Mar30th 6:15 PM

Tuesday was a quiet day for Bev.  She was in good spirits and enjoyed her visitors. Today,  right after physiotherapy Bev was lifted into a wheelchair and we roamed the hospital halls for an hour.  After that Bev was so sore and tired she just wanted to get back to bed.  Still, it was another step forward.  No solid food yet including applesauce as Bev is not able to swallow well enough yet. On the down side it looks like Bev will not regain her vision in her right eye.  Her vision in her left eye seems to be fine. 

Mar 29th 9 AM

Bev had her trachea tube removed Monday morning, if all goes well she can try applesauce tomorrow.  The physiotherapist had Bev standing at the side of the bed with 2 people supporting her. She had Bev taking small steps forward and to the side. The physiotherapist is pleased with Bev's legs but says her arms are going to need a lot of work.

Mar 26th 8:20 AM

Bev had a good day yesterday. She was awake chatting with visitors for most of the afternoon. On Sundays the hospital is quiet so there is nothing to report from the doctors.

Mar 26th 6 PM

Bev had a quiet day both Friday and Saturday.  Physio on Friday seemed to wear her out and she spent most of the afternoon asleep.  Sunday they tried to feed her too much too fast and she threw up. The nurse gave her some medicine to calm her stomach and it made Bev drowsy. Bev spent most of the rest of the afternoon asleep.

Mar 25th 8:45 AM

Bev had a series of x-rays Thursday morning. The doctor came by in the afternoon and said that Bev's bones are all healing quickly including the left arm. He sees no need to operate on Bev's left arm at present as it may do more harm than good. Bev will be able to start physiotherapy on her left arm today.  She will be able to weight bear on her right leg next week and physio will start getting her up on 2 feet.  Bev is scheduled to have the trachea breathing tube removed on Monday. At that time she will be put on a waiting list for a long term care facility. The doctors have decided that Bev will need neurological rehabilitation as well as physical rehabilitation. This level of care is not provided in York Region and is only available at 3 facilities in Toronto. The wait time is usually about 3 weeks.  If Bev still has to be in isolation the wait time could be longer. In the meantime physiotherapy and occupational therapy will continue at St. Mikes.  There may be permanent damage to Bev's right eye.

Mar 24th 8 AM

I was not able to visit Bev yesterday.  Sherri told me that Bev was the same as the last few days. There have been no new developments.

Mar 23rd 7:30

Bev continues to be frustrated at what she sees as the delays in allowing her to go home.  She continues to plan her escape.  I spoke to a doctor Tuesday to try and see what happens next for Bev.  She will not be put on a waiting list for a long term care rehab facility until the trachea tube is removed which could happen as soon as early next week.  He will look into having physiotherapy get Bev standing up on her feet. Eventually Bev's left arm will be operated on to correct or remove the loose screws. The doctor says the wait will not cause any more nerve damage than what may have already occurred.  Bev cannot move her left arm but can wiggle her fingers slightly.  Her left arm still causes her pain when moved.  The doctor is concerned that Bev's right eye may have sustained permanent damage, they are continuing to treat it. Physiotherapy is progressing, Bev is slowly re-gaining some use of her right arm and right leg but she still has a long way to go.  Her speech is improving, she has no problem carrying on a conversation using full sentences.  Bev does have some short term memory issues that will probably go away as her brain continues to heal.

Mar 22nd 9 AM

Bev had her tube capped off most of yesterday and is not coughing as much. The congestion in her chest seems to be finally going away.  She spent most of her day out of bed in the recliner chair. Bev asked to have the TV service turned on so now she has something to occupy her time when there are no visitors.  The physiotherapy sessions are getting longer but Bev will not be allowed to stand until her fractured hip/leg is healed enough to bear the weight.

Mar 21st 7 AM

Bev had the new trachea tube capped off at 8 AM Sun and it was still capped off when I left at 4 PM.  The respiratory technicial only uncapped it once to suction Bev's chest to see how much buildup there was. After a few days they will try leaving it capped of permanently.  If everything goes well and it can be capped off for a 48 hour period the trachea tube will be removed.  Bev still needs a small amount of oxygen administered now through a tube to her nose.  Bev is not quite able to maintain proper oxygen levels just breathing on her own.  All of this is allowing Bev to talk and be understood a lot better.

Mar 20th 10:30 AM

It being the weekend Bev does't get any physiotherapy until Monday.  The nurses did transfer Bev over to the reclining chair for awhile. Bev's right arm has improved to the point that she can raise it about 6 inches and then wiggle her fingers to say goodbye to visitors.  Communications has improved by blocking the trachea tube and putting my ear close to Bev's mouth to make out the words. The doctor told us that there will be no surgery required on Bev's left arm as the splint seems to be doing the job of keeping the bones in place until healing takes place. Bev cannot move her left arm but can wiggle the fingers on her left hand a little bit. The left arm and hand are still quite swollen.

