Still another good day for Vickie, with lots of visitors.
When Vickie was told she would be going to R.I.O. Monday, she remarked " I hear it's a beautiful place, we should take lots of pictures"

Another day without any noteworthy problems. Vickie is expressing more, her concerns about her situation and her future. She is becoming more frustrated with her inability to sort things out in her mind. In it's own way this is probably a good thing.

Vickie made it thru the night without any problems related to traveling.
Today was a good day for her. The confusion is still the most obvious problem, but she is slowly becoming more aware and responsive.

Late Tuesday evening and no sign of sickness. Hopefully Vickie will make it thru the rest of the night without problems.
The Dr. appointment went well, no serious problems.

Vickie is trying to get back to her normal self. The anti-carsickness patch is on. We will know tomorrow night if it works, after her trip to Mt Hood Med. CTR for a Dr. appointment Tuesday afternoon. If it doesn't do the job we have a major problem, since she has the R.I.O. evaluation next Monday.

Vickie is gradually recovering from her problems Saturday morning. She was able to eat her meals, however without her usual gusto.

Apparently Vickie doesn't travel well. Late in the night she started experiencing severe nausea episodes that lasted until noon Saturday. She slept most of the rest of the day. She received nourishment thru IV and water thru her stomach tube.
A Dramamine type medication, administered by the patch system will be used before she makes any more trips next week.

Vickie's day started off a little slow, but she managed to devour her lunch and later on, dinner.
She had a large number of visitors early in the evening bringing gifts and good wishes.

Vickie had her first ride in a regular passenger vehicle in over six months this evening when she made an impromptu trip to the family Christmas eve gettogether at her childhood home, now owned by one of her sisters. Vickie has never missed one of these gatherings and the string is still unbroken. Even the most difficult logistical obstacle can be overcome with an adequate number of motivated bodies. It became one of the best Christmas eves in a long time.

Vickie was talkative and alert today. Another day without any serious problems.

Vickie wasn't up much today,{staffing issues again?},but she was in good form this evening.

Vickie is continuing to use her left side field of vision when prompted. There's a chance this could help her gain some use of her left side faculties in the future.

Another day without any setbacks and Vickie is still improving.

Vickie had a session with the speech therapy Dr. today. He is encouraging her to use her left side senses. She has only been aware of those things she sees to her right. At first she resisted, but gradually adjusted to the point where she was eating off her lunch plate when it was placed on the left side of her table. The Dr. considers this a major improvement, one that the financial overseers will view as acceptable and relent on paying for continued therapy.

Vickie's Saturday was just like Friday with more visitors. No new or recurring problems.

This was another "no news is good news" day. Vickie spent time in her wheel chair, ate her meals , she feeds herself[sort of] and spoke with her visitors[in her own way now]. Vickie can be entertaining at times, you can never guess what she might say next.

We seem to have returned to that plateau Vickie was at several weeks ago, in which there are no serious medical problems interrupting her recovery process.
Today is the 6 month anniversary of Vickie's illness.

Despite a bout of nausea this morning Vickie was in good form later in the day. She is still becoming more alert to her surroundings and more responsive to visitors.

Everything is pretty much back to normal for Vickie now. She is eating, spending time in her wheelchair and talking with visitors.

Vickie was able to eat her dinner while in her chair this evening, the first time in several days. She's slowly returning to the level she was at a week ago, talking and complaining a little.

Vickie made it thru another day without any serious problems. She was able to eat most of her meals, however she was very quiet and spoke in a barely audible whisper. She slept much of the day and never made it into her wheelchair. If there are no more complications, she won't need any more of the medication that tends to act as a sedative.

Vickie made it thru the day without any more setbacks. She was able to eat a small amount for lunch and dinner. The anti-nausea medication makes her listless.

Everything went well with the appointment at Mt Hood MC until just before the ride back. The nausea returned with avengeance. Vickie wasn't able to keep anything down until late into the evening.

Vickie appeared to be her regular self today, with little leftover effects from the problems she experienced the last couple of days.
Friday morning she has an appointment for an EEG at Mt Hood MC. It's just a check to see if anything unusual has happened. It was scheduled several weeks ago and has no connection to the most recent events.

Vickie recovered from her bout with nausea. Although she was quiet and only whispering today, she managed to eat her meals without any problems.
The evaluation at R.I.O. was cancelled this morning and rescheduled in January.

Today was a setback for Vickie. She spent the day sleeping after episodes of nausea. Medication for the problem acts as a sedative. The timing couldn't be much worse since she has an appointment with one of the R.I.O. drs Wednesday morning for an evaluation to determine if she might be ready for their program.

Vickie's incremental progress continues.
The confusion seems to be the major issue now that some of the other problems are resolving themselves.
There doesn't appear to be much improvement in her left side paralysis.

Vickie got off to a slow start this morning and later in the afternoon due to staffing issues.
She fed herself both lunch and dinner. Just one more example of the progress Vickie's making.
She's starting to ask pointed questions about her condition and future that are difficult to answer honestly. Even in her confused state of mind she knows things aren't right.

Each day Vickie's cognition improves, albeit ever so slightly. Her conversation is more relevant and spontaneous.
These posts are probably starting to seem redundant, but without the constant crisis situations we were accustomed to, there's not much to make note of.

Vickie's diet is gradually going to "normal" food and she seems to like it.
Next week she will go to R.I.O. to be evaluated by one of their Drs. If she keeps improving as she has the last few weeks it could go well.

Today was the same as yesterday for Vickie, only a little better. Sleep some, eat a little more, do some writing [it's a little more legible], watch a little bit of TV and know what's going on and talk with visitors in her own way.

There were no apparent changes in Vickie's situation or condition today.

There were no new issues for Vickie to deal with. That means it was a good day.

Vickie continues to up the ante on food, having a regular sandwich for dinner. The use of the feeding tube should end very soon.
Vickie has started to notice her surroundings more and commenting on what she thinks she sees.
In December Vickie has several appointments she must travel to. It might be time to look for a low cost wheelchair van to buy.

Apparently the staff doesn't believe Vickie is consuming enough food at her meals. The tube feeding has been restarted. We think they aren't seeing the situation as we do. She feeds herself, not quickly or neatly, but she gets the job done. She never has been a big eater. It's institutional food, who wants to eat a lot of that?
Otherwise is was a good day.

