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ARCHIVE OF UPDATES Page 1 2 12/18/08 - 11/16/09 |
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10/17/09 Friends- Forgive my long absences from the computer, and thank you to all our prayer angels who send me those little reminders to keep them posted on Bruce's progress. Bruce is doing well. He still struggles with upper respiratory issues, but we have seen some improvement with the end of the allergy season. His rising weight has been an ongoing mystery to us as he receives the same nutrition in the same quantities every day. However, his weight has climbed to the high 180's and we can't seem to isolate the reason for this. His care angels take his weight every night and it bounces around from 182 to 189 in the course of a few days-. Bruce has been tested for thyroid and other metabolic issues, but all comes back fine. We are beginning to wonder if he doesn't get up at night and eat the candy that I leave in his room for the staff!! He looks great though. He continues to receive support and therapy from many energy healers on a weekly basis. His cranio therapist feels very strongly that Bruce is making progress with healing and making connections in his brain and body. I'd have to agree with him-In late Sept, Bruce had a visit from one of our dear friends, Janet, who has traveled from IN to where ever we happened to be stationed in the Coast Guard for the past 17 years. Although it was difficult for her to see the guy who was her sightseeing guide and shopping buddy for so many years just sitting quietly, unable to participate in the ways he used to, we could tell that he recognized her. And, it was heartwarming when he gave her a big smile. Yesterday after a session, Bruce was tracking 100% with his eyes. He followed me from one side of the bed to the other all day. He was all smiles and laughing last week, and, this past Wednesday, during a coughing session, Bruce's left leg came right off the wheelchair rest and stuck straight out into the air. My first thought was , "Who is going to believe this when I tell them?". Fortunately, a nurse was walking by and saw the whole thing. With each day, I am more and more convinced that we are involved in something truly amazing with Bruce. We have the opportunity to see a person exist some place where not many have been-one foot in the "seen" world and one foot in the spiritual world. He is a link to a miraculous place of love and possibilities far greater than those of which we can conceive with our limited vision and experiences. I so look forward to every little glimpse he gives of this magnificent and loving place. On the home front: With the help of my big brother (my contractor extraordinaire), my younger brother (my muscle and grounds keeper), a few of his friends and sons, the 5 months of house remodel are complete and my home is picture perfect and beautiful. I have met with a realtor, and she will bring me a figure on Monday. If that figure is at all workable, I will be placing Bruce's and my house on the market immediately. I am hoping and praying to sell this one and repurchase a more handicapped accessible home closer to Bruce. I have thrown this entire endeavor up to the Universe. If things work: I'm meant to go. If not: I stay-All will happen as it should. This far, everything has been going smoothly and the path looks clear to go. Please pray that the right buyer will come along quickly and all will move along without too much stress on me or our finances. And, keep us both close in your intentions and prayers during this time. Even though I do not get to the computer much these days, my gratitude for all you continue to send our way is never ending. Know that you are loved and appreciated more than you will ever know. Blessings-Joyce 9/3/09 I have let far too much time pass in writing this updates. So much has happened . Each time I think of writing a short note, I am overwhelmed with too much to tell, that I just don't do it at all!. I last left you with Bruce's continuing respiratory problems. Well, that situation continued for quite some time. As you know, I suspected the carpeting in Bruce's room might be the cause of his breathing problems after that hospitalization and horrible time he had with asthma earlier this year. I had also asked both the Blaire House and the VA for a Cough Assist machine to help Bruce clear some of the secretions that he just couldn't move on his own. From my perspective, nothing much was done on either count, so I purchased several mold/mildew home test kits and threw them under furniture in Bruce's room. After 7 days they grew quite a bit of bad looking stuff. The BH facilities manager (another Blaire House angel) agreed to pull the carpeting from Bruce's room. Although I was told that only new carpeting could be installed, my prayers were answered when the "powers that be" saw the wisdom in putting in laminate flooring instead. Bruce was out of his room for 4 days while the installation took place. He returned to his room, but the smell from the plastic flooring was strong (smelled like a new car) and I knew the mold spores might still be airborne. Bruce continued to have a difficult few days after that. His oxygen levels were dropping for no reason and his congestion seemed to worsen. By Aug 15th, I was uneasy about his condition and finally decided I wanted him to go to the hospital. Just a few minutes after we called for an ambulance to transport him, Bruce had a series of seizures. He was admitted to the hospital and within 4 hours his oxygen climbed to 97% and stayed there for the 3 days he was a patient there. They gave him a thorough going-over with blood work, MRI, CT scans, etc, but were not able to find a cause for the low O2 or seizures. Since the Blaire House Admin had not been successful in obtaining the cough machine for Bruce because...".they needed a doctor's order and didn't have one".... .".they couldn't reach the VA for authorization"........".they didn't know where to find find one"......" a Respiratory Therapist had to administer it and they did not provide those services.".........( Honestly- I don't get this stuff. These don't seem to be insurmountable problems to me, but I guess they are to some.) I thought I would seize the opportunity to use our Blue Cross benefits to get one through the hospital. With the assistance of our lead angel Blue Cross Case Manger who has been with us since day #1, I found the Pulmonologist who had seen Bruce earlier and had her order a test with the machine by the Respiratory staff. Although they were all skeptical that Bruce could work with the machine, they gave it to him and he did great! So the Doc wrote the order while my BC/BS case manager persuaded the hospital case manager to make it happen before Bruce returned to the nursing home, so that Blue Cross could pay for it. Within hours, the paperwork was done, and the machine was delivered to Bruce's room at the Blaire House. Milford Hospital, Blue Cross and I got done in less than 6 hours what couldn't get done in almost 3 months in the nursing home world. (I just don't get it.) Although Bruce was returned to a carpet-less room with his new cough assist machine, he continued to have some problems for the next few days. In an effort to help cleanse his space of all the mold spores, I purchased cleaning supplies with mold/mildew spray from the health food store and wiped down his floor, walls and ceiling 5-6 times in 2 days. I knew that the housekeeping staff was cleaning the room too, so I figured, between us both, we had to get it all. I am happy and relieved to report that Bruce has gradually gotten better, and that his breathing situation is better than it's been in months. I hope he will continue to improve as time goes on. Bruce still gets tons of energy work, and now I can count myself as part of that effort. I have just completed the second level of Reiki (hands on energy healing) and Bruce is my best client. He gets remote Reiki from our angels Terry and Manny; remote healing from Medical Intuitives, Sue and Aaron Singleton; he continues to receive CranioSacaral Therapy from our angel Ed Schaeffer; regular visits, music and communion from all of his angels at our adoptive Trinity church; and he always receives positive thoughts /prayers, good intentions, cards, calls and so much love from all of you - our prayer angels. I live each day in gratitude for all of the beautiful people who have been placed in our path to help us along this journey. Please continue your prayers for Bruce, for me, and for all of his care takers, that they will continue to see him through eyes of love and compassion, and that they will do their very best work in his behalf. Blessings- Joyce 8/9/09 Today marks the second anniversary of Bruce's
