In March 2007, Mike was in an accident that resulted in an above-the-knee amputation and degloving of his left leg. This blog was created to simplify keeping a large and distributed group of family and friends up to date, and while it still serves that purpose, it also now provides a record of all that has gone before.
- Please let us know you were here! Sign the guestbook, or leave a comment to an entry (look for the
). - Check out some pictures of Mike on his last blogged adventure: when he and Ruth hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2004 (as Oxymoron and Maine Dish, respectively).
17 April 2007: Some goodbyes and some leaps
I called Dad last night to check in, and he mentioned that he and Tammy said goodbye after his bandage change last night. He is apparently too healthy to justify the trek down to the burn unit for spray table baths. Dad said they both got a little choked up about it. Tammy took great care of Dad, I know he will miss her tending.
The nurses up in the rehab unit did a good job with the bandages over the weekend, and managed to give him a bandage Sunday night that allowed him to do an exercise in PT that the therapist has been asking him to do, but that the bandages simply did not allow: He had to lie on the stump side, cross his right leg all the way over his body so that the right knee/calf/etc. rested on the mat, and then try to lift the stump up toward the ceiling. If any of you have done certain types of aerobics, you'll recognize this as an inner-thigh strengthening excercise. The therapist was apparently pretty excited--he couldn't actually lift the stump, but she saw the muscles twitching, and apparently that's pretty hard to do.
The nurses up in the rehab unit did a good job with the bandages over the weekend, and managed to give him a bandage Sunday night that allowed him to do an exercise in PT that the therapist has been asking him to do, but that the bandages simply did not allow: He had to lie on the stump side, cross his right leg all the way over his body so that the right knee/calf/etc. rested on the mat, and then try to lift the stump up toward the ceiling. If any of you have done certain types of aerobics, you'll recognize this as an inner-thigh strengthening excercise. The therapist was apparently pretty excited--he couldn't actually lift the stump, but she saw the muscles twitching, and apparently that's pretty hard to do.
17 April 2007: The man himself!!
Bonnie Howard took this picture of Dad during one of his first days of PT/OT (I think on the 12th). He looks great and he has only improved since then. Especially after his sister Kathy came in to give him a shave and a hair cut.
16 April 2007: Rehab is a lot of work!!
When I arrived on Monday (late morning), I found Mike nearing the end of his OT session. He was using his arms with the weights strapped on. Seemed pretty effortless from what I could see. Then the therapist brought him some puzzles to put together---that was also a piece of cake. We were able then to go back to his room where he had lunch and we chatted for quite a while. This was actually my first visit solo. I enjoyed the next hour as Mike was sharing a lot of what he has learned about his daughters, his siblings and his Mom through the course of this experience. His philosophy, however, sometimes transcends my brain power, so I just listen to try to get a better understanding of his inner workings.
It seems that his medical progress has been remarkable and his psychologist is quite impressed with his coping skills. This all could translate to an earlier than anticipated discharge as the next step will be Out-Patient rehab...
Keep up the good work, Mike! Love ya much!
It seems that his medical progress has been remarkable and his psychologist is quite impressed with his coping skills. This all could translate to an earlier than anticipated discharge as the next step will be Out-Patient rehab...
Keep up the good work, Mike! Love ya much!
16 April 2007: Holy flooding, Batman!
The trip home from Cleveland yesterday was .. long and tiring. I didn't walk into my house until around 2:30 in the morning. Water is everywhere. *sigh*
We did play Q&A with Dad yesterday, I posted the answers as comments to the original entry.
Jim, Dad didn't answer your bonus question. I think his brain was too tired. I'll remind him again.
We did play Q&A with Dad yesterday, I posted the answers as comments to the original entry.
Jim, Dad didn't answer your bonus question. I think his brain was too tired. I'll remind him again.
14 April 2007: More big firsts
1) Dad's first in-hospital haircut (shave and a haircut courtesy of his sister, Kathy)
2) Ruth's first time seeing Dad walk.
