Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Ron is improving leaps and bounds (Report as of this last week)
As of the beginning of this week Ron is now allowed in a wheelchair. He can push
himself very slowly with his good arm and leg (The right leg and arm).
He is fighting to be as independent as possible, and won't stay in bed
any longer. They x-rayed him after one of the falls and the doctor said
everything looked good and is healing well, therefore they have let him get
in and out of a wheelchair with assistance. He has been a lot happier.
Once in the wheelchair he was able to have a real shower. He was very happy about that. Ron is so thin. He had always been thin, but not quite like this. His clothes hang on him. He is eating and liking the food so that is good. I keep bringing him Pepsi, he loves Pepsi, and lots of candy bars. Hopefully that helps him gain some weight. I asked him what kind of sweets or candy he is craving. He asked for Hot Tamales. Hmmm. I didn't know those still existed.. I did find some! Watching him eat again in the beginning of solid foods was like watching a child eat a treat that he only gets on special occasions. He loved eating a burger, fries and shake for the first time after the accident as well. It was almost like he had forgotten about food along with the short term memory loss.
A lot of Ron's memory improves weekly. He still forgets some things, but amazingly and miraculously he is remembering a lot more now. He can recall who comes to visit as well as short term activities and names of those who care for him. He really likes his new speech therapist. She plays poker with him. He loves that. I knew he would like her, she is very down to earth and can handle Ron's personality.
He asked me recently if our sister Jen was still with her boyfriend and stated his name. I said no, she is married to Kurt. He then quickly said. That is who I meant, Kurt Neeley. Sometimes it takes a minute for him to remember. This doesn't happen nearly as much as it did in the beginning. He didn't know who I was when he came out of his coma! That is how far he has come. I was talking to a friend in my neighborhood who had a brother who suffered some memory loss from an accident. He never did regain his short term memory. He would recall things from the past and never fully recovered. It is a miracle that Ron has come this far in only a few months since the accident.
Once in the wheelchair he was able to have a real shower. He was very happy about that. Ron is so thin. He had always been thin, but not quite like this. His clothes hang on him. He is eating and liking the food so that is good. I keep bringing him Pepsi, he loves Pepsi, and lots of candy bars. Hopefully that helps him gain some weight. I asked him what kind of sweets or candy he is craving. He asked for Hot Tamales. Hmmm. I didn't know those still existed.. I did find some! Watching him eat again in the beginning of solid foods was like watching a child eat a treat that he only gets on special occasions. He loved eating a burger, fries and shake for the first time after the accident as well. It was almost like he had forgotten about food along with the short term memory loss.
A lot of Ron's memory improves weekly. He still forgets some things, but amazingly and miraculously he is remembering a lot more now. He can recall who comes to visit as well as short term activities and names of those who care for him. He really likes his new speech therapist. She plays poker with him. He loves that. I knew he would like her, she is very down to earth and can handle Ron's personality.
He asked me recently if our sister Jen was still with her boyfriend and stated his name. I said no, she is married to Kurt. He then quickly said. That is who I meant, Kurt Neeley. Sometimes it takes a minute for him to remember. This doesn't happen nearly as much as it did in the beginning. He didn't know who I was when he came out of his coma! That is how far he has come. I was talking to a friend in my neighborhood who had a brother who suffered some memory loss from an accident. He never did regain his short term memory. He would recall things from the past and never fully recovered. It is a miracle that Ron has come this far in only a few months since the accident.
Ron is talking about his experience while "asleep"
Ron talks about how he
should be dead. He tells the nurses or those who come in his room that
there is a reason he was given another chance at life. He gets
frustrated because he is treated like he is a TBI patient (traumatic
brain injury), which he is; However, he is "with it" more than he gets
credit for. The nurse told me that too. She knows he is quite "with it".
They put Ron on some medication to help with his agitation. He calls
them "brain meds" and hates to take them. The other day when I was there
he hadn't taken anything for pain all day. Wow, that is crazy. He was
refusing all medications. His left hip hurts the most right now. His
left hip was dislocated and he had chipped some of the bone. The doctor
said he would eventually need his hip replaced. That will be a
discussion with the doctor when he goes for a check-up.
Ron talks of his tobacco cravings (one of his first words at the specialty hospital in Provo). Over the last few weeks he has been talking about how hard the cravings are. This last Friday I asked him about it, and he said that people come in his room smelling thick of smoke. He said he can't stand it and it makes him sick. (I am crossing my fingers that he doesn't give in and have a cigarette!). He said that he won't go back to that nasty habit.
It is hard to visit Ron in this long term care facility. Everyone is at least in their 70's and 80's. There are a few in their 60's. Ron is the youngest at almost 45! I went with him into the dining area for his meal and a few of the patients were trying to talk to him. He said he hated going to the dining area because everyone is so negative and whiny! I don't know how much longer Ron will last in this place, he is a fighter and told me the other day he needed to get out of this place and get back to work!!
Ron also shared his "near death experience" which was very real. It was sacred for the most part, so I won't share detail. However, he is very open about it even to strangers. He said he knows God and Jesus Christ are real. He was told that he should be dead, and the accident was for him. It wasn't time for him to die, he needed to make changes in his life. Ron has always believed in God. He has always admitted he has struggles with addictions and "his vices" and knows that God is real and exists without a doubt. He now states that he has "seen too much" not to believe.
Parts of his story are unique to a near death experience. The things he said can not be made up or envisioned by someone with a TBI. There was too much detail and some of the words he used convinced me they were not from Ron's imagination. He reported something significant about our ancestors too. I may share that at a later time, for now, I have gained more insight of God and his plan for us in this life. Ron's experience has increased my testimony and confirmed the things I know to be true.
