Making Great Progress

Last week, Dave and Jan started to get settled into the routine of his daily/hourly care. The therapists all came for the first time, did their assessments, and started his therapy programs. Every day has a totally flexible schedule, with at least one and as many as 5 scheduled visitors, all coming at whatever time works best for them. Dave and Jan have all of this thrust upon them, along with the need to maintain a nearly hourly drug and food regimen. On top of this, Jan has lots of extra laundry each day, and lots of work to keep up on the housekeeping and meals. Because the schedule of each day is not set, it will take them a bit longer to get into the swing of it all, but they are making good progress. These are busy days, and they are getting easier.

Many thanks to everyone who send Dave a card last week. He thoroughly enjoyed reading each of them, and appreciated your kindness. The whole family loved hearing whose cards had arrived each day. Your kindness has touched each of us. If you weren't able to send a card last week, any time you can drop one in the mail to him, he will appreciate it.

Dave is continuing to make progress, but as you can imagine, he is getting a lot less therapy now, so the progress is very slow. One area with a dramatic improvment is speech. Because Dave is eating some of every meal, working his mouth, tongue and throat, his voice gets stronger almost every day. He still don't say much, and sometimes we still have to ask him to repeat things, but his voice is stronger. Last night, Jan was heading out to the grocery, and Dave Jr. asked him what he might want for dinner. His answer was "roasted chicken" and it was easy to understand. When Jan arrived with his chicken, he loved it and ate a lot.

Last week was a real team effort. In addition to his speech, physical and occupational therapists, Dave also was visited daily by a nursing aide, and received several visits from a home health nurse. His family doctor, John Peterangelo, also stopped by and checked on his progress. The whole family is in on the daily tasks. His grandchildren, Amberlee, Auturm, Andy, and Kyle, each stop by almost every day to talk with him and help Jan do things around the house. Dave Jr. stops by every evening. Dave's wife, Stacey, is just down the street and is always stopping by to help with what is going on. Michelle and Ron have stopped by over the weekend to give Jan a break, and Michelle is always picking up things for Jan and bringing it by the house, saving her a trip out, in spite of being swamped in the middle of tax season. Dave and Jan both got haircuts, thanks to Michael Chaney of Strands for Hair, who stopped by the house one evening to take care of them. Jan Wooles also stopped by to give him a Healing Touch session, which she has been doing throughout his recovery.

You may know that Dave is a Michigan State alumnus, and always follows their men's basketball team. He has been watching the March Madness, even though MSU was eliminated early in the process. The guys, Andy and Kyle, have watched many of the games with him, which is a slice of life as usual.

The ramp is finished, and when the weather breaks a bit, Jan is hoping to get Dave outside. She continues to take care of his fish pond. The winter hibernation is over, and Jan has started up the pump and can be found outside cleaning the filter several times a day while the water clears up. I'm sure that Dave appreciates that she has kept up his favorite outdoor feature. Perhaps he will get to sit next to it in the next week or so.  ¶ 3:15 PM

Baby Monitor Blues

Jan has a baby monitor setup in the house so that she can hear Dave when she is out of the room. She has one next to her bed so she can hear him through the night. She says that mostly what she hears is the History Channel, which he plays around the clock, and his snoring (a familiar sound).

The other night, however, she and Dave Jr. (who was spending the night on the couch) got quite a shock. In the middle of the night, suddenly they heard not one, but two young girls screaming for "mommy" in the middle of the night. It woke up both Jan and Dave Jr., as you might imagine.

They still don't know whose kids were up. They figured it was a family within a short distance of Jan's house. How nice of that family to share the broadcast of their screaming kids with the neighbors in the middle of the night. :-)

Sunday night is Jan's first night alone in the house with Dave. It's been great of Dave Jr. to stay these first nights, and she feels that she is ready for this step. Monday will be a busy day, with visits from the weekday nurse, a nursing aide, and the first visit from his new team of therapists.  ¶ 1:43 AM

Card Shower Request

Dave, Jan, and Dave Jr. had a busy day, working to get a routine of Dave's nearly hourly medications and tasks. Dave loves being home, and is settling in well. In this picture, he shows how far back his new motorized chair leans. It looks scary to me, but apparently he is quite safe.