Things calmed down today, Vickie ate her meals and kept them down. She talked plenty with her visitors and then was relaxed at bedtime.
The confusion continues and Vickie is aware that she has problems remembering and organizing her thoughts.

Vickie fed herself Thanksgiving dinner today, however for some reason she was unable to keep it down. She was very sleepy all day, either from the anti-nausea medication or possibly a virus.

Vickie seems to have settled into a routine. Three meals a day on schedule, gradually moving to more conventional food.
Her writing is becoming more legible.

For dinner this evening Vickie was fed by her therapist food that wasn't pureed, but chopped very fine. The pace of improvement is increasing.
We've gone several days without any serious problems.

The house Dr. visited Vickie this morning. The daily inhaler treatment and the blood sugar tests are terminated. There will be no more feeding thru the tube as long as she continues to eat regular food. The tube will remain in case of a setback.

Tonight Vickie was more quiet and lucid than usual, less anxiety and more thought out remarks.

Vickie spent the day eating, sitting in her chair writing,napping and talking, at times with visitors sometimes without visitors.
The confusion is constant and there are times of anxiety, possibly the two are related.

Vickie is eating more of her meals. She is attempting to feed her self. She now drinks from a cup that she can pick up on her own. Maybe the feeding tube's days are numbered.

The end of Vickie's fifth month of recovery passed by last week without mention. Sometimes the remarkable progress she is making is lost on those of us who see her daily, as we get caught up in the immediate issues she must constantly deal with.

Vickie is continuing with her eating binge. The amount she eats is gradually increasing. The current schedule is for three meals a day with an aide feeding her.

Vickie has been experiencing some severe anxiety episodes. Not sure what the cause is.

Everything went well today.
Vickie is starting to eat more varieties of food. She can hold her own glass to drink now. It's possible she may not need the feeding tube in a few weeks.
She was alert and talkative again today, however the confusion is still a major problem.
Vickie has a tentative December appointment to be evaluated for the R.I.O. program. Hopefully she will progress enough in the next weeks to qualify for their therapy.

No stress for Vickie today. This evening she was alert and talkative.

Vickie spent half an hour on the stand-up platform this morning. Apparently the effort wore her out, she was very tired the rest of the day.

Vickie had a good day, no crisis or new problems.

Vickie had good interaction with her visitors today.

The speech therapy Dr. was in this evening. Vickie had a bowl of tomato soup with crackers, a sandwich and ice cream to finish it off. Her ability to eat is not in question, however her cognitive awareness is still not where it needs to be for her to eat on her own.

Like many others, Vickie seems to have a head cold, but it's not having a serious effect, at least for now.

Vickie had a good calm day.

Vickie had a quiet day, sleeping more than usual. There were times of increased agitation, probably due to the confusion she is experiencing.

As Vickie's recovery continues, the medical issues are not as critical as they were previously. Now her mental status is more apparent. She is experiencing confusion as to her situation and she's becoming frustrated with her inability to sort things out in her mind. This is probably normal for someone with her condition, but it's still troubling to us.

While the physical therapy has been temporarily discontinued, Vickie is still learning to eat and drink again.
There were no negative events so it was a good day.

Vickie's condition seems to have stabilized. No crisis today.
Therapy has been discontinued for a while until her cognitive ability improves.

Vickie will have an evaluation by a Dr. from R.I.O. in December.

Physical therapy was resumed this morning. Vickie did well.
This evening she was able to eat more food. It may have been too much, too soon, since she wasn't able to keep it down.
Vickie has a fever again, like before, we don't know why.

Vickie was quiet or sleeping much of the day, probably due to the anti-anxiety medication she received last night. This evening she was awake and talking some.

Vickie had a session with her speech therapist. She had some soup and used a straw to drink this evening. The next hurdle is for Vickie to feed herself and be rid of the feeding tube.

While Vickie has moments when she seems completely lucid, at other times she tends to be somewhat confused about her situation. This week she has at times complained of head pain. Given her circumstance this can be an alarming symptom to us. It's difficult to determine the difference between what is really occurring and that which is the product of her mind's disorganized state. The staff wants to react to her complaints, using medication without any further investigation.

The evaluator for R.I.O. determined that Vickie is not ready for their program just yet. The R.I.O. therapy is more intensive, for a longer duration each day and much more expensive than what Vickie is undergoing now. Also a follow up plan for Vickie's care will need to be presented that's appropriate for her when she is discharged.

A strenuous therapy session for Vickie this morning.
No word on the R.I.O. evaluation yet.

Vickie had a visit with the evaluator for R.I.O. today. This is the first step to moving to Good Sam. for full time therapy. We'll get her initial opinion tomorrow to find out how much more Vickie needs to be able to do in order to make the transition.

Vickie was very tired after her triple session of therapies today. She has received authorization for 7 days to see how she responds.

Vickie had another quiet day.
No word on the therapy issue.

Vickie spent the evening sitting in front of her room passing out treats to the goblins visiting the facility for Halloween. She wore her witch hat and kept a running count of the treats she had on hand.

With the absence of infections and fever Vickie is becoming more talkative. While many of her comments and questions aren't in any logical [to us] context, she still comes up with some profound statements and quips. The change in the last two weeks is remarkable.

Vickie had another pleasant day with no setbacks. She interacted with her visitors well. Each day there is a small improvement.
The therapy issue is still in question.

Despite Vickie's speech therapy Dr.'s insistence, the insurance purveyor still insists on withholding payment for therapy.

Vickie did well today. She was awake and in her wheel chair until 9:30 pm. writing.
We have gone more than a week without any serious medical setbacks.

Vickie's speech therapy Dr. pronounced her ready for more therapy. The insurance moguls will reconsider her situation. She's ready if they do. Tonight she was wheeled down to the piano, without prompting she plunked out a one finger rendition of "Mary had a little lamb".

Thursday we have a staff/family meeting to discuss Vickie's care and future. Not sure what they can tell us that we aren't already aware of.

No crisis today. Vickie was in her chair for an extended time during the middle of the day. The subtle but steady progress is encouraging.

The Dr. was in to see Vickie this morning, he's ok with her progress.

This evening Vickie was in her chair taking a tour of the facility. When she was sitting by the piano in the TV room, she started plunking on the keys with her right hand. No concert, but music to our ears.

