Update on Grace, Monday, Aug 30

Monday. Latest update 9:30 PM.

1:30 PM - I had a very short visit with Grace about 10:15 this morning.

When I got there, she was upright, sitting in a wheelchair (that was good) and in the process of a not-for-public-consumption procedure.

I just greeted her and showed her an email that had come in this morning. I told her I would read it to her this afternoon then departed.

She was awake and alert and upright and hopefully making progress, and she definitely still needs your prayers!

I'm sorry this is such a short update, but it was a very short visit. I'll have more tonight, after I get home from band rehearsal.

Take care, all.

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9:30 PM - Today, Jan took off work a bit early so we could go check out alternatives to the rehab center that's next on the schedule for Grace's recovery.

When we went to look at the one rehab center last Friday, we were pleased by what we saw and favorably impressed with the people there.

However, we wanted to examine at least a couple other alternatives, to be certain we were getting the best place for her to go next.

When we told Grace that she was scheduled to go to a rehab facility, she said, "Please, ANYPLACE but Highland Home!" That's the place she went to recover after her hip replacement last November. Needless to say, she was not pleased with that place.

The place we looked at last Friday was significantly different (hopefully better) than the previous one, but we thought we should check out other alternatives, just in case we could find a place that was even better.

Also, the currently selected facility is about a 20 to 25 minute drive away from our house, and we were hoping to find something a bit closer.

So today we went to visit a rehab facility here in Madison, almost directly on the route between our house and where Jan works.

When we got there, we spoke with the "social worker," which I think is essentially the admissions coordinator, and neither she nor anyone we met there seemed very interested in gaining Grace as a patient. We got a very abbreviated tour of the place, and weren't impressed. There were more than a dozen patients out in the hallway, some in wheelchairs, some in beds (yes, beds in the hallway), some on walkers, all of them looking rather despondent, and there were maybe four workers to be seen: two women behind a central desk, one woman doing something in a patient's room, and a janitor. Again, not a good sign. The social worker told us we couldn't talk to the therapist because the therapist had gone home for the day. Excuse me? Therapist - singular? The other place had at least a dozen. Gone home for the day? And it's not yet 4PM? Well, maybe the therapist starts work at 6AM. I wonder what the odds of that are?

As we left, Jan and I both agreed this was not a place that Grace would like to come, not nearly as much as the one we saw last Friday. Jan said, "But this one is so much closer to the house."

I said, "Yes, I thought of that, too. But whenever I thought that, I also had the thought, 'This isn't about us.'"

Jan nodded. "You're absolutely right. It's about getting the best place for Mom!"

After that, we went to check out a home health care agency, wondering if it were possible that they could provide Grace what she needed right in our house, because we know Grace would be much happier and probably recover more quickly at home, but that didn't work either, because they could only provide about 40 minutes of therapy a day, three days a week, and Grace needs much more care than that until she can put weight on her leg and get about on her own.

So now we feel much better about the place she's already scheduled to go to on Thursday.

After those visits, we went to see Grace.

AND GREAT NEWS! Grace was FINALLY starting to feel better! Her tummy problems have mostly resolved, and her appetite has started to return!! Thank you, Lord!

When we went into the room, Grace was smiling happily. Also in the room with Grace was Vicky Landrum, one of the pastors at Christ United Methodist Church, where Jan and I are taking the membership classes.

We made introductions all around, and it was wonderful to see that she had come out to visit Grace. Remember, we are NOT members there, and have only attended there a few times before this.

Grace and Vicky told us a funny story about just a few minutes ago when Vicky arrived and introduced herself to Grace, she said "I'm Vicky Landrum, Associate Pastor at Christ United Methodist Church."

Right while she was saying this, there was a noise out in the hallway that covered up some of her syllables, and Grace at first thought she had said she was "the Turkey Pastor!"

They both had a good laugh out of that, and later on, Grace said she bets somehow that phrase makes it into a sermon.

It was wonderful to see that Grace was making jokes and laughing, and that Vicky Landrum has a great sense of humor as well.

After Vicky left, Jan told Grace some alarming news, that one of Grace's best friends in Florida had fallen yesterday and broken her left leg, so now she and Grace could be bookends. We discussed this a bit and decided we needed to pray for Grace's friend also.

Then Grace's dinner arrived, and she dug in! Dinner tonight consisted of some good-looking vegetable soup, which Grace tasted immediately and pronounced too hot, but good, a sandwich of some kind of generic poultry salad, which Jan thinks might have been canned chicken but Grace said was good except it DIDN'T HAVE ANY PICKLES!, a small tub of red jello. a couple of canned pears, and a small paper bag with about six vanilla wafers.

Grace ate about half the soup, half the sandwich, all the jello, and all the vanilla wafers except the one she gave to Jan. This is a significant improvement over what she's been eating lately, and we were all happy about that.

Then we told her about our visits to the nearby nursing home and we talked about what clothing and other articles she'll be needing at the new nursing home.

I read her the email I brought this morning but she wasn't ready to hear it then, and I read the bible verses mentioned in that email (Matt 6:31-34), then I read the second chapter of John.

We chatted a bit more, than we had to leave so I could get ready for band rehearsal.

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While I was at band rehearsal, Jan went to visit Grace again. Here is what Jan has to say about that visit:

We are very thankful that Grace is finally getting over her tummy troubles, and we continue to pray that she will fully recover soon from her anesthesia-induced confusion.

The confusion seems to be getting milder - we think - but it's still there to a degree.

So we shall continue to pray and care for her as she continues in her recovery.

Tomorrow, I will go sign the papers authorizing her transfer to the new facility this Thursday.

Let's pray this new facility turns out to be even more of a pleasant place for Grace than I hope it will be.

More postings tomorrow! Have a wonderful Tuesday!

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