Mi amor

Frequent, but brief entries will help readers to see at a glance, Lenore’s status and progress. She is now in Somers Manor, located on Rte 100 (1.5 miles south of 100/138, or 1.5 miles north of Rte 35). Her room is B208 and her phone number is 914-232-4075. Please address your comments directly to this posting, which until further notice will follow the opening page, Bulletins

Tue 4.26: This morning Lenore fell to the floor in our dining room and sustained a severe injury to her left hip. She was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital where Dr Evan Karas diagnosed her injury as an Intertrochanteric fracture of the femur. Surgery will be done tomorrow at 7:30am. What complicates this injury is that she also has a Colles fracture of her left wrist and an incomplete fracture of her right knee-cap. Both of those fractures were incurred when she fell on a sidewalk in Somers, on Saturday, 4.16.05, after we had returned home from a post-funeral luncheon, commemorating my sister Mary.

Wed 4.27: Surgery was completed by 9am. Dr Karas assured me that the procedure went well and he anticipates a good result. Although Lenore looks and feels depleted, she and I are very grateful to our family and friends for their concern and support.

Thu 4.28: She was quite depressed this morning, but as the day wore on and visitors began coming her spirits were buoyed. She was able to take a step or two out of bed and that was encouraging. She was given a blood transfusion, to replace the bleeding that occurred during surgery. Plans were made to transfer her on Saturday, 4.30.05, to Somers Manor for physical rehabilitation.

Fri 4.29: Today a carotid artery doppler test was done in order to determine the patency of those two arteries. The physicians want to rule out cerebro-vascular causes for her loss of balance. The tests uncovered no problem. Visits by family and friends continue to raise her spirits.

Sat 4.30: At about noon, today, she was transferred by ambulance to Somers Manor. The trip went well and she was placed in Room B208. Her phone number is 914-232-4075. The facility is impressive. It is fully equipped and staffed by very competent people. Her therapy will begin on Monday, 5.2.05

Sun 5.1: This was a getting used to Somers Manor day. Family and friends are coming from all over. Linda came from Riverhead and Loretta from middle New Jersey.

Mon 5.2: Today she was given her walker and wheel chair. Her physical therapists are eager to get started with her. We are all praying for her speedy recuperation.

Tue 5.3: Got there at about noon. She had her PT and Occupational Therapy earlier this morning. There is usually no therapy scheduled between noon and the following morning. To me, that’s a lot of hours of virtual stagnation. Talked with rehab. They agreed to split her present program into AM and PM sessions. The quicker Lenore can rise from the wheelchair to her walker, the faster she will recover. Yesterday, our neighbors sent her a beautiful basket of attractively arranged "edibles" (grapes, melon slices, strawberries, etc.) A practical good will gesture. We are immensely grateful.

Wed 5.4: Good progress today. She did a lot of walking using the walker. Has no hip pain, but her thigh on that side is a bit swollen from the hemorrhage caused by the fracture. It causes her some discomfort. Dr. Karas assured us it will absorb spontaneously.

Thu 5.5: Very bad day at Black Rock, this AM! They overcorrected her constipation and she became diarrheic. Now imagine yourself with a fractured knee, a fractured wrist, a fractured hip and your bowels on the loose, while you are seated helplessly in a wheel chair and your room toilet is temporarily undergoing major repair by the house plumber. Dear reader, if you happen to have a few blessings lying around, now would be a good time to count them! The afternoon and early evening went well. My daughter Lorna came and got her walking. Lorna could be a super-supervisor at Somers Manor. With her at the helm, Lenore will soon be home.

Fri 5.6: I arrived at about noon. Her morning went well, lots of physiotherapy. She had her lunch in the dining room. When we got back to her room, I helped her stand and we went walking, for almost an hour, thru the halls, using her walker. More good news: as I was leaving, a computer technician told me (and showed me) that the area can now be internet-accessed by visitors with Wi-Fi laptops.

Sat 5.7: A good day all around. Lots of walking, with Lorna and me. Manages in and out of bed fairly well.

Sun 5.8: Glorious Mother's Day! Lots of family, Lenore did lots of walking, everybody upbeat! My grand-daughter Monika received her first Holy Communion today. I asked her "What is that ring that I see glowing around your head?" She whip-snapped right back, "It's my halo!" Looks like God is smiling at us today.

Mon 5.9: Another good day. Physiotherapy, walking and getting in and out of bed better. I walked my first full mile at Heritage since I no longer remember. Let the ball keep rolling!

Tue 5.10: Discernible progress at rehab. In anticipation of Lenore's first weeks at home, I've ordered a state of the art, single sleeper Futon for our den. Fred will dispose of our old sofa with his truck. So, for now at least, we won't need to be concerned about the flight of stairs to the other bedroom.

Wed 5.11: Nine more days to our scheduled discharge date. I had dinner with the Lowthers and my good friend and fellow walker, Bruce Krtl (the only surname I know that doesn't have a single vowel)

Thu 5.12: A most notable day! Lorna and I were able to maneuver Lenore into the front seat of my car with no great difficulty. We drove off the grounds and cruised right to the front door of our house in Heritage. What a morale booster that was for each of us. From there we went to a King Cone Ice Cream place on Rte 35. After indulging ourselves, we made it back to Rehab and Lenore walked back to her room. What a scenario it is possible to write from here!

Fri 5.13: Uneventful day, but progress continues. We'll begin checking for a discharge date. Added another handrail to our flight of stairs at home.

Sat 5.14: Another plus day! We're beginning to plan a re-arrangement of our den, in order for Lenore not to use the stairs to the upper bedroom. Tom, Jim, Fred and perhaps others will help me with the electrical and TV circuitry. We're making the homeward turn, God willing.

Sun 5.15: A day like none other that I can recall! With our car at the curbside of Somers Manor, Lenore was her usual agile, graceful self as she nimbly maneuvered her multi-fractured persona into the passenger seat. In a few short minutes we were in our home in Heritage Hills. Ecstasy was our shared emotion, along with cups of hot Senseo Coffee and slices of Entenman’s Super-special Crumbcake. We returned to the Nursing Home having proved to ourselves that she will soon be home to stay.

Mon 5.16: We met with the Discharge Planner today and scheduled a meeting with the Discharge Committee for tomorrow at 1:30pm. It looks like "D" day will be Friday, 5.20.2005.

Tue 5.17: We met with the Committee. Its reports show that Lenore made substantial progress since her admission to SM nearly 3 weeks ago. She can leave on Friday. That should gladden everyone's heart.

Wed 5.18: If all goes well, tomorrow should be the penultimate day that Lenore will spend at SM. On Friday, God willing, she'll be home.

Thu 5.19: Tomorrow is Home at Last day. When she crosses our threshold, I'll draw the curtain on this daily almanac. I trust it has been helpful.

Fri 5.20: Without further incident, Lenore was discharged and together, we made the happy trip home. As I said before, we can now draw the curtain on this awful and totally unexpected series of major accidents. We are now in recovery mode. From the feedback I've been getting, these bulletins have really helped to keep everyone apprised of her day by day, status and progress. I extend my gratitude to each of you for all your prayers and encouragement. They really helped us to get through this ordeal. We are beholden to everyone of you.