Raincheck
Our lunch date took place in the Emergency room; rice krispie squares, apple juice and Decadron for Gilly, and leftover rice krispie squares and apple juice for me. Gilly took two major falls during the night, both from our bed. He either rolled off, which I highly doubt, or tried to get up and slipped (more likely). I awoke to a crash both times. The second fall was at 5:00 a.m. I noticed that his elbow was bruised, so decided to have it checked after the lethbridge appointment.
We made it on time, but I cannot go into details. I spent 9 hours at the Jewish, and I desperately need sleep. The Lethbridge story will have to wait. Nothing exciting took place, and we have no verdict yet on what service(s) they will offer, but he is scheduled for a comprehensive speech assessment on December 7th.
They took an x-ray and determined that it is unlikely that there is any sort of break to a bone. It may have been chipped, but he was released with a suggestion to take extra strength Tylenol. If that doesn’t help, then I have a prescription for something stronger. It only hurts when he moves it a certain way, and he rarely moves his right arm, so I don’t think we’ll need the pain killer.
He’s in bed right now with Yaron, munching on dinner and watching the hockey game. Yaron will help me secure Gilly’s side of the bed so he cannot get out even if he wants to. He will be trapped, so as not to fall unexpectedly. The OT is scheduled to come tomorrow afternoon with a bar for the bed (2 days too late, I guess), so we will only need this makeshift solution tonight.
While at the hospital, I asked the ER doctor (a nice fellow names Dr. Segal) to contact Dr. Kavan who happens to work at the Jewish on Thursdays to consult with him; I wondered if I should access the symptoms management team as he suggested last week. Would he consider last night’s events a major set back? His response was that it all depends on me and how well I can handle matters at home. I was relieved to know that his concern was for me; I was under the mistaken impression that he was worried about Gilly’s symptoms and was preparing me for the inevitable. I understand his reasoning now, and I am convinced that Gilly must remain at home as long as it is feasible. I will make sure that he receives the best accommodations we can provide for him, so as to ensure the highest quality of life possible.
Yesterday, Gilly showed some improvement. Could this have fueled him with more guts to take a risk last night? What might he have been trying to do when he fell? His falling may not be due to a set back after all (although the resultant injury sure doesn’t help matters).
I served him dinner in bed tonight. I offered all sorts of possibilities, and he settled on toast and cheese (smothered in butter). When I placed the plate before him he looked at me with disgust, “Why did you bring that?” he asked. He finished every last morsel of the toast. I returned and asked if he’d like some apple sauce and he agreed. He had a similar reaction to the apple sauce as soon as he saw it. It’s nights like this that make me feel ever so weary. In our 24 years of marriage, he never treated me poorly. For some, tonight’s behaviour would seem like a natural occurrence. For me, it is hard to swallow because I’m not accustomed to it. Gilly always showed appreciation for my efforts. I believe that his frustration with the situation is finding its way out of his body (finally, for goodness sakes), and it is being directed primarily at me. It’s safe enough, because I will adore him no matter what, but it’s still sad. Yaron reminded me that he doesn’t mean it, and I know for certain that he is quite right.
I have a lot to accomplish tomorrow; I will go to work in the morning (mainly because it's too late to cancel the care giver; I would need to pay her for 3 hours no matter what, so I may as well work). In the afternoon, I will greet the OT to receive all the adaptation devices. I will add a few to the list (e.g. I need a wheel chair for doctor appointments and what not. It’s just too hard with the walker. I will also put a hospital bed downstairs, so he has the option as to where to sleep; upstairs with the bar on his side of our bed or downstairs, with bars on both sides. I want to try different combinations to see what’s safest and most desirable). I too need my comfort. More sleepless nights will wear me out to the point that I will become unable to handle the situation. This is not helpful to anyone.
So that’s the long and the sort of it. Long day!!! Goodnight.
We made it on time, but I cannot go into details. I spent 9 hours at the Jewish, and I desperately need sleep. The Lethbridge story will have to wait. Nothing exciting took place, and we have no verdict yet on what service(s) they will offer, but he is scheduled for a comprehensive speech assessment on December 7th.
They took an x-ray and determined that it is unlikely that there is any sort of break to a bone. It may have been chipped, but he was released with a suggestion to take extra strength Tylenol. If that doesn’t help, then I have a prescription for something stronger. It only hurts when he moves it a certain way, and he rarely moves his right arm, so I don’t think we’ll need the pain killer.
He’s in bed right now with Yaron, munching on dinner and watching the hockey game. Yaron will help me secure Gilly’s side of the bed so he cannot get out even if he wants to. He will be trapped, so as not to fall unexpectedly. The OT is scheduled to come tomorrow afternoon with a bar for the bed (2 days too late, I guess), so we will only need this makeshift solution tonight.
While at the hospital, I asked the ER doctor (a nice fellow names Dr. Segal) to contact Dr. Kavan who happens to work at the Jewish on Thursdays to consult with him; I wondered if I should access the symptoms management team as he suggested last week. Would he consider last night’s events a major set back? His response was that it all depends on me and how well I can handle matters at home. I was relieved to know that his concern was for me; I was under the mistaken impression that he was worried about Gilly’s symptoms and was preparing me for the inevitable. I understand his reasoning now, and I am convinced that Gilly must remain at home as long as it is feasible. I will make sure that he receives the best accommodations we can provide for him, so as to ensure the highest quality of life possible.
Yesterday, Gilly showed some improvement. Could this have fueled him with more guts to take a risk last night? What might he have been trying to do when he fell? His falling may not be due to a set back after all (although the resultant injury sure doesn’t help matters).
I served him dinner in bed tonight. I offered all sorts of possibilities, and he settled on toast and cheese (smothered in butter). When I placed the plate before him he looked at me with disgust, “Why did you bring that?” he asked. He finished every last morsel of the toast. I returned and asked if he’d like some apple sauce and he agreed. He had a similar reaction to the apple sauce as soon as he saw it. It’s nights like this that make me feel ever so weary. In our 24 years of marriage, he never treated me poorly. For some, tonight’s behaviour would seem like a natural occurrence. For me, it is hard to swallow because I’m not accustomed to it. Gilly always showed appreciation for my efforts. I believe that his frustration with the situation is finding its way out of his body (finally, for goodness sakes), and it is being directed primarily at me. It’s safe enough, because I will adore him no matter what, but it’s still sad. Yaron reminded me that he doesn’t mean it, and I know for certain that he is quite right.
I have a lot to accomplish tomorrow; I will go to work in the morning (mainly because it's too late to cancel the care giver; I would need to pay her for 3 hours no matter what, so I may as well work). In the afternoon, I will greet the OT to receive all the adaptation devices. I will add a few to the list (e.g. I need a wheel chair for doctor appointments and what not. It’s just too hard with the walker. I will also put a hospital bed downstairs, so he has the option as to where to sleep; upstairs with the bar on his side of our bed or downstairs, with bars on both sides. I want to try different combinations to see what’s safest and most desirable). I too need my comfort. More sleepless nights will wear me out to the point that I will become unable to handle the situation. This is not helpful to anyone.
So that’s the long and the sort of it. Long day!!! Goodnight.
posted by Gilly at 10:14 PM
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