We now have to begin the aggravating duel with the insurance overseers, trying to persuade them to pay for Vickie's therapy.

Vickie had a quiet Sunday. No crisis today, we needed a break.
This evening Vickie asked the most pertinent question yet. She wanted to know what is wrong with her? Did she have cancer or some other debilitating disease? She was told that she had a stroke. She said she needed to ask her Dr. some questions. What should her diet be and some other relevant questions.

Vickie is becoming more aware every day now. This morning she experienced a minor panic episode while being lifted from her bed to the rolling chair for her shower. She has done this procedure often but this is the first time she has shown a negative reaction.
Later in the day vickie was talking and interacting with visitors as best she could. She has participated in several short telephone conversations in the last few days.

It's official, the financial overlords have determined that Vickie is no longer eligible for Physical therapy since she hasn't kept to their timeline for improvement.
Vickie's speech is improving along with her ability to comprehend. The down side is she is showing some frustration and she seems a little depressed at times.

Vickie participated in physical therapy this morning. She is now allotted P.T. an a one day at a time basis, providing she meets the criteria imposed by the provider. We probably should be thankful for the largesse of the provider.
Vickie is talking more now and making conversation, albeit not always in context.

Vickie was transported to Mt. Hood Medical Center this morning for tests to determine the cause of the pain and bloating she is experiencing. The tests were inconclusive.

Vickie spent a couple of hours in her chair this morning before asking to return to bed because of pain in her abdomen.
This evening she had a high fever, still don't know the cause of the fever or the pain.

After Vickie's sisters demanded more attention to the pain she is experiencing, the staff relented and contacted the house Dr. He appeared this afternoon and agreed to an ultrasound exam. The exam didn't show anything definitive that could be a source of the pain. Now we will wait for any results from the blood tests that were done today.

Vickie is continuing to talk and at times coherently.

The financial gatekeepers have decided that Vickie isn't progressing fast enough to meet their criteria for continued physical therapy and have stopped authorizing it. Just when we appear to be on the verge of a major breakthrough this comes up.

Vickie is still complaining about severe pain in her abdomen. The staff insists on treating the condition with Tylenol type medication. We suspect the problem might require a serious hands on investigation to determine the cause. The phantom Dr. is of little help so far, diagnosing by telephone or osmosis.
At noon, Vickie was whispering her thoughts to us. This evening she was speaking loud enough to hear from her bedside.

Despite bouts of nausea and the persistent fever, Vickie was able to have a good visit with three of her cousins from Washington this morning.
Although she's not speaking regularly, Vickie is still communicating her thoughts with audible whispering.
Today is the beginning of the fifth month in Vickie's recovery.

Vickie celebrated her birthday with a small group of relatives and friends tonight. It might have been a little overwhelming for her.
A new problem has come up now. Vickie says she is experiencing severe pain in her waist area. We don't know what's the cause or what to do about it.
One thing is for sure, she can now tell us what she's feeling, no more guessing and playing charades trying to figure out what's going on with her.

Thursday was pretty much a repeat of yesterday. Vickie is slowly regaining her voice, uttering an occasional word loud enough to be heard across the room. Some of her comments are profound, others are not.

Vickie actively participated in her therapies this morning. With the therapy and the fever that just won't go away, she needs to rest a lot in the afternoon. She was awake and responsive later this evening, but tired quickly.

The fever problem was still with Vickie this morning.
She spent a considerable amount of time in the wheel chair during the morning and then later this evening. Tonight she asked to be put in her chair.
We are trying to teach her to use the call button at her bed to summon the staff. It would be helpful if they would do their part in our little exercise.
Vickie's asking more questions about her circumstance. It's difficult for her to understand why she's where she is.

For some unknown reason Vickie is still having fever problems that come and go. Otherwise she appears to be doing good.
She isn't able to make the step from a quiet whisper to talking out loud yet. She has quite a bit to say even though a lot of it seems to be out of context.

There were lots of visitors today, including an aunt and cousin who traveled from North Dakota. Vickie was a good host, sitting in her chair ,writing and answering questions as best she could.
With Vickie's door closed and no noise in the room, it's now possible to hear and comprehend her whispering. Her comments and questions are another matter. They can be a bit confusing. Of course this is all understandable and acceptable considering what she's been through.

Vickie's fever was a little lower today. She was very alert and trying to whisper louder. She will be speaking soon.

Vickie participated in physical therapy despite a high fever and early morning nausea.
This evening the fever was lower and she seem to feel better.

Vickie spent a large part of the day in her wheel chair. Lots of writing in her tiny and random method. She is able to whisper what she wants to say at times. The trend is definitely up.

The fever Vickie had yesterday left as quickly as it came. No explanation.
Vickie had some potato soup today, slowly starting her on regular food.
This evening she was very "bright", alert and whispering at an almost audible level. We're getting very close now.

It was a down day for Vickie. She has a high fever, it's cause unknown. Maybe tomorrow it can be diagnosed and treated.
Vickie doesn't have much enthusiasm when she has to deal with extra problems.

We seem to have settled into a routine with no profound changes, just a slow and small incremental improvement for Vickie.

Sunday was a repeat of yesterday, only better. Good speech and swallowing therapy. Lots of self-directed writing exercise. Vickie was alert and responsive for extended times. She is now able to communicate some of her basic needs.

Vickie did good in her speech therapy this morning. She had a little ice cream and a small amount of soup to test her ability to swallow.
She managed to do a little larger writing, impressing the therapy Dr. He's predicting she could start talking soon.
She seemed alert and responsive during the day. Vickie is communicating her needs more now. Lots of writing on her pad, still difficult to decipher because it's so tiny and unorganized.

Another good session of physical therapy today for Vickie. With the aid of support equipment, she is able to stand up for a short period of time. Her ability to swallow under control is increasing, demonstrated by her eating a small amount of sherbet. At some point in the near future maybe the feeding tube will go away.

More physical therapy for Vickie today. Each session, the level of activity increases a little.
Vickie's do-it-herself writing therapy shows she is thinking more about her situation now. Her written words are getting larger and more legible. It's good she has the ability to comprehend what's going on, it's bad in that she refers to some of the negative issues she has to deal with.

Vickie resumed therapy today, all went well.
Not speaking to us yet, we'll be patient.

