On Sunday, August 31, our friends Brian Maxfield and Kathy Kinsman sponsored "Barry's Bash", a fundraiser for our family, at their home in North Attleboro, MA.
They opened up their hearts and their beautiful home on Bungay Lake to help a friend. Friends and Family donated auction items for a raffle, brought food to share, and helped in the planning and preparations of the fundraiser.
Guest participated in boating, tubing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, pool, darts, and horseshoe tournaments. Fun was had by all. Click on the attached link to see photos taken by Karen Berry.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=7c938mxp.5taxoes1&Uy=-k5j8ah&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=277899412675_234779066209&localeid=en_US
and the following link for photos taken by Kathy Kinsman:
http://westwood.k12.ma.us/~KKinsman/BarrysBash/index.html
Barry originally wrote a thank you speech to be read at the fundraiser however did not get the opportunity to read it. I would like to quote a few lines from his speech: "Just being in the hospital where Dr's and Nurses are attending to your every need (and I do mean every need!) can be a very humbling experience however the love and compassion that I have experienced from all of you and many others has been as humbling an experience as I ever could have imagined."
I would also like to add that while the Doctors, Nurses, and life support systems were sustaining Barry's heart, it was you, our friends and relatives who were supporting our hearts throughout this ordeal.
We would like to thank you all for the overwhelming love and support that you have shown our family throughout Barry's recovery. We would especially like to thank Brian, Kathy, and Nick for opening up their home and sponsoring this event and all of you who travelled from near and far to participate in the planning and preparation of this event including the planning committee, donations of food and raffle items, set-up and clean-up, Barry Bracelets by Brianna, our parking attendant, and the finance committee. We would also like to thank those who sent a donation but were unable to attend the event.
We will always be grateful for your generosity and most of all your love, support, and friendship. We love you all. Thank you.
Barry and Lisa
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Follow-up With the Surgeon......
Hello there,
Well it's been 1 1/2 weeks since Barry came home from rehab and he has made significant progress in his recovery. On our way home from the rehab, we made a slight detour to Janie and Don's house. Barry attempted to play the drums at that time, and rated himself a 5 on a scale from 1-10, one being hardly able to hold the sticks and 10 being where he left off. On his second day home, we had a visit from the VNA. His co-workers took him out for lunch and a well needed haircut.
On Monday, the 11th, Barry had his follow-up appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Nathan. He had to first be seen by a physician's assistant who took his vitals and asked lots of follow-up questions. Upon entering, Todd the physician's assistant, said "Oh you're the musician with the blog!" Yes, most of the staff in the cardiovascular unit at the BI have been following this blog as well!
Dr. Nathan then came in and commented on Barry's appearance, his new haircut, and how he looked like a new man. He gave Barry permission to drive and return to work for a few hours a day, but not to over-do it.
He has had visits from the visiting nurses, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Upon evaluation, the occupational therapist said that he will no longer need occupational therapy. In physical therapy, Barry is working on balance, stamina, and working out the numbness in his right hand. Because Barry is no longer home-bound, his therapy will now continue at the Braintree Rehab on an outpatient basis. He will also begin therapy with a speech therapist who will be working with him on strenthening his left vocal chord that has nerve damage from the ventilator.
Since coming home, Barry has also been to the barn to see the new filly that was born on the day he woke up, attended a barbecue at Brian & Kathys, where he spent some time fishing off the dock and visiting with family and friends, and has gone back to work for about 2 hours a day. Last night, he attended band rehearsal where he was able to play two full songs; Who says you can't go home, and Black Horse and a Cherry Tree. Janie, Jeff, and I were all in tears; this time...... tears of happiness. Last nights rating.......... a 7!! With increased stamina and continued progress he'll be gigging again in no time!
Because of Barry's accelerated progress, we will not be updating the blog as frequently as we have in the past. Please feel free to check back every now and then for future updates. Barry feels that your continued support, prayers, and perhaps some divine intervention, have made a significant difference in his recovery process.
With love, thanks, and appreciation to you all,
Lisa
Well it's been 1 1/2 weeks since Barry came home from rehab and he has made significant progress in his recovery. On our way home from the rehab, we made a slight detour to Janie and Don's house. Barry attempted to play the drums at that time, and rated himself a 5 on a scale from 1-10, one being hardly able to hold the sticks and 10 being where he left off. On his second day home, we had a visit from the VNA. His co-workers took him out for lunch and a well needed haircut.
