Hi everyone,
Good news this morning, got a call from Dr. Rosenkranz to say all the reports came back all good and ruled out any of his concerns.
He has confirmed a bed is available and waiting for Chris there now…………BUT, the whole hospital is in Quarantine because of a Norwalk virus out break and will be until they have a three day all clear after the last person is cleared so we wont get any time until then.
Should be in the next couple of weeks though!
I will update as any changes happen bye for now.
Kevin
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
February 19, 2009
Hi Everyone,
Finally good news, Dr. Rosenkranz from the Halvar Jonson Center called me on Monday night and we had quite a talk. All of the questions and concerns have been addressed and a big thanks you to Dr. Diggle for his quick responses and help clearing all of the crap that has been floating around.
Dr. Diggle met with Shelley and I over a week ago to assure us that things we were hearing and getting no answers to was unfounded. He went through CT scans and explained the changes and what was happening. Then proceeded to follow up with letters to the appropriate departments to set things straight.
Let me just say that Dr. Diggle besides being the only real help when needed has been the only source of clear and concise explanations of the goings on to help us carry forward with our rehab plans.
Not much else to report other than Chris has had a lot of coughing and congestion lately and could sure use getting up into his chair twice as often as I can handle if any of you have the time it would be appreciated and the staff if you ask will help get him into the chair, he needs running shoes on to protect his feet on the supports.
Thanks to those of you who can help out.
Should hear end of this week or early next week on the date for Chris to travel to Alberta.
Will keep you informed.
Kevin
Schedule for the Watsu water Therapy:
Mondays at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Wednesday at11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Friday at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
We leave the hospital 11/2 hours prior to each appt and return 1 hour after for those who are visiting. Remember if you want to come and observe let me know ahead of time and we can arrange it.
Thanks for checking, caring and most of all listening.
Kevin
Finally good news, Dr. Rosenkranz from the Halvar Jonson Center called me on Monday night and we had quite a talk. All of the questions and concerns have been addressed and a big thanks you to Dr. Diggle for his quick responses and help clearing all of the crap that has been floating around.
Dr. Diggle met with Shelley and I over a week ago to assure us that things we were hearing and getting no answers to was unfounded. He went through CT scans and explained the changes and what was happening. Then proceeded to follow up with letters to the appropriate departments to set things straight.
Let me just say that Dr. Diggle besides being the only real help when needed has been the only source of clear and concise explanations of the goings on to help us carry forward with our rehab plans.
Not much else to report other than Chris has had a lot of coughing and congestion lately and could sure use getting up into his chair twice as often as I can handle if any of you have the time it would be appreciated and the staff if you ask will help get him into the chair, he needs running shoes on to protect his feet on the supports.
Thanks to those of you who can help out.
Should hear end of this week or early next week on the date for Chris to travel to Alberta.
Will keep you informed.
Kevin
Schedule for the Watsu water Therapy:
Mondays at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Wednesday at11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Friday at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
We leave the hospital 11/2 hours prior to each appt and return 1 hour after for those who are visiting. Remember if you want to come and observe let me know ahead of time and we can arrange it.
Thanks for checking, caring and most of all listening.
Kevin
Monday, February 16, 2009
February 15, 2009
Hello,
Seems to be an ongoing thing of never having complete news or turning events to report happening. But we still have positive results at the pool to tell of and of an ongoing search for other therapies and help, always keeping in mind that healing after an injury like this is a long, long road to walk and patience really is a virtue.
Ponoka for all the hope and expectations has taken a seemingly endless spiral and we are at present hanging on to hope they will not turn Chris away after all this time and effort to get him there.
Interference from the hospital and Laurel Place (where he was to stay in a holding pattern until Ponoka was ready for him) has turned in to a daily battle of getting people to do their jobs or keep their noses out of business for which they have no knowledge or expertise.
I have been taking Chris to the hospital for X-rays after someone reported that Chris was suffering from pneumonia something the X-ray could not prove clearly which may or may not have been needed, there was no one there who could operate the ceiling lifts to get him to the table So I offered to do it so we could get out of there. All this for a questionable pneumonia which mysteriously no one can confirm or deny even after a blood test was inconclusive. It took constant questioning and pushing for a further X-ray to be done (and they could still not operate the lift), which again showed nothing?
Finally the anti biotic was stopped which leaves you feeling it was just easier to throw drugs at it than to take the time to exam and check the person professionally to prove it and treat it properly. Something that Chris was so adamant about that you thoroughly check and exam before prescribing or make rash decisions because it is someone’s life you toy with in every instance.
