own today and a headache from figuring out George’s 16 different medications and when he takes them, so it’s a wonder that I even cooked because I came pretty darn close to just calling Dominoes! But since HE delivered and gave me a gift card for a full-body massage (thanks Lindsay J), I thought the least I could do was cook him a really good meal. I actually made out pretty well this Valentine’s Day, I received flowers from my Aunt Tish in Pennsylvania, Valentine cookies on Friday from Tricia, got a Beauty Brands gift card from a “little secret admirer” of mine, received an e-valentine from Laura, and my super sweet daughter and son-in-law brought George & I over chocolate covered strawberries earlier today for our dessert this evening. God’s love surrounds us through different friends and family every day; THANKS to all of you!

Today started off soo much better than yesterday. George & I both had a pretty good night’s sleep last night, so we were up for the challenge of our first full day “home alone.” The day began by meeting Mike Abreu, George’s nurse assigned to our case by Home Health Resources. Our first experience couldn’t have been better. Mike was very thorough, very informative, and even let me take a picture of him for the blog on his very first home visit (thanks, Mike!) … just an all-around great guy. He told us that George had been assigned a very good physical therapist, Kathy, who has worked with a lot of stroke victims, so we are anxious to meet her on Monday and get George back to work! He will also receive occupational therapy which will help George adapt to our home with his limitations, and maybe even some additional speech therapy. So, next week will be a busy one, unlike the past few spent at Cane Island … yippee!!

Friday, February 13 … He’s outta there!

Friday the 13th started out with a bang … literally! A new aide at Cane Island dropped dad while helping him out of bed and Dad banged his foot on the bed frame and cut it open right under his little toe. Dad has been on a blood thinner since December when he was diagnosed with a blood clot, so he bled pretty badly. He called Mom at work about 10 a.m. and told her that he might need stitches, so she headed down to Cane Island. The nurse practitioner was still in Dad’s room when she got there and she told her that they decided not to do stitches since the bleeding had stopped, but they were putting him on an antibiotic to prevent infection. This incident solidified Mom’s decision to pull Dad out of Cane Island! On Thursday, after learning that Dr. Bing had indeed signed Dad’s discharge orders and had gotten the wheels in motion for home health, she met with the therapy team, the social worker and the director of nursing and told them that since dad had not made any noticeable improvement since being at Cane Island, she was taking him home. They made a “last ditch” effort to try to convince her to keep him there until the 20th, or at least until Monday, but after this incident, Dad was not going to spend another night there. It took nearly the entire day to process the paperwork and make arrangements, but at 5:30 p.m., Mom wheeled Dad out of Cane Island and never looked back! Shelley, Tracy and Sandy are members of Cane Island’s nursing staff that are very sweet and truly trying their best to make improvements in patient care, but until management lights a fire under the therapy team and hires enough qualified staff at the facility, Mom feels we were just burning benefits. Now, while all of this was going on at Cane Island, there was activity going on back at the ranch! Bill Deerhake, a member of St. Peter’s, was at home putting the finishing touches on the wheelchair ramp he built for the back porch. This will allow us to get Dad in/out of the back door much easier so he can go out and play ball with Brady or just enjoy some sunshine … so thank you, Bill, and also Butch Scherer who got the project started! Another thank you to St. Peter’s Care Team for the delivery of Dad’s cheery valentine balloons … how sweet of you to think of him!! The excitement was far from over on this Friday, the 13th. Besides celebrating Dad’s homecoming, we were also celebrating my father-in-law’s BIG birthday with a fajita dinner with all of the trimmings. The plan was for Dave & I to pick up the food and dessert and meet everyone at my parent’s house. Mom and Dad arrived home first and Mom already had Dad in the wheelchair and in the house when Dave’s parent’s pulled up. As they came in the door, they heard Mom & Grandma wondering what all the red marks were on the carpet, when they realized that Dad had not picked up his foot, and the cut had broken open once again. So, everyone went scrambling for ice and old towels so they could apply pressure and control the bleeding. Dave & I walked in on the chaos, so Dave helped Mom get Dad into bed so his foot could be elevated, while Barb continued to keep the pressure steady. What a way to make an entrance, Dad! And then Dan, my poor father-in-law, got the job of trying to get the blood out of the carpet, while Grandma and I brought the rest of the food in. Thank God, the bleeding stopped, but we didn’t dare let Dad get back out of bed to eat, so I sat the card table up in the bedroom, and we all ate in there! Poor Dan, didn’t even get the time to read all of the birthday signs Mom had hung up that morning for him until much later in the evening. We finally let Dad out of bed to come have dessert in the kitchen. Here’s a picture of the birthday boy celebrating his BIG 6-0; I’m sure he won’t forget this birthday evening for years to come!!