Things are hectic at the house, but everyone is hoping to have the routines in place so that visitors can stop by soon. I'll let you know when that is, and what times of the day are the best. In the meantime, we would love to have a card shower for Dave. If you can drop him a card to arrive next week, he will love hearing from you. The address is:

Dave Kingston
10 E Routzong Drive
Fairborn, OH 45324

Thanks for your ongoing support!  ¶ 11:51 PM

The First Day

Dave, Jan, and Dave Jr. have had quite a grand first day. There is a lot to get used to, with Jan doing all of Dave's medications (and he has about 20 of them!). The 9 am meds are the largest group, and it takes a while to get them prepared. There are more groups of them throughout the day. After a few days, we are sure that Jan will have the hang of this, and it won't take as long. But it will still be a very long day, with his first meds at 7 am, and the last group at midnight. There were a few advantages of being in a place with 'round the clock nursing care.

Tomorrow, they meet the weekday nurse for the first time. She will come once a day, and a different nurse will come on the weekends. In addition, a nursing aide will come near 8:30 am to help for a short time. Next week, the therapists each come for the first time. It's a bit crazy around the Kingston house, but things will settle into a routine early next week.

Dave Jr. is staying with Dave and Jan for these first few days. Michelle has been helping to get the drugs in the house and organized. I'm doing what I can from Arizona, ordering supplies on the Internet. It's a real team effort.

Tonight, Andy came over to watch the Michigan State game with his grandpa. It was like old times, the two guys watching sports together. The only down spot was that MSU lost, and they are out of March Madness. I guess the guys will have to root for another team now. But they will have a great time, I'm sure. They always do.  ¶ 12:48 AM

The Eagle Has Landed

After 238 days away, Dave has made it home. Apparently, it wasn't easy getting him from the curb through the door. They put him in a manual wheelchair for the ride, thinking it was going to be easier since there is no ramp in place (more below about that). But the wheelchair wasn't as adjustable as his previous wheelchair, and with the snow and the construction for the ramp, it was a lot of work. Fortunately, the ambulette driver was quite helpful, and without him, Dave might still be sitting at the curb waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

I got a chance to talk to Dave just after he got settled into his new hospital bed in the middle of the living room. I asked how it felt to be home, and he yelled GREAT! No doubt about his feeling, or about his speech.

Dave Jr. is planning to spend a lot of time at the house to help Jan get settled in. Michelle is picking up supplies and delivering them to the house, including a small amount of each of Dave's drugs waiting for him at Walgreens -- the same Walgreens that purchased and knocked down Jan's real estate office a couple years back.

About the ramp... Jan located someone with ramp experience to design, submit the plans for approval, and build the ramp. Would you believe that he has scheduled a delivery of cement for replacing part of their sidewalk on Tuesday, the day that they got 6 inches of snow? The weather was so bad that Wright Patterson AFB sent home non-essential personnel around noon. Doesn't it figure that Dave's ramp would be impacted by the strange Ohio weather, and would be a problem for his arrival home? You gotta laugh at that.

As soon as I have pictures of Dave in his new digs, I'll post them.  ¶ 3:27 PM

Dave's Going Away Party

Updated on 18 March: Pictures added.


For Dave's last full day at Miami Valley, his three therapists, Donna, Carrie, and Stephanie, threw him a going away party. They even had a vanilla slurry cake, complete with whipped frosting. Apparently, a slurry cake has been pureed, which helped Dave to eat it.

Dave Jr. took pictures of Dave with his therapists, and Jan picked up frames so they could give the pictures to them Wednesday. Dave Jr. is swamped with things right now to help Jan. As soon as he gets a few minutes, he's going to send a picture that can be posted here.

Also, Dave had a gift for each of his therapists -- a food basket of southwestern food items in a basket. They each got several kinds of salsa, ranging from mild to hot to sweet (raspberry and mango), along with some cactus fruit jelly, jalapeno marmalade, and a tequila sucker, complete with a worm. They were so fabulous to Dave, and the whole family, through this time, that any gift is just a small token of our appreciation.

Jan had a very busy day today, working on learning more about Dave's medicines since she will be the one who gives them to him now. She also spent some time in the kitchen learning how to fix up regular food so he can eat it.

One big milestone happened, too. Dave's speech therapist. Donna, took him off thickened foods! This means that Dave can have regular liquids and soups without Jan having to add the thickening agent to them. It also means that his swallow has improved enough to be considered normal. That's a good thing.