We again had to transport for the CT scan that the Halvar Jonson centre requested prior to him being given a date for admission. Surprisingly there was no one there who could operate the ceiling lifts to get him to the table.
Oh well it goes on and on the sooner we get out of the system that won’t help the sooner healing can progress
.
Who watches over the goings on in this system of ours anyway, everyone you ask just points the finger in another direction.
A Geriatric doctor from Laurel place made a comment out loud in front of family and staff regarding the CT scan, that Chris was in fact getting worse, which set a week of turmoil with no answers or explanation. The CT scan was forwarded to the doctor in Ponoka and questions came back of possible surgery being needed. After requesting the letters and info from Chris’ chart I was given the run around by the staff at laurel Place and was told that only a doctor could see that information. So I guess I should warn all those who may end up in a hospital that you are not entitled or allowed to see your records or chart only a doctor may look at it.
I did follow up with health records over three days and two visits to get the records I needed it really is a pathetic system we live under.
Shelley and I met with the neurologist here at the hospital and he was flabbergasted at the comments made and the surgery inquiry from Ponoka. He informed us that no surgery was needed and he was writing a letter to the doctor in Ponoka to put a stop to the worry about needing surgery. The Doctor in Ponoka asked if he should keep the bed open for another week, the neurologist here told him if he was holding off because of this scan and it’s content that they should give the bed to Chris as nothing medically has changed since our first contact back in July. But this has not stopped the stalling and now a neurosurgeon consult is being requested.
At the same time this Alberta doctor got a call from a nurse at Laurel Place and after a discussion it was decided that the staff at Laurel Place should test Chris to see how alert he is and report back to him. Again this same staff has reported that Chris was also suffering from pneumonia something they could not prove or justify with testing.
It is quite something to see an LPN walk into room that has no understanding of a brain injury or how what times the patient may be alert and ask him to follow with his eyes or give them thumbs up.
God help me if I need to be in a hospital in Canada!
To watch this is just too much. Some staff is wonderful and caring others you know are there to collect a paycheck. Asking these staff to do this even though they have trouble changing a diaper properly, keep proper records of the patient or administering braces or splints. This place is supposedly an extension of the Hospital, but no one to run it in an orderly fashion or give sensible timely answers or take responsibility. It usually takes most of the week or until the following week because those in charge are away or on days off?
It is this very staff that left his foot braces (that should come off every two hours) on all evening and until 5:30 the next morning creating skin ulcers and large bright red sores that have lasted over a week and has affected his therapy and his use of the foot splints as a result, I have yet to hear an apology. This leads to other questions, we are assured that Chris is checked on every hour and is repositioned every two hours? So when asked how someone could reposition Chris every two hours and not notice two very large and heavy splints or his feet as they have been for the last eight months. There just simply is no answer. Makes me believe when everyone leaves the night shift goes to sleep.
The original letter of acceptance was for a trial visit to see if they could help in arousing or tweaking Chris into a more alert state at the very least provide what our own system should have provided for him. This letter was from the director Dr. Shaun Gray.
So now Dr Gray is out of the Country for 3 weeks and a new Doctor has taken over Chris’s case but is starting from the beginning as if he were a new applicant.
Yes I may have gone off a little, but until you witness the waste and delay and the pathetic excuses coming from our world renowned medical system you really cannot understand the complexity of feelings.
Schedule for the water has changed a bit:
Mondays at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Wednesday at11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Friday at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
We leave the hospital 11/2 hours prior to each appt and return 1 hour after for those who are visiting. Remember if you want to come and observe let me know ahead of time and we can arrange it.
Thanks for checking, caring and most of all listening and maybe the next update will bring surprising change.
Kevin
Seems to be an ongoing thing of never having complete news or turning events to report happening. But we still have positive results at the pool to tell of and of an ongoing search for other therapies and help, always keeping in mind that healing after an injury like this is a long, long road to walk and patience really is a virtue.
Ponoka for all the hope and expectations has taken a seemingly endless spiral and we are at present hanging on to hope they will not turn Chris away after all this time and effort to get him there.
Interference from the hospital and Laurel Place (where he was to stay in a holding pattern until Ponoka was ready for him) has turned in to a daily battle of getting people to do their jobs or keep their noses out of business for which they have no knowledge or expertise.
