Great news! After 2 weeks less 4 hours, Carol is no longer a patient of UVA Medical acute care hospital. At 4 PM as promised this morning a transport crew arrived to move her to UVA Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital. I rode down the elevator with her on the transport gurney and kissed her goodbye as we parted at the first floor. I followed her over to the rehab and found as expected I was not able to see her or even get into the facility. This is hard on us, but the level of safety is reassuring. They even required that Carol have a covid test before they would accept her – negative of course. Now begins my wait for recovery with occasional visits as permitted by the facility. Carol has the hard work to do.
The only other news is not really mine to discuss in any detail. Malena and Dan are in the thralls of inspecting their new house, I get reports as appropriate. I hear about the horses. I am getting reports from Yechiel and Miriam on the West Coast as they update the bathrooms in their condo.
My activity for the past two weeks has been mostly driving to and from the hospital and sitting with Carol. I haven’t the slightest idea what I will do with myself for the next couple of weeks. I do know the coach needs to be vacuumed and the floors washed and other maintenance that Carol keeps up with plus all my usual maintenance chores.
I am sure I will find ways to keep busy, even helping Dan and Malena prepare for the move and putting the house on the market. Or maybe I’ll join in a computer challenge that Dan has given our grandsons.
Things are going more slowly than we could wish, but they are moving in the right direction. Carol moved from the “step down unit” to “the floor” in a semi private room a few days ago. Private rooms are apparently being held for people who may be at higher contagion risk. She still needs to clear her lungs and get off the O2 feed and get her electrolytes in balance. I suspect the internal injury was greater than I was led to believe, or chose to hear. They are still pointing at a move to Rehab this week. There are no Covid 19 patients in the hospital building where Carol is housed. UVA Health is fortunate to have an entire separate building for that care.
That is the short of it. I am being well cared for by Malena and Dan when I am not with Carol. Today I think we wore Carol out. I spent the morning in her room. Then Dan and Malena called to offer to take me out for lunch. After lunch Malena went up for a visit, I had made a special request to the Charge Nurse for permission to add a 3rd person to Carol’s list of visitors for ONE visit. Then Dan and Malena switched places while Malena and I went to see Alexander’s new apartment next to the UVA Grounds. Following that I spent the rest of the afternoon with Carol before returning to the coach to get some rest for me.
The response from our family and friends across the country from our newer friends in Jojoba Hills SKP Resort, to our friends in Rochester who we have known for 50 years or more, to our friends we have met in all the corners of this country in our RV travels THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your caring support. As I read the messages to her, Carol is overwhelmed with warm feeling. I keep telling her nobody expects her to write a personal note right away, but you know she is starting a list 🙂
Please note Carol has not had the opportunity to edit or approve this post, I am on my own for this writing.
We have been overwhelmed by the caring, loving response to Carol’s injuries. Neither she nor I will be able to respond individually accept our gratitude from the depths of our hearts for your love and well wishes. Note; the hospital has no volunteers moving about the floors to deliver flowers or even cards. As our Rving community knows there is no space whatsoever for flowers in the motorhome. Cards may be mailed to me at my son’s home, please email for the address, this is far to public a place for that information. If you like you could send a gift in Carol’s honor to Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (rpo.org) Temple B’rith Kodesh (tbk.org) or any other place of your choice. Or read a good book and pass it on!
Since my last post Carol has been moved from ICU to a “Step Down Unit” and just now we are told that she will be moving to a general medical unit as soon as a bed opens. Progress indeed. I’ll stop before I get into TMI.
We are looking into rehab facilities for post discharge. I fear that unlike the freedom I have had here to visit regularly, I will not be able to spend much time with her because of Covid 19 restrictions.
I am struggling a bit with the limited time for visitation, once a week for an hour “socially” distanced and no contact, only two people . But as a great wit said, “it is what it is”. Maybe by the time she makes that move things will have lightened up some. For now we are marking time waiting for healing and a bed in the next unit.
I am sitting with Carol in STICU (Surgical Trauma ICU) waiting for transfer to “Step Down Unit” This is good news as she is stabilized and healing. This is her third day in this unit. She has a brace for her back and the rest of the injuries supposedly will heal without any intervention, just time.
She has her phone with her now. Please continue to call me before calling her as she is resting a lot and the staff are around much of the time working with her.
There is not much more to tell. I am splitting my time between the hospital and trying to keep up with the chores on the motorhome, oh yes and taking care of myself as well. This blog has dropped in my priority list a bit. I will try to be a bit more diligent going forward.
Don’t hesitate to email or call.
She just said I should say she is smiling 🙂 indeed her sunny side shows through even as she is lying in the hospital bed. She hasn’t checked her email yet, I’m sure as soon as she can you will hear from her directly.