On Monday, the 11th, Barry had his follow-up appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Nathan. He had to first be seen by a physician's assistant who took his vitals and asked lots of follow-up questions. Upon entering, Todd the physician's assistant, said "Oh you're the musician with the blog!" Yes, most of the staff in the cardiovascular unit at the BI have been following this blog as well!
Dr. Nathan then came in and commented on Barry's appearance, his new haircut, and how he looked like a new man. He gave Barry permission to drive and return to work for a few hours a day, but not to over-do it.
He has had visits from the visiting nurses, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Upon evaluation, the occupational therapist said that he will no longer need occupational therapy. In physical therapy, Barry is working on balance, stamina, and working out the numbness in his right hand. Because Barry is no longer home-bound, his therapy will now continue at the Braintree Rehab on an outpatient basis. He will also begin therapy with a speech therapist who will be working with him on strenthening his left vocal chord that has nerve damage from the ventilator.
Since coming home, Barry has also been to the barn to see the new filly that was born on the day he woke up, attended a barbecue at Brian & Kathys, where he spent some time fishing off the dock and visiting with family and friends, and has gone back to work for about 2 hours a day. Last night, he attended band rehearsal where he was able to play two full songs; Who says you can't go home, and Black Horse and a Cherry Tree. Janie, Jeff, and I were all in tears; this time...... tears of happiness. Last nights rating.......... a 7!! With increased stamina and continued progress he'll be gigging again in no time!
Because of Barry's accelerated progress, we will not be updating the blog as frequently as we have in the past. Please feel free to check back every now and then for future updates. Barry feels that your continued support, prayers, and perhaps some divine intervention, have made a significant difference in his recovery process.
With love, thanks, and appreciation to you all,
Lisa
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Homecoming
Hello all!
I am thrilled to be able to report to you all that my father has finally come home! I'm sure you can all imagine our excitement and relief to have him back home with us, as well as the happiness that my father is experiencing from being able to be home as well.
He still, of course, has many doctors' appointments and therapy sessions ahead of him on his long road to recovery, but at the very least, his is able to be home with us (given everything continues to go smoothly) for the duration. Visitors are welcome, but we do ask that you please call first to make sure that he is able and up for the company. Thank you all so much again for the support, and we look forward to sharing further news with you as my father continues on with his recovery.
With love,
Marissa
I am thrilled to be able to report to you all that my father has finally come home! I'm sure you can all imagine our excitement and relief to have him back home with us, as well as the happiness that my father is experiencing from being able to be home as well.
He still, of course, has many doctors' appointments and therapy sessions ahead of him on his long road to recovery, but at the very least, his is able to be home with us (given everything continues to go smoothly) for the duration. Visitors are welcome, but we do ask that you please call first to make sure that he is able and up for the company. Thank you all so much again for the support, and we look forward to sharing further news with you as my father continues on with his recovery.
With love,
Marissa
The Patient Speaks
Have you ever lost a month? I don't mean in the general sense where you say " I can't believe it's August already" I mean, you go to sleep on July 8th and you end up back in your own bed on August 5th! Now that's losing a month!
But considering that the other option would not allow me to live with some of the most caring, sensitive, compassionate and loving friends and family anyone could ever hope for, I would gladly sign up to donate a few more months.
I just wanted to take a moment to express my total and life long gratitude to everyone who either helped save my life or made my life and the life of my family so much better over the past month.
To the Dr's at Brockton Hospital, who refused to stop looking until they diagnosed me and the selflessness to know that the best place for me to be treated was at another hospital. Thanks for the really cool helicopter ride.
The cardiac surgical team at the Beth Israel Hospital. Thank you for all of your knowledge and amazing talent in knowing how to save people's lives by fixing their hearts. It's just beyond my limited understanding of body mechanics to even think you know how to do this. Thank You.
To all the nurses at the Beth Israel. You must have been glad to see my ass walk out that door! I know I kept many of you from a nice quiet evening of work on many nights and you must have been as sick of chasing me around the hospital as I was sick of hearing" Barry, where are you going?" To Frank, I especially appreciate you allowing my family to bring my I-pod to me and allowing more than 2 visitors at a time in the ICU. It really gave them hope when I started moving to the beat and singing badly. You went way beyond "just being a nurse" Thank you.
