Seth-n-Jode's Adventures

Put one down for David today!  Dr. Ripley went to bat against Goliath and convinced them to allow Seth to stay in inpatient rehab until 8/29 and then we get to come home!  So we will now for sure be home either 8/29 or 8/30.  Finally to have a set plan!  Hooray!

Dr. Ripley is really an amazing doctor.  We met a cast of 100's over this ordeal and he is by far the most attentive and detailed.  Plus he is human. (By way of contrast, there is one doctor at Denver Health that I nicknamed "Dr. Death" for his horrid bedside manner). Dr. Ripley, on the other hand, really cares and it shows.  And he lets us ask our hundreds of questions, answers what he can and says when he doesn't know but will find out.  And he laughs at Seth's jokes!  Seth and I both respect him immensely. 

Seth had his vision assessment today.  He still has been complaining that in sunny environments, the words aren't as sharp as they should be.  But he can read a book or newspaper or sign just fine in more quiet light.  First off, one huge relief is the eye doc said there is no structural damage to his eyes.  He has 20/25 vision both near and far.  And he said that the contrast issue has been documented in people who have had PRK (which Seth had about 15 years ago to correct his vision) and then hit their head.  He said it will heal over time and in the meantime, they are going to give him some tinted reading glasses to use which should resolve the problem.   Huge sigh and one worry that just slipped off my shoulder.

We also met with Seth's neuropsychologist who has been running a series of tests on him in regard to advanced cognition and problem solving.  Seth has been scoring at or above average on the majority of the tests which is great news.

This neuropsychologist did say as did Dr. Ripley that it is imperative that Seth not hit is head again for at least a year to avoid reinjuring himself.  So once he's back on both his feet, I figure we'll do more hiking, snowshoeing, and cross country nordic skiing this year just to make sure he doesn't konk his head again.  Although if its an epic powder day, I'll head up with Patti to make the first lift (we'll be lift groupies) and then hook up with Seth in the afternoon to snowshoe.  The saying in Durango is that there are no friends on a powder day which I've seen first hand to be true!

The photographer for today's picture is Darren.  He needed a bike model for one of Erinn's magazine articles and so they chose Seth.  But they had to completely reoutfit him so that the picture would get published.  You see, Seth isn't very image conscious.  At the time of this photo, he was sporting a baby blue Fisher mountain bike that he picked up at a bargain basement price for obvious reasons and he always wears these red, white and blue leggings that came from a thrift store that looked straight out of a 70's film.  That just wouldn't do!  So here he is looking pretty spiffy, if I do say so myself, on a Turner mountain bike with stylish pants and backpack.  The picture kind of reminded me of David running between Goliath's legs and in a very stylish manner!  If you look closely, you might see the rock and the slingshot!

WE ARE HEADED HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  finally......10 more days of good acute rehab which was the plan to get us to The Plan!

Hello All!  Seth is pretty much getting around on his crutches now and not going in his wheelchair so much.  He walks from his room to the lunchroom to the therapy room to my apartment.  His right ankle will swell a bit if he's on it too much but he really seems to be gaining noticeable strength by the day.  The doc is writing a prescription for a wheelchair if we think Seth will need it in Durango but we aren't sure he'll need it.

Also Seth's left hand and arm are getting stronger by the day.   He was cutting up some of his dinner tonight and remarked "Hey, I'm using my left hand just like normal.  Wow!".  It was really great to see.

No new news on our status or discharge date which seems to always be in flux and is almost certain to be sooner than August 29th at this point.  I think the insurance company has a special program to distress spouses and hurt patients by keeping them in limbo.  They must practice this a lot because they are really good at it.

We did inform Dr. Ripley and our social worker that we were definitely going home and would not do outpatient at Craig (which would mean staying in Denver for another month and doing therapy for only three hours per day for only three days per week).  We thought this was just too light of a schedule to justify staying in Denver.  I really waiver on this decision because I will always do what's right for Seth.  But I believe that what is right is for us to come home when they discharge us from the inpatient program which has a comprehensive and intensive daily rehab program.  We'll make our own intense rehab program with the resources in Durango.  I know we can.  I'm not expecting that any one person is going to heal us.  There is no magic bullet with this kind of recovery.  We'll set up a therapy plan that we will work on every single day for much of the day.   This is our primary focus in order to get us both back to 100%!  And I think we'll pick up quite a bit of emotional strength just being home.  So that's my justification.  Maybe I'm wrong (and I always tend to second guess myself on huge decisions like this) but its the decision we've jointly made for what we think is best for the next leg of this journey.

So you ask, why the title?  Why the picture?  Well I'll tell you!  Seth's OT has him doing wax on and wax off just like the Karate Kid.  He has to clean all of the mats once a day by spraying on the cleaner and then using both his right and left arms to clean the mats in a circular motion which helps his shoulder range of motion. And helps out the cleaning staff!   Hopefully, he will graduate to doing some karate kicks before they let us loose!  In any event, Seth and Eric don't look like they have their black belts yet in this photo!

We had a really nice weekend.  I suppose my favorite part was visiting the Botanical Gardens.    I've now decided that we have to redo all of our landscaping to have reflecting pools and lillies, japanese gardens, and streams.  We'll have to build this big bubbly greenhouse too where I can grow tropical plants and veggies all year round.  Seth doesn't know this yet.  Shhhh... Don't tell him!

Seriously though.  It was so peaceful there.  It rained all day on Saturday and we visited the gardens on Sunday with my high school friend, Ingrid.  The landscape was freshly washed and all the plants were singing.  It was music to my ears.

