It has been 6 months since my Labor Day event when they carried me down the strairs and took me to the hospital. As I mentioned before, I do not remember any of that day or the month of September. I have been going to therapy in Ann Arbor since November and should be finished next week. I will still go to cardiac therapy for another month where I am monitored while on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical. I recently took a 2 hour lab and 1 hour drive evaluation and passed, so now I can drive again. Even after so long a time driving for the first time seemed normal. I wore my hiking boots so that I could feel the break. I really cannot feel the accelerator but watch the speedometer to check speed.
I would like to thank everyone for their support during this "interesting time" in my life and hope this never happens to you.
I will not be going back to work and will be retiring from Visteon/Ford Motor Company next month. I really liked the door panel engineering group that I have been a part of for the last 3 years. It was very interesting as well as challenging. Melody and I will eventually move to Sarasota, Fl where we have a house. For now we will continue to live in downtown Northville (116 High St) and welcome any visitors or phone calls (248-505-0772). I should be stopping in the office in a few weeks to say good bye to everyone. We hope the blog was useful and a way we could keep everyone aware of the news. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.............they worked pretty good.
Dave
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
TGIF
It is Friday and we are ready for the weekend. I finished my 3 sessions of therapy in Ann Arbor and came home and had a glass of wine. Therapy is like work only worse. Work is fun and therapy is work. We are hoping to cut down our trips to Ann Arbor in 2 weeks to only 2 days insteady of 4. Melody is still doing all the driving but I will be tested soon to see if my eyesight is up to it, especially seeing to the right. With winter boots on I can feel my foot much better and should be able to handle the accelerator and break. We will see.
We have not had a break in a number of months so may take a week and find some warm weather. I know the therapists wont like that. They hatefor me to miss any time. I got a call today from a friend from the Plastics Society that I belong to and went to lunch with a neighbor for the first time. Things like that break the routine of therapy. We hope to get back to Grand Haven area so we can visit our nurses in Muskegon. They really mean a lot to me.
I hope each of you has a great weekend and keep in touch.
Dave
248-505-7277 or 248-505-0772
We have not had a break in a number of months so may take a week and find some warm weather. I know the therapists wont like that. They hatefor me to miss any time. I got a call today from a friend from the Plastics Society that I belong to and went to lunch with a neighbor for the first time. Things like that break the routine of therapy. We hope to get back to Grand Haven area so we can visit our nurses in Muskegon. They really mean a lot to me.
I hope each of you has a great weekend and keep in touch.
Dave
248-505-7277 or 248-505-0772
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Morning After
Its the day after Christmas and somehow our family always feels a little more like we have it together than we do on Christmas Day...not that it wasn't special, Brian and Sarah were both with us and we had spent a wonderful day on Sunday with my parents and Brothers in Midland, MI...I think that everyone takes strength and hope from seeing Dave...he is such a miracle in person and a walking talking example of God's loving response to all of our prayers.
Brian flew back to Minneapolis tonight and Sarah has gone out with friends. Dave and I are watching Central Michigan vs Purdue at the Motor City Bowl...its not going well for CMU.
Dave walked down to the grocery store today...I guess he just wanted to do it. I would imagine that it is a half of a mile. He seemed down when he returned ...he said that he had to stop twice to rest his legs. It doesn't seem to be his heart and lungs that struggle, but his legs.
We hope to drive over to Grand Haven this weekend, snuggle up in our cottage and get a change of scene...I think that we both need it, also we want to visit the Drs and Nurses at the hospital in Muskegon.
Dave will be starting rehab again on Jan. 3rd, and will also begin cardiac rehabilitation. That means probably 4 days a week in Ann Arbor. I would like to get away for some sunshine but that may have to wait until the end of Feb, at least.
I have only gotten through the A's and B's as far as getting out holiday cards...maybe by New Years Day !!! I Will get there!! Until then, know that we miss you all, wish you the best and can't wait to talk to you.
Love, Melody and DAve
Brian flew back to Minneapolis tonight and Sarah has gone out with friends. Dave and I are watching Central Michigan vs Purdue at the Motor City Bowl...its not going well for CMU.
Dave walked down to the grocery store today...I guess he just wanted to do it. I would imagine that it is a half of a mile. He seemed down when he returned ...he said that he had to stop twice to rest his legs. It doesn't seem to be his heart and lungs that struggle, but his legs.
