Millie & Eddie

And How About Some Prednisone?

2009-08-12T21:44:00.008-05:00

The story continues as follows.

Today Eddie went to the pulmonologist. In another interesting step in the OK-let's-try-this method of medicine, he was given some prednisone and told it would be all better in a few days. We're all hopeful since this person is the expert and all, despite prednisone being really scary.

I had the overnight shift last night. I got to Deb & Tom's house at 10:15. Mom and Dad were nearly ready for bed and everyone else was just hanging. We settled down within the hour. Mom was in her little twin bed with a bunch of blankets. Dad now has a hospital bed since the cough makes it uncomfortable to sleep lying down flat.

I slept on the couch so I could hear him getting up or coughing. Griff was in training for how to do the late night bathroom trip (nice work for a 16 year old) so he kept an ear open also.

Dad slept for a while but woke with a coughing fit around 1:30, which proved good timing for a pee break. On the way back to the room, he asked to instead sleep in a chair in the living room. I sat him down, got him a blanket and listened to him slip back into sleep. He had a few more coughing fits through the night, which made Griff yell down the hall to see if he needed to come out. But for the most part he slept pretty well, better than I did, no doubt. There's no question it's too much coughing to have a healthy amount of uninterrupted sleep. I think Mom is very sleep deprived; she slept through a number of the coughing fits. The idea of taking something as nasty as prednisone is tempered by the thoughts that it's only for a week and it will likely get rid of that cough once and for all.

We are starting to get outside assistance to help take care of M&D. That will be an adjustment, but once we have a schedule things will feel better, less chaotic.

Sharing the love,
Rebecca

Passover Table Setting 2009

2009-08-05T23:54:00.000-05:00

Passover at my house this last spring. Dad sets the table while I film. He's teasing me because they were over an hour late and didn't call and I had so much to do so I had been freaking out.

Mom, Deb and Sararosa were there helping, too.

E-E-I-O Passover style 2009

2009-08-05T23:35:00.000-05:00

Before the stroke, before the cruise, before the summer. After the Exodus.

Such a rare capture - Eddie bursting into song. Usually it's Millie.

Greetings from Minnesota

2009-08-05T23:02:00.004-05:00

It's been too long since this blog has been updated. The last entry was from Green Bay. Mom and Dad have been in St. Paul for a week now. Time has definitely taken on a different rhythm, as you can imagine.

Quick read: Mom and Dad are staying at Deb and Tom's place. They're settling in. We take turns being with them during the day and overnight. Sheryl, Tom and David have been helping during the day. Rachel, Christian, Deborah and I have been taking overnight shifts. Dad still has to be woken up and taken to the bathroom during the night.

His physical and mental strength gets better every day. He's stronger and more stable. His language and thinking is much clearer most of the time unless he's tired or on cough medicine - medicine he has because he has a horrible cough. It started in the rehab center in Green Bay but they essentially ignored it (shame on them!) After we pushed (don't mess with the Orman clan!), they did an x-ray, patted him on his head and sent him along. Since then he's been to others for it. He's had two different kinds of antibiotics, but it's persisting. The most recent thing we've heard is there might be some paralysis on the left side of his diaphragm. But we're not entirely sure. The cough is getting in the way of his healing so we hope to get this taken care of soon. Updates to come.

Mom is doing well. It's incredible how her care taking instinct is shining through. She looks more alive and present than she has in a long time. She has a purpose and she's tending to the most important person on the Earth for her. It's a strange blessing. Even Dad notices. The other day he stopped her as we were out for a walk and held her face and told her how beautiful she is and how she looks happier than she has in so long. (And then he kissed her.) She has moments of extreme sadness, though, because she understands kind of what's going on. Aging isn't the easiest thing sometimes (ask the woman who just turned 40). But generally she's doing really well.

Everyone is being fed and loved and there's some laughter, some tears and a whole lotta talkin' goin' on. We find ourselves in the last few weeks of one heck-of-a-summer for the greater Orman clan.

Please leave comments. I will be tending to this blog more now that I have editing access. I'll post pictures as soon as I get some.

Keep sending that love. It's helping. And we'll send you some back.

--Rebecca, 40

July 22

2009-07-22T19:14:00.000-05:00

July 20

2009-07-20T21:55:00.000-05:00

July 17

2009-07-17T15:50:00.001-05:00

Dad said he feels less "cloudy" today. He practiced walking with a walker and a cane. He said he liked the cane better.

July 16

2009-07-16T22:25:00.000-05:00

Pictures of Millie and Eddie from July 16, 2009