My Story: The Tragedy (Part 4)

In St. Vincent Infirmary I was moved to a unit called Cornerstone.  In Cornerstone they had a therapy team that would come by each day and take me down to their therapy gym.  This therapy team had to use a lift device to get me out of bed and to the wheelchair.  I remember one day in the Cornerstone therapy gym I was up working on my walking (It was a very short walk) and sat back down in my wheelchair, I passed out and was quickly taken back to my room to recover and cool down.  Christy was in therapy with me and said I was completely out of it. I remember coming back to consciousness when they took me back to my hospital room.  My surgeon was called but did not know what could have caused me to pass out as I did.  I remember my surgeon coming to my room usually early in the morning hours to check on me.  There were several mornings I would wake up early and see him at the foot of my bed checking on me.  I remember him saying he came by one day to find that I had been moved from the hospital and he had not been informed of that move but was very supportive to see me in rehabilitation.  

From Cornerstone I was told I was being moved to a rehabilitation program.  The doctors felt I should go to St. Vincent rehab but Baptist Hospital rehabilitation was also recommended.  If the doctors could get me into St. Vincent Rehabilitation that’s the one I would go to.  They came back down and said I was admitted to St. Vincent rehabilitation and would leave the next morning.  Christy came up to help me with my move across town.  There was a bad wreck in Little Rock the morning I was supposed to move so all the ambulances were being used.  With our wait Christy and I were able to spend some time together.  That morning many of the nurses and my Cornerstone therapy team came by to say goodbye and good luck in rehabilitation.  Finally, a van from the rehab center came to pick me up and take me across town.  I rode sitting up in a wheelchair across town from the hospital to the rehab facility.  This was the first time I rode somewhere sitting up since I came to Little Rock at the end of June (This was September).  Sitting up was nice but I was very dizzy on the ride to the rehab hospital.  I remember how hot it was that day and how bad the traffic was as we drove across Little Rock.  Christy followed the van but with all the traffic we got separated at one point but I was very thankful to see her pull in the rehab parking lot right behind us.

I made it to St. Vincent Rehab.  The rehab was part of the St. Vincent North Hospital where all this began.   Thankfully Christy was with me helping with all the paperwork.  We watched an introduction video for the rehab then I was wheeled upstairs to my new room.  This would be my home for the next five weeks.  Since I came to the rehab on a Friday afternoon I had the evening and weekend to get started.  I knew at this point I would have to do the rehab chapter on my own.  There were times that I would be out of my room for rehab sessions and Little Rock is over an hour away from family.  It just did not make sense to have family sit around plus at the time visiting hours were reduced to a few hours in the afternoon so anyone staying with me would have to leave in the morning and not be allowed back in until visiting hours in the late afternoon.  I remember people in the rehab would have family staying with them.  These family members would come in the evening during visiting hours then stay all night but there were not many.  This would be very difficult to do for my family and I felt I needed to recover a little on my own.  Christy and I spent some more time together and she helped me get moved into my new room.  A therapist came in while I was getting moved in to do an assessment on my condition so I could begin rehab on Monday.  When the assessment started is when Christy headed back home.  Seeing her leave was difficult each time.  I would cry every time she had to leave.

Friday evening and Saturday therapists would come in to do more assessments so I could get started with rehabilitation on Monday.  That weekend I was able to rest a bit which proved to be important as rehab was coming.  I have never been one to rest but resting before rehab was very important.

On Monday I met my therapy team which was made up of a physical, occupational, and a speech therapist.  These three people quickly became very good friends.  I will never forget my first day of therapy.  I had completed physical therapy and occupational therapy that morning.  Since I was unable to swallow effectively I was not eating so in addition to my individual therapy sessions I was also in a group therapy.  We would do physical and occupational type therapy exercises during the group time at lunch since I was still on the feeding tube.  On my first afternoon after physical and occupational therapy I was up for going to speech therapy.  My speech therapist came in to get me for therapy.  When I went to get out of bed and in my wheelchair I fell.  My therapist caught me and I just sat down on her knee.  She was a great helper for my needs other than just speech.  She called for a nurse and I was put in my chair and off to therapy we went.

The other day my daughter was telling a story from a memory she had of this time.  Christy had called them during a visit to report on my status.  On this particular visit the kids were staying with their grandfather.  There were many times family and friends would keep the kids so Christy could visit.   I am so thankful for their help!  Since the kids were not allowed under COVID-19 restrictions someone would let the kids stay with them before Christy could come.  She said that mom had called and reported I was doing ok but just kept asking for apple juice.  Quickly doctors found I had trouble with swallowing so anything to eat or drink was not allowed.  To supplement nutrition a feeding tube was placed in my stomach.  I sure did want some real food and something to drink!

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