When we checked Bettie into the Acute Rehabilitation Center yesterday evening, I told her she was at a school. She is there to learn do do some things that are hard for her right now. And today is the first day of "class".
The facility is in the Auburn Regional Medical Center campus, on the 4th floor of the main hospital building. To find it, enter the main entrance under the portico, cross the lobby to the hospital area entrance and turn left down the first hall. Take elevator "C" to the fourth floor and you are there. The nurses station is to your left as you exit the elevator.
Like a good private school, class size is small. The in-patient housing consists of only 10 beds. They have a relatively small size gym, maybe 1,500 square feet or so, but it is well equipped for all kinds of physical therapy. The well-trained staff is headed by Dr. Geoffrey Sultana.
I saw Steve off at the airport this morning, then headed to Auburn for a lunch date with Bettie. I found her in bed, but working. Liz, a speech therapist was with her for another half hour until lunch, so I got acquainted with other staff.
At lunch, she again fed herself, while Lizz monitored swallowing. All went well. She has the afternoon off (from therapy) so she may nap some as she had a rather wakeful night with the new environment and all.
Both Dr. Sultana and Dr. Heidi put in appearances. Before they came I was noticing the rather dramatic changes I'm seeing from just yesterday. Everything is better: right leg, right arm, speech, comprehension...all improving. Dr. Sultana says "Wait 'til you see what happens in the next few days."
On follow up, I discovered that Dr. Heidi's "three to six months" was referring to recovery (by "recovery" we mean getting back most of what she will ever get back), not to a release date to home. That, he says is two to three weeks! (Insert big smile here.)
On the way home, I stopped at Lowes and pick up banister material for the other side of several stairways in our home. Got to get ready.
This is humung... No, sorry, this is Epic!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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Two to three weeks?!! Wow!
ReplyDeleteHad I known that maybe I would have stayed longer! "Epic" is right!
Great news! I'll celebrate tonight with Christine. In fact this calls for fireworks!
Yesterday my mom (Deana) and
ReplyDeleteI (Lisa)were at Highline and mom was helping Bettie to eat her lunch. Deana went to wipe Bettie's face and she said "Shave and a hair cut" and before my mom could finish her sentence Bettie chimmed in and said in a very audible voice "Two Bits!"
We laughed with great joy!!
She also sang a few songs with us (older hymns) and even when I would say the first sentence of the song and stop she would continue with the next sentence. We sang "Jesus Loves Me",and Amazing Grace.
OH, ... the most exciting moment was when a young female doctor came in and asked her "What is your name?" The answer was very soft but we all heard it.....she said "Bettie!"
That vwas just a few of the highlights. We can hardly wait to visit again :)