Update on Jim Robinson's Health [update @ reply 374]

I'm still flat on my back. The pressure sores that sent me to the hospital are almost healed, but still too painful for me to spend much time in my power chair, so I spend all my time in bed. The nurse says the wounds are now just superficial, and should be healed very soon. I do have a new spot on my bottom and on my back, but they haven't become sores yet. Hoping to spend more time in my chair each day until completely healed and to prevent more sores on my back.

My hands and arms are already very weak from muscular dystrophy and they're even weaker now after lying in bed for six months. A physical therapist is working with me on range of motion exercises to get my arms stronger again. And that's very painful, but has to be done.

I can't type on the computer while lying in bed, so I'm using speech recognition software to control the computer. The software allows me to navigate by clicking on any link on a page using voice commands. I can do almost any function using voice commands, like opening/closing files, tabs, etc. I can also click on a reply button and enter short replies, however it's almost impossible to enter anything more than just a few words, because the software makes many errors and it takes a long time to clean that up. Consequently, if I have a long post to enter, I have to call Chris in to type it in for me, as he's doing right now.

But I can do most functions in maintaining the website, and the abuse system. So I spend a lot of time now reading and bumping threads to breaking or frontpage news, and handling the abuse reporting system. One thing I cannot do is cut and paste. For example, when I receive an abuse report and a true title needs to be copied from a source, I need to call in Chris to do it for me. Chris has been a real trooper. Not only is he my primary care provider, but he's been doing all my banking/bill-paying/bookkeeping as well as my entire job while I was in the hospital, and a thousand other chores since I went to the hospital.

For about a week before going into the hospital, I was in a lot of pain. I couldn't focus on my work, couldn't eat, sleep, sit/lay in my chair for very long without excruciating pain. I was also constipated for an entire week, and I knew I was in trouble.

The evening before going into the hospital, I asked Chris and John to lift me into bed because I was in so much pain. But even in bed, there was no relief. I kept calling the boys in every five minutes or so to adjust my position, but I still couldn't get relief. They became concerned, so they decided to take me to the VA emergency room.

In the VA, they suspected that I had blocked bowels and were considering surgery. They put tubes in me to feed me and take out the waste. They also found that one of the pressure sores had gone all the way through to the bone, and that I had a sepsis infection. I don't remember very much about that period, because I was literally out of my mind. These things were told to me later.

Chris says that for the first couple weeks, the VA wouldn't allow visitors or anybody to even talk/see me. This hospital had very strict rules because of Covid. John, Chris, and Amy even considered getting a lawyer so that they could talk to me. The VA finally relented, and allowed them to visit me so they could find out what was going on - they literally had absolutely no idea what was happening to me.

I was pretty much out of it that first week and couldn't remember much, but I remember talking to the surgeon and some doctors. They were actually considering surgery for my blocked bowels, but then they decided let's try an enema. Sure enough, cleared that shit up! No surgery was required.

I also remember I couldn't sleep in that first week, and they were begging me to go to sleep, but every time I drifted off I had a repeat of some recurring nightmares. While I was having these nightmare, I knew they were nightmares, but couldn't wake myself up. I knew how they began and how they ended. And once one began, I couldn't wake myself up until it went all the way to the end.

One of the nightmares concerned a pit bull that was released in the hospital, and I could hear him running from room to room, attacking people and chomping on their bones. I knew when he got to my room (which he never did), he'd start chomping on my feet first and work his way up.

Another recurring nightmare was about being in a hospital run by terrorists, and it had a public side and back side. On the public side, they were nice as can be and took real good care of you. But on the back side, they were mean as hell and liked to torture people.

I also became very paranoid, and while slipping in and out of delirium. I had suspicions about being in a government hospital with government employees. I described some of this to John, and he said, "I don't know what they have you on man, but you are loopy!"

They started feeding me broth, and couple days later soft foods like Jello and ice cream. The best part about being in the hospital is ice cream.

There's a lot more to add, but I'll cut this short. The good news is I'm healing. The bad news is it's going to take a bit more time, but we'll get there.

Thanks for the report:

wounds are now just superficial, and should be healed very soon. I do have a new spot on my bottom and on my back, but they haven't become sores yet.

May God grant you mercy and grace. I have a friend who was hit by a drunk about 25 years ago, and only has limited use of arms and nothing below that. He is on State health, and has been in a cycle of bed sores>hospital>nursing home (locked in for about 6 months) then back to his handicapped apt when and if he has 3 shifts (one overnight to turn you over) covered. But then one by one they soon leave and the cycle begins again.

A better system would be a staff assisted living, where those who can (as my friend) can leave on your power chair after you had your morning care, and come back by about 7. Instead, it is lock up care or home care with indefinite help.

I'm using speech recognition software.. however it's almost impossible to enter anything more than just a few words, because the software makes many errors and it takes a long time to clean that up

I hear you, with my stiff arthritic fingers that land on the wrong key about every 4th word I have tried speech to text software, including Dragon (hate the name) and with a good mic, but as described in this post I have tried DictationBox and found that did about as good as Dragon, but a good mic helps.

One thing I cannot do is cut and paste.

I hope I can help here also. Read the following when you feel up to it, or have Chris. As one seeking to save time I often cut and paste, including from my own past responses where applicable, and copy and paste takes more time. My solution as described here is to remapp the CapsLock key to ctrl+c (copy) - not just to ctrl - which I easily do with an AutoHotKey script, along with the Esc key to ctrl+v, (paste) and NumLock to Esc (I do not play games), and the middle mouse key to ctrl+x (cut)

After installing AutoHotkey, right-click on any empty space in a folder or desktop and go to New > AutoHotkey Script. Then right-click on the resulting file (AutoHotkey Script.ahk) and choose edit in Notepad or equivalent. Once opened, after the top paragraph section that with lines that are prefaced with ; (last entry is "Ensures a consistent starting directory.") then place your commands as separate lines (no spaces needed btwn them though) such as my list below in separate lines. Then add the word return as the last and final line after all the lines you want to place there.

CapsLock::^c
NumLock::Esc
Esc::^v
mbutton::^x
Return.

Above the Return you can also add (in your section) other hot key commands (so that if you paste rstrui.exe in your Run command and het Enter it will launch System Restore) that increase efficiency. For instance you can paste these separate lines above Return (but unlike the key remapping above, these are commands preceded by ::Run and a space:

#3::Run C:\Windows\System32\rstrui.exe
#4::Run RunDll32.exe devmgr.dll DeviceManager_Execute
#5::Run powercfg.cpl
#7::Run control.exe
#8::Run diskmgmt.msc
#9::Run eventvwr.msc
#f4::Run regedit.exe
#!U::Run C:\Windows\System32\appwiz.cpl
#!S::Run services.msc

You can then save the script, then go and right click on the AutoHotkey script and hit Run Script. To make this script automatically run every time you boot up, place a shortcut to your .ahk script in the Windows' startup folder, located at %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.

What the # ^ + ! symbols means is:

# Windows key
^ Ctrl
+ Shift key
! Alt key

Thus in combination:

#+::Run (Win and Shift)
#^::Run (Win and Ctrl)
#!::Run (Win and Alt)
#>+::Run (Win and Right Shift)

One of the nightmares concerned a pit bull that was released in the hospital, and I could hear him running from room to room, attacking people and chomping on their bones

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8)

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalms 55:21-22)

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and continuing support.

Amen. We are all on borrowed time in this world (I am 70). We all must surrender to the Lord Jesus, giving our sins and our life to Him, to be His instruments of righteousness. Thank God for FR which has helped in that and for providing it still. May you get well soon in every way.

Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying. (Psalms 70:2-5)

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