aneurysm. It hardly seems possible that it has been that long since I
have heard his voice, his nervous cough, his footsteps coming through
the door or the jingling of that huge wad of keys he carried on his
belt. So much has changed for us both. My dear friend, Rosemari, who
understands grief through her own loss of a son many years ago, wrote
such a moving message to me just yesterday. She has managed to say all
that is in my heart. I want to share it with you all-our prayer
angels-with my unending and most profound gratitude. All glory be to our
Lord God. 7/20/09 Bruce continues to do well. That pesky cough lingers on, but we are working on that with more Cranio Sacaral Therapy and Reiki from our angels. The sun has been out and it finally feels like a New England summer. Bruce and I go out side every minute we get. He seems to like the change , but he doesn't tolerate the heat like he used to, so we make our patio trips short and frequent. Bruce just had a visit from one of our friends from Sitka, AK, Merry Mary. She walked right into his room and began to sing to him- Bruce broke out in a huge smile. We are certain that he knew who she was. They had a great reunion and visit before Mary had to leave. Please know that your prayers are working- Bruce continues to improve every day. He feels your love and it nourishes him. As always, we send our love and gratitude to all those whose love and prayers sustain us. Blessings-Joyce 7/13/09 I am happy to report that Bruce is doing better. He still struggles with congestion in his chest, but he doesn't seem sick any more. He had a wonderful birthday with all his family and a few friends there. Unfortunately, he slept through the entire thing, but we all had a good time for him. I'm pretty sure Bruce does that because he cannot process too much at one time-One on one, he does well, but when there are too many people it gets confusing and he just goes to another place in his mind. (Doesn't sound like such a bad idea, does it?) He woke up 15 minutes after everyone left and he was back in his bed. For those non-New Englander readers, we have had a horrible summer. It has been cold and rainy almost every day. This week has been our first real week of summer. Once the rain (and hail and thunderstorms, and tornado warnings, and overcast days, etc...) stopped, we have been outside every sunny minute which Bruce seems to enjoy very much. He has been receiving Cranio Sacaral therapy every week from his friend and angel Ed. It seems to have lifted Bruce out of his illness and brought him to a lighter place. We have had many "good" days with smiles and sparkling eyes lately. I have been told that the Blaire House Director actually witnessed Bruce responding to one of the nurse's jokes with belly laughter this week. Significant in that I have always sensed that she was a skeptic- a "non-believer" in our stories of Bruce's cognitive improvements. .At any rate, it has been nice to see our Bruce back. He is remarkably focused at times. That is amazing considering that almost all of his brain stimulating medications have been discontinued-It means that he is doing it all on his own. Ed's sessions seem to have calmed Bruce's body as well. His muscle spasms have diminished quite a bit, his digestion has improved and he has become quite vocal making repeated noises frequently. We still have teary moments, but not nearly as many. All in all, these are good days for Bruce. And they are good days for all of us who celebrate his every day with him. Bruce has also been receiving remote healing sessions from Sue Singleton and Aaron. That will be over at the end of July, then he will receive weekly Reiki sessions for his old friends Rev. Terry Andrews and Manny Keefe. They have come to see Bruce and pray with our family several times since his injury, and they have been doing Reiki on him for a long time. With all this positive energy coming at him, I continue to open my heart to a miracle. While things are going well for us, I am reminded that times are difficult for many of those who have sustained us with their presence and prayers. I ask you to pray for a few of our angels: Rev. Mac Murray the pastor of the local Episcopal church which has sort of adopted Bruce, has a sister who has been in similar condition to Bruce. She is nearing the end of her journey, and I ask you to pray for her family as I know the loss will be difficult for them. Also, our dear friend and angel Mr. Dr. Sidhu has received a new heart. Please pray for a smooth recovery for him. He and his family have been through so much. And, I haven't given up all hope of getting him back on board as Bruce's physician someday. I send my love and prayers to you all who have chosen to take this journey with us. I am still touched by the number of email messages, cards, gifts, visits and telephone calls I receive from this posting. We are so very blessed to have you touch our lives in this way. You will never know how much of a support and comfort you have been for me and for Bruce. With gratitude and many blessings- Joyce 6/26/09 I am happy to report that some of the issues with The Blaire House appear to have been worked out (for the time being). I wrote letters to every one I could think of: the Ombudsman, our VA Social Worker and The Blaire House corporate office about my fears that a case was being made to remove Bruce from the facility he is in . Copies of every communication,( including the last bill for $5,250.08), between the Director and myself were sent to all parties. It took me several weeks to get it all done, but I think it was worth it. I felt that it was my responsibility to place the "truth" in everyone's hands-What happened to it after that was beyond my control, and I would be able to live with the outcome knowing that it would be part of God's plan for me and for Bruce. Several weeks later, a note was left for me at the nurse's station explaining that the bill was an error made by the corporate office and the balance was worked out with the therapy company last year. Honestly, I 'm having a difficult time buying that story, but as my wise son pointed out; we'll never know what really happened- the problem "went away"-that's good enough! I am grateful to have that monkey off my back, but the entire incident has eroded my trust for The Blaire House administrative folks, and that is unfortunate. Let's pray that things just get better and better from this point on. In the meanwhile, it has taken Bruce quite a long time to recover from his last hospitalization. The congestion is still around, but better, and Bruce seems to be much more comfortable. I sought out the services of Sue Singleton, a medical intuitive ,about 2 weeks ago, to help find out what was going on with Bruce's recent health issues. For those who don't know, an intuitive can read a person's energy and is able to see/hear/feel (each one does it differently) where there is restricted energy and resulting health issues. It was an amazing reading for Bruce. I was floored by what she was able to know about him. The reading took 1 hour. I don't have room to relay all of it, but I can tell you briefly that Bruce had sustained 9 blows to the chest in his life-Each one weakening his aorta. The last blow was at age 52 and it was the one that weakened it to the point of rupture. He also had a virus involving the heart and lungs and he was still struggling with that virus now. She saw quite a bit of electricity in Bruce that was confusing the communication between his head and body. And, the tears we are seeing are a sadness he brought with him from childhood. But, she told me that Bruce was more aware