I am posting the journal entries from my sister’s CaringBridge site (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tracyslatoncrosson) in order to retain that documentation in our 2014 blog book. Check out the start of the series on my blog with the “My Sister” post.
Boring, for a Change
By Ken Crosson — Mar 6, 2014 9:05am
I've never enjoyed being bored, but I have to say that the boring parts of this hospital stay sure beat the exciting parts.
For the past few days Tracy has been in an intermediate-care unit -- technically still a critical-care ward, but a step down from the CCU where she spent her first week. She's doing very well, and it seems like every day they back off of one intervention or another, or let her off one monitor or another. With decreasing help she's able to get out of bed and move around a little, and every day her memory and cognitive function get a little bit better. Although the cardiologists are going to wait and see, for the time being it looks like she won't have to have a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted.
She's been cleared for admission to the inpatient rehabilitation unit (IRU) upstairs, but apparently it's taking some time to get all the paperwork in order. I know there was some discussion of whether she would even qualify for inpatient rehab, because of how high-functioning she is, and I imagine that slowed things down a little. We're trying not to get impatient with the hospital that saved Tracy's life, but it sure will be nice when they finally get around to making the move they were talking about making almost a week ago. Once she is in rehab, she should be getting about four hours of therapy - physical, occupational, and speech/cognitive - every day. Originally the plan was for her to spend 14-21 days in the IRU, but we're now hoping it will be more like seven.
In the meantime, this has been a great opportunity to visit with friends. People Tracy has loved all her life and not seen in years have stopped by to wish her well, and she's been able to fill the hours of these very long days with conversations that probably do her heart more good than any therapies the hospital is able to provide.
Other than the importance of learning CPR and taking chest pain seriously, the biggest lesson learned from this experience might be this: No matter how much distance life puts between you, don't let tragic events be the only reason you get together with the important people in your life.
Feel free to swing by if you want to say hello. If we get enough hands, maybe we can put together a poker game while we wait for Tracy to move upstairs.
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