ICU

   Arrived to find Bruce delirious, just moaning in pain. He hasn't eaten anything except pills in applesauce. They said he had physical therapy this morning and they want me to bring up his wrist brace. 

   His fever is gone, his bp goes up and down. They gave him something for the pain. The scan from yesterday showed nothing abnormal. 

   They explained the delirium like this to me; the antibodies are destroying the virus but the bugs being torn apart are producing another bug and that fighting that off produces the delirium. 

   He didn't want the sacrament when Bro Hawks offered it to him. 

If he doesn't improve they will move him to ICU for better observation.

  Now he is resting. I ate his soup and all the chocolate in the room. I am supposed to be fasting. I will read my book., A Slight Trick of the Mind.

   Bruce/dad is in ICU. When I left for dinner they were taking him in for an MRI. He was complaining of a headache. Apparently he was in the machine and started banging on it. It was too loud. He had earphones. They didn't finish the MRI.

   They moved him to ICU. I get to wear a yellow paper shield. Good thing I look good in yella.

  The nurse says he will get worse before he gets better. When he stabilizes they will move him to Boise for wound treatment. Apparently as the bacteria is destroyed the pieces give off toxins and that is what is making him sicker. (Did I tell you this already?)

  My head hurts. Will rest now and go back up in the morning.

Wound Treatment

  We had an infection on his bottom the size of a grapefruit. They took out an abscess the size of a golf ball on his bottom. We are in the hospital at Grande Ronde, second floor. They pumped him full of antibiotics. And we assumed we would be home on Tuesday. 

  Today is Saturday and we are still here.

  They are concerned there is another abcess with all the antibodies pumped in him he is not improving. Bruce is unable to keep the chalk milkshake down to do an MRI. 

  He is in pain from his left arm. They think they have that figured out as the back of the shoulder movement. No blood pressure taking on that arm.

   His fever is gone. His blood pressure leveled out after they put a catheter in last night.

   They do his blood pressure on his right calf as his right arm has the picc line and the left arm is pain sensitive. 

   He is on an oxygen tube around his neck and in his nose, (I don't want to say tube because that implies it is down his throat), the levels are good. They are concerned about pneumonia because he is not active. 

   He is not eating. He has nausea. They gave him Tylenol for the pain and waiting for dr for more instructions. 

  We have to wait for the paper work to go through to send him to Boise and that will be Mon. or Tuesday. They want to put him in care where he will get the full range of treatment including physical therapy and they don't have that in La Grande. I asked. I don't want to go back to Boise. They said it would take 2 - 3 weeks for th wound to heal.

   He has a vacumn pump on the wound. 

 He is in and out to communicate. He nods off and when awake he says, "ouch, ouch, oh it hurts."

 I put chap stick on his lips. He is pretty scruffy looking, five days of growth on his chin. He and Andrew could have a hairy contest.

  The nurses are calm and efficient. Me too, I'm reading a book.

Sent from my iPad

Fevers, Chills and Tears, oh my

   The girls high school soccer team made some meals for us on Monday including two desserts. Yeah. I put one in the freezer and we devoured the other. They were yummy. Thank you for the meal fundraiser. 

   Bruce has had fever and chills for a couple of days, took him to the Dr. Thursday. Bruce has a bladder infection and an abscess. Just happy it isn't a bed sore, he is on antibiotics so should be feeling better by the end of the day. Now we get to drain the abscess... I'm learning all kinds of new things.

   Started two new quilt tops. Love the bright colors. 

  This is my Halloween disappearing four patch. I need to put a binding on it. 

   My furnace is happy, it whistles. Will have to call the contractors today to have them listen to it. It is annoying. Then we can all whistle.

   Andrew called, he might get to come home on Saturday. His phone works, the unplanned swim in the toilet wasn't that bad. He has had a couple of missionary moments, he is growing up. Just needed to get away from mommy telling him what to do all the time. There are three engine crews there. Mostly they count the semis hauling logs to make a barrier. One day he did get out of the engine and sharpened some tools. He finished the three books he took so is reading his BOM. 

