Friday, January 6, 2006 update

Friday 1/6/06
WOW!!!!! It's already the 6th of Jan. It just doesn't seem possible.
I had a very emotional day on 1/4 and 1/5, but it's over now. Kenn
did not move to Middleton Village Nursing and Rehab yesterday like
scheduled. Instead, I moved him across the street to Clearview South
building. Kenn is on 2nd floor in Clearview South. I think his room
number is 236. We are planning to have him there a short time.
A few of the people who will be taking care of him worked
with him on the brain injury wing. They had a discharge party for
Kenn on Thurs. 1/5. He was awake for it and in his wheelchair. They
gave him an award and they also sang to him the song, "For he's a jolly
good fellow." I had told him before this that he was moving across the
street temporarly and why. The nurses noticed how he was looking at me
when I was talking to him and also when Laura, my Case Manager talked
to him he raised an eyebrow at her. They laid him down for a rest
period after the party so he would be rested for the move. When we
walked by the dayroom, I couldn't even say good-bye. Tears were in my
eyes. Quite a few said they will miss him and the family and told us
to come back to visit. We took him down through the tunnel that runs
under the street to the other building, so he didn't have to go out in
the wind. He was sitting in the same room with me after we got over to
the other building and when I was going through papers the other person
in the room also commented on how he was watching me and seemed to be
paying attention to what was being said. He seemed to handle the move
fairly well. We are still working on getting him in the group home in
Portage, where he has more of a chance of recovery. Last night on the
drive home I felt awful leaving him and cried . He was awake when I
left and the way I could read things in his eyes was so neat. You know
how people say the longer they are together they don't need words.
That's the way it is with his eyes. We still have that connection
that is so precious and it's so hard to be away from him so much. I
really miss him holding my hand or his arm around me or his talking to
me. It's been very hard. I talked with a nurse named Brenda, last
night. She was taking care of Kenn. She had taken care of him over on
the brain injury wing. She preceded to tell me that one day when she
was in Kenn's room on the brain injury wing, a CNA who took care of
him alot walked in. She watched Kenn's face light up. She also said
that his eyes followed this CNA around the room when she moved. This
is the same CNA that got him to talk back in Aug. and Sept. I was so
glad to hear this because I didn't know about it. This nurse tends to
think he has some short term memory since he reacted this way to the
CNA. He is responding to people so this is why I want to get him into
this brain injury group home. His brain needs more stimulation than
what a nursing home can give him. Thanks so much for all the extra
prayers that have been sent our way. I'm trying to get him the best
care I can to help him to recover as much as possible. I will be
trying to stay in the Junea area for the weekend to be with him so he's
not sitting alone much.



Carol