Another good day for Vickie.She hardly seems to notice that she's all on her own as far as swallowing and breathing goes. The therapist gave her about 1/3 of a cup of ice cream and she did great with it. Not to enthused with physical therapy today but she said she knew she needed to work hard at it which of course she will!! Keep up the good work Vickie!!! (Pam)

Around noon today the house Dr. visited Vickie. The troublesome but crucial trach tube was removed, hopefully it's permanent. Now it should be possible for Vickie to learn to speak again. She appears to have taken this significant change in stride. An important side effect of the trach is it could be the cause of some of the respiratory problems that have plagued Vickie all these months.

Vickie stayed bedridden today. She's very sleepy due to medication for the nausea episodes that started recurring this morning. The theory for the cause is a new antibiotic started Friday.
Despite new problems, the trach remained plugged. Vickie is tolerating the breathing issue better now.

The experiment with the plugged trach continued today. It was kept closed most of the day. Vickie is still unable to completely relax while trying to breathe in a normal fashion. When she has a bout with congestion she seems to panic a little.
Occasionally she will whisper words, she's still not able to control her breathing enough to speak.
Things are going so well now we've nearly forgotten how dismal the situation appeared just a week ago.

Vickie spent a considerable amount of time with her trach plugged today, although she doesn't seem to be overly thrilled with the concept yet. Baring any setbacks, the time span will be increased to 24 hours this weekend. This could lead to a major advancement in her recovery process, the final removal of the trach next week. This would end the last physical impairment to Vickie's ability to speak.

Another good day for Vickie. The trach plugging procedure is up to an hour, twice a day. She is a little anxious, but learning to relax and breathe normally. If she continues with the progress it's possible the trach could be removed sometime next week.

Vickie had a full day of physical and speech therapy,which went quite well. She had a low fever in the evening and was quite tired. Trach was plugged again for 30 min. morning and night, seems to get easier for her each day.Lots of family and friends visited today which is great! (Pam)

Vickie had her trach plugged to breathe on her own,in the morning and evening for 15 minutes each time and did great!! Her oxygen level stayed perfect! She seems to be thinking a lot about her situation and needs extra encouragement and to be reassured that with hard work she WILL GET MUCH BETTER!!I know she really appreciates all of her family and friends love and devotion..you can see it in her big beautiful brown eyes! We love you Vickie....(Pam )

Vickie writing sept. 19th 

Vickie is holding on again today. No setbacks for three days.
The impromptu writing therapy is ongoing and improving. While her penmanship is suspect,it clearly shows her thinking ability and wit are still there.
The nurses have resumed the process of shutting the trach, which forces Vickie to breathe normal for a few minutes, gradually increasing the time span until it's permanent.

Sunday was basically a repeat of Saturday's activity. Vickie was alert and trying to write before noon. She tires after a couple of hours and needs to return to her bed.
I've added a setting for anyone who wants to e-mail a daily post. Click on the little envelope under the post.

Vickie had her Saturday morning shower and then spent several hours in the sunroom, in her wheel chair. After resting for a while she began writing, without prompting. She filled a page with two or three word questions and statements. Some of it was legible despite being tiny and very unorganized. On a second page she wrote the names of relatives and friends followed by "home phone #" or "cell phone #". I said the numbers and she wrote them out very clearly. She couldn't remember the numbers including her own. We'll overlook that for now.
She still has a fever, but not as severe as it's been the last week. She was more alert and responsive than we've seen in over a week. The contrast from Friday is amazing.

No improvement in Vickie's condition today.
We are coming to the conclusion that Vickie's medical needs might be better met at Emanuel. Of course this position may put us at odds with the current care provider and their phantom physician, since they have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

Vickie is still battling the infections that are keeping her down. She was quiet again today, not able to respond very much. She still has a fever and is receiving medication.
Today is the beginning of the fourth month of Vickie's recovery.

It was another quiet day for Vickie. She seemed more alert and responsive. She had several nonfamily visitors during the day and that perked her up. Her youngest grandson came to visit this evening and she responded to him. It looks like we might get back on track now.

Vickie is still trying to fight off her infection.Is more alert then this weekend but still not to much energy.She will stay on the antibiotic until next Tuesday and then they will attempt to see what other infection she may have and see what type of medicine can be used for that infection.Once that is under control Vickie can continue to progress with rehabilitation. (Pam)

Vickie is still struggling with the infections and spent the day resting.

Vickie spent most of the day resting. Her alertness and response were minimal today.
Besides everything else, she is now experiencing some sort of severe stomach distress that isn't helping.
There continues to be some confusion identifying the different infections and what to use to treat them.

It was a rather quiet day for Vickie today.She seemed quite tired out,but rested comfortably. No fever today which is good..maybe the infection is calming down a bit.We all are looking foward to getting back to weaning her off the trach and more physical therapy. (Pam)

Vickie continues to make progress responding and staying alert despite struggling with several infections. The process of closing the trach and allowing her to breath normal has been halted until the lung infection is cleared up.
Each day she seems more aware of her circumstance and what's going on around her.

Vickie was quiet today.
She had a very high fever during the day. It was down some this evening. Not sure what's causing it. More tests and guessing. We're back on the roller coaster.

Vickie had a full schedule today with the different therapies she's doing now. The progress is small but significant. Each day seems to build on the previous one.
Her nurse for the day did the procedure of closing the trach which forces Vickie to breath thru her mouth and nose. While this may seem simple to us, Vickie has not done this in almost three months, so it's somewhat stressful for her. They only do this for a few minutes each day, gradually increasing the time she must breathe normally until she is able to do it all the time. The nurse reported that Vickie said "Yeah" faintly, in response to a question. This would be the first word she has spoken since June 16th.
Tonight we were prompting Vickie to write on her pad. Most of her handwriting is tiny and illegible. One sentence we could read, "when do I get to go home?" Today wouldn't be soon enough.

