Sunday 22nd May update
Dear Friends of Graham,
I went to see Graham yesterday for a short time. He is still in bed due to this pressure sore. They can be real beasts to clear up. Apparently it started with some dry/flaky skin that they put some E45 cream on to clear up. But I guess that backfired as when they took off the covering, the skin had gone mushy and thus was on its way to a sore. So he has been in bed since Monday. Of course, this is quite disappointing to him. Although it means he does not have to wear the collar, it also means he is losing out on both OT and PT and even though they come and move his arms and so forth, it is not the same as being up and doing things for himself. He will lose his strength and have to rebuild it.
I read him a few emails and we have been working on getting some of the arrangements started to get him returned to California. There is a small, dedicated group of you who are working with me and Airasa on this. Of course we don’t want to duplicate any efforts, but sometimes things go astray and then we have to hurry to meet deadlines. I guess I am of the opinion it is better to err on the side of repeating things rather than missing things out by mistake. Thank you to the smaller group working on this important aspect of Graham’s return. To bring everyone up to date (I even forget what I have told you!) we need a rehabilitation facility for Graham to transfer into when he leaves here. He will stay in that up to 8 or so weeks while he is introduced into his own apartment where he will also need care on a very regular (almost hourly) basis. If he can get a 2 bedroom apartment, the carer can live with him and provide help day and night. Some of the help will be paid for by some state program or other (not sure about this exactly). The apartment may be supported through some kind of Housing Program there. It is a question of having the facility and the apartment in place before he can leave here, as the doctors here won’t release him to what they consider an unsafe environment.
Once an apartment is secured there in California, he will need help to move from his current place to the new one. He has plans to downsize quite a lot – he has many books he will have to dispose of in one way or another. He will need plenty of space in which to get around in a wheel chair and thus many of his possessions will probably also have to be relocated. It is unlikely that any of us will be able to travel with him to California, so it will be up to you all to make the necessary plans and carry out the work.
Gale has said he might be able to go to California to help along these lines. He was an absolute star when he was here, helping to do some needed repair work to my house to make it more saleable (once the market picks up and I have viewers I am sure it will sell…). Graham will be transferred to California in some sort of medical plane or with some sort of medical attendees. We don’t know the details of that yet either.
WE have said right along that as long as Graham is making progress here we don’t have to be too anxious to move him to California. However, I am sure that he could make progress there as well, so finding him a new abode and the facility is the crux of the return really. The doctors said once that if he had a place he could visit here, he could go out for the day on a home visit. Once I move to my new flat, it is wheelchair accessible and he may come to visit me. We’ll see. I keep hoping to get the keys to the flat but they keep on being stalled. Eventually it will be mine, though!
Airasa and Ian went walking in the countryside this weekend with friends. I understand it was a 7 mile walk. We do have beautiful places to walk here.
I read Graham a story sent by Rita, a couple of emails and did a medical form with him yesterday. He is rather bored out of his head with being in bed – was watching the football (soccer) final, which is not his thing but was the only thing on TV they found for him. He can’t control the TV when he is in bed. He can’t do anything when he is in bed except wait to be turned every 4 hours.
Please send healing vibes and prayers to get that pressure sore cleared up so he can be up and doing things. He will be so glad to be up again!! At least Marge and Gale saw him up and moving around in his chair while they were here and he only was in bed again the last few days before they left.
Right, not as brief as I promised at the start!!
Take care all, and keep those cards and letters coming – they are the one thing that seems to cheer him up!
Kind regards,
Linda
I went to see Graham yesterday for a short time. He is still in bed due to this pressure sore. They can be real beasts to clear up. Apparently it started with some dry/flaky skin that they put some E45 cream on to clear up. But I guess that backfired as when they took off the covering, the skin had gone mushy and thus was on its way to a sore. So he has been in bed since Monday. Of course, this is quite disappointing to him. Although it means he does not have to wear the collar, it also means he is losing out on both OT and PT and even though they come and move his arms and so forth, it is not the same as being up and doing things for himself. He will lose his strength and have to rebuild it.
I read him a few emails and we have been working on getting some of the arrangements started to get him returned to California. There is a small, dedicated group of you who are working with me and Airasa on this. Of course we don’t want to duplicate any efforts, but sometimes things go astray and then we have to hurry to meet deadlines. I guess I am of the opinion it is better to err on the side of repeating things rather than missing things out by mistake. Thank you to the smaller group working on this important aspect of Graham’s return. To bring everyone up to date (I even forget what I have told you!) we need a rehabilitation facility for Graham to transfer into when he leaves here. He will stay in that up to 8 or so weeks while he is introduced into his own apartment where he will also need care on a very regular (almost hourly) basis. If he can get a 2 bedroom apartment, the carer can live with him and provide help day and night. Some of the help will be paid for by some state program or other (not sure about this exactly). The apartment may be supported through some kind of Housing Program there. It is a question of having the facility and the apartment in place before he can leave here, as the doctors here won’t release him to what they consider an unsafe environment.
Once an apartment is secured there in California, he will need help to move from his current place to the new one. He has plans to downsize quite a lot – he has many books he will have to dispose of in one way or another. He will need plenty of space in which to get around in a wheel chair and thus many of his possessions will probably also have to be relocated. It is unlikely that any of us will be able to travel with him to California, so it will be up to you all to make the necessary plans and carry out the work.
Gale has said he might be able to go to California to help along these lines. He was an absolute star when he was here, helping to do some needed repair work to my house to make it more saleable (once the market picks up and I have viewers I am sure it will sell…). Graham will be transferred to California in some sort of medical plane or with some sort of medical attendees. We don’t know the details of that yet either.
WE have said right along that as long as Graham is making progress here we don’t have to be too anxious to move him to California. However, I am sure that he could make progress there as well, so finding him a new abode and the facility is the crux of the return really. The doctors said once that if he had a place he could visit here, he could go out for the day on a home visit. Once I move to my new flat, it is wheelchair accessible and he may come to visit me. We’ll see. I keep hoping to get the keys to the flat but they keep on being stalled. Eventually it will be mine, though!
Airasa and Ian went walking in the countryside this weekend with friends. I understand it was a 7 mile walk. We do have beautiful places to walk here.
I read Graham a story sent by Rita, a couple of emails and did a medical form with him yesterday. He is rather bored out of his head with being in bed – was watching the football (soccer) final, which is not his thing but was the only thing on TV they found for him. He can’t control the TV when he is in bed. He can’t do anything when he is in bed except wait to be turned every 4 hours.
Please send healing vibes and prayers to get that pressure sore cleared up so he can be up and doing things. He will be so glad to be up again!! At least Marge and Gale saw him up and moving around in his chair while they were here and he only was in bed again the last few days before they left.
Right, not as brief as I promised at the start!!
Take care all, and keep those cards and letters coming – they are the one thing that seems to cheer him up!
Kind regards,
Linda
posted by Cosmic Sunshine at 6:11 PM
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