To Patrick and Joanne, thank you for handling my business while I was away so I could focus on getting well. You did this all while running your own busy practices. I know my clients were in good hands and I will tell them so when I come back.
Brian, Kathy and Nick, thank you for all the visits and providing a safe haven at your wonderful home for Lisa when she just needed some quiet time. Brian, I can still taste that Lynwood, we'll have to continue that pizza party soon. You guys are great friends and I will always treasure our friendship.
To the therapy team at the Braintree rehab, who I thought when I got there I didn't need. I needed you. Thanks for helping me walk without passing out, shower without passing out, go to the bathroom without passing out and even think real hard without passing out. Thank you for all your work. You did a great job and Kerry, Jill and Meg, you are great kids to boot. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Janie Dulong, If you were not there for my wife on all of those times that she needed you, she may be the one in the hospital; the one with the padded walls! As always you can be counted on for anything at anytime at anyplace. We are very lucky to have you as our friend and you can count on us for the same support if you were to ever need it. We love you very much.
Auntie Sandy, what a rock. Is there anything that you can't do? Thank you for doing all the things that you just do a part of your regular routine. You may think they are regular, but believe me they are special and they never seem to amaze everyone in and out of our family with how much you do. Thank you for everything and all the help. I love you.
Steven McLaughlin, who would have thought that 44 years after we met in the sandbox that you would be traveling 3K miles on a drop of a dime to hold your friend's hand and tell him everything is going to be alright after just having major heart surgery. That is commitment, that is determination, that is friendship. I'll never forget all the special things that you have done and continue to do as my friend. We are friends forever and not even 3K miles will keep us from seeing each other several times a year like we promised. Especially when we go to Vegas and play baby, yeah!!!! I Love you.
Julie and Ed. Jules, you get the travelled 1500 miles to visit your brothers award. Thanks for travelling all this way to help me watch the walls move and the little floating silver things in the air! Ed, thanks for watching Josh and Matthew to allow Julie the time to come and visit. I love you both!
My family at home, Marissa, Haley Stephen and Cody. Thanks for keeping things at somewhat of an even keel while all of this was going on and will continue with my recuperation. I love all of you very much and look forward to our future together. Stephen, thanks for taking care of the pool and the trash. Those are a real man's jobs and you are now a Jedi pool man!
Lisa, I knew that 24 years to the day, when you said " in sickness and in health" you meant it. That's why I married you. OK that's one of the reasons, the other one was that you are HOT! Just ask the neurologist at the BI. I didn't stop telling them that fact. Really, Lisa, I couldn't have asked for a better partner, lover, honest advisor and best friend than you . Thank you for everything that you do and continue to do for me before during and after this event. I love you more than you know and I'll never stop telling you that fact. Even if we are having an argument.
Barry
But considering that the other option would not allow me to live with some of the most caring, sensitive, compassionate and loving friends and family anyone could ever hope for, I would gladly sign up to donate a few more months.
I just wanted to take a moment to express my total and life long gratitude to everyone who either helped save my life or made my life and the life of my family so much better over the past month.
To the Dr's at Brockton Hospital, who refused to stop looking until they diagnosed me and the selflessness to know that the best place for me to be treated was at another hospital. Thanks for the really cool helicopter ride.
The cardiac surgical team at the Beth Israel Hospital. Thank you for all of your knowledge and amazing talent in knowing how to save people's lives by fixing their hearts. It's just beyond my limited understanding of body mechanics to even think you know how to do this. Thank You.
To all the nurses at the Beth Israel. You must have been glad to see my ass walk out that door! I know I kept many of you from a nice quiet evening of work on many nights and you must have been as sick of chasing me around the hospital as I was sick of hearing" Barry, where are you going?" To Frank, I especially appreciate you allowing my family to bring my I-pod to me and allowing more than 2 visitors at a time in the ICU. It really gave them hope when I started moving to the beat and singing badly. You went way beyond "just being a nurse" Thank you.
To Patrick and Joanne, thank you for handling my business while I was away so I could focus on getting well. You did this all while running your own busy practices. I know my clients were in good hands and I will tell them so when I come back.