  I mopped the floor and cleaned a bathroom. Today I will vacuum. Life is hard. Ha ha

   Rosala brought a yummy pork and tater dish and the dessert, I mean salad was an orange custard jello with mandarin oranges. Thank you it was very good. Sonnet has been coming over to walk the dog. Rosala also sent over some Halloween fabric to make a fun curtain for under the sink. It will be a great seasonal change. I just like holding it and looking at the bright happy color.

  Bruce has been on antibiotics for two days and still he has fever and chills. We squeezed the abscess this morning and it drained. That was unnerving. They make a cool spray saline spray. 

  Friday the contractors fixed the whistling furnace. They put insulation around an electrical outlet. Glad it was that easy to fix.

  Andrew called and hopes to come home on Monday. They saw a black bear. He said he didn't know how fast they could run. He has been counting semis from the engine. He is dying of boredom. The semis are hauling trees out making a barrier. They count up to fifty loads a day.

   Bruce isn't doing well so the priesthood is coming over to give him a blessing. In Sunday school we were discussing how to endure trials. And one sister said our trials were like a moment in time. Ahem. I had to bite my tongue. This trial has lasted longer than a moment and I am not a happy camper. 

  Andrew called, crying, he has to stay five more days. This is the last fire of the season and they want to get their moneys worth. The engine captain gets $500 a day. Andrew sounded tired and frustrated. He feels he is wasting his time by doing nothing. He says only 16 semis are left to do the clearing. He said he filled in potholes in the road. He had to get out of the cab because he blew up at the engine captain. I asked him questions to try and work through his feelings. He says he loves us and to pray for him. His dad told him to get a good night sleep. 

   I hate this. I will go start a load of laundry. 

   

  

   

   In therapy last week the therapists had him standing. He is standing at the sink so it will hold his weight. They want him doing more things at home. So they are preparing him for that.

  Swimming, not very much was accomplished because he was so stiff he could hardly move.

The three day weekend is not good for us.

I have been sick with a sinus infection. So didn't take notes and don't have much to say.

He uses his manual wheelchair every other day. He aches too much from using it. We will have to build up to it.

   That is all from Lake Kevan Be Gone. Where the women are strong, the men good looking and the grandchildren are above average.

Manual Wheelchair has Arrived!

OT this week Bruce worked on hip strength. He stood and took one of his hands off the bar. He stood about thirty seconds.

  PT was the big day, he stood without anything to hold on to. He went from sitting on the therapy table to standing. 

So we are making progress.

  Bruce was driving his new wheelchair at OT. It wore him out, it made his arms ache. 

   The sister missionaries came over for dinner on Friday. We had Papa Murphy's pizza, salad and cheesy bread.

  Andrew is coming home today from fighting fires in the Troy area.

NMES

   NMES - neuro muscular electrical stimulation (say that fast three times) Bruce had that attached to his quadricep muscles on both legs. It makes the muscles fire to help him stand up. When it is finished the muscles vibrate for an hour. If he continues to show good results we can get one to use at home. Sounds like an evil torture machine to me... It helps the brain and the muscle connect. 

  He was standing and using the parallel bars. He was on the inside of the bars it is really hard. It is a new way of standing up and his muscles have to get stronger. 

  Debbie and Rosala are still bring meals to us once a week. Thank you! We love it. We had chicken breasts and baby tators in soy sauce, corn on the cob (Muileburg) a wonderful fruit salad and two different kinds of cookies, chocolate chip and a brownie.

  I look forward to your love each week.

   We ordered hearing aides for Bruce. They will be here in two weeks. No mor loud TV.

On Saturday we went to a wedding reception and the theme was from the movie 'Up'. It was delightful. Loved the colorful cupcakes and rainbow netting.

   Got a call from the wheelchair people. The manual wheelchair will be here on Wednesday! Hurrah!