16 March 2007: Exercises
As we visited, he was usually sleepy in the mornings, and sometimes grumpy if he was still waiting to go into the OR for bandage changes (as that meant no food or water - only IV fluid, which isn't at all satisfying). The middle of the day visits were nicer, as he was most alert and awake during those times. The 9pm visit found him pretty sleepy again.
When he was tired during the middle of the day, it was usually because either the nurses or the occupational therapists had him doing exercises like using what I now know is called an incentive spirometer - a fancy word for a plastic thing that measures how well your lungs are functioning; or teaching him to roll over to help with sponge baths or bedding changes; or doing arm excercises to get some mobility back in his shoulders.
LeFaye was his nurse today, and boy was she a hoot! She was very attentive and had a great sense of humor, and kept Dad in good spirits all day. She managed split her thumb open trying to do something or other for him-- I think it involved getting out a razor to remove some of his arm hair... between a previous bad tape job, the arm hair, and the pressure cuff going on and off, his skin right near the right elbow was in bad shape. (this, of course, made her a blood relative, har har har). She informed us that McAllister's was simply the best sweet tea anywhere, and if we wanted to go get some, we may as well just go right to the good stuff.
Vangie was his nurse overnight - Dad raved about her. She was apparently pretty funny while getting him shifted around ("big people on that side, little people on this side"). She cracked him up.
The Roster:
* Bonnie, Erin, Chris
* Ruth and Dave were there during the day, left just after the 5pm visit.
Visitors:
* Rick from the plant in Grenada came up for the 1pm visit.
When he was tired during the middle of the day, it was usually because either the nurses or the occupational therapists had him doing exercises like using what I now know is called an incentive spirometer - a fancy word for a plastic thing that measures how well your lungs are functioning; or teaching him to roll over to help with sponge baths or bedding changes; or doing arm excercises to get some mobility back in his shoulders.
LeFaye was his nurse today, and boy was she a hoot! She was very attentive and had a great sense of humor, and kept Dad in good spirits all day. She managed split her thumb open trying to do something or other for him-- I think it involved getting out a razor to remove some of his arm hair... between a previous bad tape job, the arm hair, and the pressure cuff going on and off, his skin right near the right elbow was in bad shape. (this, of course, made her a blood relative, har har har). She informed us that McAllister's was simply the best sweet tea anywhere, and if we wanted to go get some, we may as well just go right to the good stuff.
Vangie was his nurse overnight - Dad raved about her. She was apparently pretty funny while getting him shifted around ("big people on that side, little people on this side"). She cracked him up.
The Roster:
* Bonnie, Erin, Chris
* Ruth and Dave were there during the day, left just after the 5pm visit.
Visitors:
* Rick from the plant in Grenada came up for the 1pm visit.
