Sunday, December 16, 2012

"Am I 18?"

Monday November 26, 2001
FROM MY NOTES:
Brian was in the shower when I arrived at 8 am. He was wearing his shoes from Spain when he came into the dining room. Nurse Annette couldn't find the slip-on shoes that Brian has been wearing (that Dave brought).
Brian had to eat rather more quickly than usual, because he had speech therapy at 9 am.He had his "real" speech therapist, Julie, today. She was gone all last week; Maria-Mercedes will be with him on the weekends. Julie sat with Brian while he finished breakfast, and I left them alone. She is working with him on repetition (repeating questions) and focus. After Julie, Brian had OT with Marcy. Their key word for the day was "focus".
Jimmy and Rosemary visited from 10:30 till 11:00; I was with Brian when they arrived, answering questions, but left so they could have time alone with him. He took them on a wheelchair tour of the Unit. They left for home.
Wendy, who used to live above Brian, Marshall and Kellie, visited with me, and then Brian. Brian was glad to see her; she visited at RVMC but he was barely awake the last time. Caren Caldwell (minister at United Church of Christ where I was the secretary) also visted. It was the first time she had seen Brian. 
Brian had PT and OT together at 11 am, with Amy and Joyce. He stood at a table and played Tic-Tac-Toe, and sorted cards into suits. Joyce said he concentrated well during the game, but would forget his place if he distracted himself. He was able to place the cards in ascending numerical order with no problem, but had a little trouble with suits. 
Dave arrived for lunch, and I left afterwards.
Brian had PT with Susan, who had him walk with the parallel bars, and he worked on a number puzzle with the OTA, Jaci. He had another PT session with Susan at 3 pm, during which he did exercises on the mat, and walked with the parallel bars and a walker.
Dave reported in the 4:30 slot in Brian's Journal (the one used to keep track of his days) that Brian peed "unassisted" into the urinal bottle. When Brian heard "unassisted", he thought Dave said, "on an assistant", and was distressed. Dave explained what it really said. 
Kellie and Marshall visited between five and seven; Dan Ferguson reported that Marshall was only there at the end, briefly.
Dave and I returned at 7 pm. Dan and Marc were there with Brian. Brian tried to to pee standing up at 7:15! Dave left him in the room in his wheelchair, after loosening the belt, and Brian stood up! We had Bryan the nurse go in with him in case of trouble. 
The "boys", Dave and I spent time in the room, touring, and in the dining room. Marc played piano a little. Brian and the "boys" joked about being gay lovers, and Dan made Brian a sign saying "I AM 17" because Brian kept asking if he was 18 yet. We talked about scars, and Brian wanted to know if he had a "cool scar" from his heart attack. He kept lifting his shirt and was disappointed to find no scar. We told him he would have one on his shoulder where the defibrillator was out in. He looked at it a little in a hand mirror later, but couldn't see it very well.
Brian asked many questions during the day about what happened and where. He seemed to think the paramedics did something to his heart, put in the ICD; or he somehow got a heart transplant. At one point in the evening he said, "Heart attacks are not good!"
Brian asked Dan's and Marc's ages several times (21 and 19), and apologized for forgetting Dan's birthday party (which he attended). Just before Dan and Marc left, Brian asked, "Will you buy me beer?"
Brian was very interested in his upcoming 18th birthday. "I'm gonna warn you, on my birthday, I'm gonna be out a lot." He wanted to know if he would be out of the hospital on his birthday; when we told him probably not, he was disappointed. We explained we could celebrate in the hospital, MAYBE we could take him out to dinner, and he could postpone other things till later.
I finally made a chart for him: COUNTDOWN TO BRIAN'S 18TH BIRTHDAY, to use as a cue for the "Am I 18?" question, and to count the days. We can cross off each day as it ends. Another theme of the day was: "Are you and Dave married?" We have told him "Yes", but not legally. Dave says "spiritually". Brian decided we are "married enough". He kept apologizing for forgetting our wedding - we told him we didn't have one. He has also forgotten Marshall and Kellie's wedding.
Dan and Marc left at 8:30. Bryan, Merrillyn, Dave and I got Brian settled into bed. He wound down more quickly, and I read a chapter of Through the Looking Glass, during which he fell asleep. Last night, they only recorded 5 hours of sleep.


No comments:

Post a Comment