Back to PT for Vickie today.She stood up(with much support) for 18 min today,she did great. They plugged her trach for 15 min and the nurse said she did much better today,the nurse said tonight another 15 but as of 10:15 that hadn't happened yet.The infection is still present(we were told yesterday it wasn't in error).She will be treated with the antibiotic until trach is out and healed.Fever of 100.8 tonight and had lots of stuff to be suctioned,but was in very good spirits and entertained herself by changing tv channels and turning tv off/on w remote. She did great with her speech doctor and even wrote on paper "Goodbye Robyn" when she left,even spelling her name correctly.Keep up the good work Vickie!!! We know it's hard work but your doing wonderful!!(Pam)

Vickie's trac was plugged for about 5 min today(the nurse supervised the entire time) to see how she could manage breathing through her mouth and nose on her own..she panicked some, but was able to make it through it ok.The goal is to increase the time each day,twice a day until it can be removed all together. We all will be ready to celebrate the day that bothersome (but very necessary) device is removed. Her female speech doctor said she can see some improvement since the last time she saw her,two weeks ago, as well as all of us can.(Pam=Vic's sister)

Vickie was alert today and sat in her chair for around three hours,mostly awake and aware. She had a surprise visitor,her cousin Dolores from Washington came to see her,I'm sure Vickie appreciated her visit very much. She was also happy to see Becky's son from Phoenix..she seems to remember everyone,even those she doesn't see very often..which is great to see!! She was pretty tired tonight and seemed to be comfortable and needed some rest.The results from the culture for her infection will be probably be back on Tuesday,hopefully they will be negative so she can continue to get stronger...(Pam-Vickie's sister)

We met with the speech therapist this morning. He believes Vickie has a ways to go before she can have the trach removed. We will need to be more aggressive in helping her relearn to communicate.
Tonight, when handed her toothbrush, Vickie put it in her mouth and made an attempt to brush her teeth. It's still the little things.

Therapy for Vickie was stepped up this morning. She was placed on a table that can be raised to a vertical position. She was able to be in a standing position, well supported of course, for some time. She seemed to like this new experience and didn't show any signs of distress that sometimes occur when this is attempted for the first time with people in Vickie's condition.
She continues to be very responsive at times.
Saturday morning the speech therapy Dr. will give an update on Vickie's progress and pass on the latest instructions for dealing with her.

Lots of visitors today. Vickie probably wondered what was happening this morning when half the family showed up in her room, waiting for the afore mentioned meeting to start.
One item discussed during the meeting concerned the trach and how soon it might be removed. The infection must be cleared up first and Vickie needs to have control of her ability to swallow. We are close but not quite there yet. She's a long ways from transferring to rehab at the hospital.
Some issues about staff attitudes and procedures were also debated and noted by the supervisors.
The financial aspects of the situation are becoming more important since the insurance coverage will end next week and Vickie's stay at Rest Harbor becomes self paid. The therapy will continue to be covered, so that's some consolation for us.

Vickie was more alert and talkative today than we've seen before.
On several occasions she was scribbling words and partial sentences, some of them we could decipher.
Tomorrow morning there will be a family/professionals meeting. Hopefully we can discuss Vickie's treatment and more importantly what is in store in the near future and for her long term care and recovery.

Vickie was rather tired today.Fever seems to be keeping down and less suctioning is needed.Tonight she seemed to be feeling depressed.It may be that reality is setting in and she is starting to worry about her future.Now more then ever, she needs to be reminded how far she has come, and what a strong person she is.On this Thursday, the family is meeting with the staff at the care facility to see what her care plan is going to be now that the 1st 30 days are almost completed....(Pam)

Vickie was quiet during the day and not very responsive. This evening she was alert and talking, in her own way of course.
When she was handed a card she received this evening she held it up and looked it over. Not sure if she was reading it or not, but it looked good.
The respiratory infection is still there but not getting any worse, maybe better.
And a little side matter, today is our 36th anniversary. It will be celebrated at a later time.

Vickie had a pretty mellow day today.Fever was up in the afternoon but back down in the evening. She looked rather comfortable and was even able to laugh (smiled really big) when two of us sisters had a laughing attack..it was great to have her join in like old times again!!!The antibiotic seems to be working,so everyone keep positive thoughts that it stays that way.(Pam-Vic's sister)

8/28

This update is from Vickie's sister Pam,giving Tom a night off.Rather quiet day..Vickie seems to be feeling a tiny bit better.Still very tired but very much alert and aware of everyone and everything most of the time.Fever seems to be keeping at just slightly raised.Hopefully in the next week or so her infection will be under control so extended therapy can begin.She is trying her very best at it now but tires out rather quickly(PT will be back Monday.She really needs all the comfort and encouragement all her family and friends continue to give her.

Another typical day for Vickie. Physical therapy in the morning, some time in the wheelchair and then lots of sleep in the afternoon.
The lung infection won't go away. Because of the infection she must have the suction treatment done constantly. It's obviously distressing for her.
This evening she was alert at times and wanting to communicate, mostly about her discomfort.

Vickie was alert and trying to talk to us tonight. Unfortunately lip reading is not our forte, so we end up frustrated with our inability to communicate clearly.
The therapist mentioned that if the respiratory problem would go away, removing the trach might soon be possible. This would definitely aid the communication gap.

Vickie had physical therapy this morning. No significant changes. The infection is still present and is being treated.
Tonight she was alert but seemed somewhat agitated. Don't know if it's caused by one of her medications or just the way it is.

This was a quiet day for Vickie. Limited therapy today.
Vickie has a staph bacterial infection that is now prevalent in area institutions. She is being treated for it with gentamycin. The nursing staff are now suggesting when visiting Vickie, visitors wear gloves and masks that are available in the room, for their own protection.

Vickie had both physical and speech therapies this morning. It went well, her abilities are increasing a little each time.
She was more alert today than the last few days.
The fever persists, but is being treated.
The lung congestion just won't go away, it's one of the reasons for keeping the trach tube in. We think if the trach were removed, the communication problem would get much better.

It was an uneventful weekend for Vickie. No physical therapy to get her going. This morning the speech therapist was in to see her, but Vickie wasn't very enthusiastic.
Vickie's respiratory problems are still a factor and she has been running a fever again.
We think some of the medication she's taking might be causing her to be drowsy.

One thing we all agree on, the staff at Rest Harbor is taking very good care of Vickie. From our point of view, Rest Harbor is probably the best of the facilities available to us.

It was just another typical day for Vickie. She had therapy in the morning and plenty of rest in the afternoon.

Vickie had a quiet day, no physical therapy. She was able to sit in her wheel chair for awhile anyway.
We've noticed she's becoming more aware of herself. She now scratches her nose and stomach when it itches.
Vickie has issues with her trach hose. She keeps trying to pull it off and she has succeeded several times. Her annoyance level with her circumstance is increasing.
In it's own way this is probably be a good thing.