3) Dad's first visit to a toilet instead of a bed pan
4) Our (Erin & Ruth) first time making a hospital bed.
5) Dad's first trip to the shower room. Ruthie stayed with him and the nurse--I wimped out (I've seen enough of what's under those bandages...).
6) Dad's first non-Tammy bandage change.
2) Ruth's first time seeing Dad walk.
3) Dad's first visit to a toilet instead of a bed pan
4) Our (Erin & Ruth) first time making a hospital bed.
5) Dad's first trip to the shower room. Ruthie stayed with him and the nurse--I wimped out (I've seen enough of what's under those bandages...).
6) Dad's first non-Tammy bandage change.
13 April 2007: Mike is a tired puppy.
Janet was here with me for Dad's OT and PT (she works with him down in the Cincy area).
Both sessions were somewhat abbreviated today because Dad got his very own wheelchair today! Some time had to be spent making sure that it fit him well. They had to adjust the back, for example, because as he was maneuvering around the "stems" (from which the handles for we pushers sprout) were rubbing the undersides of his arms.
As you would expect of my Dad, his first few laps with his shiny new chair were full of fishtails and other fun things so he could get familiar with how his chair behaved. He did not, after those few runs, have any trouble getting his chair where he needed it to go.
While he did take his time and try to rest today, his right shoulder was still tired and comparitively weak (especially compared to Wednesday afternoon).
He got to play a peg game that reminded me of chinese checkers.. The foam board was sitting on an incline, and after filling an alotted area with pegs, he had to remove them by chinese-checker-style jumping. Of course, the therapist at first demonstrated only single jumps. It didn't take long for Dad to ask the "Can I only make one jump at a time?" question. The answer was that he could string together as many jumps as he wanted, and he proceeded merrily to do so.
The woman sitting next to him, who is his backgammon date for Sunday, started protesting: "Why didn't you tell me you could do more than one hop in row?" Dad left only four pegs on the board. The therapist said most people left around 10. I get the feeling this woman was leaving more on the board than she wanted, but hadn't thought to ask the question. We'll see how many she leaves next time...
Both sessions were somewhat abbreviated today because Dad got his very own wheelchair today! Some time had to be spent making sure that it fit him well. They had to adjust the back, for example, because as he was maneuvering around the "stems" (from which the handles for we pushers sprout) were rubbing the undersides of his arms.
As you would expect of my Dad, his first few laps with his shiny new chair were full of fishtails and other fun things so he could get familiar with how his chair behaved. He did not, after those few runs, have any trouble getting his chair where he needed it to go.
While he did take his time and try to rest today, his right shoulder was still tired and comparitively weak (especially compared to Wednesday afternoon).
He got to play a peg game that reminded me of chinese checkers.. The foam board was sitting on an incline, and after filling an alotted area with pegs, he had to remove them by chinese-checker-style jumping. Of course, the therapist at first demonstrated only single jumps. It didn't take long for Dad to ask the "Can I only make one jump at a time?" question. The answer was that he could string together as many jumps as he wanted, and he proceeded merrily to do so.
The woman sitting next to him, who is his backgammon date for Sunday, started protesting: "Why didn't you tell me you could do more than one hop in row?" Dad left only four pegs on the board. The therapist said most people left around 10. I get the feeling this woman was leaving more on the board than she wanted, but hadn't thought to ask the question. We'll see how many she leaves next time...
13 April 2007: first collision...
Janet and I are sitting here in OT, watching Dad put slats of wood on a big square frame with nuts and bolts, and he says, "Did I tell you I got run over yesterday?"
Well, it wasn't so much getting run over as getting run into. One of the new owners of a powered wheelchair lost control and didn't know how to turn it off, and they ran into the back/side of the chair. Apparently, incidents like this are pretty common with new power-chair owners, and it's especially funny when it happens on an outing.. "Did anyone run into anything this time?"
Good thing Dad had his brakes on.
