Derb in the hospital

[KE6DF]

I'd say tell him he can come home as soon as he can get himself back and forth to the bathroom on his own.

That might get him motivated to work harder with the PTs.

My dad, in his late 80's injured himself, and there was talk of sending him to a nursing home.

My mom was a small woman, and no way she sould lift him out of bed.

But, the talk of the nursing home got him motivated, and he had them rig a trapeeze bar thing over his bed so he could pull himself up, and then with a walker he could get back and forth to the john on his own.

He recovered and lived at home another 5 years.

[k4kyv]

Make a video of the transmitter sitting where it is, and tell him you have a "surprise" for him.  Then, saying nothing else, show him the video.

If he has a laptop, why can't he use it at the rehab place, even if there is no internet access? Record and save some stuff off the net and at least he can view it.

I was laid up for about 3 weeks back in December with a severe hip problem, and per doctors orders my mobility was restricted.  Couldn't climb the stairs to where the computer is or hobble out to the shack.  My wife bought me a laptop as an early Xmas gift, and since we already had a wireless connection, that kept me sane after I was thoroughly saturated with reading, watching TV (that didn't take long) and listening to the broadcast radio.

[N3DRB The Derb]

[/quote]

I say tell him.  That whole episode was really a disappointment to him, and I can see having the xmitter there would be a big motivation to get his ass in gear and raise his spirits.  Gives him an even bigger target to shoot for!

Yeah, Johnny, that`s what I`m hoping for, to get him motivated again.


I like the trapeze bar overhead thing as well, maybe that can be an option. I will mention it to his PT people.

Make a video of the transmitter sitting where it is, and tell him you have a "surprise" for him.  Then, saying nothing else, show him the video.

If he has a laptop, why can't he use it at the rehab place, even if there is no internet access? Record and save some stuff off the net and at least he can view it.

I was laid up for about 3 weeks back in December with a severe hip problem, and per doctors orders my mobility was restricted.  Couldn't climb the stairs to where the computer is or hobble out to the shack.  My wife bought me a laptop as an early Xmas gift, and since we already had a wireless connection, that kept me sane after I was thoroughly saturated with reading, watching TV (that didn't take long) and listening to the broadcast radio.

We don`t have a laptop, Don, believe it or not.  Tim has always declared we had no need for such a thing (just like he once swore we had no need for one of those modern new-fangled cellular telephones, lol) so we never bought one. I can`t tell you how many times it would have come in handy, though, and now he is probably regretting that decision.

[ka3zlr]

It's just No Fun without him man...I say Dog Pile on the Derb we should drive down an pay Him an AM style visit... Everybody act like we're gona pile up on him an watch his face..LOL

Can we call him on the twisted pair..?

73

Jack.

[The Slab Bacon]

I say tell him.  That whole episode was really a disappointment to him, and I can see having the xmitter there would be a big motivation to get his ass in gear and raise his spirits.  Gives him an even bigger target to shoot for!

Glo,
      Let me know when he comes home and is up for some company. Situations have changed somewhat around here freeing up more of my time, and I'm no longet tethered to this house. I will come up there and get it set up and running for him!!

                                                                                                  frank

[K5UJ]

These are hard lessons.  It's easy to teach someone how a transmitter works but it is a lot harder to learn how to deal with tragedy.  There is no class we can sign up for, so the only way we can learn is by getting through something ourselves.  That means everyone has different experiences and knowledge.  

I perform volunteer work at a nursing home and have had some experience with them over the years in caring for my parents.  There are good ones and bad ones.  I've seen ones where I wouldn't mind living in them myself and I've seen ones where I'd about prefer someone shoot me instead of putting me in them.   Long term care is a ticking bomb in this country because the industry needs some changes; it isn't getting funded well, but the number of people needing it is going to explode in growth in the next 30 years.   Everyone wants to think they'll avoid going to a nursing home but do yourselves a favor and get a LTC insurance policy, especially if you have children.  