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  ¶ 8:26 PM

Dave Continues to Improve

It's all good news these days. Dave is making progress in all areas, and is looking forward to being at home. He's doing great things in therapy, working towards the next set of milestones. His muscle strength is returning, and he is able to stand for longer periods of time. They still assist him to reach the standing position. But today, they had him start learning how to pull himself up from a sitting position. It won't be too long before I can tell you that Dave can stand up by himself. With his determination, it's just a matter of working through the therapy sessions.

Also, Dave's appetite has returned full force. He still likes most of the hospital food, skipping only a few items. He especially likes the desserts. Some days, he gets all of his nutrition through food, and some days, they still supplement his food with the liquid through the feed tube.

Dave's voice is getting stronger, too. Dave Jr. and Jan have both commented on it. Because we are able to hear and understand him better, he is speaking more... more often and saying more words at a time. Pretty soon, he will be having regular conversations. And his personality is coming out clearly in the things he is saying. We have certainly come a long way.

Jan is a bit pushed, trying to make all of the arrangements, and coordinating the design and construction of the temporary ramp for the front door. She found someone who has done work in their yard before who has experience building ramps. She's confident that things are on the way, even though it can't be finished before Dave arrives home.

In the days that remain before he gets home, Jan has to coordinate the delivery of the bed and equipment. It seems that they are ordering oxygen equipment for the house, even though Dave currently isn't using it. It's a precaution so that it is available if it is needed. They don't expect to use it. But Jan must make room for it. The living room is being emptied to make room for these things. Dave Jr. and Michelle have benefited from this -- they have gained new furniture. Jan's real estate office (computer and files) will be moved to a bedroom for now, but unfortunately, the room doesn't have a phone outlet. Jan is getting a lesson next week in the kitchen at Miami Valley to teach her how to add the thickening agent to Dave's drinks and some foods. She's a very busy lady!

Jan has also worked out an arrangement with the mechanical wheel chair provider. Dave will be coming home with the chair he has currently at the hospital. In the weeks to come, the request for the purchase of chair for him will be processed, and a custom chair will be assembled and delivered. But in the meantime, he will have a chair to use, the one he is used to driving.

Looking down the road, here is what we expect to happen next. After Dave comes home, he will continue to receive three kinds of therapy in the house (physical, occupational, and speech), along with regular visits from nurses. Eventually, his feed tube will be removed and he will be eating regular food. Through the therapy, he will continue to rebuild and learn how to walk and move again. Eventually, perhaps in a few months, he will return for outpatient therapy. For a while, the effort of getting him to the hospital would be so exhausting that he would not get the benefit of it. But as he gets stronger, that will change.

I'm planning to keep up this website after Dave returns home. I suppose I'll keep it up until he is back to normal, or until he asks me to stop publishing the details of his life. Until then, you can expect updates and pictures of his continued recovery, and occasional pictures taken by Dave Jr. and anyone else visiting him with a camera.  ¶ 10:40 PM

Dave Coming Home Next Wednesday

Dave will be leaving the RIO at Miami Valley Hospital on Wednesday, 17 March. As you can imagine, Jan is busy with getting the house ready, with help from Michelle and Dave Jr. They've got someone lined up to work out the plans to build a ramp to their front door. They are moving all of the furniture out of the living room so it can hold his bed and equipment.

Today, Dave has eaten nearly everything they have given him on his trays. It's pureed, but it's regular food, and he loves most of it. They are still supplementing his diet with the liquid stuff that goes into his feeding tube. It won't be much longer until the tube can be removed.  ¶ 6:30 PM

More Big News

It's been another eventful 24 hours. Let me start at the beginning.

Last night, Dave asked Dave Jr. to lower the side rails on his bed, and insisted when Dave Jr. said that he couldn't. It turned out, Dave wanted them lowered because he wanted to get up and walk to the bathroom. Dave believed that he could do that.

This morning in his therapy, he asked to use a walker. His therapist helped him to get to standing up using a walker, and he held himself for a while. Of course, no one expected him to walk, and were very pleased that he was able to stand for a while. His therapists were surprised by what he did accomplish in this session.

Later, Dave went to his swallow test. He did such a great job, his therapist determined that Dave can now eat all of his meals from the regular trays. His food will be soft and pureed, but he will be getting three meals a day of solid food. In fact, tomorrow morning he will have sausage and pancakes, with coffee and orange juice. The solid food will be pureed, and the liquids will be thickened to make it easier for him to swallow. It's a bit of great news.

