Posted on 02/06/2023 10:19:24 PM PST by Jim Robinson
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.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and continuing support.
God bless.
Prayers for your continued healing!
Jim, you have one hell of a family supporting you. They seem to be on the ball taking care of your needs. They sure are a blessing.
I know that everything will be alright. You’re too tough to die just yet. Take it one step at a time on your road to recovery. God bless you.
Continued thoughts and prayers Jim...hang in there!!!
Prayers for a complete and speedy recovery, Jim.
Adding one more prayer to the chorus, I am sorry to hear that your health has been so poor but at least you are in your right mind which beats 90% of the population (and 80% of the last five presidents).
God bless you Jim!
May God bless you with complete healing, Jim.
Thank God for your and your wonderful family.
Prayers up, and hoping you get back up and running this place again!
Prayers daily for our dear FRiend
HOT TIP ON VOICE-TO-TEXT: USE YOUR MOBILE PHONE FOR IT!
I’ve tried the MS Voice-to-text and the Dragon Naturally Speaking software by Nuance... My Samsung S20 kicks their butts.
If I’ve got anything lengthy that needs voice-to-text I use my phone to start Composing an email in my Gmail account, talk all the way to the end, then save it as a Draft.
THEN I go to my PC, open the browser, open Gmail, go to the Drafts folder and open the email I just dictated. I then Copy/Paste that wherever I actually want it, typically with scant few needed edits; FAR FAR fewer than any PC-based voice-to-text software leaves me with.
Try it.
You’ll like it.
Prayers up for healing.
God bless u!
Wow. You’ve been through a lot. Prayers for continued healing.
Thank you for your detailed update. May God continue to bless you, to provide you strength and perseverance. May speech recognition software make a giant leap in accuracy and capabilities one of these days. Keep the faith.
I used real Manuka honey bought from a farm in New Zealand over 10 years ago for someone with cancer. https://manukahoney.co.nz/
It helped the bed sores. I know there is medical grade honey that Doctors can do a script for but don’t know if it is manuka. HOWEVER...might be an issue for a diabetic
Wow, Jim, that’s a rough road you have been on. So glad to hear you are on the mend. Lord God, let the healing continue and be quick to complete.
Also..there are various rotating beds that are suppose to help with bed sores.
Thanks for the update. Hang in there man. We love you. I had to get a laugh out of the government pit bulls coming for you. You are a hero in more ways than one.
Thank you for putting 25 years of loving attention into Free Republic, Jim.
I learn something new here every day.
Very sorry to hear about the medical issues you are facing.
Everyone at FR admires your fighting spirit.
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