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

[Isobel and Jim Bishop]

Hello Ruth,
  We are remembering Ken and you and your family in our prayers.  
Thank you for helping us to grapple with Ken's situation.
Shalom,
Isobel Bishop.
On 11/11/2009, at 5:37 AM, George Packard wrote:

> 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
>>
>
>
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