A New Private Room

Amacker is celebrating 07/07/07 in a new private room that her Wonder-Nurse-Assistant Larry wrangled for her. With a day full of 7s, you can now find Amacker in room C107 -- same directions as before to get there.

Her phone number is: (650) 498-3139

Song of the Day: Summertime

Today is one of those perfect Northern California days... not a cloud in the sky... already perfectly warm. Amacker is going to go exploring throughout the hospital grounds. The gardens are all blooming. It's a good day to get out of bed, for certain.

Her three ghosts (therapy appointments):
11a: Occupational Therapy
1p: Speech Therapy
3p: Physical Therapy

Amacker now takes trips whenever she's up to it. She gets herself in and out of her chair, and we push her where she wants to go. When I came in this morning Larry the Wonder-Nursing-Assistant was washing her hair for her. She was really happy to have it cleaned. She's also a pretty big fan of Larry. I also got a good look at the back of her neck. It's healing up very nicely, and the hair is already starting to grow over the area.

I'm going to spend the morning with her... I can work here just as well as anywhere else, if only she'd shut up every now and then. She's quite the chatter bug.

Today's song fits the day perfectly. Peter Gabriel performing Gershwin's "Summertime."

Last words on the Fourth

Ahem...tap, tap, is thing on?

This is Katy Bell. I am writing at the behest of our esteemed blogmaster Richard, though nervous and reluctant about stepping up to add my voice to what is already a complete and heartfelt account. But here it goes:

Amacker and I had a very long and lovely visit yesterday, most of which Richard has already shared. I pointed out to her that she had now taken up residence in a rehabilitation ward, and that she should be prepared for the commensurate ribbing that comes with the statement (spoken in hushed tones), "Amacker's in rehab."

It was indeed thrilling to hear her voice so clearly, move through a whole day of her routine by her side, see her sitting up in the chair for a few minutes. It was a broiling Fourth of July at Stanford, so we looked for ways to cool down AND be American. We missed the ice cream social down the hall due to a PT appointment, but later in the day Ami Sun brought a festive mini-buffet to the room. We nibbled treats "poolside" while putting flowers in Amacker's hair, feeding her watermelon and threatening to load her up in the wheelingchairdevice to lead our little party outside for bathing in the hospital fountain. She yelled at us for killing all the geese, and I wondered aloud why hospitals do not have bars. It was very much like other daytime parties I've attended at Beanflower, minus a few animals and a lot of vodka.

Best thing: speech path lady asking Amacker a series of "logical questions" as part of a test:
"Does wet paper burn faster than dry paper?"
"If I've soaked it in gasoline, it does."

Worst thing: pain meds wearing off during PT

I will put in a plug for continued visitors. Please do come. I know that some folks were standing off and waiting for the buzz to settle, but it's great to keep her spirits up and continue the healing process surrounded by love, snacks and jokes. Richard mentioned her fears about her life being not there when she gets out. Visits help with this, time will help with this, and then there will be a few things that are different.

When I left the hospital yesterday, I went down to the SRL shop for some work, food and fireworks. This amazing group of people are friends and colleagues of Amacker. I must've told stories of my day at hospital 10 times to different groups of folks, to which they responded...well, I suppose the photos speak for themselves.

We're all going to be waiting with open arms, Amacker.

Song of the Day: America

Amacker and I were discussing the various Live Earth: Concerts for a Climate In Crisis events scheduled for Saturday, and she was lamenting that while these sort of events always have amazing artists, the sound quality is almost always rotten.

And then she got a distant grin on her face and said, "except for David Bowie doing 'America.'" I asked her if she wanted that to be the Song of the Day today, and she said, "Yes!"

And so, by request from her magnificence herself, today's Song of the Day is David Bowie performing live at the Concerts for America, just after the twin towers came down, "America".

How To Navigate To Older Posts

You can still get to older posts. Just click on the posts to the right, and as you go further down, the new pages will show you the older posts. Keep doing that until you get back to the beginning, if you so choose.

Day Dreams and Nightmares

When I visited Amacker this morning she went on and on about what a great day she had yesterday. So many people came to see her -- Fred even flew in from LA -- and all that attention meant the world to her. Thank you all so much for giving her such a great day!

Her schedule today is as follows:
10-11a: Occupational Therapy
1-2p: Speech Therapy
3-4p: Physical Therapy

You can visit during those times, but be prepared to be a cheerleader when you do!

I spent a few hours with Amacker this morning, and helped put her back together after what seems to have been a rough night and early morning. She's having some fairly intense nightmares. She also gets trapped in the semi-awake state, where she wants to wake up and make the nightmares stop, but she is too tired. She even cries out inside her head, but I've been there when she said, "I was calling for you. Why didn't you come." I think she is calling in her head, but nothing comes out. The doctors assured me it's a symptom of the trauma, not the medicine that's causing the nightmares.

She has some fears of abandonment. She has some fears that her life won't be there when she gets back to it. The more I talk to her, I'm realizing that the cat is a metaphor for her whole life -- the beautiful network of friends, and art, and festivals that are everything she loves. She doesn't miss the cat as much as she misses her life. She isn't worried that the cat won't be there when she gets out. She's worried that her life won't be there when she gets out.