Vickie's therapies this morning were so rigorous she slept most of the afternoon. We didn't get much of a reaction out of her during the day today. Late this evening she seemed to get her second wind and was back to listening to what was said to her and then giving and showing appropriate responses.

Vickie continued with her therapy today. There were no significant changes in her behavior. She is still making progress in her ability to respond and let us know what's on her mind.
I suspect we have reached a point in Vickie's recovery where the day to day improvements are small and unless there's a dramatic change, they go unnoticed by those of us who visit daily. We now just assume she will be a little better each day.

Not sure whether it's the aggressive therapy or if it's just the natural order of things but Vickie seems to be much more aware and more ready to communicate, albeit in her own way.
She was in her tiltback wheel chair again today for three hours and for some of that time she was outside in the sunshine.

Vickie was able to acknowledge some of the visitors she had this morning,with hand gestures and mouthing words that everyone could understand.

Today marks the beginning of the third month.

This morning Vickie was lifted out of her bed with the sling hoist and lowered into her tilt back wheel chair. It's obvious the lift process makes her very anxious. We wheeled her down the hall to the sunroom where she stayed for several hours. Awake some and then falling asleep. It was encouraging to see her sitting with her head up even if it had to be supported by the neck support and strap.
She's was a little more responsive today than yesterday. She keeps mouthing words but we can't read lips very good so it must be as frustrating for her as it is for us. She seems to have a lot to tell us but just can't get it out.

For the first time in nearly two months, Vickie had a shower this morning. Another new adventure for her, we think she liked it. Finally, we can close the windows.
She seemed less responsive today generally, but she did perk up some for new visitors.

It was an extraordinary day for Vickie. Her therapists put her in a wheel chair and brought her down stairs to sit in the sunroom. She spent nearly two hours in the chair before returning to her room to rest.
Vickie's alertness level is increasing. She's more responsive each day. When a special visitor comes to her room she can even manage a weak smile, if the timing is right.

Vickie had the first of her intensive physical therapy sessions today. Among the exercises, one had her sitting on the edge of her bed. Apparently she didn't enjoy it at all. She's been in a prone position for nearly two months now, with no activity.

Despite the increased level of activity, Vickie was still awake into the late afternoon. She had a visit from her new speech therapist. He was optimistic about her ability to regain some of her speaking skills. The family is being encouraged to take an active part in her communication therapy.

The one constant in all of this is change, Vickie was moved to room #33 this afternoon. She has a better view of the parking lot now.

Vickie slept thru most of her ambulance ride to Rest Harbor at the corner of Powell Valley Rd and 282nd. She was awake and didn't seemed to be stressed when she got to room #32 on the second floor.

She was alert and somewhat more responsive during the day. She seems to be sleeping a little less now and staying awake longer. She's also paying more attention to what's going on around her and interacting more with visitors and staff.

From our initial contact today it looks like the staff is able to provide the care and treatment Vickie will require during her stay, as well they should considering the mind boggling amount they charge.
They have promised an aggressive physical therapy program to get Vickie on the road to recovery.

Vickie will go to Rest Harbor, a skilled nursing facility east of Gresham, tomorrow before noon. We've been assured that they have the equipment and trained personnel to take care of Vickie properly. We'll see about that.
Vickie was awake and somewhat responsive again tonight. She is starting to communicate her needs and problems, but in the most elementary ways. We believe she is once again making noticeable progress.

Tonight Vickie was the most alert and responsive that I've seen in 2 weeks. She was able to write several names on a paper. She tired of this exercise after a few minutes. However her penmanship is still holding her back from that gold star.
The last of the long hair that remained after the surgeries was cut off tonight. All she needs is some purple color to complete the look.
I suspect that she will be leaving Emanuel very soon. The serious side medical issues are under control for now. We are hoping the next stage in Vickie's recovery won't be as short and traumatic as the last one.

Vickie was resting this morning. Later in the afternoon she was awake and very responsive to visitors.
She had another ct scan this afternoon, checking for sizures or problems. None found.
The Dr. of the day put her back on a Delantin type drug and the rash returned. If it isn't one thing it's another. It's starting to look like we have to start all over every third day as far as the staff is concerned. There doesn't seem to be an overall game plan.

Vickie seemed to be pretty much the same this morning. This afternoon was a different matter. Around 1:30 she had a severe breathing problem. As it turned out a blood clot from her lung had worked itself out and up to the trach canula, lodged there and caused a crisis for herself and her sister who had just came in the room. What timing. This is twice in a week that a sister has arrived just in time to call for help at a critical moment.
An X-ray of her chest was done. No results from that yet.
Vickie was back to her old sleepy self this evening.

Little change today. More tests this morning looking for the cause of the fever which has just about gone. The new antibiotics might be working, despite not knowing the identity of the organism that's responsible.
Tried to get Vickie to write with a pen tonight, she made a few scratches, not much enthusiasm yet. There will be no star beside her name for penmanship.

Vickie seemed "brighter" today. More responsive, not as much as a week ago, but better than she has been since our weekend near-disaster.
The Fever and respitory problems are still being aggresively treated.
A major side issue concerning our perception of Vickie's hospitalization regimen has perhaps changed for the better thanks to some timely intervention.

Not much change today. Still being treated for the respitory problem. Vickie seems to be trying to respond but can't quite get it out. Sister says she got a smile out of her this morning.
More tests today, won't know the results for awhile.
She gets a lot of attention from the staff, so somethings going right.

There was not a lot of change today. The respitory infection is still a problem. The staff moniter Vickie constantly and keep it under control enough that she isn't stressed by it. They keep taking samples trying to determine the identity of the bug. Today she started a new antibiotic.
I must visit at the wrong time of day, she's always asleep when I'm there, but others tell me she was alert and responsive when they saw her. Hmm?
The nursing home decision is going to be made in a day or so. Vickie will probably go to a different facility that seems to be able to provide the care she requires. It will be in a less convenient location for me but that's not so important right now.
I'm speculating she won't leave Emanuel before the end of the week, but I could be wrong.

More tests were done today, trying to find what's causing the respitory problems Vickie is experiencing. She still has the fever from last weekend.
She wasn't responsive this afternoon when I visited, but her sister said she was this morning.
The issue of Nursing facilities is still unresolved. We're exploring other options.
My opinion is they are all the same, marginally competent if you don't require extraordinary care.