than anyone knows-perhaps 75-80% aware-He knows who is there and what is being said. She said that he had found a beautiful place to be. That he was experiencing real love for the first time in his life, and he was profoundly grateful for all the love that is being poured into him from every where. Some times Bruce 's tears are because he feels unworthy of so much love from so many. She ended by telling me that Bruce was not going any where-There was nothing in him that was ready to give up. It was freeing for me to finally know for certain how to support Bruce in his journey. And for the first time since August 9, 2007, I leave him at night not worried about him dying. She recommended a few herbal remedies for Bruce's congestion, and brain activity, and she recommended hands-on, Cranisacaral therapy to help release the sadness he feels. Sue and her partner Aaron will be performing remote healing on Bruce for the next several weeks. I couldn't imagine where I would find someone who would be willing to come to a nursing home to do therapy on Bruce, but the universe went straight to work, and with my very first call, I found a wonderful and very skilled therapist, Ed Schaeffer, who saw Bruce this past Tuesday. Ed was amazing with Bruce and I felt like I was in the presence of God watching Bruce respond to him- It was miraculous- a defining moment for me on this incredible journey. Ed will be seeing Bruce on a weekly basis as long as he needs it. God is so very present in our lives these days. I no longer have any idea where we are going, but I am more certain than ever that we ARE going somewhere. Thank you for your prayers, cards, messages, visits, and positive thoughts and good intentions-It all works! Bruce celebrates his life every day, however, he will be marking his 56th birthday on June 30th. His family celebration will be Sunday June 28th from 2-4pm at the Blaire House-You are all welcome to join us.... in person or in spirit. Please know that Bruce feels your love and prayers, as do I. Bruce is living proof that, in spirit everything is possible. Blessings- 6/21/09 A new gallery of pictures has been added to the pictures page. If you have any pictures of Bruce you would like to send, please email them to bruce@supportnstuff.com Or, if you have hard-copies, email your information and I'll email you back with a snail-mail address. I'll scan them in and post them. -Adam 6/5/09 I am relieved to report that Bruce seems to be doing better these past few days. I say this with guarded optimism. He has been having such a difficult time since the Tuesday before his admission to the hospital that we have had to drug him in order to keep him out of pain, and keep from crying all the time. Sometimes I'm sure it's physical pain, other times I'm not so sure. What I do know is that this has been one wicked Spring for Bruce! He was moved back into the private room last Friday and his breathing has been okay there- Just okay, but not nearly as bad as when he was in the hospital-For that I am grateful. On a few of the days last week, I would look at him and see the life sucked out of him-With his new blood pressure meds, he is cold all the time, and those drugs keep him pale and gorked out. It was just awful. But, these last few days I've seen pink cheeks and a few smiles. The nurses told me that yesterday he didn't have anything for pain during the day and seemed better. Today his blood pressure was way low-Never a dull moment with this guy. I don't have a clue what happened to Bruce to send him into this bad spiral- I still suspect some kind of irritant within the Blaire House, but I can't pin down what it could be. One of the nurses had a horrible incident last weekend where she became very dizzy and numb on 1/2 of her body. She had to be taken to the hospital and they never found out what caused it. She was sitting on the Sub-Acute nurses station when it happened. That is where Bruce was when I found him yelling that Tuesday. He misses his buddies there, but I don't allow him to go there anymore except for brief visits with me. As for the administrative issues with the Blaire House, it is only getting worse, I'm afraid. I might have mentioned that I received a written recap of our last meeting and it just shot me right through the heart. It again reiterated what was said in the meeting.... that characterized Bruce(and me) as causing a dangerous situation, monopolizing all the nursing staff, creating a situation where overtime had to be paid to nurses and housekeeping staff, creating a hazard which jeopardized the safety of the entire institution, making demands which interfere with the needs of others, causing the housing market collapse (Only kidding about that one, but you get the point..).... All because Bruce's bed was moved from one room to another. As you might have guessed, it neglected to mention my objections or the corrections I made to some of the misinformation being thrown around that morning. So, I was forced (must replace an untruth with a truth) to respond with that truth.. And, I denied responsibility for that outstanding $5000 bill once again, just for good measure. I am sorry to say that the President of the Corporate office has not returned my calls- That is disappointing. I was expecting more from the owners- But, I have a suspicion he will be involved weather or not he accepts my calls- My letter to him will go out tomorrow. As for me, I don't know weather to laugh or cry most of the time. This kind of thing is exhausting. And what makes it worse is that it is so very unnecessary- Just folks who cannot admit to their own mistakes- Egos-Just the kind of stuff that takes people so very far away from where God wants us to be. Some people just don't understand that integrity is the measure of your Spiritual health, and every eye in the unseen world is on us every single minute- No lie or good deed goes unnoticed. I ask you to pray for me, pray for Bruce and pray for our enemies. Those prayers keep me on my feet and keep me focused on what really matters. Those prayers are bringing Bruce's smile and pink cheeks back into my daily life- Those prayers keep me connected to you and centered in the truth-Those prayers keep the love of Jesus Christ alive and the Holy Spirit ever present- And THAT is what is really important . I thank you for your thoughts and prayers and messages of support. You are loved- Blessings- Joyce 5/24/09 (Note: If you haven't been here for a while, you'll
need to read the previous posting to fully understand this one.) Now, for the bad news: As I was leaving my home yesterday, I picked up the mail. In it was a letter from the Corporate office of the Blaire House of Milford containing a bill for over $5,000 for some Speech Therapy Bruce received about a year ago. To quickly recap that situation: I had asked for Bruce to receive daily muscle stretching from the Physical Therapist because he was having terrible spasms. I agreed to privately pay for this. A few days later the PT passed the task of Bruce's hands on to the OT telling me that Bruce's hands needed more than she felt comfortable dealing with. OT got Bruce's hands in good shape and then ordered splints for him. At some point, the Speech Therapist spoke with Mr. Dr. Sidhu about trial ST on Bruce to see if he could swallow well enough to eat. He ordered it and, just to be sure , she asked me if I was privately paying for that as well. I said "No". As Bruce's Dr. had ordered it, I thought it would be paid for like everything else his physician ordered. Bruce received fabulous Speech Therapy therapy from one of his angels and all sailed along until I got a bill for, if I recall correctly, almost $10,000 for all 3 therapies. I dashed off a letter to the EX. Dir. denying responsibility for both OT and PT, as I had not requested either one of them-I had asked for PT only, but since OT helped to achieve the goals I had set for Bruce, I agreed to pay that portion of the bill along with the PT charges. (I was later to understand that, since OT was considered "needed" by the PT rather than optional, and once splints were ordered, Bruce's OT might then be considered "skilled nursing" and I should never have been billed for it, much less paid for it.