Tuesday, February 10th ... Mama's NOT happy, again!!

Well, Cane Island now has two strikes against them, and I'm not sure they will even get another turn to bat! Dad started his third week at Cane Island on Monday, and the therapists there have only had Dad on his feet two or three times. As you all know, they told us that they felt Dad needed an ankle/foot orthodic to help him with his balance and walking, and they supposedly ordered it the first week he was there, it came in mid-week last week, needed an adjustment, sent it back off, was supposed to be back to him yesterday. Long story short, it has yet to arrive, which translates to no walking time/practice for Dad since he left Katy Rehab! So, Dave was "super sleuth" yesterday and went to Cane Island to observe dad's therapy session. Just like Dad has been telling us, the therapist used the electric stimulator on his nerves/muscles, put him on the stationary bike, and then had him use a pully to work his arms. This is pretty much what happens every day with very little patient/therapist interaction. When Dad asked about his brace once again, supposedly the head of the therapy department asked him, "Why are you asking me?!?" Dave called and reported in to "headquarters," and Mom pretty much lost it. Since Dave's hurricane claims have come to an end, he told Mom if she wanted to pull him out of there, he would help Dad out at home until Mom got things worked out. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Dad is losing ground by sitting around in a wheelchair all day instead of building upon the foundation that Katy Rehab laid. So, Mom emailed Kelley at KRH and asked how she could get Dad back there on an out-patient basis. Kelley responded that Mom would need to talk to Dr. Bing about getting Dad discharged and then he would need to write orders for further therapy, etc. Mom immediately called Dr. Bing's office and spoke to his nurse about the situation, and within 30 minutes, Dr. Bing personally called her back. He said that he would have the Nurse Practitioner that he worked with at Cane Island run some traps and figure out what insurance would approve, etc, and they would get back to her with a plan on Wednesday. In the meantime, when Mom arrived at Cane Island after work, Tracy (one of the head nurses) and Shelley (the Director of Nursing) were in with Dad. Apparently, Shelley overheard a conversation between Mom and Dad the day before about how unhappy they were with the therapy program. Shelley and Tracy were in there telling Dad that they had decided that THEY were going to take the time to walk him every day. Mom relayed to Shelley & Tracy the experience we had at KRH along with her concerns and disappointments with therapy at Cane Island. She found them to have "empathetic" ears and caring hearts, and as Mom became emotional and told them she had wheels in motion to get Dad discharged because she wanted to give him the best shot at gaining his independence, supposedly everyone was in tears! Shelley promised that she would relay all of the information to the Administrator and then encouraged Mom to speak to him directly, as well as show him the video that we had taken of Dad "walking" at KRH and other video footage of the interaction between the therapists and Dad, that she and Tracy had just viewed (thanks to Dave's laptop!). So, as you can tell, the last couple of days have been stressful, and the bottom line is we just want Dad to get what the insurance companies are paying for and what a patient deserves. Afterall, Cane Island boasts of their "Stroke Recovery Program!" Hopefully, we will have a plan for moving forward by the end of the day tomorrow, so stay tuned for "game highlights!" HA! Mom wants to thank Jo Gilbert for stopping by Monday evening to visit with she and Dad, and to all of her friends and family who give her a shoulder to cry and/or lean on every day! You are all very much loved and appreciated ...

Friday, February 6th ... TGIF!!!