Mar 19th 8:30

Bev is better able to make herself understood now that she has a smaller trachea tube. More air can get from her lungs to her mouth and she can make noises instead of just mouthing words. If I block the tube completely Bev can get even more air through her mouth and the words are even easier to understand. Bev seems to be able to breathe very well with the tube blocked so it seems the tubes only purpose now is to allow the nurses to suction the congestion from Bevs chest.  Bev is still not coughing well enough to completely clear her chest on her own.  Now that it is easier to understand Bev she has made it clear that she wants to go home NOW.

Mar 18th 6:30 AM

The trachea tube that was inserted in Texas has been replaced with a smaller trachea tube.  This will allow more air to pass by the tube to reach Bev's lungs through her mouth.  The new trachea tube can also be capped off which will force Bev to breathe thru her mouth.  Otherwise Bev remains stable and anxious to get out of the hospital.

Mar 17th 10 AM

Happy St. Patricks day.

Nothing really to report. Bev had a quiet day yesterday, her physio was scaled back due to staff meetings. Nothing new on what the next steps will be in her treatment.

Mar 16th 8:30

Bev had a busy day yesterday starting with physiotherapy at 11AM which tired her out so much she slept afterwards for a few hours. Later the occupational therapist showed up to evaluate Bev before starting therapy on her arms and hands.  The eye doctor was also around to check on Bev's left eye as there is some sign of irritation. Bev still insists she wants to get out of bed and start walking and she is exercising her right arm on her own.

Mar 15th 7 AM

Bev had another good day with physiotherapy, she says it hurts so I take that as a sign she is trying to do what the physiotherapist wants.  Lots of visitors yesterday so by the end of the visiting hours Bev was having a hard time staying awake.  It is hard to understand Bev as she can only mouth words with no actual sounds coming out but after awhile she was able to get across that she wanted to get out of bed and that she wanted to go home.  Bev is getting tired of not being able to move herself around to get comfortable. Gloves and gowns are still required for all visitors and the trachea tube has not been removed yet although Bev is doing a better job of coughing on her own to clear the congestion in her lungs. Once the doctors are convinced Bev can cough well enough to keep her lungs clear the process of removing the tube will begin.

Mar 14th 8:30 AM

Bev is holding her own physically, all he readings are good, no fever and she is getting better at coughing for herself to relieve the congestion in her chest.  Bev's right leg is still improving and she is still moving her right elbow and fingers a little bit. Bev's mental state is also improving in as much as she is very aware of what is going on around her. She tries to join in on conversations by mouthing words and understands everything that is being said. Bev is also getting frustrated with her inability tomove herself around in the bed and also her inability to make herself understood.  This can make her a little cranky sometimes. It's Monday so the weekday routine resumes including physiotherapy and spending time out of bed in the lazyboy chair.

Mar 13th 7:30 AM

Bev had a quiet day yesterday, there is no physiotherapy on the weekends so Bev spent some of the day sleeping.  When she was awake Bev was alert and responsive. She can move her right foot quite a bit and a little movement is returning to her right knee.  We also noticed some small movements in her right elbow and the fingers on her right hand. Back to physio tomorrow.

Mar 12th 8AM

Be has improved in the last 2 days, maybe it's the new room.  The physiotherapist is all smiles again, she says Bev is really trying and is improving every day. For the last 2 days Bev has been moved from her bed to a chair beside the bed for a few hours each day.  The chair is more like a hospital version of a La Z Boy recliner so Bev is still more horizontal than vertical but it's a start. Yesterday Bev was in the chair for over 3 hours.  Bev was very responsive yesterday, trying to mouth words to let us know what she wants.  It is difficult to read her lips but we did manage to figure out she wants her back and legs rubbed. Bev now has a splint on her upper left arm but I can't get a definite answer on when they will operate to re-set the break.

March 11th

I wasn't able to visit Bev yesterday but her brother called to say she has been moved from intensive care to a private room on the same floor. Gloves and gowns are still required for visitors.  Bev was moving her right leg more yesterday and smiling at her visitors and trying to form words.

Mar 10th 8 AM

Not much to report about yesterday. Bev was sleepy when I arrived and stayed that way until the physiotherapist woke her up. After physiotherapy Bev slept soundly. The physiotherapist say Bev does cooperate when asked but she feels Bev could be trying a lot harder.  Bev was awake for a short while before I left. Still no definite word on when Bev's arm will be operated on or when she will be moved from intensive care.  Bev's fever is gone and the congestion in her lungs seems to be easing up slightly.