I've had hard times but not like Derb.  Only advice I can give is he should take things one day at a time and not rush his recovery.   He shouldn't go home until he is truly capable of continuing his rehab at home, otherwise he might wind up back in the care center.   That is the hardest thing because it takes a hell of a lot of patience.  The human body isn't always this speedy thing so some healing is slow and hurrying it can do harm.  If he's about to leave show him the rig but if he's looking at being in there another month or two showing it to him now may just frustrate him and piss him off, but you know him better than me.

BTW if you get him a computer he's probly gg to see all this anyway so the decision becomes a moot point.

This is a hard thing to hang on you but my experience has been the best thing for care center residents is frequent visits from family.  I mean once or twice a day if possible.  That frequent.  And, bring food.   The biggest single indicator of care center quality is the quality of the food served.  (Always eat a meal when evaluating a place.)  It varies from being really good in the best places to being almost inedible in the bad ones, but it is impossible for everyone to get all of the special things they like.  That's where family come in.  I can't tell you how many elderly are abandoned by children who can't deal with going to the nursing home (a.k.a. long term care center) and fool themselves into believing the staff can provide all the care.  That's total b.s.   Staff are stretched very thinly and can only provide medical and physical care; not emotional care and love.  Those last two are the most important and have to come from family.   While Derb isn't elderly, he probably likes to eat some foods they don't provide.  Also, if staff see you frequently (I hate to admit this) they will change their care level--yes, if you show up often they notice and step up their attentiveness because they are human like everyone else and are influenced to some extent by your actions.  

Sorry for the buzzard transmission but I hope some of this helps  

Rob

[K5WLF]

Glo,

I vote to tell him. He's had a pile of bad things happen and it's easy to see how he could get despondent and disheartened. Letting him know that 'Ray' is there could be just what it takes to get him back to his usual smilin' self.

Always remember that my thoughts and prayers are with both of you.

All the best,
Larry
K5WLF
 

[David, K3TUE]

Glo,
      Let me know when he comes home and is up for some company. Situations have changed somewhat around here freeing up more of my time, and I'm no longet tethered to this house. I will come up there and get it set up and running for him!!

                                                                                                  frank

Frank,
If you need a hand, let me know.
I might be off/free/able to help.

[KB2WIG]

I think Jack's got the best idea

....  INTERVENTION ....

pile on and often.  Being stuck in bed without any visitors is gots to be the pits. (family can't be there all the time, and different peps keep things from becoming stale)

 Don't tell him. Keeping the transmitter as a carrot for his return home may be helpfull. Something like 'the transmitter is coming and you have to be there by ___ "

FWIW,
KLC

[W1IA]

Glo,
Keep the faith and please let him know he is missed and loved.
I wish I were closer as I understand what he is going through. I pray for you and wish the best.

Brent W1IA

[N3DRB The Derb]

I got a call from Tim`s rehab home at 3 a.m. telling me they had called an ambulance for him and he had gone to the local hospital after complaining of a terrible headache and pressure on the right side of his head. He was then transferred to City Hospital in Martinsburg so they could do a CT scan of his head, and there they determined that he appears to have some fluid on his brain and his cancer appears to have returned. Mind you, this is the same hospital that told Tim his cancer had returned in April, and resulted in the trip to Roanoke where he fell and broke his leg and was told by the docs down there that he does NOT have regrowth and that his cancer is in remission. Something is obviously wrong with him, but I don`t trust them to diagnose him properly. Then they tell me that they are in the process of trying to get him shipped out to Georgetown University Hospital again, a place that Tim despises. So I spoke with the doc at City, and asked that he be transferred back down to Roanoke, and that`s what they did. He should have just gotten there in the last hour or so. I will be heading down either today or tomorrow morning, and I will find out more then.