-But, I have not actually seen the nursing notes or therapy notes on this, so I did not pursue it further.) I explained that I had been approached about privately paying for ST, and had said "No" to that. I never received a response to that letter, and to this date, believed that the Blaire House had, on some level, recognized their responsibility for their error, although I knew and understood their need to recover anything they could from the VA or any other possible source-Including me, if I decided to cave-in about it.. That outstanding bill was raised by the Ex. Dir on many occasions, and I was very clear to point out that it was a regrettable error on someone's part, but it wasn't mine. I was asked-I said "no", What's not to get? The bill I received yesterday was posted on Friday, the day after our meeting where I told the Ex. Dir. that I had no reason to move Bruce from the Blaire House. My son, the Nursing Home guy, tells me that it looks like the Blaire House is going to use that outstanding bill to remove us by reason of "non-payment". And the dysfunction goes on and on..... It is particularly difficult this Memorial Day weekend to see a service disabled, 30 year veteran, who risked his life, and would continue to do so if he could, for any one of those who have now put matters of the ego, their frustrations with me and/or the system, money, and power above his best interest and continued care. Those of you who knew Bruce before, know how true that is- He had an unmatched sense of duty. It breaks my heart that he cannot advocate for himself, he cannot ask them to stop what they are doing, He can only lie there and respond with little smiles to the place he knows as "home" and the kind people he has come to know as his family. I do so hope the dysfunction stops at the Administration of the Blaire House of Milford, and that my meeting with the Corporate office will bring reason and clarity of thought to the table. Please continue to pray for all concerned-Pray sincerely-Pray every day- Send them love-Ask God to touch their hearts with love. I do believe that prayer changes things, and I know all of our prayer angels have some powerful energy that has moved mountains in the past. If it is to be, it will be. You are always with me; lifting me up when I don't think I have the energy to go any further. Your continued support is sustaining. Bruce and I thank you-Blessings, Joyce 5/22/09 I don't even know where to begin to catch you up on the last several weeks. Bruce was admitted to Milford Regional Hospital on Friday 5/15/09 with difficulty breathing, congestion, and a slight fever. He had started to go "bad" that Monday when I went in to find him sitting in his wheelchair looking out the Sub-Acute wing window, and yelling/moaning. He looked terrible-His eyes were all red bloodshot, his face was red and puffy, he was non stop coughing, and had a slight fever, so we put him back to bed. He had a negative chest x- ray, his blood work was good, but, he was started on an antibiotic and lasix (diuretic), but his breathing/congestion continued to worsen as the week went on. By Friday, he was struggling to breathe. At my request, we went to the ER. After a few hours, many bags of drugs including steroids, he began to improve some. The Doc almost returned him to Blaire, but I asked that he stay for 24 hours just to be safe. I swear my angels were speaking to me when I said that. All day Sat, the distress slowly progressed and by Sat night I was watching pure suffering as Bruce struggled to breathe all night long. I called in Fr. Mac Murray from the Trinity Church and the local Protestant Minister to sit and pray with me-It is torture of the worst kind to witness such suffering, and I thank God for these people of faith and their presence when we desperately needed them. The house Docs (come to find out that Mrs. Dr. Sidhu does not have admitting privileges at Milford Hospital, so we were on the house staff, who, fortunately remembered Bruce from previous admissions) didn't know what was causing the problem. They told me that Bruce's airways were reacting to something, and there were a lot of questions about his lung history. From my old Respiratory Therapy days, I could see that he was having an acute bronchial spasm/ asthma attack. We couldn't imagine why, and there was no stopping it. Bruce's blood pressure was through the roof, the cultures showed a mild blood infection (probable cause of the low grade temp), and, by that time, signs of congestive heart failure. Drugs and breathing treatments were poured into him all night long and all day Sunday. The doctors arrived, en masse, Monday morning. Bruce had a complete cardiac work up , a Pulmonary work up, and CT scans from the stomach up looking for a cause. The CT scan was negative, the cardiac doc reworked Bruce's blood pressure meds and , finally, got that under control, and, even with the onset of c-diff again, Bruce was showing signs of improvement. It took until Mon night for him to have periods of normal breathing. And by Tues/ Weds, he was stable and well. His coloring was back to that of skin (not red) his eyes had stopped tearing and were no longer bloodshot, his face was actually thin, and his breathing was slow, regular and comfortable. (I always feel as though I have won the lottery once Bruce has recovered from some thing like this.). Bruce was returned to Blaire House on Weds a bit after 5:00pm. I thought I might leave by 7:30, but I noticed his breathing begin to change. By 8:ish, his eye began to tear and turn red, and he developed a congested cough. In addition I noticed that my eyes were burning, one of my eyes began to tear, and I had developed a headache. I began to suspect Bruce's room environment might contain some kind of irritant, like mold or mildew, that might have caused his symptoms. The Sub Acute wing had recently had a mold problem that required evacuation of the area for cleaning, just the week or so prior and Bruce had been sitting up there during the day. Now, he was perfectly stable and I had watched his symptoms start to return. And I had a few of my own. Those wonderful BH angels rose to the occasion, as they always have, and although it was one of those insanely, crazy- busy nights, they did what they had to do to get a patient out of harms way. We began to move him to a room that had no carpet, suspecting that to be a likely culprit as Bruce's room had been thoroughly cleaned while he was gone. Once Bruce was out in the hall, his symptoms began to clear up and that was enough to convince me that the room might be a problem. Just as we were about to put Bruce into the temporary room, the Blaire House (BH) bookkeeper came by and put a stop to it. She left Bruce, in his bed, out in the hall while she called the BH Director to report what was happening. Needless to say, a simple 5 minute move involving 2 staff members, turned into a 40 minute fiasco involving many staff members. Two nurses, now, had to talk to the boss on the phone, and several aids who had to watch Bruce while I talked to the boss on the phone, all while leaving a patient , in his bed, blocking the hallway. It was disturbing to know that non-medical Admin folks were able to assert authority over medical situations such as that, and I was angry that Bruce was left in the hallway all that time. Too boot, The "boss" decided to return Bruce to his room and if he worsened, return him to the ER. That is when I got on the phone. I refused, of course, to allow Bruce to be return to a room I suspected might possibly be harmful to him, to which the Ex Dir suggested he be sent back to the hospital. Again, I refused stating that his symptoms had subsided and there was no reason to send him anywhere. She said she had no room to put him in, I said she did. Finally, we negotiated an overnight in a temporary room, and to problem solve the situation the following morning. (Hummmmm-Wasn't that what we were doing before being interrupted?) As I was leaving after 10:00pm, Bruce was getting his evening meds late with bit of nutrition as he hadn't had any since arriving at 5;00ish. (As I mentioned before, it was one of those crazy nights with a lot of medical stuff happening- Although she