We hope to drive over to Grand Haven this weekend, snuggle up in our cottage and get a change of scene...I think that we both need it, also we want to visit the Drs and Nurses at the hospital in Muskegon.
Dave will be starting rehab again on Jan. 3rd, and will also begin cardiac rehabilitation. That means probably 4 days a week in Ann Arbor. I would like to get away for some sunshine but that may have to wait until the end of Feb, at least.
I have only gotten through the A's and B's as far as getting out holiday cards...maybe by New Years Day !!! I Will get there!! Until then, know that we miss you all, wish you the best and can't wait to talk to you.
Love, Melody and DAve
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Its late Sat. nite and Dave has gone to bed...I'm still awake, trying to update the blog so that I can put your minds at rest regarding Dave's progress.
My post from the 1st evidently hit a nerve with many friends reading it...sometimes I am not aware of the frame of mind that I am in when I am writing and it comes out in the paragraphs that I compose. The last posting must have seemed very negative as I received concerned calls and emails.
I was definitely concerned about Dave's attitude and also his general behavior, so I approached his doctor and his rehab therapists regarding it. I was hesitant to bring it up, wondering if I was over-analyzing his behavior and reading too much into things that I thought were indications of a step backwards. As it turned out, it was a good thing to do, although I was nervous that Dave would see it as a lack of confidence in his progress. It would seem that the couple of difficult weeks were directly related to the medication that Dave was trying for muscle spasms at night - a medication that was short-lived and was replaced two weeks later with a more successful choice. After meeting with Dave's Dr., he believes that Dave had a reaction to the medication, causing him to have more difficulty with cognitive function, combined with poor sleep, he believes that this was the problem and that it has already cleared up with the new meds.
Another positive result of bringing this to the therapists attention, is that they have made a point of expressing just how much progress Dave has already made in the initial 5 weeks or so of rehab in Ann Arbor.
I am not saying that Dave is not still frustrated, but he is better able to deal with it and I am not fearful that something is wrong.
We meet with a neurologist and Dave's cardiologist this week - two important meetings, our first with the neurologist and it has been two months since our initial consultation with the cardiologist.
I managed to fire myself up for cleaning house this am and feel much better for it. Although we are home alot, oddly enough, its tough to get anything done. I keep thinking that I will do some holiday decorating...I just can't seem to get there.
Tonite, I did go outside after dark and put white lites on the two little alberta spruces near the porch. I also dragged out a sled that I found at a garage sale this summer...on the back it has the name "TOM" carved into the wood, and its well used...now its decked out in greens and a red bow, as well as a "seasons greetings" sign that Brian made in Boy Scouts in 1990. He should get a kick out of that when he sees it, and somehow I think that the sled is proud to be a symbol of winters past.
I know that you are all thinking of Dave and I ...we miss you and pray for you to have the most wonderful of holidays. Feel free to call Dave, he loves to chat with friends on the phone and misses you all.
Love...Mel
My post from the 1st evidently hit a nerve with many friends reading it...sometimes I am not aware of the frame of mind that I am in when I am writing and it comes out in the paragraphs that I compose. The last posting must have seemed very negative as I received concerned calls and emails.
I was definitely concerned about Dave's attitude and also his general behavior, so I approached his doctor and his rehab therapists regarding it. I was hesitant to bring it up, wondering if I was over-analyzing his behavior and reading too much into things that I thought were indications of a step backwards. As it turned out, it was a good thing to do, although I was nervous that Dave would see it as a lack of confidence in his progress. It would seem that the couple of difficult weeks were directly related to the medication that Dave was trying for muscle spasms at night - a medication that was short-lived and was replaced two weeks later with a more successful choice. After meeting with Dave's Dr., he believes that Dave had a reaction to the medication, causing him to have more difficulty with cognitive function, combined with poor sleep, he believes that this was the problem and that it has already cleared up with the new meds.
Another positive result of bringing this to the therapists attention, is that they have made a point of expressing just how much progress Dave has already made in the initial 5 weeks or so of rehab in Ann Arbor.
I am not saying that Dave is not still frustrated, but he is better able to deal with it and I am not fearful that something is wrong.
We meet with a neurologist and Dave's cardiologist this week - two important meetings, our first with the neurologist and it has been two months since our initial consultation with the cardiologist.
I managed to fire myself up for cleaning house this am and feel much better for it. Although we are home alot, oddly enough, its tough to get anything done. I keep thinking that I will do some holiday decorating...I just can't seem to get there.