Well, it wasn't so much getting run over as getting run into. One of the new owners of a powered wheelchair lost control and didn't know how to turn it off, and they ran into the back/side of the chair. Apparently, incidents like this are pretty common with new power-chair owners, and it's especially funny when it happens on an outing.. "Did anyone run into anything this time?"
Good thing Dad had his brakes on.
13 April 2007: Crazy idea - Q&A.
Category: Harry Potter
Posted by: erin
I (Erin) do hereby solicit questions that you would like to ask Dad (Mike). The questions will be asked on Sunday (the last day I'll be in the room w/my web-phone for awhile).
Dad is in the mood for humor, I'm sure you guys can keep it light (and PG)...
Submit questions via comment to this entry...
Dad is in the mood for humor, I'm sure you guys can keep it light (and PG)...
Submit questions via comment to this entry...
12 April 2007: Mike is on the move!!
I'm Bonnie Howard posting this and am an old (old!) friend of Mike's. Until today my husband Jim and I have just been visitors and I haven't been involved in any of his hospital routine. Today I was fortunate enough to be Mike's companion during his OT (one hour) and PT (two hour) sessions. I arrived in his hospital room around 12:30 to find that he had just finished eating lunch and looking real good. His appetite hasn't been great, but he told me he drinks an Ensure at each meal so everything after that is cake. He told me a psychologist had visited him earlier that day as part of her routine rounds and they had a good talk about things. That spurred Mike and me to talk about his late wife (and my dear friend) Kathy, his amazing daughters, and his feelings about what his accident has meant to his closest relationships.
The nurse then came in to get him ready for rehab. This is not an easy deal of just popping from the bed to the wheelchair!! Mike changed out of his hospital gown into a t-shirt (okay, so far so good). But then he had to be wrapped up in an absorbent pad because of wound leakage, anchor it with special briefs, put a support stocking on his unaffected leg, hospital scrubs on his lower half and then the shoe. It took about twenty minutes for something that would normally take two or three, due to his limited mobility and trying to maneuver in a hospital bed. Then the nurse helped him pivot from bed to wheelchair and we were on our way just down the hall to the gym.
Oh! And I am thrilled to say that Michael farted away during all of the above and if anything spells getting back to normal, it's that.
He started first in OT. He looked both excited and nervous when we first got there. Sort of reminded me of a kid on his first day of school. "Boy! I am so excited (but a little scared and apprehensive too)." I won't go over all the stuff he did in his rehab (Erin does a wonderful job of covering all that). But in OT he did practice transferring from his wheelchair to a bedside commode, which impressed the heck out of me. He did exercises to help with his upper body strength. I talked to his doctor who stopped by briefly, who said that it takes three days for a body to become "deconditioned." Mike has been in bed for 24 days, and upper body strength is real important to him now so he did things like a "hand pedal" for five minutes forward and five minutes backwards. He lifted three pound hand weights and moved rings back and forth on a three foot (?) arched tube while wearing three pound weights velcroed on both wrists. He also did something with clothes pin type things putting them on a tall rod, again with the weights on his hands. Mike's comment was that at first when he saw people playing with the "toys" he thought it had something to do with doing puzzles. Then he realized it was all about arm movement with weights on. His comment: "Hey! Pick your nose with three pound weights on your wrists!" So, what Mike was pointing out is that it didn't matter exactly what he was doing, as long as he did it with weights. The boy's mind is still so awesome! Some of these very simple seeming activities had Mike sweating and he mentioned several times just how deceiving they were. And of course, Mike made friends at the OT game table because he is Mike.
PT did a lot of things Erin has already covered. But the cool thing is that I was the first person to see Mike leave his wheelchair and walk (hop?) about 30 feet using the walker. One therapist walked next to him and one followed close by behind him with his wheelchair in case he needed it. But he didn't need it. They let him rest a little and then he walked about ten feet with the walker, turned around, and walked back to his chair. His ability and confidence levels increased as the afternoon progressed.
He did great. He needed periodic sips of water and occasional wipes with a washcloth to his forehead. He loves having his back (lightly) scratched. Mike is one easy to please guy and it's obvious everybody who comes in contact with him at that hospital immediately becomes a fan.