Brian, Kathy and Nick, thank you for all the visits and providing a safe haven at your wonderful home for Lisa when she just needed some quiet time. Brian, I can still taste that Lynwood, we'll have to continue that pizza party soon. You guys are great friends and I will always treasure our friendship.
To the therapy team at the Braintree rehab, who I thought when I got there I didn't need. I needed you. Thanks for helping me walk without passing out, shower without passing out, go to the bathroom without passing out and even think real hard without passing out. Thank you for all your work. You did a great job and Kerry, Jill and Meg, you are great kids to boot. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Janie Dulong, If you were not there for my wife on all of those times that she needed you, she may be the one in the hospital; the one with the padded walls! As always you can be counted on for anything at anytime at anyplace. We are very lucky to have you as our friend and you can count on us for the same support if you were to ever need it. We love you very much.
Auntie Sandy, what a rock. Is there anything that you can't do? Thank you for doing all the things that you just do a part of your regular routine. You may think they are regular, but believe me they are special and they never seem to amaze everyone in and out of our family with how much you do. Thank you for everything and all the help. I love you.
Steven McLaughlin, who would have thought that 44 years after we met in the sandbox that you would be traveling 3K miles on a drop of a dime to hold your friend's hand and tell him everything is going to be alright after just having major heart surgery. That is commitment, that is determination, that is friendship. I'll never forget all the special things that you have done and continue to do as my friend. We are friends forever and not even 3K miles will keep us from seeing each other several times a year like we promised. Especially when we go to Vegas and play baby, yeah!!!! I Love you.
Julie and Ed. Jules, you get the travelled 1500 miles to visit your brothers award. Thanks for travelling all this way to help me watch the walls move and the little floating silver things in the air! Ed, thanks for watching Josh and Matthew to allow Julie the time to come and visit. I love you both!
My family at home, Marissa, Haley Stephen and Cody. Thanks for keeping things at somewhat of an even keel while all of this was going on and will continue with my recuperation. I love all of you very much and look forward to our future together. Stephen, thanks for taking care of the pool and the trash. Those are a real man's jobs and you are now a Jedi pool man!
Lisa, I knew that 24 years to the day, when you said " in sickness and in health" you meant it. That's why I married you. OK that's one of the reasons, the other one was that you are HOT! Just ask the neurologist at the BI. I didn't stop telling them that fact. Really, Lisa, I couldn't have asked for a better partner, lover, honest advisor and best friend than you . Thank you for everything that you do and continue to do for me before during and after this event. I love you more than you know and I'll never stop telling you that fact. Even if we are having an argument.
Thanks to the Egans, Sloans, and Brookers for the meals on wheels that provided my family with quick prep meals at a time when they needed it most. Thank you Bill Egan for mowing the lawn. We're sorry we were unable to provide you with the "headlights" for your mowing pleasure! There's always a next time!! Thanks to our friends and family who helped monetarily with bills, parking, and gas. Thanks to JC, Lynae, and Alyssa for the non-stop laughs that we always to seem to have when we get together. Thanks to those of you that came to visit and support me at a time that I didn't even know you were there and when I did realize you were there, thanks for listening to all my hallucinated stories from when I was under sedation.
I know I'm leaving some thankyous out but I'm getting a bit tired. I'll just have to tell you in person when I see you. I'm at home now and please feel free to call and make arrangements to stop by and say hello. I recommend that you do it quickly since I'm planning on moving my recovery along as quickly a possible without sacrificing the gains I've already made.
That's all for now.Barry
Sunday, August 3, 2008
It's all Good!
Good Morning,
Happy Sunday morning! Over the past few days, Barry's blood pressure seems to be finally levelling off. His therapists will meet again tomorrow to determine their next course of action which we feel will be to come home!!!
We have added some photos to the blog for you to enjoy. The doctors told Barry that once he has recovered, he should be able to do EVERYTHING that he once enjoyed before so I thought that I would include some photos of Barry enjoying his favorite pastimes. You can scroll down on the right to see more photos!
Visiting hours are 12:00 - 8:00 today so if you're in the area, feel free to stop by and say Hello. He is in room 209 and if you don't find him there he is more than likely outside of the patio enjoying this beautiful day!
Lisa
Happy Sunday morning! Over the past few days, Barry's blood pressure seems to be finally levelling off. His therapists will meet again tomorrow to determine their next course of action which we feel will be to come home!!!