tried to several times, Bruce's sweetheart of a nurse was tied up with a sick patient, so just couldn't get to him until then.) At the morning meeting, and after I relayed what had happened the night prior,( I don't know why I would be surprised by this), I was blasted with how Bruce had jeopardized the safety of the entire institution by tying up critical staff the night before. I was told that a patient had fallen and nursing functions had gone unfinished because he had monopolized the staff for so long. She fired off a litany of Administrative issues/ obstacles challenges that she faced because of Bruce (and I suppose, my standards for his care), and that she had bent over backward to accommodate me and Bruce. Then she told me that she just didn't feel the Blaire House was the right place for Bruce, and she and the 2 other staff members present began discussing where Bruce might go. I hadn't said one word to this point -If it wasn't such a gross over reaction and a bizarre distortion of facts, it could have been comical. As you can imagine, I did respond. I will spare you the details, as I am certain you can see the absurdity of her accusations as compared with the facts. One that she missed was that Bruce was as neglected as any other patient because of the circumstances of the evening. I was told that from this point on all the previous things we had agreed to: like "If Bruce's move off Sub-Acute does not meet with your satisfaction, I promise I will return him to his old room" (remember that one?); and Bruce will only have sub-acute staff taking care of him; and the one about his sub-acute nurse will be his case manager- All reneged in an instant- Tantamount to punishment for Bruce for perceived sins committed by me. I was told that Bruce was going to be treated like everyone else. Wouldn't it have been so much nicer to treat everyone else like Bruce? What I witnessed was, in my opinion, a threatened woman desperately trying to get her power back from some one, she perceives, has taken it. It was both disturbing and sad. Later that day, I tried Bruce back in the questionable room for a few hours again, but his eye began to tear and he developed a congested cough after 3 1/2 hours. So, we have been forced to vacate his beautiful, spacious room. Now he is in the only room available that has no carpeting. It is a 3 bed ward with about 3 feet from his bed to the wall. There is no place for me to pull up a chair to sit beside him, no tv, no place for most his belongings or his remembrances from home, but he is breathing comfortably, and I am grateful for that. Bruce's previous space was cleaned by housekeeping 2 times. I don't think the BH Ex Dir really believes that there is anything going on in that room-There was certainly no discussion about the reality of that, or investigating that any further. And, I am guessing that the possibility of investigating the presence of a harmful irritant in the private room , eradicating it, and returning Bruce to it as a safer space, is quite out of the question-As that private room was one of those previous "agreements" which are no longer to be honored. So, we are in a big mess friends- I requested intervention from the corporate office (EX DIR's boss) today. I won't hear from them until Tuesday. I desperately need your prayers to help find the right person to help us resolve this situation. There is just so much bad energy surrounding most of the BH Administrators that I have to deal with. I can no longer trust them to their "word" which makes problem solving impossible It has been my experience that without integrity, little good can be accomplished. Mind you that I am NOT referring to Bruce's care takers-They remain our daily angels, always treating Bruce and me with such respect, love and compassion, no matter how much pressure they are under.. I don't know what we would do without them. I fear that a few of them got "reamed" for moving Bruce, rather than praised for solving a problem that might have caused a resident harm. It would be a travesty if that happened to any one of them, but I have a feeling that it did. The stress level for me has been in the maximum zone for a few weeks now, and your prayers/positive thoughts, and support always help me through these difficult times. I know that "This Too Shall Pass", and whatever is in God's plan will unfold , as it should. I pray Jesus Christ keeps me in the truth, and that I do not sink into anger and resentment, but try to love my enemies, as He did. As always, your continual prayers/good intentions, and messages of support are precious to me, and I thank you. Blessings- Joyce 5/16/09 Friends we are in need of your prayers, positive thoughts and good intentions once again for Bruce. After a long healthy spell, he became ill on Monday 5/11 with what we thought were allergies. Throughout the week, he became more distressed with congestion and wheezing. On Friday, we sent him to Milford Regional Hospital where he was admitted and treated for possible pneumonia and possible allergy to on3e of the antibiotics he was on. Things seemed to improve overnight, but began to worsen again the following day. At the time of this update, Bruce is still in the hosp[ital and continues to have some difficulty breathing. They are not yet sure what is causing his issues. As you know, we don't interfere with whatever God's plan is, but suffering is not an option. The doctors are continuing to examine Bruce to try to make him more comfortable and to figure out what's going on. Please keep Bruce in your daily prayers and intentions. Blessings, Joyce. 4/23/09 I am happy to report that Bruce is doing well. He is struggling with allergies as the pollen levels peak in New England, but he still has quiet, comfortable times where he sits up in his wheelchair and smiles or sleeps soundly and well. I am so grateful for those moments when his body and spirit are at peace-He works so hard during his waking moments trying to make sense out of what is going on around him- He never gives up trying. His blood pressure continues to bounce around, but the bp meds he takes seem to bring it down to manageable levels most of the time. Bruce looks good-great, in fact. His weight is about 180, his skin is in immaculate condition, and those beautiful blue eyes are clear and bright. We have been outside on the few sunny/warm days we have had, and it seems to agree with him. I pray that we will have a wonderful summer together. On the home front, my brother is staying with me while he completes some remodeling projects that Bruce didn't get around to finishing before he was hurt. When my brother Jeff is done, I'll have a fabulous, completely working kitchen, and 2 beautiful, completely working bathrooms. My hope is to get our home ready to sell as soon as I can find a buyer. I would like to move closer to Bruce and find a single level home that he could visit. Bruce hasn't been "home" since that fateful day in Aug 2007- Our entire family would love it if he could join us for holidays or family gatherings-It was his most favorite thing to do, and so I am working in that direction. If it is meant to be, it will happen. Regardless of the economy, if I am to move, then I will find a buyer and all will work as it should. If not, than I will accept that. I will go with the flow and know it is God's plan for me and for Bruce. In the meanwhile, I am soooooo ready for sunshine and fresh air; flowers, bugs and sandles- I'll take it all! Our love and springtime blessings to you, our angels. -Joyce 4/13/09 I am happy to report that Bruce is doing well-Not great, but holding his own. Recently, I had a meeting with the Blaire House Administration where we came to an agreement that Bruce's care would be managed by the SUb-Acute nurse and staff. Unfortunately, I could not get them to agree to put Bruce back into his old room (Although I noticed that it is empty right now!) , but I did insist that his care needed to be the responsibility of the Sub-Acute nurse , Ann, who kept him immaculate and well for so many months prior to his move. I am not sure how this is going to work out, but Ann assured me that she would make it work-How fortunate are we to have such a wonderful Angel Looking