Tuesday, June 23

Where does the time go???

Before I forget: Deano is now in Room 51, right down the hall from where is was and two doors up from where he started.

So, (that just continually seems a great way to start out), These past couple of days (actually since Friday) have put me a little (okay a lot) on edge.

As I previously indicated it started on Friday (Not April 3 Friday, a few days ago Friday) when I was working and received the call from the case manager wanting to discuss Deano's discharge plan. Upon hearing my very panicked voice the case manager said not to worry because they wouldn't be moving Deano until Monday so I had plenty of time. Yeah right....

Let me see if I can keep on track because my brain has been filled with so much information these past couple of days in addition to the past couple of months.

Let's see how is the shortest way possible I can explain what has transpired:

On Monday I met with the Dr. and the case manager, and that was after talking to the case manager from Long Beach Memorial, and the Dr. does not believe that Deano is ready to endure acute therapy (now acute by definition at Long Beach Memorial would mean 3 hours of daily therapy consisting of: occupational, speech and physical). Here is the thing, and this is all decided by the insurance companies and come to find out Deano was already being evaluated by Long Beach Memorial before I even knew they existed. Once our insurance company declines treatment for Deano at Kindred he will have to move to either an acute rehab facility, whether that be Long Beach Memorial or quite possibly, a nursing home.

So I have been speaking with Dr.'s, case workers, and directors to first of all, buy us more time where we are to try and get Deano better prepared for what lies ahead and to convince the powers that be that the reason, as I see it, that Dean has not been doing well in his therapy is because he is not sleeping well. And it would appear that he is not sleeping well (at night that is) because he appears to be quite agitated by loud noise, (like the t.v. and the sounds of other patients in tremendous amount of pain). This is what we have worked out so far: a) Dean is now in a private room (Room 51), b) He is receiving Benadryl at night to help him sleep and c) the PT will make every attempt to work with Deano in the morning rather than late afternoon and d) PT will also increase the intensity of his various therapies.

And while all that is going on I am in communication with the case manager for Long Beach Memorial daily so that they can reevaluate and praying that we do not get evicted from our current location. And at the end of the day "We might just get what we need" and whose to say, certainly not me...

That is pretty much what I can explain without having you read on and on for hours.

This afternoon, when I saw Deano he was eating applesauce and then he drank milk. The speech therapist said he made a tremendous improvement on his ability to swallow and follow direction. Tomorrow he will be treated to a trial meal which will consist of pureed vegetables, meat and mashed potatoes (yum, yum). Provided he continues to tolerate this well and does not show any signs that the food may be traveling down the wrong path, then they will continue to incorporate foods into his diet and eventually remove the feeding tube.

With regards to his speech I was incorrect in the information I provided (well not really) I just wasn't up to date on the tests that Dean had been given. The good news he does not have vocal cord paralysis. What he is faced with, however, is Dysphagia and Apraxia of Speech.

Basically dysphagia occurs when there is a problem with any part of the swallowing process caused by such things as severe trauma to the brain such as a stroke. The speech therapists have been working with Dean to strengthen the muscles which allow him to swallow and process food and beverage. And as of today it would appear that is on the mend.

Apraxia is a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he wants to say correctly and consistently not caused by weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles. It is caused by damage to the parts of the brain that are involved in speaking and involves the loss or impairment of existing speech abilities.

Again all in a nut shell and it would appear we have our work cut out.

The Dr. also ordered a CT scan today to make sure nothing else was causing Deano's reluctance to participate in PT.

Oh, before I forget, one more thing, I did tour the facilities at Long Beach Memorial and it appears they have a really great program for rehabilitation of its patience. Did I say based on there initial evaluation Long Beach declined Deano at this time.

Music is the healing force of the world;
It's understood by every Man, Woman, Boy and Girl...........................