We have added some photos to the blog for you to enjoy. The doctors told Barry that once he has recovered, he should be able to do EVERYTHING that he once enjoyed before so I thought that I would include some photos of Barry enjoying his favorite pastimes. You can scroll down on the right to see more photos!
Visiting hours are 12:00 - 8:00 today so if you're in the area, feel free to stop by and say Hello. He is in room 209 and if you don't find him there he is more than likely outside of the patio enjoying this beautiful day!
Lisa
Thursday, July 31, 2008
A Slight Detour
Hello there,
We're back, and Barry is back at the Braintree Rehab after a short return to the Beth Israel Hospital.
On Tuesday, during Barry's physical therapy session, he was experiencing lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and chest pain, and upon exhertion, his blood-pressure dropped. The Rehab thought it best to send him to the South Shore Hospital Emergency room. We spent four long hours there while they performed an EKG, CT Scan, blood work, and chest x-ray. The doctor there was concerned about the EKG pattern and abnormality in the pericarditis (heart lining) He then phoned Barry's surgeon at the B.I. who instructed the doctor to send him back to the B.I., where we waited another 3.5 hours while they performed the same exact tests.......and you wonder why your health insurance premiums are so high?!!!!
Upon initial examination, they determined that there was fluid around Barry's heart (in the percarditis) and that the abnormal EKG were both perfectly normal for the surgery that Barry went through. After being kept overnight for observation, they performed an echocardiogram and additional testing. The great news is that he his graf is healing wonderfully and there is no additional disection to the descending aorta.
They determined that the lightheadedness was caused from dehydration from the dosage of Lasix that Barry was on. Lasix is a diarrhetic that he was taking to remove the 20 pounds of excess fluid that he retained after surgery. They determined that the drop in blood pressure was caused by the dosage of blood pressure medication that he was on. They expect the blood pressure to go up during physical exertion and Barry's was going down. His heart was having difficulty pumping blood to the brain as the blood pressure medication also slows the heart down. They have since reduced the blood pressure medication dosage and stopped the lasix. Oh, and the chest pain, they believe was caused by indigestion from the Chicken A La King that he had for lunch!!
Before sending him back to Braintree rehab this morning, they thought that there was a possibility that he may be able to come home today. They brought in a physical therapist to put him to the test, and his blood pressure dropped yet once again and he became lightheaded. The physician's assistant indicated that he still has a lot of the lasix and blood pressure medication in his system and that we would have to wait and see what reaction his body has to the reduction in medications. He was sent back to the Braintree Rehab today where they will continue with his therapy and try to get his blood pressure under control.
Once under control, Barry will be able to come home. For the first month, he will have the VNA come to the house to do his therapy at home and monitor his blood pressure. He will then be required to attend therapy at the Braintree rehab on an outpatient basis.
Are you still awake?? Now that I have bored you with all this medical information, Barry was quite content sitting outside on the patio amongst friends this evening. I left him around 8:30 this evening tucked into bed with his vanilla hoodsie, gingerale, and his new book, "The Last Lecture", by Randy Paulst. Thank you Janie!! He has lost the add'l 20 pounds in fluid and an add'l 17 pounds of his own body weight! His appetite has improved and he is getting about 6 hours of sleep each night. He is looking forward to his therapy sessions tomorrow and to the day that they give him the ok to come home.
It's all good and we are back on the road to recovery. If you would like to visit him, he has been moved to room 209! Thank you all for checking in! Goodnight!
Lisa
We're back, and Barry is back at the Braintree Rehab after a short return to the Beth Israel Hospital.
On Tuesday, during Barry's physical therapy session, he was experiencing lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and chest pain, and upon exhertion, his blood-pressure dropped. The Rehab thought it best to send him to the South Shore Hospital Emergency room. We spent four long hours there while they performed an EKG, CT Scan, blood work, and chest x-ray. The doctor there was concerned about the EKG pattern and abnormality in the pericarditis (heart lining) He then phoned Barry's surgeon at the B.I. who instructed the doctor to send him back to the B.I., where we waited another 3.5 hours while they performed the same exact tests.......and you wonder why your health insurance premiums are so high?!!!!