Because of those fears, and some very real frustration with slow-moving nurses reacting to her very real needs, Amacker was fairly out-of-sorts this morning. It took a long time of talking to calm her down, but she's much better now.

Verbose

I tried to open the blog on my phone today, and it said the page was too big. To make things a bit more manageable I have broken the blog into 20 posts per page.

Leave me comments if you think that's too many or too few.

Independence

Ami said it best in the comments... Amacker showed great independence on this day with the same name.

I visited Amacker this morning, and her new room is great. It's big, and has lots of light. She's on the first floor, so as soon as she's ready she can take trips around the various gardens. Amacker had many visitors today, and it seems to really lift her spirits. I don't want to take the thunder from anyone who might post about their visit, but the conversations she's having are really accelerating the regeneration of neural pathways. She's really connecting the dots nicely, and her memory both short and long term is more intact than most of the people I know. She might let you know if she gets overwhelmed, but be sure to ask her if she needs quiet or rest.

Right now I'd say that Amacker's mental recovery has pulled ahead of her physical, but she made great progress physically today, too. Other than a PIC line in her arm for medications, Amacker has no tubes in or out, eats what she wants, and makes assisted trips to the loo, etc. She asks to be left alone in there, and does just fine. She's sitting up, and has good flexibility. She's trying to eat more kinds of things each day.

The carrots Amacker is working towards include a full body bath, trips outside, and most importantly the eventual trip home, which several of her doctors and therapists are starting to mention.

When you visit, please help her toward her goals. Engage her to sit up, to eat, and to hop in her rolly-chair. (I hate the stigma of the other word.) Most of the doctors don't seem to mind if you hang out while she's in different therapies, but be a cheerleader!

I guess the overarching message today is that Amacker is making progress by leaps and bounds, and we're all very proud of her!

Where For Art Thou, Oh Amacker

Amacker is now in Room C105a.

If you come in through the rose garden entrance, right near the parking garage, C wing is immediately on your right as you walk in. In fact, you can look in her room as you're walking up.

And if you want to call her, during polite hours, her number is (650) 498-3136.

Song of the Day: America (My Country, Tis of Thee)

Nothing shows independence more than taking your colonial master's national anthem and changing the words to evoke national pride for your newly liberated country.

This particular version has no words, so those of you from the UK will recognize this as "God Save The Queen."

However, many of us today will enjoy our mustard-laden hotdogs (only communists put ketchup on a hotdog), our John Philipa Souza, our magnificent fireworks, and a communal sense of longing for a time when America was a bit more noble in our global policy. For us, this song is about those times.

I will visit Amacker this morning, and then I will celebrate the birthday of my son, who was born 12 years ago today, as the fireworks went off outside the window, in the very hospital where Amacker is making her miraculous recovery. Amacker was there then, too.

One of my father's very favorite musicians and a fellow Texan, Christopher Parkening performing "America (My Country, Tis of Thee)"

A New Room - A New Routine

Tonight Amacker was moved to a new room. (I'm not sure the number, so I'll post it tomorrow.)  This is the room, or at least the type of room, in which she'll finish her stay at Stanford.  It's a long-term care room.  

Tomorrow she will start rehabilitation in a very cool program that only takes candidates with a very high probability of living very normal lives after the program.  It's a big deal that she got in, and I'm happy for her.

Many of you have offered great suggestions on things to take her to eat, things to take her to amuse her, and I just wanted you to know that I'm noting all of them.  I discuss them with her and see what she takes interest in.  Also, with regards to the depression, I assure you the doctors are very aware of it and will treat it as needed.  It's very normal for someone who has her sort of injuries.

We did come up with a great plan for a cat visitation, and it includes a reward to Amacker.  Amacker has been a little less than cooperative with some (understandably) of the caretakers and needs some motivation.  I told her that if she worked at sitting up and going for rides in the wheel chair (something they tried today, but she didn't like much, as she got dizzy right away), then I'd take her down to the rose garden where Don could meet us with Gargamel, her adored cat.

Already Nina brought her Armadillo Willie's Bar-b-que, and Don brought her some beautiful flowers to brighten the room.  Alden taped many of the cards people sent to the windows... we're doing everything we can to make her feel the love you guys all have for her.

Tomorrow I'll post her room telephone number.  She's gotten pretty good with the phone.  She even called me twice today, which shows she's remembering complex things like phone numbers.  We also had some conversations about things we discussed right before the accident, so I think things are coming back to her rapidly.

Song of the Day: Hospital Food

Today's song celebrates (and mourns) the fact that Amacker is eating on her own, and not eating on her own, but has the choice to eat hospital food.  It's also a double-shot.  

From his acoustic iTunes Originals album, and also from studio album Life in Slow Motion, two very different versions of David Gray's "Hospital Food"

Want To Blog About Amacker?

As many of you are now signed up to go visit Amacker, it seems to me that you could give your perspective on your visit and how she's doing.  

If anyone wants to write about their visit and share it, just drop me an email and I'll hook you up with posting rights.

