Anoother update on our friend who had spinal stenosis surgery...

[CTyankee]

We visited him in his acute rehab facility. I was shocked when I saw him. He was skin and bones and no wonder...he can barely eat! We came at the noon hour because he is having PT morning and afternoon. I cut his meat but he was having trouble using his fork. I ended up feeding him because the guy was looking so awful and must have been hungry. But at least he was up out of bed and dressed.

He is on pain meds which he says make him hallucinate (altho that can happen from lack of sleep -- he has stabbing pains that must interfere with his ability to sleep at night).

His daughter brought him a copy of the famous Rosie the Riveter "We can do it" poster (my avatar here at DU!). It gives him inspiration.

I brought him assorted cookies from the bakery. Hubby brought him a couple of sports articles.

We'll go see him again next Tuesday.

[Hekate]

1. He needs visitors at mealtimes, bcs chances are his full meal tray is being removed without comment

...by some undertrained and overworked aide. Gone are the days when an actual RN charted patients' intake.

As happened with my teenage son. He's now 40 and I still want to spit nails.

He was always thin, but after his spinal tap I noticed he was really dropping weight in the hospital. It was not until I stopped in at an actual mealtime and noticed him lying there with the tray out of reach that I realized something was really wrong. A spinal tap gives you a roaring headache and he could not even sit up. I put the tray on his bed next to the pillow and handed him the fork. He began to eat like a starving man.

That is the short version. I wanted to kill somebody.

[Fla Dem]

2. We should all have friends like you. World would be a better place.

[irisblue]

3. Really true.

[CTyankee]

4. Thank you for the kind words. He is one of our dearest friends and we fret over him.

Since he lives alone he will need the VNA over to his condo for his in home care. We really don't see him leaving the rehab facility any time soon, however. A home health aide will get him showered every day and help him dress. He already hired a woman who does his shopping, laundry and cleaning.

I've already spoken him about assisted living. I think he should do it and pick a place near us so we can visit him and bring him what he needs.

I think it's a fine line of being helpful or just overdoing it. but his daughter can only do so much. She works and has a family at home so our help would take some burdens off her.

At least when my husband had that surgery I was there to take care of him when he came home.

We three are looking forward to Yale fall football season with our tailgate group...