The physical therapist (Amanda?) is filling out the paperwork for Mike to get his own wheelchair, which he will probably have by the middle of next week.
Jenny Kennedy arrived during PT and gave him lots of moral support. She hauled an industrial sized bottle of Gatorade to Mike's room because that is one of his favorite beverages. Those two are cute together.
Erin arrived shortly after that, right before PT ended, so we met her back in his room. After a short visit she went off with him for a dressing change and bath, and Jenny and I headed out. I have to say it warmed my heart to see the love flowing back and forth between Erin and her Dad. Wow!
I'm interested to see the progress he will make between today and my next date with him doing rehab!
The nurse then came in to get him ready for rehab. This is not an easy deal of just popping from the bed to the wheelchair!! Mike changed out of his hospital gown into a t-shirt (okay, so far so good). But then he had to be wrapped up in an absorbent pad because of wound leakage, anchor it with special briefs, put a support stocking on his unaffected leg, hospital scrubs on his lower half and then the shoe. It took about twenty minutes for something that would normally take two or three, due to his limited mobility and trying to maneuver in a hospital bed. Then the nurse helped him pivot from bed to wheelchair and we were on our way just down the hall to the gym.
Oh! And I am thrilled to say that Michael farted away during all of the above and if anything spells getting back to normal, it's that.
He started first in OT. He looked both excited and nervous when we first got there. Sort of reminded me of a kid on his first day of school. "Boy! I am so excited (but a little scared and apprehensive too)." I won't go over all the stuff he did in his rehab (Erin does a wonderful job of covering all that). But in OT he did practice transferring from his wheelchair to a bedside commode, which impressed the heck out of me. He did exercises to help with his upper body strength. I talked to his doctor who stopped by briefly, who said that it takes three days for a body to become "deconditioned." Mike has been in bed for 24 days, and upper body strength is real important to him now so he did things like a "hand pedal" for five minutes forward and five minutes backwards. He lifted three pound hand weights and moved rings back and forth on a three foot (?) arched tube while wearing three pound weights velcroed on both wrists. He also did something with clothes pin type things putting them on a tall rod, again with the weights on his hands. Mike's comment was that at first when he saw people playing with the "toys" he thought it had something to do with doing puzzles. Then he realized it was all about arm movement with weights on. His comment: "Hey! Pick your nose with three pound weights on your wrists!" So, what Mike was pointing out is that it didn't matter exactly what he was doing, as long as he did it with weights. The boy's mind is still so awesome! Some of these very simple seeming activities had Mike sweating and he mentioned several times just how deceiving they were. And of course, Mike made friends at the OT game table because he is Mike.
PT did a lot of things Erin has already covered. But the cool thing is that I was the first person to see Mike leave his wheelchair and walk (hop?) about 30 feet using the walker. One therapist walked next to him and one followed close by behind him with his wheelchair in case he needed it. But he didn't need it. They let him rest a little and then he walked about ten feet with the walker, turned around, and walked back to his chair. His ability and confidence levels increased as the afternoon progressed.
He did great. He needed periodic sips of water and occasional wipes with a washcloth to his forehead. He loves having his back (lightly) scratched. Mike is one easy to please guy and it's obvious everybody who comes in contact with him at that hospital immediately becomes a fan.
The physical therapist (Amanda?) is filling out the paperwork for Mike to get his own wheelchair, which he will probably have by the middle of next week.
Jenny Kennedy arrived during PT and gave him lots of moral support. She hauled an industrial sized bottle of Gatorade to Mike's room because that is one of his favorite beverages. Those two are cute together.
Erin arrived shortly after that, right before PT ended, so we met her back in his room. After a short visit she went off with him for a dressing change and bath, and Jenny and I headed out. I have to say it warmed my heart to see the love flowing back and forth between Erin and her Dad. Wow!
I'm interested to see the progress he will make between today and my next date with him doing rehab!
11 April 2007: Spread the love
I think this is pretty darn cool.