This morning Vickie was resting, with no noticeable breathing problems. She was not very responsive, I think the events of the last couple of days have taken a toll on her recovery.
This evening she had another CT scan to check for unseen problems. We probably won't know the results until later tomorrow. Hopefully this is only a temporary setback.
She seemed more responsive tonight and was able to communicate a little.
We'll have to wait and see what decisions are made for her care in the near future. Some changes will have to be made so as not to repeat our experience this weekend.

This morning, we went to visit Vickie in her new location. Immediatly we could see something was very wrong. Vickie was having a difficult time breathing. She was taken by ambulance back to Imanuel. The problem was finaly diagnosed and treatment began.
She will stay there until the situation improves.
It looks like we will have to take it upon ourselves to put the skill back in "skilled nursing facility". Obviously we can't assume everyone has the knowledge or proper skills to perform the basic procedures for Vickie's care.

This morning the feeding tube was removed from Vickie's nose. She now has one into her stomach direct. Looks much better now. She also had a different Trach put in, although I can't see any difference. She was very sleepy tonight,probably due to all the changes today.
As of this afternoon she is no longer an Imanuel patient. They backed the old flatbed to the door and hauled her to Village Health care on S.E. 182nd. Vickie is in room #37.
She tires very easily and sleeps a lot so please don't overdue it. Please limit the number of people in the room at one time to two or three. There are almost no restrictions on visiting times.

Friday morning, the Gastro tube will be put in. If all goes well she will be transported to the skilled nursing facility west of Gresham, in the afternoon.
Tonight Vickie was more alert and responsive than she has been since this all started. She is aware of anyone in the room and can signal so in very simple movements.
Friday I anticipate she will be groggy and not so responsive because of the procedure in the morning. I'm not sure how she will react to her new surroundings or the trip. She will be much closer to home and most of her family and friends.
As soon as she is settled in, I will post the info for those who want to visit.

Vickie's situation is going to have a significant change very soon. She is scheduled to have the Gastro tube in friday morning. This should be the last operation she will have at Emanuel during this stay. As soon as it's determined that there are no new problems she will be transfered to the nursing facility near Gresham. As has been the case before,any of this could change at any time, one way or another. We've been waiting for the rash to go away ,it was the one thing preventing the tube procedure.

The therapist had Vickie sit up again this morning. She's still unable to hold her head up. She must now start doing little exercises like holding a knerf ball in her right hand and squeezing it. She trys but can't seem to get it. Almost six weeks of no activity has taken its toll on her.
We must exercise our Patience.
We appreciate the flowers and little gifts that dear friends are bringing to Vickie. However, and please don't take this wrong, Vickie's room is very small with little space for personel items. When she leaves the TRAC unit for whatever is next, I'm sure we will have a place to put these gifts so she can see and appreciate them.

This afternoon when I walked into Vickie's room, the physical therapists had her sitting on the edge of her bed. She was unable to hold herself up or even raise her head, but this is the first time she's not been lying down in nearly six weeks. She looked like she was very afraid or perhaps in some pain or both. When they returned her to the lying down position she went to sleep and remained that way. The therapist said they would repeat this each day this week to see if Vickie could handle it. They've decided to be more aggressive and push her to more activity.
They are still giving Benadryl for the rash and that seems to keep her very sleepy.
Everyone should keep up the good work, all the hoping and praying is getting results.

Vickie seemed groggy today, possibly from the Benadryl they are giving her, trying to clear up the rash that won't go away. She was experiencing a lot of congestion when I came in the room this morning. Had to have her nurse paged to do the suction procedure on the trach. After that I was in the room for an hour and a half and no one came in to check on her. Apparently we get the third string backup on weekends.
When Vickie's awake she can nod her head yes or no . She's obviously aware of what we say and she's able to think an answer to easy questions. From now on I would ask visitors to not have conversations among themselves around her bed as if she wasn't there. Also I believe the best tact for now is to keep it simple.
I would like to remind all visitors to leave their name and time of visit in Vickie's visitor book near her bed. This is part of the deal I made with the nursing staff earlier to let anyone visit as long as we could keep track of who's been there and when.
One last thing, if you are visiting when dr.s are there and they start giving details about her treatment or condition please remind them that you are not immediate family, therefore they should not be giving out that information.

When Vickie's sister was starting to leave this afternoon I lifted Vickie's hand up a little bit and asked her to wave to Janice. She gave a little wave with her fingers.
She still knows how to play to the room. Later I put a pen in her hand, told her she needs to learn to hold it so she can write her thoughts down for us so we will know what she needs. At first she fumbled with it but held on. When it fell out of her hand she began reaching for it with her fingers. It's always the little things that really count.

I didn't notice any change or improvement from yesterday. However, the physical therapists said they were able to communicate with Vickie verbally. She was asked if she was experiencing any pain. She mouthed that she had pain in her lower back.
Today there's no fever but the lung congestion persists. This prompts the staff to suction her, a process she obviously doesn't like.
I gave the wrong name of the condition Vickie has. A website I used to gain info is
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001400.htm
Not very upbeat but it's the reality we will have to live with.

This week Vickie's situation seemed to not be going in the direction we had hoped.
Just when I think I know what where we are going, there is a turn in the road I didn't expect.
Today Vickie appears to want to rejoin us. She started moving her head side to side ever so slightly, she lifted her right hand up several inches and those of us who witnessed it believe she is trying to mouth words. All of this is without prompting. She also notices unusual noises. Yesterday there was absolutly no clue to what's happening today.
The roller coaster ride continues.

This evening Vickie returned to the Trac unit, only in a different room from last week.
There seems to be little change in her responding to requests. The troublesome rash has reappeared, don't know what's causing it since all medications have been stopped.
The feeding tube procedure was cancelled yesterday without explanation.
Talked with the surgeon yesterday. One bit of information he passed on to me, but at the time I didn't grasp the ramifications of what he was refering to. Vickie has a disease called Fibromuscular-dyslepsia.
My normal attitude is to be pessimistic, but it would be helpful if I was wrong once in a while. Today marks week five.

Today Vickie had the angiogram. The ct scan done earlier indicated that she had a small aneurysm on the left side. A coil was used to help prevent further problems.
She is now back in ICU to recover. The G-tube procedure was canceled for now.