When Dave and Jan got back to Dave's room, he was greeted by his main physical therapist and his case manager. They moved Dave from his chair to sitting on the side of his bed. His case manager told him that she had something very important to ask him. Because he had done so well that morning, and had shown such determination, his therapy team had gone to his case manager to see if he could stay another week. They were in the room to ask Dave if he wanted to stay another week. They feel that he is very close to making a big breakthrough, and want him to have the chance to make it without losing any momentum.

When she asked, Dave's eyes got big and he nodded yes. Jan told him that wasn't good enough, and told him to say it. He said "yes" very clearly. Everyone got so excited. His therapist stood in front of him and said that she wanted him to show everyone how well he can stand up. With her assistance, Dave stood up from his bed, and stood there for a short time.

When this was over, they offered to let his meals start with dinner, but he said he was too tired and would start the solid food with breakfast.

At the family meeting this week, Dave Jr. asked the case manager if there was anything that can be done to get Dave's wheelchair to him quicker. It turns out, my earlier report wasn't quite accurate. The hospital can submit his request right before he leaves. They can take 4 weeks to review and approve it, and then, it can take another 4 weeks to get it delivered. That is two months without the powered chair. Today, they told Jan about an option that can get his chair to him within about a week and Jan is going to take that route.

It's been another wonderful day. I'll keep you posted about Dave's progress this week and his new arrival date.  ¶ 8:27 PM

Preparing to Come Home

This week has been full of activity as Jan and the staff at Miami Valley prepare for Dave to come home. The case manager has been helpful, and the therapists have gone out of their way to make sure that Jan will have the supplies and other resources she needs to support his recovery at home. Michelle helped Jan to inventory the medications that they brought home from DaySpring, and Dave's doctors are looking over the list to see what is still useful.

Dave Jr. has scheduled to spend the first few days with Dave and Jan at home, doing whatever he can to help get things set up. I'm planning to return sometime soon, when my help is most valulable.

On Thursday, Dave will get another swallow test. If you remember, he did well enough to begin having soft foods, and this has allowed his swallow to get stronger through practice. This test will determine if he can resume solid foods for every meal, and if he passes, it would start immediately. Dave would stay on the drip through his stomach tube at night until they determine that he is getting enough nutrition through his solid food. Once that happens, the stomach tube will be history.

Dave was measured today for a powered wheelchair, which will arrive about a month after he gets home. He will come home with a regular wheelchair until this one arrives. Next week, a hospital bed and other equipment will arrive at the house, about three days before Dave is scheduled to arrive home. We are still expecting he will be released on Thursday, March 11th.  ¶ 10:10 PM

DAVE IS COMING HOME!

In the family meeting today, we learned that Dave will be coming home on Thursday, 11 March.

Jan will have a lot to do between now and then, getting things coordinated. Fortunately, the case manager will be helping her to make all of the arrangements.

When I got the call, Dave was sleeping and didn't know the big news. I'll post more when I have more information.  ¶ 5:36 PM

Same Great Progress

I haven't had much to report in the last ten days. Dave continues to make remarkable progress in every kind of therapy. He's getting some extra time because their patient count is a bit low, and the therapists are giving him the extra attention. He's exhausted by the end of the day, and so most evenings Dave Jr. just gets to watch him sleep. Dave Jr. took this picture of them together last week.

One new thing did happen late last week. Dave was wheeled up to the parallel bars, and had some assistance to get up, but stood on his own, supporting himself with the bars, putting his full weight on his feet. This requires more effort on his part that when he stood using the platform. It's a step forward, and a very good sign.

Every Monday, we have a family meeting with the staff and they give us a full report on Dave's progress. Because Jan is with him all day through the therapy sessions, there is usually nothing new we learn at these meetings. However, it does give us a chance to talk with the case manager, and to begin making the transition for bringing Dave home. They have been helpful, giving Jan lots of information about issues and services, and helping her to address them. We are working on getting a ramp designed, approved, and installed for the house, anticipating that Dave will be home soon.

Also, Jan just completed a week of testing, too. They have been testing her to make sure that she can perform specific tasks with Dave, since she will be his primary care giver when he comes home. She's passed with flying colors, of course.

I got to talk with Dave on the phone Saturday afternoon. It was the longest conversation I've had with him over the phone. He used longer sentences and said more of them. His voice is quick scratchy still, but I understood everything he was saying.

Since Dave is still sleeping so much in the evenings, visits during the afternoon are your best chance to see him awake.  ¶ 1:27 AM