General Update #40

2:10 p.m. - Joyce requested to be taken to the bathroom. Nurses aides arrived to assist. Urine passed, no bowel movement. Joyce was able to pull up her diapers by herself, showing improved balance. Joyce walked to and from the bathroom on her own using her purple walker. Nurse's aides had nurse check urine due to blood being present, Nurse confirmed that was to be expected given the procedure she just had this morning. Joyce settled back into chair ~2:23 p.m. Vitals taken. Blood pressure at 128/82, pulse 88. Oxygen levels at 94% oxygen flow is at 3 litres. Temperature 98.6.  

2:36 p.m. - Karen, case manager, stopped by to visit with Joyce. Had discussed with Good Samaritan, currently aiming to transfer Joyce tomorrow depending on bowel movement happening. Asked Joyce if she had any concerns about going to Good Samaritan or her care in general. Joyce indicated no. Karen told Joyce that she had talked to Dusty earlier about the transfer plan. Joyce signed paperwork indicating that Karen had visited with her. Dana or Bethany will replace Karen as Joyce's case manager tomorrow to assist with discharge. Most likely will be Dana as she was originally working with Joyce. Karen returned and put a copy of the signed form in Joyce's purse.

2:46 p.m. - Blood pressure was checked by Nurse's Aide, Stocker. Reading of 129/82. Blood pressure medication deemed to be working.

3:15 p.m. - Mark from the physical therapy team arrived to check in on Joyce and her energy and pain levels to see if she is well enough to do PT. Joyce informed Mark that she needed to go to the bathroom first and then would be up to PT. Mark summoned nurse's aides to help Joyce with the bathroom trip.

3:21 p.m. - Joyce stood up from using toilet and returned herself to her recliner unassisted (she did not use the call button to let nurse's aide know she had finished). Dusty followed up with Joyce that she was supposed to summon nurse's aide when she was done with the toilet. Nurse's aide also followed up with Joyce about procedure for traveling to and from bathroom. Joyce had thought that Mark was waiting for her to do PT and she did not want to miss out on doing it. Joyce commented that she might've thought she could do more than she should have in returning to recliner by herself.

3:32 p.m. - Mark from PT team returned. Asked if Joyce was in pain. Joyce confirmed and said she could probably use some pain relief. Joyce could not recall why her back was hurting. Dusty reminded her that it was from the fractured vertebrae and two fractured ribs. Mark worked with Joyce on some seated PT exercises.

3:36 p.m. - Jackie arrived and administered Tylenol for Joyce (as it was not time for Tramadol). Joyce stated pain level 7 out of 10 in the middle of her back. Joyce informed Mark that she needed the Tylenol to have some time to work to take the pain levels down. Mark agreed and said he would return later to continue PT. 

3:50 p.m. - Blood pressure checked, 126/76.

Message(s) from Joyce:

Joyce was feeling thankful that she does not have pets. She doesn't have to worry about them being fed or taken care of or missing her for not being home. Joyce indicated that she does have a pet, sort of, the frog that sits over by her refrigerator on the fireplace. It keeps her company. Joyce also figures that the mice running amok in her home could be a kind of pet. Joyce expressed concerns they would be multiplying while she is away, having a veritable party. Dusty let Joyce know he would go and set new traps when he goes out to the farmhouse next week. 

June and Joyce took one big trip to Kansas one year to see Grandma Briney and the three uncles (Vernon's brothers). Vernon had three brothers (Earl, Ellis and Forrest) who lived at home and took care of Grandma Briney. Joyce was probably 11. A whole month was spent there. June and Joyce just rode the bus. Joyce doesn't think people today would think that would be acceptable. Alice couldn't drive back there, or didn't wish to attempt such a big trip with Skip and Kathy. So June and Joyce were shipped of via bus. June was really conscientious financially, she managed the money for the trip that Alice had budgeted. While there, they went to visit the other uncle (Joyce cannot remember his name right now) several times. He got married and he had one daughter, Glorian (sp?). June and Joyce went down with the uncles to go fishing one time in the river that flowed through Kansas. They were sorry to see such a polluted river. The ones in Idaho are so clear, but back there they were just so brown and muddy. The uncles would send Joyce and June a box of Christmas candy every year. Sometimes it would have candy canes in it. Sometimes, in the earlier years, they would put an orange or apple in it and send it to us. One year they sent a necklace as a gift. The one necklace Joyce wears once in a while (pink and white, pearly looking, has stripes through them). Well, it was made for a small child to wear. Joyce modified it so it was long enough to get over her head as an adult and she wears it in memory of them from time to time.  

Joyce thinks about snakes every night. She isn't sure why. She detests them so much. They look ugly and they squirm around on the ground. She even worries that one might've crawled up under her bed. 

Current location:

Gritman Medical Center, Room 202.

Current pain level:
7 out of 10 at 3:54 p.m.

Visiting information:

Currently only 1 visitor per day for Joyce, no exceptions. Once current visitor departs Joyce's room, no further visits for the rest of the day. No swapping out visitors (example, Dusty cannot remain on hospital grounds while Craig goes to sit with Joyce for an hour and then Dusty returns to room).