There was not much change from yesterday. Perhaps Vickie is exhausted from all the visitors she had over the weekend. She does seem to tire very easy.
Tommorrow she will have the afore mentioned angiogram and whatever else they decide to throw in.

This morning Vickie's Dr. came in while we were there. He removed the bandages on her head. Then he removed the temporary drain tube and stitched up the hole.
He commanded her to move two fingers on her right hand. She complied although ever so slightly. Then it was "Vickie, stick out your tongue" all she could do was open her mouth slightly as if she wanted to. Dr. says she is on the road to recovery.
After he left, I tried the hand command, she responded, it was barely noticable but none the less exciting. Heidi got her to try the tongue movement with the same result as the Doctor. Things that wouldn't be normally considered are major events for us now.
One more additional procedure she will have this week is a metal trach to replace the original one.

Vickie looks much better today. The swelling in her hands, feet and face is nearly gone. The rash is not noticable now. She looks very much like her old self, minus the hair of course.
The Dr. is now more optomistic about her recovery. His projected outlook is, in 2-6 months, she could be home.
She had a ct scan this afternoon to check for problems. She will have a angiogram monday to check the left side to make sure there's no potential problems lurking there.
Tuesday she is scheduled to have the gastro tube done. This will take the place of the tube that now goes thru her nose.

I found the problem I had with this website.
This morning Vickie had the surgey to install the shunt. The flap was replaced. According to her doctor everything went well. Late this afternoon vickie returned to her room from the recovery area. She seemed to slowly come back around. Eyes slightly open and looking around a little. She now has a little ridge running across the back right side of her head. She looked more relaxed tonight than she has in the last several days. Hopefully this will be the last invasive surgery.
we looked at two care facilities this afternoon. The most likely one for now is on 182nd. It appears to meet Vickie's needs for the near future. A final decision will have to be made early next week, as soon as the surgery issues are past.
For those who remember Jonelle, she is now Vickie's next door neighbor. It's a small world after all.

click on " comments"

 

Vickie didn't show any noticeable changes to me today. Her eyes are wide open and she still appears to be looking around the room but not seeing anything.
The Dr. says he wants to wait a couple more days before making the final decision on the shunt surgury. The flap area looks like it might be swelling a little, but I could be wrong.
Tonight the last IV was removed so now all she has is the feeding tube to deal with. Little steps.
I've been informed that the comments part of the website is not working for some. There has been at least one new comment posted so I'm not sure what the problem is.
Today was remarkable for me, in that all of a sudden risk management and different "councelors" from Legacy and C.O.P. want to talk about our situation and what "we" might want do about it.

The ct scan was done this morning, it's to soon to be sure of what's going on.
There's lots of eye movement but still no recognition.
The staff is getting more aggresive with the PT now. They are constantly putting Vickie in different positions to keep her more flexible.

Late this afternoon our favorite nurse, Sarah, moved Vickie down to the TRAC unit of the hospital. She is in a regular room now with her own bathroom ,telephone and view of the parking lot. The visiting hours are pretty much wide open now, within reason of course.
All the drain tubes have been removed [intentionaly]. Tommorrow she will have a ct scan to see how she's handling the fluid.
Vickie slept thru the move downstairs, so this was probably just another day for her. For me this turns out to be the best day in nearly a month.

Not much change today. Vickie opens her eyes and appears to be looking around, but not focusing on anything.
The drain tubes were not removed today as scheduled, however it was almost a moot point, while turning her this evening ,one of the nurses wasn't as careful as she could have been so one of the tubes was pulled out accidently. In another situation this could have been a serious problem.
I'm returning to my job tomorrow so I'll only get in one visit a day. Hope I don't miss any big breakthroughs.

Saturday July 10

The Dr. was in this afternoon. He thought she responded to his voice commands by squeezing his hand.
The Delantin and anti-biotics have been stopped. They are looking for a cause of the rash that persists.
Sunday the drain tubes will be removed and a ct scat will follow to determine how she responds.
It seems that everyday now something is happening, all for the better.
I left a video in the room in case anyone needs to see and hear a short reminder of what we are missing.

Vickie seems more awake today. She keeps her eyes open and appears to be looking around, but not focusing on any thing.
Her doctor thinks she was responding to commands.
She was twitching so they gave her Valium and Dilantin, in case it was caused by seizures.
Her drain tubes may be removed this weekend to see if the fluid will drain naturally. If not she will have the shunt.

Vickie is now completely off the fentanyl pain med. She seems to be more active now.
We had our meeting with her doctor, he is optimistic. The latest scan shows some swelling but not enough to be alarmed about. After the weekend a decision will be made concerning the drain tubes. A shunt is the most likely solution. That will mean another surgery
It will probably be a month or two before we will start to see the long range problems she will have because of the injury.

Lots of eye movement today. The skin rash seems to be getting worse.
The fentanyl [pain med] is down to the lowest dosage, a good sign.
Vickie is no longer getting insulin thru IV. Now it's as needed per blood sugar test.
Tomorrow we have a meeting with her elusive Dr. to update us on his opinion of her progress.
We have left a visitor login book in the room. If you visit please sign it before you leave.

Tuesday the ventalator was removed from Vickie's room. She now has an air hose to her trach valve. She is breathing quite well on her own.
The rash she has had for some time is still a problem. It's caused the delay in installing the gastro tube.
She has moved both her left arm and left leg , which we take as another good sign.

This morning the Ventalator was shut off, so Vickie is breathing on her own. She opened her eyes for a few minutes and seemed to be moving them sideways which is a big deal for us.
A new problem is a rash all over, not sure what's causing it or what to do about it.
When the drain tubes in her head are removed, at some time in the future she can be placed in a less intensive care area of the hospital where there are less visiting restrictions.
I think all the hoping and praying is starting to work.

vicstory

This morning Vic's trach was replaced, the old one leaked. This afternoon
the ventilator was shut down to just supply oxygen if needed. so she is breathing on
her own now.
They are slowly reducing her pain Med. Tonight her heart rate and breathing rate
were higher so they increased her pain med a little. Her usual cycle of fevers seem
to be subsiding, which is a good sign.

How I spent my summer. by Vickie Shepherd

July 4th 2004 9:am

This site will replace the sporadic E-mails used to update Vickie's
progress. I will update it regularly or when there is a significant
change in her condition. As always "no news is good news"
Thanks to Mark and Heidi for the suggestion.