Much different from our experience on Saturday at the Denver Science and Natural History museum.  It rained all day.  We went there about 1:30 and it was a complete zoo.  Not a parking spot to be had within miles, kids running around, people everywhere.  I guess we should have known better.  Although we did watch the Earnest Shackleton movie on the IMAX theater there and it was just as impressive in film as in his book.  Shackleton tried to make the first crossing of the Antartic by dogsleg back in the early 1900's.  Unfortunately his ship was caught in the pack ice and was eventually crushed.  His sole goal became to get all of his men back alive.  They endured incredible cold, malnutrition, and suffering.  But ultimately, Shackleton was able to rescue every single one of his men after nearly two years from when the journey started out.  This story gave me shivers as I was watching it because it was one of the stories I've thought about often during this past couple of months.  In my opinion, Shackleton and Doug Mawson are two of the most courageous explorers that ever lived.  I thought often on these men and how they took each step hour by hour and day by day to get through their respective ordeals.  Their courage gave me courage to take each minute and hour and day as it came.  Although I'm not half as brave as they were, they provided a guiding light for me to follow.

Well you won't believe this (or you probably will I suppose!) but we are fighting to stay in the hospital now.  Our insurance wouldn't let us into acute rehab until Aug 4th and then decided they should kick us out a week later. Of course, Craig is doing all the appeals and all that.  I don't want to go on a soapbox here so you can skip this part if you want.  But here's the deal in my humble opinion based on real life experience.  Having insurance doesn't mean that you get the care you need or even the care that your doctor thinks you need.  Its as simple as that.  I would characterize insurance as simply friction within our system, a non value added step that is incredibly wasteful.  Obviously, there needs to be a way that doctors and hospitals get paid for their work but this system, as it stands now, is broken.  I've seen it first hand.  It doesn't work.  Maybe I'll get motivated to start advocating for a better system in some manner but right now I'm just too tired.  I guess I'm still looking for that eddy in which to rest!

We had Seth's Care Conference today.  Basically Dr. Ripley says Seth is a miracle considering the injuries he sustained and how well he is recovering.  He wants us to consider doing outpatient rehab at Craig if they can't get the insurance thing worked out.  But I don't think we are inclined to go that route.  We figure home is the best remedy even if it comes sooner than the end of this month.  Seth did move over to the East Wing of Craig Hospital so he is now in room 221.

At the end of the day, all of this uncertainty takes a huge toll on my psyche.  But Seth and I have a saying that we keep saying, a mantra.  I keep saying it over and over and over....."We'll be OK as long as we have each other and snacks......and a kitty cat!"  And you know what, its absolutely true.  So no matter what happens, we are going to be OK.  And thats the deal.

Lots of firsts today. 

Seth did his first set of stairs with crutches.  He's pretty good on them.  Although the PT thought he needed a little more practice before she let us loose on our own which was fine with me. 

Seth got in the truck and we went out to dinner and a movie.  Just like that.  Our friend Lori shows up in her spider man suit!  You should have seen the kids screaming and pointing.  Everyone was taking pictures of her at the IMAX film.  It was pretty funny.

The movie was good although a little dark as most Batman films go.  Sometime you think, why can't he just let the Joker drop away.  But I suppose that is what makes Batman so complicated.  We had top and center seats and to see it on the IMAX screen made it particularly spectacular. 

Here is Seth being kissed by SpiderWoman and our friend Tanya.  I'm kissing Steve.  And yes, that is Seth standing!  Although his britches are still a little big for him.  I'll have to get him some suspenders or a belt!

It was a good day.  See you all on Monday evening!

Seth graduated to crutches today from his walker.  We did a half mini block walk with the crutches.  And then when he got tired, back to the wheelchair.

We had a bit of a snafu with his orthopedic appointment today.  So it got rescheduled for next week.  It makes me nervous.  We only have two weeks and change left and I was hoping to get Seth up and walking on both legs before we left.  It doesn't look like that will be the case.  We have gone over our house with his PT and it looks like he will be able to negotiate everything now that he has graduated to crutches.

I am so excited about this weekend.  I've got it all planned out.  Tomorrow night, we go out for dinner and the new batman movie at IMAX.  Then Saturday, we'll do his full PT routine in the morning and then we are going to the Denver Science Museum.  I've also got us booked to watch the Shackleton Antartic voyage on the IMAX that is in that museum at 2:00 p.m.  Shackleton's story is one of my favorite of all time (right up there with Doug Mawson)!  Then on Sunday, full PT routine in the morning and then on to the Denver Botanical Gardens at 10:00 a.m. and then lunch with my friend, Ingrid at some artsy vegan eclectic kind of restaurant!  It will be so nice to be out of the hospital and doing normal things with Seth.

Seth and I talked a lot about what happened to me yesterday and we've come to realize that, in essence, we were both hit by this car.  His wounds are much more visible and to a certain degree more tangible.  Mine are more elusive.  I suppose I've been suppressing them and hoping that by locking them in a corner of my mind, that that is where they would stay.  I do think one of my best remedies will be to come home and have a long session of Kitty purring on my chest, a nice long session in the garden and then being part of the love and community that surrounds us in Durango.  

Sometimes I get so tired trying to keep everthing going to ensure that Seth is getting the best care possible.  Little things like getting a handicap placard.  I go down the the Englewood DMV and they tell me I can't have one unless I apply for it in La Plata County where we live.  But that didn't make sense since we are driving around for the next two weeks here in Denver and then having to drive home to Durango.  The DMV lady even agreed. But that was their policy and she wasn't budging.  What I've learned is that you have to keep asking the questions and pushing, pushing, pushing until you get the answer you want.  Finally they relented and gave it to me.  But everything seems to be a fight.

I think I need to catch an eddy.  This picture is my eddy.  A resting place and fond memories of times past.  And looking forward to times forward!