Hello Faithful Praying Friends and Family!,
Last night was a little reminder of days past. Don had to wake Mom several times to get his foot and leg massaged to help get rid of the tingling. He sat up a couple of times on the side of the bed for short times to help relieve it. We are hoping this is just a one night thing and not something that is going to keep up. Especially with Mom leaving on Monday we need the nights to improve and not go backwards.
Before breakfast, Dr. Sohn came in to check the wound. It still looks like it is healing nicely with just one little corner that he is a tiny bit concerned about watching. He said that Don has to stay down one more day and then maybe Friday his activity can increase. Don is very happy with this news and is willing to stay down for one more day with the hope of getting out of the bed tomorrow. He is still restricted to NO WEIGHT BEARING on his feet until Monday, October 31st at the very earliest. We still have not heard any report about the X-ray reading but we are waiting out the time anyhow. Dr. Sohn also made the order that Don must stay on this air bed for at least 9 more days before he can go into a rehab facility. Only if a rehab facility has the expertise in staff to handle all of his special needs and the special bed could he be moved out of this hospital. He did say that Don will NOT be able to stay here at the rehab floor in Sunrise Hospital because Don is not able to walk and you must be able to walk and be somewhat independent to be on the rehab floor here. So at least we know what we are looking at for the near future. A rehabilitation company came by to drop off information about the several locations they have here in Las Vegas and also picked up all the information from the case worker here about all of Don's needs and unusual care he will require to see if they could handle him as a patient. The name of the company is Kindred and they seemed really nice. The one facility they have that is their highest level of care is only a couple of miles from here so it will work out nicely for where I am staying at Homestead Studio Suites. We will have to go check the place out in the next couple of days to see what it is like before we let them have Don as a patient. God is working out the details, that's for sure!
I did call Blue Cross and Blue Shield to find out if they would pay to transport Don to Mesa, Arizona so I could be at home and they said that if the doctor would call or fax in the information for a preauthorization as to why he could not be transported in a regular vehicle then possibly they would cover the transportation to a facility in Mesa, Arizona. I have a call into the case worker to come see me about getting this communication accomplished. It would be so nice to eliminate the hotel bill each week and also be home in my own bed. God knows best and we are content to do whatever has to be done. It sure doesn't hurt to ask regardless of the outcome, right? I thought about getting an air mattress to fit in the van but Don couldn't even begin to get into the van or out of the van to get on the mattress so that would be pointless.
The Pain Management Team came in and told Don that they were needing to get him off of the IV pain medicine and get him on to an oral medication at a certain dosage and then wean him off of that at a pretty quick pace. After only having his pain under somewhat of a control we weren't real excited to hear this but we also know that we don't want to be on this stuff forever. So they put him on an oral dose of morphine every four hours with the option of asking for a small dose every hour if needed. They gave him his first dose at Noon in apple juice. He said it tastes like vinegar! He did real well without asking for additional dosages until about 6PM and he was getting into some extra pain. He was sitting on the side of the bed playing cards with Mom and I and he thinks he sat up too long. He rang the nurse but we waited about 30 minutes before she came. Then she went to get the morphine and when she came back she said that what they had in the machine was expired for 3 months so she had called the pharmacy to bring more. Well, by the time the pharmacy came up with the medicine it was only 20 minutes before his 4 hour dose so Don decided to hold out for the regular dose. His pain had subsided once he got resituated so it wasn't like the end of the world like it was in days gone by. Don and Mom and I played cards by his bed while he laid down. I stayed way too late as it was about 11:30PM before I even left. I have to stop doing that. It makes it really hard to get up in the morning.
Tomorrow at midnight will mark exactly the six week mark of when Don arrived here in Las Vegas for the first time. Wow, how far we have come and how proud we are of him for all the bravery he has shown and the progress he has made. All of your prayers are greatly appreciated and you can see the progress from them, that's for sure.
We love you all!,
Don and Carol and Mom (Sharon Zelinko)
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