Update on dad in Singapore & some questions.
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June 23, 2007 at 2:35 pm
It has now been about 3 weeks after my dad was diagnosed with GBS. This coming Wednesday June 23 he will be released to fly with a nurse back home to California.
Every thing has seemed to be helping him.
He has been done with the plasma thing for a while now, and has only been doing physical therapy. He is able to sit on the edge of his bed on his own. He also has been getting up in a walker by him self. :]]]]]
Every thing finally seems to be getting some where. Like all of you have told me this is going to be a long process of helping him regain that strength that he lost.
He is still unable to walk and the doctors are concerned about a “foot drop” but we are working on regaining that muscle.
Thank you all for the help and comments, prayers and support. Every single comment was read directly to my family and truly touched our hearts.
Soon my dad will be home and I will get to see him getting better here.
I do have a few questions still though…
When he comes back next week, will he still be put into a hospital here? And how long are you usually in the hospital once you start getting better? Also, once at home is there any tips or ideas of any thing I can do to help?
Well thank you again for reading and helping my family out.
-Karly Merced
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June 23, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Hi Karly, I’m glad to hear your Dad is doing better and is able to come home. One trick I just found out for myself last week, blow up 2 gloves-the kind that nurses and drs use, tie them off-like a hand balloon, use them for hand support pillows. The fingers can go in between the fingers of the balloon, and the palm rests comfortably on the palm of the hand balloon. it would do well for the plane ride home, your dads’ hands can work out on the balloons and rest in a natural position also. as a matter of fact, use 2 more under his feet, they are comfy and will keep the foot in a natural position while sitting-its either that or use a pillow under his feet, but i think the hand balloons would be easier and more squishy under his feet. I would take off my shoes for the plane ride, i can’t stand to have shoes on for too long at anytime. Look into aqua therapy for your dad at home, its great for gbs/cidp patients, no more then 2 days a week to start, you don’t want him to go backwards in recovery. slow and easy gets the job done well for us. Take care.:)
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June 24, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Wow Karly! 🙂
I know it doesn’t seem like it to you and your family, but it sounds like your dad is doing extremely well! I would assume he’ll go to a hospital here for a while, but that’s best addressed by the docs. One thing for sure is that now he’ll be in for lots and lots of physical therapy. He’ll need lots of patience, lots of support, lots of understanding -and if he can muster it- a bit of a sense of humor. One of the things they did for me when I had a bad case of foot drop back in ’85 was to put a lovely pair of orange high-top tennis shoes on me! They looked really charming there sticking out of the hospital sheets 😮 . Since all the 80s stuff is coming back, maybe they can find some for him -if he can tolerate the shoes on his feet. I hope my tone isn’t too flippant, I’m just very happy for your dad and still thinking about those lovely shoes…:rolleyes:
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June 25, 2007 at 4:52 am
Hai..good to hear the thing u said. First when he comes home let him settle to gain some strength, and after consulting the doctor start the PT slowly and let him take a good hot water bath morning and in the evening before going to bed. That gives relaxation from the muscle pains and helps to sleep better. Through out the day make him move his muscles frequently to strenthen them. God bless him………….and make him feel that he is doing better day by day which motivates and increses his will power.
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June 25, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Thank you all so much for the great advice! I found out that he will be coming straight home after all. He will not be admitted to a hospital here but will continue the physical therapy. I suggested the glove pillows to him to for the flight home. I will also let my dad know all of the new advice I’ve gotten. Thank you again!!!
<3
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June 26, 2007 at 2:38 am
I was just thinking about your dad and your family today. I am so happy to hear he is coming home and doing so well! I know it might not seem like it to you, but he really is coming along pretty quickly. Best wishes for all of you during his recovery home.
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June 26, 2007 at 8:23 am
GREAT NEWS! Now is the slow process of getting better at home. Make sure he gets plenty of rest! That is the key and make sure your family takes care of themselves. It will be very difficult at first but it is important that you get him on a routine and everyone participates in his recovery. We will have many needs and don’t let that be things that just your Mom has to do. Pitch in and take some of the work load from your Mom. Our caregivers are very important to all of us and I have to admit mine are still doing alot for me. I slowly keep doing things on my own and if I do too much I have to back off and rest the next few days so make sure he listens to his body. Therapy will work with him and develop a routine that will go with his ability. Healing the nerves take rest…..helping the strenght in the muscles takes exercise. It is something that you can not rush!
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