Happy Memorial Day

I know it's been a really long time since I've posted and I'm sorry. I have no good excuse either!

Anyway, Thomas is doing wonderful. He has been given another DynaVox, an alternative communication device, to demo. This one is a bit smaller than the last one but still works the same way and he loves using it. He should be able to get one of his own now that he will start getting Medicare on June 1st. He will also begin getting physical therapy on a full time basis, instead of only the ten sessions that medical paid for.

My mom is doing about the same. She isn't getting any therapy anymore because the believe she has plateaued. I am trying to get her to come out with me so she might be more willing to try to stand and walk. So far she's very hesitant. I am also trying to find a place for her to live. It's very hard since she doesn't make enough money.

My job is going good. My supervisor asked me to stay on for another three months so I'm at least employed till September! It doesn't look like I'll be hired on permanent though, once the work I do is complete, they won't need me any more.

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

Mailboxes and Beyond

If you are looking for a mailbox, address plaque or garden decor? Take a look at the Mailbox and Beyond site. They have great address plaques, personalized doormats and garden hose holders and a wide selection of beautiful Whitehouse products such as custom painted mailboxes and sundials.

In these tough economic times, we are all looking for beautiful products and great deals. Well many of the items at Mailbox and Beyond have free shipping and check out their 110% low price guarantee! Apply the coupon code "mailbox2009" during check out process to save 5% on any order over $250. (This is a limited time offer.)

I'm finally working

I started working today for a biotech company in Carlsbad. It is a temp position but the company is really great so I'm hoping they offer me a permanent position. I am working on their e-learning and LMS programs.

Thomas is doing very well. The other day Brian was visiting and had walked down the hallway to Tom's room and heard a loud noise behind him. It was Thomas making a noise to let Brian know that he was there!!! We were so excited! Although he still isn't talking, he is trying to make more noises and he communicates very well with a letter board. We are still waiting to hear about the DynaVox machine since it will be much easier for him to communicate with that rather than having to type each letter out for every word he wants to say.

My mom is doing the same. I wanted to get her transferred to Villa Las Palmas but they are hesitant since they aren't sure about her condition. They are looking at her situation and will make a decision soon.

Nothing new

Well I don't have any new news to report. My mom is still at Balboa Nursing and Rehab. She is doing OK. She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow with her oncologist then I am going to get her moved out to Villa with Thomas.

Thomas is doing fine. He was finally approved for Medicare A&B so he will be able to start getting therapy! We are very excited about that. We are hoping that once he starts progressing at Villa, they will move him to Sharp and then home.

Hospital Visit

Well Thomas went to the hospital on Sunday evening. His stomach hurt, it was hard and distended and he had a slight fever. When he got to Sharp Memorial Hospital, they did a CT Scan and said they saw something irregular on his large intestine so he was admitted. They thought he might need surgery. It turns out he is fine and it was probably due to the stomach virus that he had. But of course, he got a UTI since he wasn't getting enough fluids and then he tested positive for MRSA and when he takes antibiotics, he gets C-Diff so he was pumped full of different antibiotics to take care of all the different ailments! He is doing much better and has been cleared to go back to Villa Las Palmas this evening.

My mom is still at Balboa Nursing and Rehab. She is doing about the same. I was hoping she would show some improvement and maybe be able to move back into her apartment but it doesn't seem realistic for her to live alone. I am trying to get her moved out to Villa with Thomas so she will get more visitors than just me and they know her there so they will hopefully be more encouraging with her physical therapy.

Updates

Well I had the flu last week and I'm finally getting better enough to get to blogging again! Thomas had been doing really good but Villa Las Palmas got an epidemic of a stomach virus (that was where I got it!) and today Thomas started getting sick. Brian is also sick so we have quarantined ourselves so we don't spread it anymore.

My mother, Sudie, is doing better. She is able to talk and get around in a wheelchair but she cannot walk. She is living at Balboa Nursing and Rehab in Mission Hills. We are not sure what the future holds for her but her insurance has declared her as plateaued which means she can no longer receive rehab. I am talking with the social worker to see about getting her moved back to Villa. That will save me from driving back and forth between her and Thomas.

Christmas Shopping

This year, like last year, I had very little time for shopping for Christmas. With going back and forth between hospitals, nursing homes and doctor's appointments, I just didn't seem to find the time. Well if it wasn't for the last minute, I'd never get anything done!! I started shopping online around the 20th of December! I never know what to get everyone and everything is just so expensive and then adding in shipping charges and I break the bank before I've even gotten one gift. A friend of mine told me to try the Gift Card Mall. It's a website for gift cards.

One of the things that my family members usually give (and get) at Christmas time is gift cards for restaurants. (I mean everyone has to eat, right?) Well at the Gift Card Mall I was able to shop for all my family and have the out of town relatives gift card's sent directly to them! I even customized the card with my own photos.

Since Brian's family has a lot of January and February birthdays, it was just as easy for me to order birthday presents too. Now I'm actually done with buying presents for a while. The Gift Card Mall is perfect and it's just so easy.

A new pic line

Thomas has a UTI so he had an IV in his arm but he didn't like the when the nurses flushed it so he pulled the line out. Today he had to go to Grossmont Hospital and have a pic line put in. This will make it easier for the nurses to administer his medication.

My mom is doing well. She has been up a few times walking about 10 feet. She is also getting occupational and speech therapy to help her get back to a more normal function. Hopefully she won't be in the rehab for very long.

Update on my mom

My mother is doing much better and has been moved to a nursing and rehab facility. She did have a heart attack because her blood pressure dipped extremely low. While having the heart attack, her brain didn't receive enough oxygen and caused her to have a stroke. She is able to talk and move all her limbs, but she is very weak and depressed now. Once she completes her rehab, she will need to move into an assisted living facility.

Family news

There has been so much happening over the last few days I'm not sure where to begin. First, my mother had a heart attack and a stroke last Friday. We are not sure when it actually happened but her neighbor found her on Friday evening and called 911. She was in ICU at Scripps Memorial hospital until this afternoon; now she has been moved to a regular room in the hospital. She is talking, eating and moving all her limbs, so that is a good sign.

The Dynavox Vmax demo that Thomas was loaned for a month was somehow damaged and had to be put into the shop for repair, so we only had it for a couple weeks. We were really sad when the demo was taken as Thomas was really beginning to communicate to everyone and we felt that was the next step in getting him into rehab. Since the device has been gone, we've not gotten any kind of approval on rehab. We are anxiously awaiting Medi-Cal's approval to purchase a Vmax for Thomas.

Brian had surgery on his hand to remove a lump that was in the web of his thumb and forefinger. He was out on disability for three weeks. We got the results back and it was a benign lymphoma. We were very thankful for that news.

BC is working and going to the desert just about every weekend now that desert season is here. He was afraid that he might get laid off because business was getting slow but the company decided to have all the employees work one day less each week rather than have layoffs. For now, his job is safe!

I am still looking for work. I've had several interviews by phone and in person, all with no luck.

Otherwise, all is well!!

Speaking Device

Thomas was set up with the DynaVox VMax device. He uses it to say that he wants to go home but also he is using it to ask questions and talk to others in the facility. We found out that he asked one of the nurses what LVN meant (Licensed Vocational Nurse).

My mom was sent to Villa last week because she needs physical therapy. Thomas went to her room to visit her. While there, my mom was introducing family members to her roommate. The CNA in the room asked "what about me!". My mom confessed that she didn't remember her name. The CNA turned to Thomas and said "do you know my name?" and Thomas shook his head yes and proceeded to type her name, M A G D A L E N A. Everyone was amazed since her name tag was turned around so he couldn't have read it!