Thank goodness it's Friday; it's been a long and busy week for all of us. Dad just says it's long ... period!! He told Mom yesterday that the 4 walls are closing in on him and he wants to come home. We don't blame him, of course, but he just hasn't made much more progress and the thought of him being left alone during the day while Mom works is very scary. Dad's discharge date has been set for Friday, January 20, so Mom is going to "shake a stick" at the therapists this week at Cane Island and try to get them doing more than just the daily repetitive things ... stationery bike, hand bike and electrical stimulation, they've done so far. Dad is still waiting on the AFO (ankle/foot orthodic) to arrive that will supposedly help him balance himself while standing/walking on his right foot/leg. The therapist told Mom on Tuesday, that they did order it, but when it came in, it didn't fit properly so adjustments had to be made and hopefully Dad will have it on Monday. Mom plans to take some PTO time on Monday or Tuesday to attend one of Dad's therapy sessions and make sure his new therapists are aware that Dad was walking with assistance from his therapists at KRH and his walker, of course. In fact, Mom took Kelley, Laurie, Barbara and Connie (they missed you, Rachelle!) to lunch on Thursday to ask their opinion on things; she and Dad both miss their enthusiasm and communication style, as well as their aggressive approach in therapy! Dad has been able to continue speech therapy with Barbara, she's a traveling girl, and also works at Cane Island, so we've been thrilled to have her continue to work with Dad. Mom is making me include this little story which happened on Tuesday ... when Mom arrived at Cane Island, Barbara was in with Dad and they were playing word games. Barbara would give 3 clues describing an object, and Dad would have to tell her what it is, for example: gold, swim, bowl ... GOLDFISH! Dad and Barbara were having a little controversary over the next set: roots, ground, leaves ... TREE, right?!? Wrong! Dad likes to give Barbara a hard time, so he argued saying it could be many things, a bush, a flowering plant, etc. So, after their lengthy discussion about that one, Barbara said here's the last one: woman, throne, rule. What's the answer?!? Dad said, "my wife!" Barbara told Dad that she wasn't about to argue that answer either, so they all had a good laugh, and Mom was pleased that Dad finally realizes who rules the roost (ha!). Dad had quite a few visitors this week ... Brian Smith, who entertained us with Har-Con tales as well as how early in his career, Dad told him he should become an estimator, and how much he appreciates that advice to this day; Butch Scherer, who stops by regularly to visit Dad and lends all of us his support;Dad's nephew Alan Stone and his wife, Cindy, from Bryan, and Billy Watson, associate pastor at St. Peter's. Greg, Dad's #2 son, has been staying at Mom & Dad's house this week, and I know Dad has been enjoying seeing him in the evenings, and tomorrow, they have a "yard date" ... Dad is supervising and Greg will be trimming hedges and bushes getting them ready for spring!

Sunday, February 1 ... SUPER Super Bowl Weekend!

Blog update by Cindy. What a great weekend!! The Steelers win, the weather was absolutely beautiful, and George spent the majority of the weekend home and did really well. On Saturday, Bev & Jim Brewer came out to Katy and spent the day with us. They arrived at Cane Island about 12:30, we loaded up George, and headed out to meet Lindsay & Dave at Pei Wei for lunch. From there, we took George and got his eyeglasses adjusted, and then headed home where the guys hung out for a couple of hours and we girls went and had pedicures. George needed to be back at Cane Island around 5 p.m. to get his next dose of medications before dinner, but after we got back there and saw what was on his evening tray, Bev & I went out to Jason's Deli and picked up dinner. The four of us sat around a card table, eating sandwiches and reminiscing about the good ol' days, and we sure look forward to more fun times ahead with them! George told me on Saturday that he was hungry for a home-cooked meal, so I took his "order" and started cooking Sunday morning. When I arrived at Cane Island on Sunday, George had a visitor ... Tommy w/Moore Supply . I didn't know if George was going to want lunch brought to him, or if he wanted to come home to eat, but I should have guessed the answer! Tommy was very kind (even though I did find out he was a Cardinal's fan!) and helped me get George into the car because I was bit nervous to try it solo. However, when we got to the house, George & I did manage just fine. The only snag we hit was getting the wheelchair up and over the door step, so George just had to use his good leg to push down and help me boost it up and over ... we made a pretty darn good team! Brady, of course, was glad to see George back again. He just sat by George's wheelchair and made George pet him and scratch his ears while I finished up lunch. I baked a chicken, made garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed squash and zucchini, and sliced a tomato freshly picked from George's garden. After lunch, I tried taking Brady AND George for a walk; that was not so successful! I decided not to press my luck for one day, so we headed back after only making it two houses down and got George ready to return to Cane Island. My brother was hosting a Super Bowl party this evening, so after getting George settled, I headed over to say hello. I only planned to stay until half-time since I was pretty worn out, but the game was so exciting and close, I decided to stay until the end. Lindsay had the winning numbers for the 2nd quarter of the football pool when the Steelers intercepted and ran for a touchdown in the final seconds before half-time. We were all standing up and cheering so loudly, that I think we were the reason James Harrison was able to break a few tackles before heading into the end zone to make Super Bowl history (ha!!). Hope everyone has a great week ahead ... oh, and here's a picture of George's visitor's last Thursday night.