Upon initial examination, they determined that there was fluid around Barry's heart (in the percarditis) and that the abnormal EKG were both perfectly normal for the surgery that Barry went through. After being kept overnight for observation, they performed an echocardiogram and additional testing. The great news is that he his graf is healing wonderfully and there is no additional disection to the descending aorta.
They determined that the lightheadedness was caused from dehydration from the dosage of Lasix that Barry was on. Lasix is a diarrhetic that he was taking to remove the 20 pounds of excess fluid that he retained after surgery. They determined that the drop in blood pressure was caused by the dosage of blood pressure medication that he was on. They expect the blood pressure to go up during physical exertion and Barry's was going down. His heart was having difficulty pumping blood to the brain as the blood pressure medication also slows the heart down. They have since reduced the blood pressure medication dosage and stopped the lasix. Oh, and the chest pain, they believe was caused by indigestion from the Chicken A La King that he had for lunch!!
Before sending him back to Braintree rehab this morning, they thought that there was a possibility that he may be able to come home today. They brought in a physical therapist to put him to the test, and his blood pressure dropped yet once again and he became lightheaded. The physician's assistant indicated that he still has a lot of the lasix and blood pressure medication in his system and that we would have to wait and see what reaction his body has to the reduction in medications. He was sent back to the Braintree Rehab today where they will continue with his therapy and try to get his blood pressure under control.
Once under control, Barry will be able to come home. For the first month, he will have the VNA come to the house to do his therapy at home and monitor his blood pressure. He will then be required to attend therapy at the Braintree rehab on an outpatient basis.
Are you still awake?? Now that I have bored you with all this medical information, Barry was quite content sitting outside on the patio amongst friends this evening. I left him around 8:30 this evening tucked into bed with his vanilla hoodsie, gingerale, and his new book, "The Last Lecture", by Randy Paulst. Thank you Janie!! He has lost the add'l 20 pounds in fluid and an add'l 17 pounds of his own body weight! His appetite has improved and he is getting about 6 hours of sleep each night. He is looking forward to his therapy sessions tomorrow and to the day that they give him the ok to come home.
It's all good and we are back on the road to recovery. If you would like to visit him, he has been moved to room 209! Thank you all for checking in! Goodnight!
Lisa
Monday, July 28, 2008
Day 21
Hello there,
Well, here we are three weeks into this ordeal! Barry has made significant progress since arriving at the Braintree Rehab. His days are filled with therapy sessions; today he had 5! By 7:30 p.m., Barry is asking to be put to bed as he is physically exhausted! His appetite has somewhat improved; however he is still having difficulty sleeping for any extended period of time.
During one of his sleepless nights, the nurses brought Barry to a family room where the patients have access to a p.c. One of Barry's morning routines is to read the CNN news web page. Although difficult for him at this time, he managed to pull up the CNN web page to read about Randy Pausch's death and a lecture that Randy Pausch gave prior to his death called the "Last Lecture". For those of you who have visited Barry recently, this hit very near and dear to home and he becomes quite emotional speaking about it. He has made mention of it with every visitor that he has had since reading it. If you would like to read more on this lecture, please click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F87yvlDWzUs&NR=1
Barry has also indicated that when he is more comfortable using the computer, he would like to post an update to his own blog!
On Friday, Day 18, Barry was able to enjoy the light of day during his first visit on the hospital's outdoor patio. Friday evening, we enjoyed a "take out" dinner amongst friends on the patio. He has enjoyed his daily visits outdoors since then. On Sunday, Marissa, Steve, Haley, Cody, and I brought a home cooked dinner to him and ate together, once again, as a family in the hospital's cafe. Cody was thrilled to spend some time with his Grampie!
I met with his case manager this morning. His intraveinous (sp?) antibiotic ends on August 1st so the pic-line will be removed at that point and some of the many medications that he is on will end this week as well. His physical therapy progress has been slow and steady and we are told that this will be a slow process. During his physical therapy sessions, he gets very winded and his blood pressure has to be consistently monitored. If it rises, they have to stop the therapy until it comes down. His case manager, as well as his nurses, consider him to be unstable on his feet; however, when speaking with Barry he feels that he is quite stable. His bed and his wheel chair are alarmed for this reason!!! We are ecstatic that he has come this far considering that we were originally told that he would have to go to rehab to learn how to walk again and he was able to walk prior to arriving at the Rehab!!