Tonite, I did go outside after dark and put white lites on the two little alberta spruces near the porch. I also dragged out a sled that I found at a garage sale this summer...on the back it has the name "TOM" carved into the wood, and its well used...now its decked out in greens and a red bow, as well as a "seasons greetings" sign that Brian made in Boy Scouts in 1990. He should get a kick out of that when he sees it, and somehow I think that the sled is proud to be a symbol of winters past.
I know that you are all thinking of Dave and I ...we miss you and pray for you to have the most wonderful of holidays. Feel free to call Dave, he loves to chat with friends on the phone and misses you all.
Love...Mel
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Frustration Reigns
I woke up early this morning - 4:30, and decided to catch up on some correspondence.Last I wrote was before Thanksgiving and here we are, a couple of weeks later and Dave is having a tough time dealing with lack of progress...he is very frustrated and I know that the reality of all that he has to deal with has set in...no more upbeat, happy Dave - angry, irritable and tired Dave is ruling now.
In public he is able to keep up the charade, but at home everything that he either shouldn't do or can't do is maddening.
I know that I have not maintained my status as "Supremely Angelic Caregiver" either, as I lose patience and grow tired of Dave's attitude. I have become impatient where I was formerly patient, and two irritable individuals in one household is one too many!
It was great having Sarah and Brian home for Thanksgiving, even if Brian did end up in the hospital having his appendix out! Yup, can you believe it...I believe it was a ploy to avoid doing all of the odd jobs that I had lined up for him! What that kid will do to get out of work!
Thank goodness for Sarah - she more or less orchestrated Thanksgiving dinner, which we had the day after Thanksgiving, due to Bri being in the hospital. We also had a mom-daughter afternoon at the mall together which was awesome, while the guys did the usual - watch sports.
Jessie is wonderful, although she has a real propensity for chewing anything that she can get her teeth on - including grass, dirt, paper, shoes, etc....fortunately, we have kept a close eye on her and she hasn't done any major damage
She does provide us with a big dose of smiles and love every day - the best medicine that we ould ask for.
Anyhow, there we are. We do what we can, and for now, that has to be enough. Perhaps today will bring improvement...I know that it is hard for Dave to put up with lack of sensation in his right foot and hand, difficulty sleeping due to leg spasms, a blood clot that prevents him from serious cardio rehab, a recent huge hematoma and bruise that hurt one arm, and a sore shoulder that gives him pain in the other,he feels that he is going backward instead of forward, especially after making such great progress so quickly in the first two months or so. He also deals with poor memory, poor reading speed, and frustration with tasks like email that took him no time at all before his injury.
He is very tired of my telling him to get down off a stool, stop using power tools, use his cane to walk outside, and above all, he is sick of my being his chauffeur - not sure if its due to my driving skills or his need for independence.
Anyhow, enuf said...today is another day and I need another cup of coffee before I take Jessie outside again. Love to all - please feel free to email me at melodyarndt@gmail.com -your blog responses don't give me email addresses, or call us 248-505-7277
In public he is able to keep up the charade, but at home everything that he either shouldn't do or can't do is maddening.
I know that I have not maintained my status as "Supremely Angelic Caregiver" either, as I lose patience and grow tired of Dave's attitude. I have become impatient where I was formerly patient, and two irritable individuals in one household is one too many!
It was great having Sarah and Brian home for Thanksgiving, even if Brian did end up in the hospital having his appendix out! Yup, can you believe it...I believe it was a ploy to avoid doing all of the odd jobs that I had lined up for him! What that kid will do to get out of work!
Thank goodness for Sarah - she more or less orchestrated Thanksgiving dinner, which we had the day after Thanksgiving, due to Bri being in the hospital. We also had a mom-daughter afternoon at the mall together which was awesome, while the guys did the usual - watch sports.
Jessie is wonderful, although she has a real propensity for chewing anything that she can get her teeth on - including grass, dirt, paper, shoes, etc....fortunately, we have kept a close eye on her and she hasn't done any major damage
She does provide us with a big dose of smiles and love every day - the best medicine that we ould ask for.
Anyhow, there we are. We do what we can, and for now, that has to be enough. Perhaps today will bring improvement...I know that it is hard for Dave to put up with lack of sensation in his right foot and hand, difficulty sleeping due to leg spasms, a blood clot that prevents him from serious cardio rehab, a recent huge hematoma and bruise that hurt one arm, and a sore shoulder that gives him pain in the other,he feels that he is going backward instead of forward, especially after making such great progress so quickly in the first two months or so. He also deals with poor memory, poor reading speed, and frustration with tasks like email that took him no time at all before his injury.