I have been taking Chris to the hospital for X-rays after someone reported that Chris was suffering from pneumonia something the X-ray could not prove clearly which may or may not have been needed, there was no one there who could operate the ceiling lifts to get him to the table So I offered to do it so we could get out of there. All this for a questionable pneumonia which mysteriously no one can confirm or deny even after a blood test was inconclusive. It took constant questioning and pushing for a further X-ray to be done (and they could still not operate the lift), which again showed nothing?
Finally the anti biotic was stopped which leaves you feeling it was just easier to throw drugs at it than to take the time to exam and check the person professionally to prove it and treat it properly. Something that Chris was so adamant about that you thoroughly check and exam before prescribing or make rash decisions because it is someone’s life you toy with in every instance.
We again had to transport for the CT scan that the Halvar Jonson centre requested prior to him being given a date for admission. Surprisingly there was no one there who could operate the ceiling lifts to get him to the table.
Oh well it goes on and on the sooner we get out of the system that won’t help the sooner healing can progress
.
Who watches over the goings on in this system of ours anyway, everyone you ask just points the finger in another direction.
A Geriatric doctor from Laurel place made a comment out loud in front of family and staff regarding the CT scan, that Chris was in fact getting worse, which set a week of turmoil with no answers or explanation. The CT scan was forwarded to the doctor in Ponoka and questions came back of possible surgery being needed. After requesting the letters and info from Chris’ chart I was given the run around by the staff at laurel Place and was told that only a doctor could see that information. So I guess I should warn all those who may end up in a hospital that you are not entitled or allowed to see your records or chart only a doctor may look at it.
I did follow up with health records over three days and two visits to get the records I needed it really is a pathetic system we live under.
Shelley and I met with the neurologist here at the hospital and he was flabbergasted at the comments made and the surgery inquiry from Ponoka. He informed us that no surgery was needed and he was writing a letter to the doctor in Ponoka to put a stop to the worry about needing surgery. The Doctor in Ponoka asked if he should keep the bed open for another week, the neurologist here told him if he was holding off because of this scan and it’s content that they should give the bed to Chris as nothing medically has changed since our first contact back in July. But this has not stopped the stalling and now a neurosurgeon consult is being requested.
At the same time this Alberta doctor got a call from a nurse at Laurel Place and after a discussion it was decided that the staff at Laurel Place should test Chris to see how alert he is and report back to him. Again this same staff has reported that Chris was also suffering from pneumonia something they could not prove or justify with testing.
It is quite something to see an LPN walk into room that has no understanding of a brain injury or how what times the patient may be alert and ask him to follow with his eyes or give them thumbs up.
God help me if I need to be in a hospital in Canada!
To watch this is just too much. Some staff is wonderful and caring others you know are there to collect a paycheck. Asking these staff to do this even though they have trouble changing a diaper properly, keep proper records of the patient or administering braces or splints. This place is supposedly an extension of the Hospital, but no one to run it in an orderly fashion or give sensible timely answers or take responsibility. It usually takes most of the week or until the following week because those in charge are away or on days off?
It is this very staff that left his foot braces (that should come off every two hours) on all evening and until 5:30 the next morning creating skin ulcers and large bright red sores that have lasted over a week and has affected his therapy and his use of the foot splints as a result, I have yet to hear an apology. This leads to other questions, we are assured that Chris is checked on every hour and is repositioned every two hours? So when asked how someone could reposition Chris every two hours and not notice two very large and heavy splints or his feet as they have been for the last eight months. There just simply is no answer. Makes me believe when everyone leaves the night shift goes to sleep.
The original letter of acceptance was for a trial visit to see if they could help in arousing or tweaking Chris into a more alert state at the very least provide what our own system should have provided for him. This letter was from the director Dr. Shaun Gray.
So now Dr Gray is out of the Country for 3 weeks and a new Doctor has taken over Chris’s case but is starting from the beginning as if he were a new applicant.
Yes I may have gone off a little, but until you witness the waste and delay and the pathetic excuses coming from our world renowned medical system you really cannot understand the complexity of feelings.
Schedule for the water has changed a bit:
Mondays at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Wednesday at11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Friday at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
We leave the hospital 11/2 hours prior to each appt and return 1 hour after for those who are visiting. Remember if you want to come and observe let me know ahead of time and we can arrange it.
Thanks for checking, caring and most of all listening and maybe the next update will bring surprising change.
Kevin
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