Almost home again

My head is spinning from all the ER, hospital, rehab that Tom has been going through these last months.

High liver enzyme count that wasn't accounted for in all the testing they did in Mt. Holly ended up having him sent over to Marlton again for a special endoscopic ultrasound with Dr. Ramay of gastro fame. She put a stent in. 

From there they sent him to rehab and he's been there ever since but is getting discharged tomorrow. (It's Complete Care Marcella on Rancocas in Burlington, around the corner from the HR Block office. Convenient anyway.)

Jennifer was here for a week courtesy of Sue and Patrick who used airline miles to send her here first class. It was great having her and she really cleared up our space to make it safe for Tom.

Michael Castigan of ComForCare has come through and we are meeting Florence, the home health aide who will be starting with Tom on Saturday, today at rehab when he gets back from dialysis. Nurse Jane Witmer will be meeting us at home on Friday to set up a care plan.

I am woefully behind at HR Block and feeling a bit frazzled overall. I don't sleep well and I haven't been eating. :-(   I miss dancing and movies and the old Tom.

Love Jennifer!

at the Liver Disease Center

Celebrating my birthday via zoom

In the rehab courtyard

Dialysis transport

Amy and Matthew Goff came to help out in early March too.

 Tom was discharged from Lourdes on Feb.19th. We had one day of a private home health service called Senior Helpers and then they dumped us like a bad boyfriend breaking up with you by text message. :-(

He was back in the hospital for testing on Feb.  27 after dialysis, a visit with Dr. Godleski, and a 10 hour wait for a bed.

Much testing later, I still don't know what the future holds in terms of staying there, being transferred to another hospital, suggested rehab or (Tom's preference certainly) going home.

I just got a call from a prospective home health agency - ComForCare Home Care

Tom has been in the acute rehab located on the 2nd floor of Our Lady of Lourdes for the last two days.

They are having a team meeting today to talk about his status.

Speech therapy

Physical therapy

 He missed the occupational therapy yesterday because they did an MRI ordered by gastro.

He is also having dialysis there, too. The silver lining is he is in a private room and I don't have to leave at 8 p.m. when visiting hours end. He is happy to have me there with him.

Tom had a fall

 We were up and getting ready to leave for dialysis early Thursday morning (2/6) when I heard a crash and ran down to the basement. Tom had fallen down the steps. He had minimal physical damage in terms of shoulder, and hip, but the top and back of his head was bruised and bleeding. He was transferred from the Mt. Holly ER to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden (20miles/40 minutes away from home) that night and is still there recovering. 

Leaving Mt. Holly

He was bleeding in his brain which has caused a big problem with his thinking and communicating verbally. 

They did many scans and monitored his brainwaves. 

     He was improved enough to move him out of the ICU and into Bed 1 on the 5th floor PCU early morning Sunday. He still can't answer the "Can you tell me your birthday" question and although he is doing more talking much of it is filled with wrong or gibbery words for what he is trying to say. He still sleeps a lot and hasn't eaten much (first two days only liquids allowed and now back to little appetite)

     Someone came to talk about acute rehab when he is ready to move in that direction. Last night after I got home (4th night in a row I got a bit lost and turned around on the dark drive home :-)  he called with a pleading request to get out of there and come home. His intent was clear but the words were not coming out right. I don't know how long it is going to take for a full recovery if that is even going to happen. I pray that it does (and am so grateful for all the prayers from Facebook friends that is currently ongoing).

Meanwhile, Sue wrote that they arrived in New Zealand safely at 10:15 p.m. (5:15 a.m. here!)

     

What happened to January?

 ....and then February came along....Seriously. I was adding up the expenses of the month and realized we didn't go to the movies once (!) and never danced at Prospectors until last Thursday up to the end of the second lesson. Between doctor appointments, dialysis, and H&R Block there wasn't much time for fun. Plus poor Tom doesn't feel well enough to do much.

     I am looking forward to a visit from Jennifer, although air travel to the East Coast is looking a bit ominous these days (helicopter and plane crash over D.C. and small plane crash into Philadelphia neighborhood). 

Assorted recent photos:

Pandora dinner

Fire and Ice set up in passing

Check up with Dr. Godleski

Made it to the Lofland's annual Jan. party

Good news from Dr. Wallace

Checking out leaky tube at ER (it was ok)

   

Why does insurance cost so much?

 Due to the $400 increase in AAA car insurance since I started with them last year (because of continuing 6 mos. increases in Geico insurance) I started feeling out other companies, most of whom were same or higher. Why??? (and homeowners bundled with it is more too, of course).

Very frustrating!

Many many doctor appointments to end the year

 Currently sitting in the surgical waiting room in the Marlton Virtua hospital, I created my 2025 shutterfly calendar. It's dedicated to a healthier year to come.

Last January and the removal of Tom's right kidney was the start. Hopefully, clearing up this latest complication of his recent gallbladder removal will be the last of the new stuff and the (delayed) PET scan will show improvement on the cancer status. <insert crossed fingers here>

While it's been a lot of caring for and driving Tom to ER, hospital, rehab, dialysis, and doctor's appointments we did manage to get in some eating out (well a lot of that, actually), dancing, some movies, Cody's wedding in May, and our last CMA Music Fest in June, followed by more doctors, hospital, dialysis (that started in August), immunotherapy, and surgery.

I love Tom so much and hate to see him suffering so. He has been very brave.