Update on Bob and I

[Guest guest]

Well it has been an exhausting 10 days since my husband Bob came home

from the rehab center after having hip replacement surgery Jan. 9th

for a broken right hip. He was so extremely tired the first week that

he was trying to eat with his eyes closed. My sil is here to help

temporarily. The second night Bob was unable to stand up to transfer

into his bed even though I had the wheelchair right next to it. My

sil and I ended up calling 911 and three strong paramedics came and

lifted him into bed. I have to observe him carefully all day to be

able to tell if he is getting too tired or we might have to call the

paramedics again to transfer him. He is not doing much of anything,

just sitting in his lift recliner all day dozing. Physical therapy

was here once last week, then they had a change of personnnel so a new

one is coming on Thursday and Friday morning this week. The

Occupational therapist has been here twice now. All she wants to do

it talk at me and tell me things I already know from being an LPN

about body mechanics and how to lift properly and talking to me about

mourning the " loss of our future " . Tell me about it, I am fully aware

of the things she wants to talk about. I told her so and asked her

what she was going to do with Bob? Then she finally began to do some

arm excercises with him and had him stand up and sit down 3 times with

the walker. He needs constant repeat verbal cueing and even then it

is difficult for him to use the walker. Most often he grabs it down

low somewhere and won't let go of it to reach back for the arms of the

chair to sit down. He tends to lean either too far back or bends his

knees and waist forward and gives up trying to walk with the walker

when he is tired. I would not have survived these last days without

the help of my sil here. I do have an aid who comes once a week to

shower Bob, last week she started back to work and she just did a

sponge bath when she saw how weak he is. He was doing better at the

rehab center. Showing some small signs of improved strength the last

3 days as was able to walk to bed from the living room with the walker

and assist of two. I started giving him vitamins, iron and calcium.

They had him on iron at the rehab center post op for anemia from blood

loss during surgery, but they stopped giving him iron after his blood

level tested back at normal a couple weeks ago. I have started the

over the counter iron now at home in hopes it will help him get

stronger. He has a follow up appointment with his pcp the 15th and I

will ask for his hemoglobin and hematocrit and other blood tests at

that time. Do not know whay he is so very tired all the time. My sil

will need to go home to do her taxes and her husband is all ready

asking how much longer she is going to stay here. So please pray that

things will improve to where I can handle Bob alone. I did get a used

hospital bed and a hoyer lift for him. I need to learn how to use the

hoyer and sling, the medical equipment company just showed me how to

raise and lower it, but said they could not demonstrate how to lift

someone with it due to liability issues. So I have a lift I don't

know how to safely hook up and operate. Well, I am out of breath and

time for now. Please pray for Bob and I.

Thanks for being here,

Pat M.

58 Wife/caregiver of Bob 75, dx PD 2003, LBD 2009