Bill Burkholder
07-11-04, 02:56 PM
Stan was operated on last Thursday and is doing great. Here's an E-mail from Maryann his wife........ Stan get well fast!!! We all hope to see you at a meeting in the near future!!!! Bill
To our Friends and Family:
Thank you for all of the well wishes through e-mails and phone calls. Stan and I appreciate your kindness and positive thoughts.
Stan's bilateral knee replacement surgery performed last Thursday morning at Pennsylvania Hospital went well. His knees are straight, the swelling is minimal, he is off the morphine and epidural pumps and is eating solid food. He has stood up and taken a few steps with the help of a walker. Tomorrow morning he will be transferred to Doylestown Hospital's Rehabilitation Unit where he will have eight days of physical therapy so he can walk, climb stairs, get out of chairs, into and out of cars, etc. (with frequent screaming, he says).
I hope you will enjoy this story that I found so funny. To set the stage, Stan remained in the recovery room for almost eight hours after the surgery on Thursday and was transferred to his room around 6:30 pm. This was the first time I could see him since 7 am and he was seriously drugged and repeatedly fell asleep while talking. I stayed as long as I could, giving him ice chips and water and trying to make him as comfortable as possible. When I returned on Friday morning, he was looking a little better. He was awake for more than a few minutes at a time and was beginning to slowly tell me of his night when "Joan the Social Worker" comes into the room.
Joan introduces herself and says, "It is my job to arrange for your transfer to a rehabilitation center. I understand you wish to go to Doylestown."
Stan nods yes while staring at her with a drugged vacant look in his eyes.
Joan says to him, "Since you took two steps back this morning, I hope we will be able to arrange for your transfer to Doylestown on Sunday as planned."
Stan continues to look at Joan vacantly. I look at Joan to see if she means what I think she means...that Stan had a setback that morning and would perhaps have to stay in the hospital longer. I ask Stan if he was out of bed and walked that morning. He just looks at me vacantly.
Finally, I ask Joan, "Are you saying Stan took two steps this morning or has he had a setback?"
Joan replies, "What do you mean setback?"
I say, "Two steps backwards implies a failure to improve."
Joan says, "I never heard of that."
"You have never heard the saying 'One step forward; two steps back'?", I ask.
"Oh, sure.", Joan says, "I've heard of that."
Ten seconds pass as a confused Joan stares at me, I am still waiting for her to explain what she meant and Stan is vacantly staring at me and then at Joan as if he is at a very slow motion tennis match.
Calmly I ask Joan, "So is Stan failing to make progress or did he take two backward steps today?"
Joan refers to her notes and says, "It says here he took two steps backward this morning."
We both look at Stan. Slowly, I ask again, "Honey, did you get out of bed this morning and take a step?"
"Yeah.", he says, "It hurt like hell."
Thanks again for your well wishes and I will update y'all in a few days. For now, all is as well as could be hoped.
Maryann
To our Friends and Family:
Thank you for all of the well wishes through e-mails and phone calls. Stan and I appreciate your kindness and positive thoughts.
Stan's bilateral knee replacement surgery performed last Thursday morning at Pennsylvania Hospital went well. His knees are straight, the swelling is minimal, he is off the morphine and epidural pumps and is eating solid food. He has stood up and taken a few steps with the help of a walker. Tomorrow morning he will be transferred to Doylestown Hospital's Rehabilitation Unit where he will have eight days of physical therapy so he can walk, climb stairs, get out of chairs, into and out of cars, etc. (with frequent screaming, he says).
I hope you will enjoy this story that I found so funny. To set the stage, Stan remained in the recovery room for almost eight hours after the surgery on Thursday and was transferred to his room around 6:30 pm. This was the first time I could see him since 7 am and he was seriously drugged and repeatedly fell asleep while talking. I stayed as long as I could, giving him ice chips and water and trying to make him as comfortable as possible. When I returned on Friday morning, he was looking a little better. He was awake for more than a few minutes at a time and was beginning to slowly tell me of his night when "Joan the Social Worker" comes into the room.
Joan introduces herself and says, "It is my job to arrange for your transfer to a rehabilitation center. I understand you wish to go to Doylestown."
Stan nods yes while staring at her with a drugged vacant look in his eyes.
Joan says to him, "Since you took two steps back this morning, I hope we will be able to arrange for your transfer to Doylestown on Sunday as planned."
Stan continues to look at Joan vacantly. I look at Joan to see if she means what I think she means...that Stan had a setback that morning and would perhaps have to stay in the hospital longer. I ask Stan if he was out of bed and walked that morning. He just looks at me vacantly.
Finally, I ask Joan, "Are you saying Stan took two steps this morning or has he had a setback?"
Joan replies, "What do you mean setback?"
I say, "Two steps backwards implies a failure to improve."
Joan says, "I never heard of that."
"You have never heard the saying 'One step forward; two steps back'?", I ask.
"Oh, sure.", Joan says, "I've heard of that."
Ten seconds pass as a confused Joan stares at me, I am still waiting for her to explain what she meant and Stan is vacantly staring at me and then at Joan as if he is at a very slow motion tennis match.
Calmly I ask Joan, "So is Stan failing to make progress or did he take two backward steps today?"
Joan refers to her notes and says, "It says here he took two steps backward this morning."
We both look at Stan. Slowly, I ask again, "Honey, did you get out of bed this morning and take a step?"
"Yeah.", he says, "It hurt like hell."
Thanks again for your well wishes and I will update y'all in a few days. For now, all is as well as could be hoped.
Maryann