[Oe List ...] FW: Ken Gilbert participation in Mystery

[George Packard]

Following is the latest news from Ruth Gilbert in her own words late last
night.
George and Elise 

From: Ruth Gilbert [mailto:ruthhgilbert at gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 9:13 PM
To: kelisepackard
Subject: Re: Ken Gilbert participation in Mystery

Elise,
Could you get this out to the network? Thanks. Ruth

On 11/9/09, Ruth Gilbert <ruthhgilbert at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Friends of the Journey,
>
> This may be longer than anyone wants to read but since I wrote it, I'm 
> sending it out. Your choice to delete, scan or read!  Two REQUESTs are 
> here at the top of the message for those who choose not to read to the 
> bottom.
>
> 1) Ken enjoys humor. If you have a humorous card, cartoon strip or 
> funny picture, I think that in a few days he will be ready to look at 
> something in his hands. I don't think he will have strength or energy 
> for email very soon, so I am talking about some sent through the post 
> office. Strange I know.
>
> 2) Ken would enjoy a photo of you. It could be old, new, portrait or 
> group. Anything you have would call forth your spirit for him. A 
> printed copy and/or an electronic copy would be wonderful. I will 
> figure out how to manage whatever we get.
>
> If you are so inclined, and have the time, please send it during the 
> coming week to:
>     - Gilbert
>     - Club House Inn
>     - 1315 Menaul Boulevard NE
>     - Albuquerque NM 87107
>
> I don't know our schedule after that but if you send it sometime later 
> than that, please send it our home address at
>      -Gilbert
>      -3202 Lakeshore Drive
>      -Champaign Il 61822
>
> Thanks for whatever you are able to do.
>
> This is day 7 for Ken's recent interior journey and encounter with 
> up-to-date medical technology.
>
> He is still in the ICU. He will be her for some time ahead. My 
> daughter says this is the sad floor because the floor has three ICU 
> units, entirely separate but on the same floor. There is an ICU for 
> medical issues, another for burn/trauma issues and another for 
> neurological matters. Ken is in the neurological. There are families, 
> large ones, milling, waiting, sitting for long periods in the waiting 
> room that is centrally located. Not very nice. My sister Connie and I 
> sit in the back of Ken's room. This works well for us except for the 
> fact that the air conditioning for the room flows right down our 
> backs. As they keep the rooms cool for healing brains, we are in 
> coats, sweaters and caps in the room while the sun is shining outside.
>
> This is a teaching hospital and he is getting very good care. I like 
> the doctors who are attending to him. But it is hard when I see a 
> "learning" doctor doing a procedure on Ken with a senior fellow 
> looking on, But this is part of the deal for top of the line diagnosis 
> and medical strategy, I guess. I am confident in the system even if I 
> wish the head doctor would do everything!!
>
> It is wearying to keep track of everyone - nurses, nurses in training, 
> interns, residents, fellows, technicians, various people doinga wide 
> variety of procedures,consultants for various parts of the body, 
> cleaning people, supply people, desk people, trash people, admitting 
> people, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, 
> food people. And this isn't even the whole list!.
>
> It is also complicated by changes of personnel for various shifts and 
> that there doesn't seem to be any particular dress code that helps 
> sort them all out. It looks to me like they get to wear whatever they 
> want - white coats, green scrubs, patterned tops and bottoms, fleece 
> jackets, sweats. It is all quite amazing.
>
> The good news from my perspective is that Ken is now on the low 
> priority list for attention on this unit. This is from my observation, 
> not from anything anyone has said. But when a new person is admitted 
> there are as many as 10 in the room gathering information, setting up 
> lines and drips and making decisions. I was in awe when this was 
> happening to Ken. Being low on the priority list is good because it 
> means others are in much worse shape and Ken is in a slow, recovering 
> process.
>
> But this also means that when Ken needs something, it doesn't always 
> happen as soon as he'd like. But we try to keep remembering that being 
> in a stable position and on the road to recovery is a very good thing.
> I think Ken is having a crash college course in being the cared for 
> rather than caring, being the patient rather than the doctor, and 
> having a good dose of patience.
>
> Ken's status relative to the brain hemorrage: His physical reactions 
> seem to be in good shape, although after being in bed for seven days, 
> he has lost a lot of strength. His memory, recollection and processing 
> seem to be pretty good. It is hard to tell at this point if some 
> confusion and disorientation is due to medicine or his brain in the 
> process of healing.
>
> On day 5 of our stay, I was startled to receive a phone call about 
> heart and lung issues the the part of his body below the brain. This 
> set of a whole new series of tests, procedures, consultations and 
> planning. The critical issue was that medicine and care for the organs 
> in his torso are harmful in people who have just had a brain 
> hemorrage. So there is a lot of delicate balancing going on.
>
> He has an amazing number of wires, leads, drips, lines, electrical 
> nodes coming into and out of his body. They are attached to pumps, 
> syringes, and stuff that I can't even describe. I only mention this 
> because helping him turn from one side to the other is a complicated 
> affair.
>
> The good news of the day for Monday: Even with all the drip lines just 
> mentioned, Physical Therapy was in for the first time today. She 
> gathered up all necessary lines and had him sitting in a chair and 
> then rising to walk from the bed to the doorway and back. Getting him 
> moving is critical to prevent clots from forming in his legs and 
> traveling to his places in the body where they can do damage. This 
> short "being up" exhausted him and he slept hard most of the rest of 
> the day. He is beginning to eat. That is good.
>
> I cherish each of your messages. The number has been overwhelming. At 
> the right moment in the future, Ken will have opportunity to see or 
> hear all of these.
>
> My sister Connie is here in Albuquerque for the duration of our stay 
> here. I am amazed how exhausting life can be when a loved one in in an 
> ICU and life gets interrupted. This moment today was literally the 
> first free moment for me to acknowledge the outpouring of your 
> interest and care. I apologize for not returning voice messages you 
> may have sent. I can't manage more than email at the moment. But thank 
> you for that.
>
> Love from here,
> Ruth
>