Help caring for you after leaving the hospital?
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September 20, 2007 at 9:52 am
When does the doctor decide it will be okay for my dad to go home and once he is discharged is their additional help that is provided to him or does he go home with a family member?
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September 20, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Most people do NOT go home directly from the hospital. I went from the hospital to a Rehab facility for continued rehab until I was strong enough to handle things like going to the bathroom, feeding myself, being able to prepare myself simple food, partially dressing myself and getting around a little.
It depends on the persons rate of progress as to how long inpatient rehab is needed. After I went home I had 3 months of out patient thereapy. I had a mild case compared to alot of people on this forum and was able to return to work on light duty after 6 months from onset. Ihas been over 2 years and I still have neuropothy in my hands and feet. Some days depending on how rested I am I don’t really notice it.
GBS recovery takes time!!!
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September 20, 2007 at 3:56 pm
So you are able to drive again as well?
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September 20, 2007 at 6:20 pm
ss,
Is your dad off the respirator yet? I think you should take things very slowly and one step at a time. Really it has to do with how the patient improves and if the hospital or rehab facility feels he is ready to ‘face the big wide world’ again. Your father should show a reasonable amount of improvement for them to start considering the step of sending him home. With regards to driving, maybe you are looking at that too soon – its baby steps and will [I]probably[/I] still be a long time in recovery. We have said that this generally is a very slow process, so you really need to give it time. Only once your father has control of his limbs and is strong again should he even consider driving ……. that could be 3 weeks or 3 years – there is no timelimit and pushing to get better when the body hasnt healed will only make things far worse. Remember this isnt a cold or flu that he is recovering from this is something that [I]could [/I]take years and years, on the otherhad it could only take weeks, just depending on when the body is ready.
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September 20, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Thanks for the info. I’m just trying to get as much information as I can obtain cause some people have asked if he will be able to go home and when he does will someone need to stay with him and monitor him. My father lives about 45mins away from me and his girlfriend of 11yrs is legally blind and has hearing problems. She is just kinda worried about when he will be able to go him if they will be able to take care of each other because my father has always been her guide to get around. It’s hard on her right now because she has had to turn her life around as well. Now she is staying with her family members and can only come see my dad when someone takes her or her mother is able to ride the bus with her which is getting less and less often. I’m really not pushing this because I need this is a start to possibly a slow long process and i would like to explain to her what could and couln’t happen because I think she has very high expectations and we need to get her down to reality. I feel really bad for her because the one person that she has depended on is not capable of being depended on at this time and only time will tell. I really appreciate your feedback and I’m so glad that i found this forum because it has brought me back to reality as well.
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September 20, 2007 at 9:18 pm
No he is not off the respirator yet and the doctor said right now they are trying to wein him off but it won’t be anytime within the next week.
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September 20, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Your dad cannot be taken off the respirator untill he can breath on his own. For me they would cut off the oxygn for periods of time and if I did ok, the period would be longer and more frequent. With the breathing help he cannot eat solid food, so he will probably have to work up to liquids, soft food and solid. After getting off the vent and being able to talk again, I moved to an acute rehab hospital and spent 5 weeks of 3 times a day therapy, not on Sunday, learning to walk, dress, climb stairs and get stronger; and 6 more weeks of out patient therapy 3 days a week with home work.
I am lucky – 9 weeks of hospital; but I was able to go back to work full time at the end of 5 months.
I took a driver evaluation course offered by the rehab hospital, mostly for the pease of mind that I had a paper saying I was Ok to drive.
GBS – Aug, ’05
AL -
September 20, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Your dad cannot be taken off the respirator untill he can breath on his own. For me they would cut off the oxygn for periods of time and if I did ok, the period would be longer and more frequent. With the breathing help he cannot eat solid food, so he will probably have to work up to liquids, soft food and solid. After getting off the vent and being able to talk again, I moved to an acute rehab hospital and spent 5 weeks of 3 times a day therapy, not on Sunday, learning to walk, dress, climb stairs and get stronger; and 6 more weeks of out patient therapy 3 days a week with home work.
I am lucky – 9 weeks of hospital; but I was able to go back to work full time at the end of 5 months.
I took a driver evaluation course offered by the rehab hospital, mostly for the pease of mind that I had a paper saying I was Ok to drive.
My doctor would not release a patient for home if they could not take care of themselves or if there would be no care giver.
GBS – Aug, ’05
AL
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