Dad is AWESOME!!

Aside from the fact that he told me Happy Birthday this weekend said he wasn't on the ventilator anymore, I think he is doing really good. I said before that when he sleeps, it seems like an entirely different story, but when he was awake this weekend, he was very much awake.

We drove up Saturday morning. We found a campsite online in Hazelton that we went to. It is really cheap and a great place. Its only 15 dollars a night for electric and it is very spread out. You aren't camping on top of one another and it was really quite. We ended up next to a little river. I'm not sure what river it is. The place is called Fontana. It has a wildlife refuge there that was pretty neat. I took some shots with my iPhone.

It is 10 dollars a night to camp there if you don't use electric and they have warm showers there. I haven't slept that good in a long time.

Anyway, dad was pretty sleepy when we got there on Saturday. He woke up in the evening and we attempted to watch a movie that he ultimately made us turn off. It kind of sucked. I don't think I even remember the name of it. We then put it in Haunting in Connecticut. I thought that was pretty hokey, but it seemed to hold his attention.

I am getting much better at reading his lips which is making our conversations much easier. He asked me to remove his TED hose from his feet. I really shouldn't do it, but I know how much he hates them, so I took them off for a bit. I took them off the last time I was there also. I used to work in wound care, so I always take a look to see if I notice any skin breakdown, and guess what?? I found some.

This is on his right heal. I immediately told the charge nurse and she came in to inspect it. She ordered to keep his TED hose off that leg and dressed the area. It really irritates me when these things happen because they ARE preventable. In this case, I actually think that maybe his heel is rubbing up against the chair when he sits in it. He has been in the type of bed that he is in now for a long time, so I really don't think that is the cause. Him getting up in the chair every day is new, so I think it is the chair.

I was looking in his closet and I found that they had altered his shirts, so I left a note for them to make sure that they put him in one in the morning. When we got there, he was all cleaned and wearing it and smiling!

It is hard to tell in this picture, but he really is smiling.

I brought up some pictures from the fire department that Scott Burger gave me to put in his room. That made him happy. I put one on the window next to his bed and hung the other on the wall next to the TV. Thanks Scott!!

I talked to the administrator today about moving his TV or his bed again, since they hadn't done it yet. He assured me that they would do it Monday. I hope they do. Dad really likes his TV and it is kind of pointless for him to have one if he can't hardly see it. I have to turn his bed at an angle to get him to see it. When I'm not there, I know they push him back against the wall.

He had a lot of pain in his left arm today. He usually doesn't complain of pain ever, so I know he really must have been hurting. They ordered a muscle relaxer for him and a little bit of ativan to relax him further. He told me he didn't think he was able to do anything and I assured him that he was doing so much better! I really think that he is! He is just so much more alert when he is awake. He hasn't had any temperatures while he has been there and I can tell he is getting stronger. One of the staff came in and said hi to him and he waived at her. I haven't seen him do that in a long time.

He knows this is going to be a long time, but I assured him our goal is to get him home. I just read that book, A Stroke of Insight. It is about that neuro-anatomist who had a stroke and was able to recollect the entire process of it. It was really amazing what the brain can withstand and how it can rewire itself to accomplish the same things it was able to do before. Dad has the battle of the damage of the aneurysm and the damage from the aspergillus. He has the will to get through it obviously!! I left the book in the room if anyone wants to read it. It isn't revolved around strokes, but brain injury. I sure wish I could have read that back when my great grandma Shelton had brain trauma.

Well, I am off to bed. Debbie is going to see him tomorrow, then Martha on Tuesday and Wednesday. I think Scott is going up this weekend. I have 3 senior shoots, so I won't be able to see him for a few weeks. I will try and keep up on what is going on and keep you all informed. Thank you all for caring about my dad!!!!