I also want everyone to know I told him about Uncle Ray this morning. No fanfare, didn`t get to record anything, just wanted to let him know in case things took a turn for the worse and he might not be in any shape to hear it later. I just wanted him to know it was here and that everyone wanted to surprise him with it, but I felt he needed a pick-me-up, so I was telling him now. And let me tell you, his eyes got wide, and he definitely perked up at that news!!!! He was pretty much speechless, and any of you who know Tim at all know how rare that is!!!! LOL
He said his morale just got lifted to  a new level hearing that, and that`s what I was hoping for. He said he can`t wait to get back home to see it and use it, so I`m keeping my fingers crossed that day comes sooner rather than later...

On a really nasty side note, my neighbor from across the street just came over and told me that our local vet has just today gotten another case of what appears to be intentional poisoning (the third one now) from our neighborhood, and she is warning everyone to be on the lookout. These are all animals that are kept in their own fenced in backyards, not roaming on anyone else`s property. For some time now there has been suspicion that someone here has been shooting cats with a pellet gun, as several of those have shown up at the vet`s as well. Just what I need to hear right before I go out of town for a few days.  They are going to try and offer a reward for info leading to arrest of the person doing it, but I will be amazed if anything comes of it.

I`ll let you all know what I find out about Tim.

Glo

[K5UJ]

Sounds like the news had the desired positive effect--excellent 

I sure wish there were a way to get him to a hospital that's really good:  Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering in NY or Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.   Those are some of the best cancer hospitals in the country.

[flintstone mop]

I'm following this thread from our HOT vacation spot in the Philippines. And wondering what the heck is going on with TIM?? This continual roller-coaster event.
Does the poor guy have a return of cancer or not?? WOW, I would be pretty low myself.

Hopefully there is a good side to this.

Fred

[WA3VJB]

And let me tell you, his eyes got wide, and he definitely perked up at that news!!!! He was pretty much speechless, and any of you who know Tim at all know how rare that is!!!! LOL

Keep us posted, Glo, good and bad.

Sorry to hear he doesn't like GW Hospital -- they've taken care of some VIPs, including the recent cardiac-related visit by former VP Cheney, and earlier with a brain mass that caused some problems for Sen. Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota).

[Opcom]

cat shooters? I got only one thing for 'em and it costs about 50 cents.

[KB2WIG]

G,
Tell the DERB to stay positive.


P,

  " cat shooters? I got only one thing for 'em and it costs about 50 cents. "

Try reloading ...... a lot cheeper.


Rob's posting r/e nursing home care is dead on.

My wife went to see her mother at least 6 out of every 7 days. It got to a point that visitors to her mothers ward thought that she worked there.


klc

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Yea, cat shooters suck. But if you don't let your cats roam the neighborhood, you can be sure they won't get shot.

[k4kyv]

How are you going to keep cats from roaming, unless you keep them locked in cages?  It would be about like trying to herd them. Cats don't follow orders the way dogs do, but they sure smell better, and require a lot less maintenance.

[K1JJ]

Hope your spirits are lifted with the new rig waiting, Derb.  Get well soon, OM.



BTW, Yaz always smells like a bed of sweet petunias - especially after he's been rolling in the low-tide mud at the CT River...

But, seriously, if you let dogs swim in a clean lake or give them a bath every so often, they are pretty clean -especially since they don't sweat like pigs, horses or us.

T

[ka3zlr]

Well...what about horses..?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUtwNtE1NBA&NR=1

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Don't let them out of the house. Millions of people do it successfully every day.

How are you going to keep cats from roaming, unless you keep them locked in cages?  It would be about like trying to herd them. Cats don't follow orders the way dogs do, but they sure smell better, and require a lot less maintenance.

[Ed-VA3ES]

What news of Derb?   

[k4kyv]

I am hoping that no news is good news.

[KE5YTV]

Can anyone please give an update ?

[WA3VJB]

True.
Ours turned 18 this Spring, and has been out of the house twice (from brief escapes in her youth).

Don't let them out of the house. Millions of people do it successfully every day.

How are you going to keep cats from roaming, unless you keep them locked in cages?  It would be about like trying to herd them. Cats don't follow orders the way dogs do, but they sure smell better, and require a lot less maintenance.