He is very tired of my telling him to get down off a stool, stop using power tools, use his cane to walk outside, and above all, he is sick of my being his chauffeur - not sure if its due to my driving skills or his need for independence.
Anyhow, enuf said...today is another day and I need another cup of coffee before I take Jessie outside again. Love to all - please feel free to email me at melodyarndt@gmail.com -your blog responses don't give me email addresses, or call us 248-505-7277
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Another little setback
No cardiac rehab for now...the pain that Dave has had in his calf for almost a month turned out to be a blood clot. Fortunately, it was caught before he started working out, although he had a stress test done the morning before the blood clot was confirmed....it was actually Dave's physical therapist - Andy - who caught it and said that something wasn't right with this pain not clearing up. Sure enough, there it was in ultrasound...thank God again for no disasters while having the stress test.
Dave has been a little downhearted since then. He really wanted to crank things up and start getting his heartrate up, but not for now. I honestly don't know how long they will want him to wait. In the meantime, he is frustrated by spasms that he has in his "sleepy" leg at night. They pop up about every 2-3 minutes, like clockwork, and his leg zaps. AFter several sleepless nights, he is taking an anti'seizure drug and that seems to do the trick.
We got a call back today with the results of Dave's echocardiogam which was done in conjunction with the stress test. It appears that Dave's ejection fraction has not improved as of yet.
It is nice that we have this week off from therapy every day. We are looking forward to Brian arriving tonite from MN , and Sarah driving in from Chicago tomorrow. They are both excited about seeing Jessie! Who could resist her!!
We had hoped to drive out to Grand Haven this weekend and say hello to all of our "second family" nurses, doctors and friends. It looks like due to the bloodclot we will delay this a bit. CAn't wait to see everyone!!
Dave has been a little downhearted since then. He really wanted to crank things up and start getting his heartrate up, but not for now. I honestly don't know how long they will want him to wait. In the meantime, he is frustrated by spasms that he has in his "sleepy" leg at night. They pop up about every 2-3 minutes, like clockwork, and his leg zaps. AFter several sleepless nights, he is taking an anti'seizure drug and that seems to do the trick.
We got a call back today with the results of Dave's echocardiogam which was done in conjunction with the stress test. It appears that Dave's ejection fraction has not improved as of yet.
It is nice that we have this week off from therapy every day. We are looking forward to Brian arriving tonite from MN , and Sarah driving in from Chicago tomorrow. They are both excited about seeing Jessie! Who could resist her!!
We had hoped to drive out to Grand Haven this weekend and say hello to all of our "second family" nurses, doctors and friends. It looks like due to the bloodclot we will delay this a bit. CAn't wait to see everyone!!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Pet therapy!!
After a busy week of physical therapy, Dave and I stopped at the humane society on the way home and fell in love with a stray , three month old chesapeake bay retriever/labrador retriever mix. We didn't plan on it, but we had hoped to eventually find a replacement for Mickey, our beloved terrier mix who was also a humane society adoptee. Mickey passed away this past spring.
So, we were able to adopt "Jessie" our sweet baby...and she is absolutely wonderful. The plan is that Jessie will be Dave's dog. For now, I am the person responsible for most potty training, etc., but she has been very cooperative and is getting the idea fast. She doesn't mind her crate but isn't anxious to walk into it without a push...she was neutered by the vet at the humane society and got her shots, so she is off to a good start...its hard to believe that anyone could let this gorgeous loving animal out of their sight long enough to lose her.
Dave was lying on the couch tonite after I took Jessie for a walk. When I let her in the house, she found him and jumped up on his chest an laid down for a snuggle. She is big on snuggling.
Next week, wow, I guess thats tomorrow!, Dave will be getting started with cardiac therapy, working out on equipment while being monitored as to his heart status. This makes me feel safe about his exercizing.
We will also be having an updated with the other therapists as to any limitations Dave might currently have and how we may approach repairing any damage.
All we know is that we are happy with the progress that Dave has made so far. We will just pray that he can continue to improve...it would be wonderful if he could get the full use of his right hand and right foot so that he could walk more easily, although he does okay without feeling everything fully.
Hope that you all are well , love, Dave, Melody, and Jessie!
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