Day Forty Nine

9:57 PM

Don slept well last night. He ate a great breakfast. The OT came in to see him a little after 10:00 just to see how he was doing. Don had just finished telling me how much he needed his pain medicine this morning when he woke up and how bad he was still hurting. The OT asked him if he was hurting and he said "No". She kept talking to him for awhile and he stuck to his story. She helped to set his leg (get it comfortable) and left. She hadn't been gone but just a few minutes and I looked at Don and he was really crying. I asked him what was wrong thinking we had hurt his leg in some way or that it needed to be adjusted again. He said he was just hurting so bad in his arms. I asked him why he didn't tell the OT that and he said he did. I told him he didn't and he insisted that he did tell her. I just let it go. I had his second meeting, since we weren't there last week, regarding Don's progress and overall evaluation. Don is still totally dependent and non ambulatory. They have gone back to 60 minutes each of OT and PT until we can get the doctors orders corrected at our visit on Tuesday. The staff also wanted to know how Don was handling his pain so I discussed with them what had just happened regarding his pain. We set up a pain management plan and will see how that works starting tomorrow. Don had the CNAs to dress him and get him up about 11:30. They came to do a Doppler exam on his left shoulder. He has been complaining with his shoulder more and more. The pick line has stopped working to draw blood, but it still works to give him meds through it. They didn't find a blood clot which they thought might be causing the pain. We will look into it further at Friday's appointment. He ate lunch in the day room and was ready for therapy by 12:40. They worked on his right arm and both legs. He is able to lift his left leg off the floor. He cannot lift his left leg if it is elevated. He seems to be getting a little more range of motion with his right arm and his left leg. He finished therapy about 2:30 and we went to the front lobby for the next 2 hours. He had the therapists put him back to bed about 4:30. Supper came and he didn't eat much of it. He didn't like the choices for tonight. Kristi picked him up a country ham biscuit from Bojangle's. Donnie Lee dropped by and brought his pup, Levi. Don had a great time with him. The kids left about 8:00 and I got him ready for bed. The nurse came in and changed his bandages about 9:00. I set his oxygen and left about 9:15. Please keep praying!