out for us! The down side is that Ann's mother is very ill and Ann is in Maine tending to her for the next 11 days. We are in a holding pattern until she returns. In the meanwhile, I pray that Ann will work the miracles with her mother that she has worked for Bruce- My prayers are with them both. Bruce had a very nice Easter. It was his brother Glen's birthday, so he and his family spent the day doing "dad's choice" things in Boston. And, Bruce's mom didn't feel up to the drive, but my mother and I spent the day with Bruce in his room watching the classic movie "Easter Parade". The Bruce we all knew and loved would have HATED watching a sappy old musical, but this version of him seemed comfortable, smiled occasionally and drifted off to sleep here and there. Bruce's daughter and his grandson called from Arizona to sent their Easter wishes over the phone. We had a nice long afternoon together. It was sunny and beautiful, but much too cold to go out for a stroll-A good day for a movie. All in all-It was a very nice afternoon. Bruce's classmates.com site has had over 100 visits from his old classmates; all of them thinking and praying for him. I receive an email for one of them almost every week. I am so grateful for their love and support. And, as always, we thank you for your continued prayers for Bruce and for his family. This Easter I find myself so very grateful for all of the blessing bestowed upon Bruce and me. His life is the miracle I witness every day- Truly, all things are possible in Spirit. Easter blessing to you- Joyce 3/24/09 Bruce is holding his own through this very cold Spring in Massachusetts. We think he may have a slight head cold-Something has been going around the Blaire House staff and it is likely that Bruce might have picked it up. He seems stressed and "miserable" at times. His face is reddish and he just looks uncomfortable, but after some pain meds, he is better and drifts off to sleep. Without the Ridlin, his focus is way off. We don't often feel that he is connecting with us-Certainly not to the degree that he used to. It has been a difficult loss, however Bruce's blood pressure has come down some since it has been stopped. We don't see those scary high numbers, but, unfortunately, Bruce's blood pressure remains as unstable as it was prior to the aneurysm 19 months ago. Bruce is still on the West wing in his new room. The folks there seem to be trying harder to make things work, but I'm still pushing for his return to sub-acute where Bruce's care is more closely monitored and directed by his caregivers rather than by me. Bruce's VA clinic visits require a fair amount of planning, scheduling, and follow up requests for clinic reports, then follow through with recommendations. I'm not seeing much energy put into this area of his care, and so I have been doing the majority of the work myself. I continue to find things that are distressing to me like a small cut/sore on Bruce's head, a red mark on his thigh, and pressure marks on his hands or legs from his g-tube valve that was pressed into his skin by accident. These things may not be the end of the world, but they just didn't happen for the year and a half that we were on the sub-acute unit. The Director of the Blaire House and I left it that if things had not improved to my satisfaction by the time she returned from her vacation, Bruce would be put back on the SUb-Acute unit. I don't know if she has returned or not, but my few attempts to connect with the management to make that happen, haven't produced much. I am feeling very drained over this issue. I don't even want to go to the Blaire House because it means another confrontation where I am required to say bad things about people, point out inadequacies and other unflattering things about people whom I see every day- In essence, I have to convince managers that they don't know what is going on right under their noses. It's a reflection on them, and they are reluctant to accept it- I have been put in an awful position and I hate it. On a brighter note, Bruce still pulls through with an occasional smile out of nowhere. Sometimes it's a good laugh and it makes my day-Heck! It makes everyones day. I am looking forward to the mild weather so that we can get back outside into the sunshine. The VA sent out a tech. to put some new parts onto Bruce's stelth-bomber wheel chair. He now has a cupped head rest which holds his head up straight ,and he has moveable leg rests so that we can put his legs up if he has swelling around his ankles. He always seems more comfortable sitting in his chair, so all these new gadgets will keep him in it longer. I am sooooo ready for the Sprig, for sunshine on my face, for leaves on the broken trees n my yard and for the smell of flowers and fresh air: For renewal in general and another opportunity to witness the rebirth of so many growing things. Ahhhhhh yes! Please continue to keep both Bruce and I in your prayers. Your loving energy supports us during these stressful times and I cannot tell you how much it is appreciated . As always, my best blessings to you-Joyce 3/7/09 As promised, I'm back in touch with an update on Bruce and his room-I don't know where to start. I spoke again with the Ombudsman and she told me that she had spoken with the Blaire House (BH) Director, but she felt that Bruce was not going to be moved. She encouraged me to keep addressing the issue of "need" and wished me luck. I have learned that the Ombudsman has no real power or authority to force an institution into doing anything. They can only (strongly) suggest....and, in this case, it didn't work. But, let me take you through this week....On Tuesday 3/3, possibly the most stressful day I can recall in a long time, Bruce had an appointment with the VA wheelchair clinic to add some needed parts to his stealth-bomber chair. It was to be his first trip in the wheelchair anywhere. The VA sent a transport van which Bruce could not fit into. On the second try, the van was adequate, but Bruce's head was flailing around so badly, we didn't make it past the end of the road and had to return with me out of my seat holding Bruce's head until we were safely parked at the Blaire House door- I don't think I'll ever get that image out of my mind. (And, just let me point out that we are currently in dispute with Blue Cross & Blue Shield over a $1500 ambulance bill from 2008 for which they have denied payment stating that they didn't feel ambulance transport was "medically necessary" for Bruce!- I should have taken pictures!) It wasn't noon yet, and my nerves were shot! After a respite lunch with my mother, the Director of the Blaire House came up to speak with me. She seemed distressed that the Ombudsman had been called prior to utilizing the systems she had in place; such as the nurse management, Social Services or herself. She was even more distressed when she heard me rant off with the daily telephone messages I had left for her, the lengthy conversation I had had with her Social Worker, and the many conversations I had had with her nurses and management folks-all prior to the Ombudsman involvement. Not to mention my absolute RIGHT to call in the Ombudsman in the first place. She denied knowing about the telephone messages and the conversation with her Social Worker stating that she hadn't gotten to all of her messages-Seems to me a director should be more diligent about those things, but I'm not the one signing her checks. We talked at length about the problems I was seeing with the quality of care provided by the West wing, where Bruce is now. Again, it appears obvious enough to me that the staff assignment of 2 aides per 23 patients (including the time consuming work of Bruce) was just too much for any staff. In fact, if you do the math on this in terms of hours and minutes, giving Bruce the absolute minimum care, you'll come out with each aide having approximately 6 minutes to spend with each patient each hour-Takes longer than that to get an elderly person into the bathroom. And it does not factor in any "intangible" like, someone who might need extra care, or an emergency-, but she insisted that her people should still be able to handle a patient like Bruce and wanted more time for them to "learn". Apparently, placing Bruce back on Sub-Acute in the private room is a hard-ship on the institution and she really didn't want to do it unless it was absolutely necessary. As you can imagine, this conversation was not what I needed to hear in an already terribly stressed condition. We left it that Bruce would remain where he was for her 2 week vacation, with his sub-acute aides assigned to him every shift, every day. And, if, upon her return, things were not better to my satisfaction, Bruce would be returned to Sub-Acute. As of yesterday, things do seem better...the operative word here is "better", not great, and definitely not the same as our Sub-Acute days, but better, in that I don't find Bruce ready to fall out of his wheel chair, or without his splints, or padding on. And there is more diligence paid on keeping track of Bruce's turning schedule, because it is his sub-acute angels who are back in charge. But, I still see some things that, with time, could be a problem for Bruce's health and well being. And, assigning him his old aides does not address the one nurse per 23 patient issue at all. Please understand what a hard-ship this arrangements on Bruce's Sub-Acute angels. It is very difficult for them to leave their floor to care for Bruce all day, and it is more work for them all around, but they do it with love and compassion for him- I pray they do not get burned out. From what I hear, the staff want Bruce back on Sub-Acute for the same reasons I do-It is better care and staffing for Bruce, better for the nurses and better for the aides-Better all around except for the dollars and cents in the Blaire House coffers. So, keep us all in your prayers. I am feeling caught up in some , if not bad, at least, confusing energy these days. We are in the middle of big issues/disputes/negotiations with the VA Fiduciary, VA wheelchair clinic, VA surgical clinic, VA prosthetics clinic, , BC & BS, AMR ambulance, Dynasplint Systems, and who can forget, the ongoing stresses with Blaire House. All of the issues are huge, time consuming and major energy draining for me. In the meanwhile, our boy, Bruce is having some medical issues. His blood pressure has been sky high-I think from the stress of pain-We don't know where or why, but he has not been his happy self for quite a while. They have been giving the pain meds, but he is not sleeping well and seems to be so preoccupied with pain, that it breaks my heart. In addition, Bruce's Ritalin (focusing medication) has been temporarily stopped because it is suspect to his high blood pressure. This means that over the next few days, we will lose Bruce's little personality-maybe a little-maybe a lot, but he will likely fade back into his pre-Spaulding mental state. Although difficult for me to watch, perhaps a blessing for Bruce during this painful time. I ask you all to help him with your prayers and positive thoughts and intentions. Send him your energy and peace. I know this is just another page in Bruce's story. It's another cycle we're going through on this journey, and it too will pass. But, it is just awful to go though. In the meanwhile, I ask you to lift us up in your thoughts-Carry us for a short time- Until we catch our breath again. Spring is almost here. As always, we thank you for your love and constant support. Blessings-Joyce 3/2/09 I am sorry for my long absence, but there has been
trouble in paradise as far as Bruce's room change is concerned, and that
has pretty much monopolized my time. Unfortunately, the change has not
been a good one for Bruce. Although his new space is quite
nice/roomy/attractive and private, the staffing on his wing is not
adequate for his needs. Every day since the transition, I have found
some problem that was a threat to his safety or skin integrity. Due to a
nursing oversight, Bruce missed his surgical clinic at the VA last
Tuesday where he was supposed to have his g-tube changed- (They
neglected to confirm the transportation even though I called 3 times to
remind them.) I have called the Director requesting Bruce's return
to Sub-Acute everyday since then, but I have yet to hear from her. This
past Saturday, I found Bruce in his wheelchair without his lap board in
front of him and with no kind of restraint to hold him in the chair.
That was the final straw for me. Today, the gloves are off. I spoke with
the local 2/16/09 Some more photos of Bruce were added to the photos page. Click on the link above to view. If you have any pictures of Bruce, email them to bruce@supportnstuff.com If you have paper photos of Bruce that would be nice to post on the site, post a message or send an email to the address above. Be sure to include your email address and I'll email you back with my snail mail address. -The Webmaster 2/12/09 Bruce's room will be changed from #124 in the
Sub-Acute section of the Blaire House to room #128 on Friday 2/13/09
(our 17th Anniversary!). He is still in the "rehab" section of the
Blaire House but not on the sub-Acute floor. For all regular visitors,
you will enter the Blaire House through the front double doors and take
a LEFT as before. Watch on the RIGHT side for room #128 which is about 3
doors down from the sub-acute section. It is a BIG, bright and beautiful
private space with very good visibility from the hallway. This section
of Rehab shares staff with Sub-Acute, so Bruce will continue to have
most of his same angel care-takers. And the sights and sounds will all
be the same for him, as well. We hate to leave the familiar place and
especially, our lead Angel nurse, Ann who has taken such good care of
Bruce for the past 14 months- Change is always difficult- but it is a
good lateral move which gives Bruce a whole lot more living space, a bit
more stimulation and a long term place to be at the Blaire House without
any real compromises in his care or safety. And, to-boot-The Blaire
House has promised that if we are not happy, they will put Bruce back
onto the Sub-acute floor. But, I have the sense that everything will
work out fine. Thanks for all those prayers/positive
thoughts/intentions: They worked again! (And, Happy
Valentine's Day!) 2/10/09 Thank you to all who contacted me with your support for our latest dilemma: A possible room change for Bruce from the SubAcute/Rehab floor to the long term unit. If you aren't up on the situation, please read the last update. In any event, after praying on the matter and asking for the answer to be brought to me, someone at the Blaire House said just exactly the right words to me- That was it! My mind was instantly made up. I decided that it was in Bruce's best interest to stay where he is, and I informed the Blaire House Administration of that decision on Sunday. I have a Family planning meeting tomorrow where I guess I'll hear something one way or the other. It is my understanding that Bruce cannot be forced to change rooms, so I expect all should be well for the time being. Needless to say, Bruce's "dream team" on the SubAcute unit are happy they will not be losing him, and I am very happy to be staying with those who are best able to care for him. Bruce had a barium swallow scheduled for Monday 2/9 which I had to cancel because I was afraid that, with his one ear blocked and the other one infected ,Bruce was not at his best for the test. And, I wasn't feeling so great either, so we are rescheduled for a barium swallow at the West Roxbury VA on 2/18 at 11:00am. Bruce has had aggressive Speech Therapy for many weeks form his angel Tina getting him ready for this test. I think , barring something miraculous, this will be Bruce's last shot at getting clearance to eat via his mouth..... major prayers here folks! We need him to be able to move his tongue effectively and swallow the barium completely without getting any into his lungs. Visualize it, and put it in your intentions and send that energy to Bruce-That is the best we all can do for him. Everything will have been thrown in his favor and we leave the rest to Higher Powers knowing that the right thing will happen for Bruce. On Friday February 13, 2009, Bruce and I celebrate our 17th Anniversary. That is 2 more anniversaries than I thought I would have. I will celebrate the day with Bruce being ever grateful for another year of