Ron talks of his tobacco cravings (one of his first words at the specialty hospital in Provo). Over the last few weeks he has been talking about how hard the cravings are. This last Friday I asked him about it, and he said that people come in his room smelling thick of smoke. He said he can't stand it and it makes him sick. (I am crossing my fingers that he doesn't give in and have a cigarette!). He said that he won't go back to that nasty habit.
It is hard to visit Ron in this long term care facility. Everyone is at least in their 70's and 80's. There are a few in their 60's. Ron is the youngest at almost 45! I went with him into the dining area for his meal and a few of the patients were trying to talk to him. He said he hated going to the dining area because everyone is so negative and whiny! I don't know how much longer Ron will last in this place, he is a fighter and told me the other day he needed to get out of this place and get back to work!!
Ron also shared his "near death experience" which was very real. It was sacred for the most part, so I won't share detail. However, he is very open about it even to strangers. He said he knows God and Jesus Christ are real. He was told that he should be dead, and the accident was for him. It wasn't time for him to die, he needed to make changes in his life. Ron has always believed in God. He has always admitted he has struggles with addictions and "his vices" and knows that God is real and exists without a doubt. He now states that he has "seen too much" not to believe.
Parts of his story are unique to a near death experience. The things he said can not be made up or envisioned by someone with a TBI. There was too much detail and some of the words he used convinced me they were not from Ron's imagination. He reported something significant about our ancestors too. I may share that at a later time, for now, I have gained more insight of God and his plan for us in this life. Ron's experience has increased my testimony and confirmed the things I know to be true.
Ron's staples were removed
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| Left Leg Fasciotomy staples picture taken 8/22/14 |
 |
| Left leg after removal of staples (picture taken 4-5 weeks later than prior photo) |
 |
| Right arm removal of staples due to fasciotomy |
The first week in the new facility admitted on Sept. 22 (So. Ogden, Utah)
Once Ron left Provo and the specialty wound center, it was quite an
adjustment. Ron was in an adult care facility in Roy for a week. He then
transferred to a different facility at his request. He didn't like the
place in Roy. He is now in So. Ogden and likes it much better.
The first night in the facility he had the nurse convinced that he could get into a wheelchair. They gave in to his demands and he tried to stand on his good leg and fell right over. (Doctor orders were to wait 3 months before standing, it had only been 8 weeks).
His second night there I walked in his room and he was yelling at the nurse and the nurses aide. They looked terrified of him. He was very agitated, in pain and needed help getting to the bathroom. I had to help him with some of the duties because no one would come near him in his rage. (Ron sounds like he is rotten, really he is so frustrated and in pain). Ron has always had a big heart.
Ron's room-mate, Greg was also terrified (they are separated by a curtain). He told the nurse he was afraid Ron would go after him. Ha, ha, Ron can't move! How is he going to come after you Greg? I tried to calm Greg down and asked if Ron has been disturbing him. He said "well, he has been screaming and cussing all night". Poor Greg. He is in his 70's and can't get out of bed either, due to a stroke and some other sickness he has, very sweet man. After a few days they became friends.
A few visits later Ron had a new room-mate. He was very quiet and when I tried to talk to him, he wouldn't look at me. Ron had an argument with him and his sisters because they took his cable box and cords. Ron said loudly "we are no longer friends". The equipment has to be ordered by the maintenance guy. We ordered them the prior day and when I came the next day everything was hooked up to his room-mates t.v. Ron was furious about that. He didn't have a problem telling them either. Because Ron can't move, he couldn't do much but yell at them (he said the nurses didn't know what was going on and didn't do anything about it). We got that all resolved by the next day.
Within that first week, Ron fell out of bed 3-4 times because he moves all over trying to get comfortable (we have never seen the falls, knowing Ron I assume he is trying to stand on one leg on his own). I met with his nurse and social worker to figure out how to prevent the falls. They can't have railings on the beds due to state regulations, therefore he has a mat next to his bed on the floor for now.
The first night in the facility he had the nurse convinced that he could get into a wheelchair. They gave in to his demands and he tried to stand on his good leg and fell right over. (Doctor orders were to wait 3 months before standing, it had only been 8 weeks).
His second night there I walked in his room and he was yelling at the nurse and the nurses aide. They looked terrified of him. He was very agitated, in pain and needed help getting to the bathroom. I had to help him with some of the duties because no one would come near him in his rage. (Ron sounds like he is rotten, really he is so frustrated and in pain). Ron has always had a big heart.
Ron's room-mate, Greg was also terrified (they are separated by a curtain). He told the nurse he was afraid Ron would go after him. Ha, ha, Ron can't move! How is he going to come after you Greg? I tried to calm Greg down and asked if Ron has been disturbing him. He said "well, he has been screaming and cussing all night". Poor Greg. He is in his 70's and can't get out of bed either, due to a stroke and some other sickness he has, very sweet man. After a few days they became friends.
A few visits later Ron had a new room-mate. He was very quiet and when I tried to talk to him, he wouldn't look at me. Ron had an argument with him and his sisters because they took his cable box and cords. Ron said loudly "we are no longer friends". The equipment has to be ordered by the maintenance guy. We ordered them the prior day and when I came the next day everything was hooked up to his room-mates t.v. Ron was furious about that. He didn't have a problem telling them either. Because Ron can't move, he couldn't do much but yell at them (he said the nurses didn't know what was going on and didn't do anything about it). We got that all resolved by the next day.
Within that first week, Ron fell out of bed 3-4 times because he moves all over trying to get comfortable (we have never seen the falls, knowing Ron I assume he is trying to stand on one leg on his own). I met with his nurse and social worker to figure out how to prevent the falls. They can't have railings on the beds due to state regulations, therefore he has a mat next to his bed on the floor for now.
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