Harry had to fly back to Chicago this afternoon, so he spent most of the day with Burt. This was handy since David had to take Gregory for his second driving exam. Gregory passed his first driving exam six years ago but let his license lapse while he was in Australia. Round two was a bit of a non-starter as Gregory did not realize he had to bring his pre-licensing certificate. We can think of no bloggable words for the woman administering the test, but if we have to cobble together a description, she was a heartless bureaucrat who had replaced compassion with Twinkies long ago.
The Brother's Stern arrived very late in the afternoon to spend an hour keeping their dad awake and getting the recap of the day. Burt had three one-hour sessions of rehab with a variety of the PT and OT staff. For those not in the 'know,' PT stands for physical therapy and OT is occupational therapy. The third kind of therapy he is receiving is speech therapy.
Burt is apparently getting slightly stronger everyday. He cannot tell that he is, but the PT and OT folks swear it. Burt's stomach muscles were sore today which the doctor's think is because of all the injections he has been receiving in the area. As Burt says, "my stomach feels like a pin cushion." To help with the muscular discomfort, the nurses gave him a device called an Atomizer, which allowed Burt to spray a mist of Tylenol into his mouth.
Burt had a mild fever today and his oxygen level was a bit low. The doctor's gave him a chest cat scan, which ruled out most of their worries but revealed that he had atelectasis. This is basically where parts of lungs shrink because of underuse. This can happen when someone has been lying in bed for prolonged periods. To help the condition, they gave Burt one of those nifty contraptions where you must inhale through a tube and try and keep a little ball up. Burt was not doing well at first, but he is almost at level 2, he just has to defeat the big boss.
The weekend is a bit lighter rehab wise, so hopefully he will have some more energy to enjoy his family's company. If the weather is nice, Burt will be packed up in a wheelchair and the Stern Family, in its entirety, will go for a little stroll in the courtyard to give the man his first breath of fresh air in 16 days.
Hello Burt et al,
ReplyDeleteThe blog is terrific and makes us all feel that we’re right there with Burt. Hopefully he knows that we’re there too.
It’s comforting to hear that Greg and David are on the case. Soon you’ll all be sitting in your screened in porch philosophizing about the influence of a double helix nova on the rising time of Connie’s brownies.
Burt, to assure you that I am still following your tutelage I offer the following:
When Master Po asked Grasshopper what he hears, Caine answered “I hear the grasshopper” but I have learned better from you Burt…I hear the Hummingbird Chorus!
Best to Connie,
Robert & Anne Louise