ARGH

This past weekend SUCKED! I swear I think a black cloud hangs over us for some reason and I can't figure out why. Maybe I need to go to church or something.

Someone STOLE my car early Saturday morning. Came down MY driveway, ransacked Coleman's Commander and got into my vehicle and stole it. We were both sound asleep. The dog didn't bark, but why would she? It was the sound of my car leaving. She doesn't bark when I leave. I fell asleep on the couch, she was in with Coleman in the bedroom. Our neighbor heard people talking and a car, but she thought it was us.

I wasn't able to go see dad, obviously, with no car. Plus I had to stay around in case the police needed me. Jordan and I drove up Sunday morning to see dad. He was pretty sick. He got there on Thursday and Friday they managed to lay him flat, not turn off his feeding tube and he aspirated his tube feeding. Lots of it. they put him on antibiotics immediately, because that is an instant cause for pneumonia he doesn't need. The respiratory therapist was still pulling food out while we were there. I voiced my displeasure over this and she said that the CNA's who did it, had been talked to and they were going to have a big meeting about it today. When Martha called up there today to check on him, they said he was doing better.

I have to say that other than that happening, my first impression of the facility is actually very good. It doesn't smell like a nursing home. The residents all seem very happy to be there and the staff is very polite and nice. It doesn't take long for them to respond once you push the call light. The respiratory therapists seem very knowledgeable. They do not have to have doctor orders to attempt to wean, they can pretty much do whatever it takes as long as dad can tolerate it. They plan on doing physical therapy with him 5 days a week.

His room is somewhat large, he is by himself. There is no internet there, but we can have the cable company come hook it up. They don't have central air, but the window unit in the room isn't noisy and keeps the room at a good temperature. He also has big windows in his room he can open. I opened them for him and he got some good breezes from the storms that rolled through. He liked that.

His oxygen supply is not in the wall, its a portable tank machine that is very loud, that is kind of annoying. Once I was there long enough, it didn't annoy me as much. I read some past patient histories while I was there. They had one gal there who had a brain tumor, went into a coma for 3 years, and started coming out of it. They weaned her off the vent and now she can move everything other than her legs and can eat and take care of herself. That's pretty impressive to wean someone off a vent who had been on one for 3 years and in a coma!!

They have a photo album up front that I peeked at. It was pretty cute, this being a small farm town. They had pictures of a dairy cow out front of the home someone brought and the let the residents milk it! They also had pictures of old show cars, nice tractors and race cars that people bring up for them to look at. Hopefully some day dad can participate in milking the facility cow! haha

Dads cousin Diane from Oklahoma City came up and visited him for a bit on Sunday. He was really too sick to try and talk. It took me 45 minutes to figure out dad wanted his robe brought to him. I am going to go back up on Sunday to see him. Its only 2 hours and 15 minutes from my house. I might even try a different way to see if I can cut some time off.

Hopefully in about a month, he will be up for company that he can TALK to, if we can get his talking valve in.