He has also made great progress with his occupational, speech, and ALS (Adult Life Skills) therapy. His neuropsychologist stated that Barry's initial evaluation indicated that he had an inoxic brain injury. This is caused by lack of blood and oxygen to the brain. This has had an impact on Barry's reasoning, short-term memory, and eye/hand coordination. Daily, we see significant improvements in all three areas and he is now able to differentiate his "dreams" during sedation from reality; another topic that he readily shares with his visitors!!
His case manager indicated that they were aiming for him to come home as early as this weekend; however he will require 24/7 supervision. Her primary concern is his stability, stamina, and blood pressure. After his discharge from Braintree Rehab, Barry will still require outpatient occupational and physical therapy. She will meet again with his therapists tomorrow to re-evaluate Barry's condition, determine his date of discharge, and his outpatient treatment.
As Barry would say, "It's All Good!" If you have an opportunity, please stop in and say Hello. He is at the Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital on Pond Street in Braintree. Visiting hours are Mon - Fri, 12:00 -1:00 p.m. and 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. and Sat - Sun, 12:00 - 8:00 p.m. Until tomorrow........
Lisa
Well, here we are three weeks into this ordeal! Barry has made significant progress since arriving at the Braintree Rehab. His days are filled with therapy sessions; today he had 5! By 7:30 p.m., Barry is asking to be put to bed as he is physically exhausted! His appetite has somewhat improved; however he is still having difficulty sleeping for any extended period of time.
During one of his sleepless nights, the nurses brought Barry to a family room where the patients have access to a p.c. One of Barry's morning routines is to read the CNN news web page. Although difficult for him at this time, he managed to pull up the CNN web page to read about Randy Pausch's death and a lecture that Randy Pausch gave prior to his death called the "Last Lecture". For those of you who have visited Barry recently, this hit very near and dear to home and he becomes quite emotional speaking about it. He has made mention of it with every visitor that he has had since reading it. If you would like to read more on this lecture, please click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F87yvlDWzUs&NR=1
Barry has also indicated that when he is more comfortable using the computer, he would like to post an update to his own blog!
On Friday, Day 18, Barry was able to enjoy the light of day during his first visit on the hospital's outdoor patio. Friday evening, we enjoyed a "take out" dinner amongst friends on the patio. He has enjoyed his daily visits outdoors since then. On Sunday, Marissa, Steve, Haley, Cody, and I brought a home cooked dinner to him and ate together, once again, as a family in the hospital's cafe. Cody was thrilled to spend some time with his Grampie!
I met with his case manager this morning. His intraveinous (sp?) antibiotic ends on August 1st so the pic-line will be removed at that point and some of the many medications that he is on will end this week as well. His physical therapy progress has been slow and steady and we are told that this will be a slow process. During his physical therapy sessions, he gets very winded and his blood pressure has to be consistently monitored. If it rises, they have to stop the therapy until it comes down. His case manager, as well as his nurses, consider him to be unstable on his feet; however, when speaking with Barry he feels that he is quite stable. His bed and his wheel chair are alarmed for this reason!!! We are ecstatic that he has come this far considering that we were originally told that he would have to go to rehab to learn how to walk again and he was able to walk prior to arriving at the Rehab!!
He has also made great progress with his occupational, speech, and ALS (Adult Life Skills) therapy. His neuropsychologist stated that Barry's initial evaluation indicated that he had an inoxic brain injury. This is caused by lack of blood and oxygen to the brain. This has had an impact on Barry's reasoning, short-term memory, and eye/hand coordination. Daily, we see significant improvements in all three areas and he is now able to differentiate his "dreams" during sedation from reality; another topic that he readily shares with his visitors!!
His case manager indicated that they were aiming for him to come home as early as this weekend; however he will require 24/7 supervision. Her primary concern is his stability, stamina, and blood pressure. After his discharge from Braintree Rehab, Barry will still require outpatient occupational and physical therapy. She will meet again with his therapists tomorrow to re-evaluate Barry's condition, determine his date of discharge, and his outpatient treatment.
As Barry would say, "It's All Good!" If you have an opportunity, please stop in and say Hello. He is at the Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital on Pond Street in Braintree. Visiting hours are Mon - Fri, 12:00 -1:00 p.m. and 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. and Sat - Sun, 12:00 - 8:00 p.m. Until tomorrow........
Lisa
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