Friday: Finally the day of "the meeting"

Redjeb seemed upbeat this morn when I arrived. He'd had his OT and swallowing exercises and PT  had been moved to the afternoon.  So he wasn't wiped out with 2 hours of exercise, like yesterday.

The "meeting" that we've all been waiting for was attended by us and the social worker, the OT (Nina) and the woman in charge of Speech therapy whose name I never quite get.  The end result was that we agreed on Sept 4 as the discharge date.  There are many things to be put in place before then, like aids they will send to the home (bath bench, handle for the tub).  Probably none of that will fit and will just clutter the apartment, but we shall see.  Also followup medical appointments and therapies and visiting nurse need to be set up etc.  And I rationalized that Redjeb would get all this extra rehab staying there longer.

But by afternoon Redjeb told me that he had been thinking and really wanted to get out of there.  I could understand his being tired of the routine there and wanting out of institutions (even though he doesn't remember much at all of the hospital stay).  The head nurse Kelli (who is really sharp and efficient) came into our room and said we looked like we were concerned about something.  For those of you who have not seen R's room it is directly off the nurses/doctor's station.  Should probably have been a nice big office for one of them.  So I'm sure they hear much of what we say and we are always sticking our heads around the corner and interrupting them on the computers.  Medicine today is a lot of entering stuff into computers.

So we talked to Kelli about R's wanting to leave earlier than what the BIG MEETING had come up with.  We were not yet done obsessing about it, at least I wasn't.  Redjeb had probably made up his mind this morning.  In any case Kelli gave me her email address and asked me to email her if we wanted to leave earlier than planned.  She said she thought we could get everything in order on Monday if they knew in time.  She wants me to send her a list of what needs to be done and my concerns.  You would think they would have a list.  I swear I am running some of the unit.  Anyway I'm working on my list.  And tonight I did email her confirming Redjeb's decision for Thursday Aug 29.   That is nice that they are willing to do this after hours and on their weekend time (maybe).   At least Kelli is.  We shall learn on Monday if this can actually happen last notice like this.

So maybe Redjeb will be coming home SOON.

Stephen Jones wrote in the comment of yesterday's blog that he expects Redjeb to dispose of the walker before coming home.  How prescient.  In fact two days ago the PT had him using a cane and wanted just that.  But she resigned and the new person doesn't come till Monday.  So hopefully she'll follow suit.  Today there was a substitute PT for the day, and she reprimanded Redjeb for running too fast with the walker.  He got mad and they had words.  I had to intervene (not something I am usually good at, usually I get into the fray too, but this time my interference got things back on track).  In a way she was right in that she fears that he'll fall and hurt himself the way he goes.  I told him if he runs and falls down and breaks his hip, I'm not coming to the hospital.  Enough already!

One of the nurses told Redjeb in the garden today that he couldn't understand why he hadn't left  the place a week ago. He said in places he worked previously Redjeb would have been sent out of there already.  But here they had to wait for the xrays to be read by the Ortho guy, Dr . Nachamie.

I'm sure there is more to say, but I'm beat.  Took time off this eve and went to a late movie with a friend.  First one in months.  Saw The Butler.  Liked it, very historical about the civil rights movement. Good acting and interesting editing.  Only negative was a bit Hollywoody preachy.  But that was mainly toward the end.

I've decided that once discharged this blog shall end as well.  He'll have a longish road ahead yet, but not worth a daily rant.

Nite.