"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Friday, November 2, 2012

Friday update...

It was a GOOD day today!

Sonny with Angela today...
Sonny has been sluggish and sleepy, so much so that his caregivers had become concerned. When Mom and I arrived shortly after 11am, he still had not eaten or drank anything today by mouth, which means he also had not taken some of his meds that have to be taken orally.

Then the lip-smacking began.

I told his nurse that when he smacks his lips, that is his way of telling us that he is thirsty...it would be a good time to try to get him to drink. I asked if it would be okay for me to try to help him to drink, and his nurse approved me to do so. She brought thickened apple juice and thickened ice water...and over about twenty minutes, Sonny agreeably swallowed BOTH cups. So...

Then his speech pathologist brought a small cup of canned peaches, and he ate the whole cup for her. :) So...

She ordered a lunch for him, pureed chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy. It took him a while, but he was able to eat it all plus another cup of thickened juice. He actually became pretty tired out just by the effort, but the staff were all really excited to see him so much more responsive and making progress. He was then able to take his afternoon meds mixed into pudding.

He was very tired by the time we left, but he had made great progress just with these small steps. Seeing him re-gaining ground is very encouraging. He still has issues related to the pneumonia, and that will just take time to let his lungs heal while the medications fight the infection. His heart seems stable.

Once again, thank you all for your kind words and your support. A wise elderly friend once told me, "We are upheld by the love of those who care for us". Her words could not be more true.

"Carry on, my wayward son...there will be peace when you are done...lay your weary head to rest...don't you cry no more..."
~Kansas

Rest well tonight, Sonny...and may warrior angels guard you. We love you!

Sonny's journal page:    www.SonnyPRoad.blogspot.com
Sonny's Facebook:    Sonny on Facebook
Sonny's email:    SonnyIsGreat@Gmail.com

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Thursday update...

Today, I was pleased as punch when I walked into Sonny's room and he was...sound asleep. Finally, he was resting deeply, not fidgeting and breathing without such obvious effort.

We still do not have any idea how long the whole process will take to see Sonny get better, but it is encouraging that compared to yesterday he does seem to be breathing easier and resting well. He didn't eat or drink much today, so his IV remains on board to keep him hydrated. He is so tired right now that sleep is the priority.

Obviously this is not Sonny, but today he just reminded me so much
 of a sleepy little boy...
I sat with him for a few hours today and held his hand while he slept. Now and then he would jerk awake and squeeze onto my hand, look at me, then fall back to sleep. I think it must be disconcerting to him to keep track of where he is and what has happened to him, so I just rubbed his hand, told him we all love him and that sleeping is just fine right now. He can get out and about again when he is healed up again, and we look forward to getting him out to see Christmas lights this year.

For now, baby steps one hour and day at a time. We invite notes for Sonny, guestbook entries, emails, anything at all. We show him these, and it has to be encouraging to him to know that so many people are thinking of him right now. Thank you all for your support and encouragement...it has been a rough few days.

"I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly. That is what the scar makers want us to think. But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them. We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived.” 

~Chris Cleave, from the book "Little Bee"

Sonny's journal page:    www.SonnyPRoad.blogspot.com
Sonny's Facebook:    Sonny on Facebook
Sonny's email:    SonnyIsGreat@gmail.com


A matter of the heart...

Greetings everyone,

It has been a while since our last update here. It has been a super busy summer, but once again pressing matters dictate that we let everyone know of current events.

On Tuesday, October 30, Sonny was running a high fever so the nursing home had him transported to the hospital. While en route, he had a seizure. Upon arrival at Northwest Hospital in Seattle, an EKG revealed abnormal heart rhythms...Sonny had experienced a heart attack. Mom and I (Lorrie) were already on our way there when the doctor phoned and asked permission to take Sonny straight into the cardiac catheterization lab, where she placed two stents into the large arteries supplying his heart muscle, effectively restoring blood flow where those arteries had been closed off...the coronary artery was completely occluded, the artery on the front of the heart nearly so.We are indebted to Dr. Hall for her skill and her quick work, wasting no time and quite possibly preventing more significant damage to Sonny's heart had the procedure been delayed for any reason.

Unfortunately a chest x-ray and laboratory studies revealed that Sonny also has pneumonia. He is being treated with IV antibiotics and is getting lots of fluids by IV. On Wednesday, he was able to swallow pudding from a spoon, though he has not yet been able to handle liquids from a cup as he usually does. He may simply be afraid of choking, so he is not being pressed too hard over the liquids, as he is getting plenty of fluids via IV.

When I left Sonny to come home on Wednesday evening, he seemed to be resting comfortably. I had sat with him for a couple of hours and he held my hand very tightly. He is very responsive, is making eye contact and occasionally smiling when we discuss things that he finds funny. I was telling his nurse about how he can pull his head up if we work on keeping his neck muscles massaged and more supple, and he lifted his head off the pillow and half-smiled at me. He couldn't straighten it all the way up, but he wanted us to see that he knew what we were talking about, and to show her that yes, he really COULD do what I was saying he could do. He smiled again when the first bites of food he was able to swallow were chocolate pudding...Sonny loves chocolate.

The staff have all been wonderful, and we feel that he is in the best place right now. His technical care is excellent, and the staff have been very attentive to his specific needs. We have been given much opportunity to share about his condition and to make suggestions for communication, and our input has been welcomed. I have to say, it is quite a switch from what we are used to where people do not seem to want to hear what we have to say on his behalf. (Oops...did I let that leak out??)

So, for now, we covet your prayers, positive vibes, good thoughts, dances around bonfires in the woods under a full moon, chants, songs, meditations...be creative, any healing energy coming Sonny's way is most welcome. Thank you so much to everyone who have sent emails and posted on Sonny's Facebook, we are grateful for all of you.

I will do my best to keep these updates current as we see Sonny's progress, so please check back. Of course you are also welcome to text or call Lorrie at 206.330.3269, or email JustLorrie@gmail.com directly.

"The sky is NOT The limit...there are footprints on the moon."