[Paddlewise] Larry Sat PM

>From Karen (Larry's sister)





Wow - it's been a week, now (already... and only), and Larry is so much


improved he's ready to be out of there.





Janell just called. She has a release from all doctors except the lung


guy who is reluctant to remove the chest tube because it's still


draining: still about 200cc per day, only not it's no longer bloody but


pink fluid, and it's only draining, not drawing. This doctor may send him


home (to the BR General) with the tube still in place, but he's a bit


concerned about the flight and movement. (Of course, movement is


something Larry's doing on his own anyway, which may be contributing to


the drainage, but more on that coming up.) Not much happens around there


on weekends, Janell said, so she may not even see that doctor until


Monday. There's a chance they may get released tomorrow, though... she's


just waiting to see.





This afternoon Larry came out of the fog and was more himself, remarkably


so. He asked about the accident and was quite coherent. But then the fog


rolled back in and he became confused and agitated again. For example,


sometimes he thinks he's in the boat and asks for a paddle.





He's ready to quit being a patient: 'insists on feeding himself even


though he winds up wearing much of his supper. Today he got out of bed by


himself, crawling out over the rails to go to the bathroom. The nurse saw


him and just about croaked, since he is conncected to all sorts of  tubes


(including the chest tube). He's just not enjoying the patient-like


attention ... would rather be in charge of himself and will be, ready or


not. What a blessing ... to have him coming out of it with such gusto.





Janell is incredible. Larry described once how much he appreciates her


way of just accepting what is, that which cannot be changed, and making


the best of it. Now we are seeing this in a big way. She's doing great,


appreciating things like: the comfort of the lounge chairs in the waiting


room when she can get one because then she gets 7 hours of good sleep;


the comfort of the running shoes Daphne's cousin lent her that felt so


good to her bones compared to her own tennis shoes she'd finally found;


the gift of comfortable shoes Sir & Daphne bought for her today; the


improvement she sees in Larry, especially when he was himself this


afternoon. "There's always something going on around here," she said, "so


I never get bored." Yet, to try to help Larry stay calm and avoid


agitation, she's been giving him space, keeping the lights in his room


low and playing soft music, restricting visits, including her own, when


he shows signs of stress. 





He, likewise, has never complained about the pain anyone else would be


feeling with his broken bones -- he deals with them as best he can. Poor


Larry doesn't want to be in bed -- his butt hurts from sitting and lying


on it so long. Yet the smallest victories wear him out. He's not


quitting. He might be down, but he's far from out, and Janell will


certainly be there to help see him through.





So maybe tomorrow... some real news about their return to Baton Rouge.


Love,


Karen








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