Eclipsehornplayer

Hey gang,

I thought I’d write about my experiences with my dad over the weekend just so those of you who are interested would know what’s going on.

This was the first time since we returned back home to Michigan that I was able to spend any real amount of time with him. I work Mon – Thur four 10 hour days which gives me Fri – Sat – Sun off every week. It’s kinda nice in that I always get that 3 day weekend and if a Holiday falls on either end of my tour of duty then I get a 4 day weekend.

My wife and I spent all day this past Friday and Saturday with my Dad in an effort to
give my mom and baby sister some much needed relief. I got a first hand feel for what its
like to try to care for him for 8 hours and what a chore it was. When we arrived Friday
Occupational therapy was working with him. After they were done we fed him lunch and
then I stated to work with him. We have a regiment in place daily that must be done. He
has not moved his limbs freely in so long now that his muscles are atrophying and
pulling his arms in towards his body. This is countered by stretching or extending each
limb through its normal range of motion; or as far as it can be tolerated by my father.
Sometimes this stretching can be very painful for him so we do our best to be as careful as we can. It’s very difficult to much harder then you’d think. His arms are so tight that when you stretch them you work up a sweat because it’s a workout for you.

After spending two hours stretching his arms and legs then Physical therapy came and got him so that he could be put into a device called a standing frame. This device does what its name implies. It has a sling that pulls him upward until he is in a full erect standing position. They will then work with him for 10 – 15 minutes in this device while he is standing. We were blessed this weekend with absolutely wonderful weather so after he was done we took him outside for a little walk to enjoy the 70 + degree weather. He enjoyed the sun on his face and the gentle breezes that ebbed and flowed. After this we took him back to his room where he was very tired out from all that he’d done. I pushed him though as he had one more exercise to do. He has foam blocks that are about 5 inches long and perfectly square that he tries to squeeze in his hands. Imagine having your hand open and this is placed in your hand; now you make a fist! The idea being that you want to compress the foam and strengthen your hand. My dad is unable to open or close his hands he only has use of his thumbs and even at that it’s very little. So it’s painful for me to watch him grimace in agony as if he were lifting 1000 lbs only to see his thumb move a fraction of an inch at best.

After 20 minutes of that my dad was about sleeping. Rather then wait for the nursing home aides to come and put him in bed my wife and I gently picked him up and placed him in bed so that he could rest. This concluded a long 8 hour day. This is my dad’s life now every day. I’m saddened to see my father in this shape. He was once the strongest person I knew. My dad worked for Chrysler for almost 30 years and retired on a medical which has nothing to due with his current medical condition. Before robot automation my dad’s job was to lift bear engine blocks from one assembly line to another at the engine plant he worked at. So he was built like a brick s**thouse most of his life. Once the automation was in place he became an inspector on the head assembly line and then later bid into the janitorial department to finish out his career. So to see such a strong and vibrant man be turned into such a weak and helpless human being is just heart wrenching.

Anyway we repeated the same regiment with my dad on Saturday. We continue to pray that he will at least develop control over his bowels so that we can at least bring him back home. He hates that he is in a nursing home; but it’s really the safest place for him to be right now. I told him that I was no less thrilled about the idea but for his own safety this was the best option for him right now.

You have all been so supportive and you’d be surprised the strength that I derive from that. From the bottom of my heart thank you all!

I know that sometimes it helps if you can see the people that are discussed so I took the liberty of including some pictures of my immediate family and me to share with you.

This picture is from last Christmas. Pictured are my two younger sisters, my mom, my dad and I. My dad is standing next to me of course!




This picture was taken on Saturday 4/21/2007 and it was all my dad could do to try and muster a smile for it. I of course am pictured with him.



Thanks for giving me a space to share this incredibly stressful time in our lives. And again thank you for your support/thoughts/prayers. They really do make a difference!

All the best,
John

__________________
Eclipse MHY Bb Trumpet with interchangable leadpipes
Bach 229 25A C Trumpet
Getzen Capri Bb Cornet
GR & Monette mouthpieces

Manny Laureano

Well, John, what can I say but that your "diary" is an inspiration. Your dad is from that generation of tough guys that will see this through with the help of a loving family. You can't keep a good man down.

May your family have G-d's blessings always as you keep up the love and the good fight.

ML

Solar Bell

Thanks John.

Stay strong.

-cw-

__________________
Chuck Willard
The Willard of Oz

"Don't be afraid to see what you see."
Ronald Reagan

Mikey

John, thanks for the update. Your Dad is truly an inspiration to us all.

Bless you

Mike

RG111

John,

Please know that our prayers continue for you, your Dad, and your family!

Roy Griffin

Richard Oliver

John, thanks so much for the photos and update. It's nice to see the people for whom we pray.

All the Best,

Richard

Derek Reaban

John,

I think about you and your Dad frequently. You are in my prayers. I’m so glad that you are able to be close to him in Michigan again. Even with all the hard work that you experience this weekend, that has to be much less stressful than being apart from him.

We had similar weather to you in Arizona this weekend, and it was great to be outside (I took my boys on a bike ride to 7-11 for a treat).

Take care,

__________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

tpter1

My thoughts are with you, John. The love you have for your father is what will see him through this.

__________________
-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

40cal

Hey buddy, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your father.

__________________


“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day so that my child may have peace.”

Thomas Paine 1737-1809

“That’s all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd

Vulgano Brother

Pretty cool, man -- you give your dad a chance to forget the things he can't do by reminding him what he's already done -- raise a fine, loving son!
Be blessed.

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www.letsbuildhope.org