Mar 9th 8:AM

Another good day for Bev yesterday, physiotherapy in the morning, a visitor around noon and the rest of the day was quiet. Bev seemed in better spirits. Bev has been off the ventilator for over 48 hours and is ready to move out of intensive care as soon as a suitable room is available.  No word on when she will get the break in her upper left arm repaired.  Iti is supposed to be sometime this week. Adjustments have been made to Bev's trachea tube to allow her to breathe a little more through her mouth and nose.

Tues Mar 8th 8:15 AM

Bev had a good day yesterday. She started off with a sponge bath and a hair wash and then had an ultra-sound on her right arm in preparation for surgery this week. After that came physiotherapy, this time the physiotherapist was more pleased with Bev's response. By the time visitors arrived from Bev's work she had a hard time keeping her eyes open.  As of yesterday afternoon Bev had been off the ventilator for well over 24 hours. Once Bev goes 48 hours without the ventilator it will be removed from the room and shortly after that Bev should be moved into a private room on the same floor.

Mon Mar 7th 7:45

Sunday was a quiet day for Bev, Just Sherri and I during the day and Bev's sister Jackie in the evening.  During the early part of the day Bev was very alert, she was trying to talk, complaining about a sore back and wanting her legs rubbed.  Later in the day she spent most of her time asleep. Bev is only on the ventilator at night now and the amount of time on it each night is being reduced.  Bev's upper left arm is not healing properly. The plate that is used to hold the bone in place is screwed to the bone with 4 screws above the break and 4 screws below the break.  The 4 screws below the break have somehow worked themselves loose and the break is no longer aligned properly. This is putting pressure on the nerve going to the lower arm, hand and fingers. If left to heal the way it is Bev may not regain full use of her left hand.  The doctors are going to operate this week to replace the plate with a longer one and insert new screws.

Sun Mar 6th 8 AM

Bev had a good day yesterday with lots of visitors showing up. They kept Bev busy from 11 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. Bev seems to enjoy the visits and why not when one niece is massaging her feet etc with lotion.  Bev gave an occasional smile, especially for the niece and my mother. She will give a slight nod for yes and no every once in awhile. The visits tired Bev out and by 3 PM it was lights out and off to sleep. 

Sat Mar 5 9:30AM

Bev had another quiet day yesterday.  She continues to have physiotherapy each weekday. The results for the last 2 days with the physiotherapist have not been as productive as the first day. Bev is off the respirator/ventilator for at least 12 hours a day, they intend to increase the time breathing on her own each day. The congestion is still there in her chest but not as pronounced. Still gloves and gowns for all visitors.

Fri Mar 4th 9 AM

Bev had a quiet day yesterday, she remained awake from the time I arrived at 11 to the time I left at 4.  I'm afraid that may have tired her out for her evening visitors as she did doze off while they were there. Bev did mouth some words to some songs along with Kim a bit. Bev was off the respirator from 8 AM until after 9 PM at least. The nurse said she would probably go back on during the night.  The nurse indicated Bev would probably be moved out of intensive care in less than 1 week.

Thur Mar 3rd 8 AM

Bev had another good day yesterday, She was off the respirator and breathing without any assistance for 4.5 hours from 8 AM to 12:30.  I understand the nurses will take Bev off the respirator more frequently based on how well she can handle it.  Two physiotherapists arrived and picked Bev up and sat her on the edge of the bed.  The session lasted about 15 minutes and was centred on exercising Bev's feet and legs.  Of course Bev's left leg and foot are much more responsive than her right.  She was able to kick out her lower left leg and move her left foot up and down. Bev was also able to lift her whole left leg a little bit using the upper part of her leg.  When asked to do the same with the right leg you can see Bev is trying but the movement is small at this point.  Bev is regaining movement in her right foot however.  The good thing is she is communicating with the physeotherapist, she understands what is being asked of her and she is trying to comply.  The rest of the afternoon was pretty quiet but a few times Bev was trying to form words with her mouth.

Wed Mar 2 7:30

Bev remains in isolation, there has been no luck yet in finding the right antibiotic for her lung infection.  On the bright side Bev had a very good day yesterday.  A long time friend came to visit and when Bev saw her she was opening her mouth to try and form words. Bev was able to move her toes on both feet when asked, and she can move the fingers on her left hand a tiny bit when asked.  She has good control over her left leg. Both hands are still very swollen from the operations to fix Bev's arms.  Bev was able to nod her head a little bit  once or twice when asked a question. She can move her head from side to side sometimes as well.  Both eyes are active although the right eyelid is slow to respond.  When Kim arrived she played some music for Bev and Bev tried mouthing the words to a few songs. The physiotherapist has started working with Bev's arms and legs daily and mentioned she wants to get Bev sitting on the side of the bed soon.