Surprise! I didn't quit blogging :)
I've been dreading this post, so let's just get it out of the way and move on ...to all the more fun drafts I've completed while pushing this topic to the side.
It's been about a month. Probably the longest e v e r for me over here in Atlanta (you read that right, still here! My April trip extended to May and will for sure enter June injust a few days). I tend to shut down and put temporary walls up whenever I'm stressed or something is wrong. It's completely intentional, drives my friends/family crazy, but it's also not permanent; I just like to have my thoughts/feelings/ideas all figured out in my own head before I'm ready to let anyone else in on them. If that makes sense? AND, I don't like to jinx anything - in case jinxing is as serious in adulthood as it was in childhood. Along with double-dog dares and saying Bloody Mary in a dark bathroom three times!
I called 911 on May 1st for Pops. It'd been a week of some kind of stomach virus, so he was already not feeling well :/ But after too many light falls and then some real concerns on his inability to do things he normally does, I told him it was beyond just me helping and I thought we needed the hospital. He doesn't remember it now, but for the record, I did ask his permission and thankfully he knew he didn't feel right and agreed. I knew we were calling an ambulance, but sometimes people like to think they decided for themselves (thank you college psychology!). We spent the whole next week at the hospital - long live shitty food, vending machines & sweatpants.
The beginning was scary. We were told he has two brain hemorrhages but no one knew exactly why it happened or what any long term damage could be. We can just assume that he hit his head during one of those falls and wait for the brain to (hopefully) naturally reabsorb the blood. Even today, we still aren't sure if he'll go back to normal and be able to do most things independently or if we will have a new normal to adjust to.
After the hospital, we were transferred to an acute rehab located in an older wing of a different hospital farther away. Acute rehab focuses on occupational, physical and speech therapy in a hospital setting to assist with any medical issues or needs. I don't like that it's so far away, but I'm so grateful for that kind of healthcare. Where the hospital focused solely on his health and medicine, rehab works at building independence back up. I got so frustrated with the hospital. They were 'trying' a new medicine every day, he was constantly being sedated to avoid trying to get up and get out of bed (even to use the bathroom! One nurse told me she wouldn't help him get up and he needed to use a bed pan. Wait, what!?). They weren't concerned if he ate or not or if he had been sitting in bed for two days straight. I probaby came off as over protective but Granny and I spent all day every day there to help keep him comfortable and Judge Judy on tv at 4pm. It wasn't a horrible stay, but who really loves the hospital, so my opinions are valid! Most of the staff was nice, the cafeteria lady gave me her schedule for the week and I was bringing Pops free dessert from the kitchen as a get well gift from a woman he'd never met. Everyone there was doing their job, but I don't think looking at charts and numbers is all that's needed when something is wrong, so yay for being discharged and on to inpatient rehab!
He doesn't remember the ambulance transport there, but I think that's just because of old age. I knew when he told the paramedics that 'they had the wrong guy because he'd requested a limo', that he's slowly getting back to normal :) The rehab schedule is like a legit part time job. He spends over 4 hours a day, 5 days a week doing all kinds of therapies. It reminds me of a preschool for the elderly - plus spare oxygen tanks and bigger dipaers in cabinets lol, it's kind of cute. The gym has a bunch of yoga balls and colored wooden blocks to work on fine motor skills and ballet bars along the walls to work on muscle strength. It can also be hard on the heart to see people without family there every day. I remind him daily that we're so lucky because so many around him are in much worse conditions. Plus he has one hell of a fan club in Las Vegas and on Facebook/Instagram (THANK YOU!). They say we have another two weeks in rehab but I haven't told him about that yet. I know he wants to be home and Granny and I think the house is too quiet without CNN turned up too loud every morning. Right now we have good days and we have not-so-good days, so with a little more hard work, patience and me telling the doctors we're not about that medicine life....I hope things keep progressing.
Thank you so much to everyone that has thought of and wished/prayed for Pops. I'm lucky my mom has been spoiling Pepper for the last 7 weeks while I'm here, I'm happy my sister flew out to help and I'm glad my grandparents have the neighbor next door who is just as involved as I am. We are some lucky Bartleys aren't we!
P.S. I wasn't there, but if by chance the nurse that tried to give him his medicine crushed into applesauce in the middle of the night may be reading this, we asked if he spit it back out at you on purpose and his exact words were "Yes. She was nasty" ....sorry we're not sorry! Next time just ask him to take a bite instead of pushing it into a sleeping man's mouth. It wouldn't be so messy :)
Like I say, the sun never sets on a badass!