Grey Matter and Nerves of Titanium

I was with Amacker today when a neurologist came by to check out Amacker's cognitive skills and reflexes.  For the most part Amacker is doing great.  Since many of you will start visiting Amacker in the near future, it is necessary for me to inform you about a few of the places she isn't doing as well.

Amacker is missing some of the links between speech and thought.  For example, she cannot spell fairly simple words.  When asked to spell world, she says w-r-d, and looks very satisfied, as if she knows she's correct.  When asked to do it again, she says w.... and simply cannot come up with the rest.  When asked to subtract 7 from 100, she starts talking about how she's always sucked at math.

The fact that her sense of humor is so intact has actually hidden some of the deeper problems.  She uses it to hide what is a difficult reality, and probably embarrassing as well.

Amacker has fairly good motor skills.  Most everything works, except she cannot move her left ankle upwards.  She can, however, wiggle toes on that foot.  More troublesome is the fact that she cannot raise her left wrist.  It is fairly limp.  This is not unexpected, given the clean break in that arm and the inevitable nerve damage that would come from such a break, but when asked to work it, she says, "well, I had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before the accident -- it never works."  Her wrist was painful and weak before, but never limp.

The reason I tell you these things now is because they have implications on your visits.

Amacker has shown no inclination to read and has trouble with memory.  That means reading books and web surfing are difficult for her.  Further, she is very saddened to discover the parts of her brain that aren't working correctly.  As you visit her, be sensitive as to what you ask her to do.  As far as I can tell she has little interest in visual stimulation, though she is asking for audio books, music, and possibly an audio language lesson.  (I know that last one seems stressful, but since she's rebuilding connections in her brain and has plenty of free time, it might be a great time to learn French!)

All that said, you might want to read her your card if you bring one.  You might want to read her a book, tell her stories, talk with her, but don't be surprised if she gets frustrated.   Also know that she has sudden outbursts of tears.  She will focus on one thing in conversation.  Lately it's been how much she misses her cat.  This doesn't mean we should smuggle in her cat to see her.  It's just one of the few things she can really remember clearly right now. Oh, and she sleeps a lot.  Let her.  The doctor explained to me that all of this is fairly common for someone who's been through what she has.

Finally, we don't know about the rate in which she'll heal from these injuries.  The wrist and ankle will require physical therapy and possibly some nerve repair.  The brain will take some mental exercises and time.

Calendar Problems

Right... so, clearly Google calendar is not as easy to use as I hoped.

Here's how to do it now...

1. Go to http://calendar.google.com/
2. Log in with the following user name and password
   
   USERNAME: a@bullwinkle.org
   PASSWORD: Amacker1
   
   If you want to use your own Google account, send me the email address you use to log into Google and I'll give you access.
   
3. In the Calendar view be sure to choose "Amacker's Calendar" by clicking it on the left
4. With the little drop-down arrow, choose "Create Event On This Calendar"
5. Fill out the little event form
   Make sure you put your name in :)
   You might also want to put in your phone number in case someone wants to catch a ride with you
6. Go back to http://amacker.bullwinkle.org/calendar to make sure your appointment showed up.

If you need help, feel free to email me: richard@bullwinkle.org Put "Calendar Help" in the subject and I'll jump on the problem right away.

Four Weeks, Plus a Little

Wow, What a weekend!

I have great news! After four weeks, Amacker is almost ready to start entertaining non-family guests.

Please Read This Carefully!

Here's What to expect:

• She is awake more than she's asleep, but still naps a bit.
• She's got bandages on her leg, her arm (small), her stomach (you probably won't see this one), and on the back of her neck (under a neck-brace).
• She's more lucid every hour, but still not remembering everything from visit to visit.
• She misses her cat, and weeps about it. No Don, you may not smuggle him in. I think she's focusing on some of the simple things she knows to be true, and missing her cat is one of them.
• She doesn't have her glasses, and she's blind as a bat. Don't freak out when she doesn't recognize you or stares through you.

Here are some things I would ask of you:

• Don't focus on the accident. Answer direct questions, but focus on the good things in life.
• Don't focus on the injuries.
• Get out of the way of nurses and doctors who need to check on her.
• Advocate for her. If she needs something, help her get it!
• Remind her to be still and calm.
• Smuggle her healthy things. We all know that hospital food sucks... but you know, be kind to her insides.

Here's how to go visit her:

• Wait until Tuesday.
• Make an appointment on Amacker's Calendar. http://amacker.bullwinkle.org/calendar If you have problems email me.
• Only 2 people at a time. (Thus the calendar.)
• Visiting hours are 11am to 8pm. There is some leniency there, but be overly respectful of the staff if you're out of bounds.
• Stanford University Medical Center - Pasteur Drive, Palo Alto, CA
• She's currently in room 308, but she moves around a bit. Check with the information desk out front.
• Please now address cards directly to her:
  Stanford UMC
  ATTN: Amacker Bullwinkle
  300 Pasteur Drive
  Stanford, CA 94305
  

That's it. The only thing left for you to do is thank whatever power you asked to help her through this. She is going to be just fine.

A big thanks to Edward for some truly amazing photos!