having my husband with me. The following day, we will enjoy Valentine's Day with our Blaire House family. Then, I'll pack away all my red sweaters until next winter, and do everything in my power to force Spring into my life! I wish Spring and flowers and sunshine for all of you, too. Blessings- Joyce 2/7/09 The winter is full force here in Massachusetts, and Bruce is struggling with "winter stuff " just like the rest of us. He had a cold/flu and now we think he has sinus/ear problems. It is so difficult to pin-point the source of discomfort with him because he cannot communicate, but I and his Blaire House angels watch his behavior carefully and try to determine where the source of the problem might be. He has been grinding his teeth and moving his jaw side to side for a week or more. Yesterday, we had our kind and wonderful nurse practitioner, Richard, look into his ears to find that they don't look so good. Antibiotics are not on the agenda, so, once again we're banking on good old natural medicine to get him well. In spite of what must be painful ears and sinuses, Bruce is giving up some good laughs after his evening dose of Ambien. His cute little nurse Tanya, who has a special place in his heart, told him she was going to sing until he smiled last night, and after 3 verses of "You Are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker style), he couldn't hold it back any longer (Neither could I) We all had a good laugh! How fortunate are we to have such above-and-beyond care! I am so very grateful that the problems Bruce has had have been fairly easy to deal with. I'm praying it stays that way. Currently on my stress meter is a matter the Blaire House has recently laid out to me: It seems that they would like to have Bruce's private room in the sub-acute/rehab section of the facility available for rehab patients who would like a private room-It is the only private room in that area and Bruce has been in it for 14 months. I have the right to refuse, however, they have offered him one of the other 2 private rooms they have on the long term unit. I must note that this is a generous offer in that there are only 3 private rooms in the facility and Bruce's VA contract does not pay for a private room for him. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks which concern me very much:
It's not bad, and some of the problems can be cured, but it's not as good as the room he is in now. Everyone on the long term unit knows Bruce and loves him. I'm sure , in time, they would be "family" too. Adam tells me that they have to make similar moves with folks at the nursing home where he work as well-It's a dollars and cents problem and they just have to do it sometimes. So you can see my dilemma. I do want to be a team player at the Blaire House, but I do not want to sacrifice care and comfort for Bruce. I have tried dowsing for an answer, but I'm not terribly good at that-I keep getting different answers every day. I would appreciate it if you would all pray on this for me. Or, pay close attention to your dreams, or other signs you might get in the next few days-Perhaps one of you will get the answer for me. And, if any of you are gifted at dowsing, perhaps you could dowse the problem for me/ Bruce and let me know. You can call me or send a response via this site-Adam gets all your messages to me the same day you send them. In the meanwhile, I thank you for being there. Often, just the process of putting the information "out there" into the Universe via high energy cyberspace, brings me what I need for Bruce- I just know it will this time as well. And , as always, please keep us in your prayers-It's your direct communication with God, and with God, all things are possible. Blessings- Joyce 1/27/09 After another long absence from my computer, I am
happy to report that Bruce is doing very well. He had developed an
illness about 3 weeks ago, which had me concerned, but everything seems
to be fine now. We are learning that with Bruce on the Ambien, it has
changed the way he responds to things. He seems to be more receptive to
input of all kinds-especially physical sensation. In the past, when he
was very ill, he would moan and groan and show signs of stress
(increased blood pressure and temperature)-All of this only when he was
extremely ill and in horrible pain. We saw this same response, however,
with his recent illness and thought something horrible must be happening
to him. The Blaire staff ordered all kinds of tests and x-rays looking
for the cause, but everything was negative. With time, we began to see
that Bruce only had a chest cold with sinus involvement (which had him
miserable, just as it would you or me), along with a mild Urinary Tract
Infection. Since he is still on treatment for C-diff, 12/30/08 After 7 days of no electricity and 5 more without
heat and hot water, life is finally back to something near normal in
Westminster, Massachusetts-Other than the fact that my yard still looks
like a war zone, and I had to spring for a new boiler (the cold cracked
the old one), I 'm hoping the worst is over this winter. I was
able to get to see Bruce for a few nice long days over the Christmas
holiday. I stopped by to see him just before the Neal 12/19/08 Joyce's power was restored last evening! She is in the process of getting everything in the house truned abck on. All is well! 12/18/08 I am still without power from the ice storm last Thursday, but I see the electric company on my street this morning, so I am hoping.... In the meanwhile, I am bracing for another storm with 6+ inches due Friday into Saturday. With all the goings-on, I haven't been able to do more than a few quick visits with Bruce in the last 9 days. But, his angel nurses and caretakers tell me that his his doing well. Bruce had a short course of antibiotics several weeks ago for a chest x-ray which questioned a pneumonia in his left lower lobe. Although many of us did not think he had this, we couldn't take the chance and gave him the antibiotics. Unfortunately, Bruce contracted c-diff as a result. Initially, he was pretty uncomfortable, but he seems better now. I need to remember that Bruce is so much healthier these days. He can handle these little setbacks so much better then before. And, he gets the best care ever from his Blaire House angels. He smiles and laughs with them all the time. Bruce still receives Speech Therapy from our angel Tina. She is trying to coordinate another barium swallow to see if there has been any improvement. We have seen no movement on Bruce's VA orders, and I just don't know what to do about it. For those of you who do not know, Mr. Dr. Sidhu sustained another heart attack several weeks ago and it is my understanding that it has left him seriously compromised. He is resigning his position as the Medical Director of Blaire House, and giving up his practice. His wife will stay on, but I am not sure we will stay with her. We appreciate her, but she doesn't seem to be as involved as we need Bruce's physician to be. There will be a new physician coming in January and I may consider going in that direction. Regardless, it is difficult and emotional for us to say goodbye to our lead angel Dr. Sidhu. I will always be grateful to him for keeping Bruce alive through those very difficult first few months. Please pray for him. On another front, the VA has just informed me that they had made a $2000 (two thousand) dollar error in Bruce's compensation for the entire last year and will need us to pay it back beginning in February-Just exactly the same month Bruce's disability from the Park will drop to 40% his parting salary. On a brighter note, Bruce's social security and his Coast Guard pension gave us a cost of living allowance totaling $46 a month. (Go ahead and laugh-It really is comical!) Sooooo much to pray for. Please know dear friends, that we are well, our home and comforts are not in jeopardy, and will survive whatever is thrown our way-I am confident in the knowledge that God has a plan for us- We do not need anything this holiday season, but your continued prayers, positive thoughts and very best intentions. You are the best gift ever! With love and blessings -Joyce
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