Thank you for all the sweet notes of support!

I was moved to a small nursing facility for two weeks of intense physical therapy, to help me regain more of my natural mobility.

The staff at the trauma center was so sweet to me, and sent me off earlier this afternoon.

My new room mate is an incredibly sweet 84 yo woman who is dying of lung cancer. Her nursing staff and doctor don't think she'll make it past spring. She listens to Henry Mancini, lots of beautiful songs I've always liked too.

Sooooooo, I'm lighting a candle for her tonight. And lighting mine again.... And lighting candles for others, too.

:candle: :candle: :candle:

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, you are in our thoughts.

Katz,

I hope the moving part wasn't too painful, and that you continue to heal each and every day. Soon you will be back home and moving forward with your life.

Jesse

Trust me, Jesse, I was in tons of pain but managed to keep my wits about me (sometimes that's a really hard thing for me to do).

Thank you..... thank you for all the support you've been to me. You make my heart smile.... and I love it how you tease me about long orchestrated sentences (LOL).

You're simply wonderful, ((( Jesse ))).

And yes, I will be home soon. One day at a time. Or if necessary, one moment at a time.

--- Kätzchen

Soooo , last night around 10:30 my mom drops an emotionally loaded bomb on me (by text), which led to me talking to another brother, which then led to a nurse following me to my secret hiding place to have this talk with my eldest brother, saying she was checking up on me because ... she overheard my side of the conversation (my voice was increasingly rising , fearful, high anxiety, massive stress overload) which prompted her to take my vitals.

To make it short : my blood pressure was off the charts, she kept retaking it because she couldn't believe what she was seeing, plus on top of it, my bp broke their high tech BP machine.

Quickly explaining why my pressure was soaring; and that moving quickly to my safe location was putting pressure on my fractured lumbar area, was enough to buy time to de-escalste from really horrifying news.

My best friend explained to me that it is probably in my best interest to go on a short term blood pressure management medication, so I can springboard myself to freedom next week.

The saving grace of my day today was not only my best friend but the little 80+ yo lady I share my room with. We listened to classic country music all morning, I fixed her hair, made her bed for her, took care of her so she'd be in good shape when her husband came over to take her out for dinner activities.

She told me today that she's glad we became roommates because no one could ever stay long in her room (she's actively dying each day, it's a heart breaker).

I'm lighting candles for us both tonight and anyone else out there that needs the presence of candle light in their life tonight.

:candle: :candle: :candle:

Today was a really long day..... my health team had its first conference and we submitted our goal planning menu in favor of 4 more weeks of PT/OT, which I might go home by Christmas. Right now, I'm kind of rolling with several ideas on what to do with my apt, in case going home by Christmas isn't a possibility. That's the trouble with being t-boned and having extensive lumbar fractures..... I have mobility impacts that are tricky to work with, but I'm really lucky that my nursing and PT team are looking out for me and planning for the best possible outcome. :candle: :candle: :candle:

Yesterday I was given some good news, which brightened my day and felt like a huge burden life from my shoulders. People on my team have been working around the clock to not only help me relearn simple things to take care of me and improve my balance, so I can go home, but my financial situation improved greatly because my comp claims counselor approved loss of income checks to keep me afloat, until I return to work.

Lots of former employers on campus reached out to me too, as well as my current boss --who has been with me every step of the recovery process. And, my best friend (C ) has helped me navigate keeping my home secure, picking up my mail, etc.

I'm getting closer to being released to go home. Once I am stable enough to go home, then my team will submit post-rehab care with PT so I can work toward stronger endurance of physical activity I once enjoyed before the car crash that nearly killed me.

I'm grateful for each day, grateful for the love and affection of friends and family, and grateful to be present in my dying room mates life. She's a sweetheart and I plan to follow up with her as her life draws to a close. I want to see her off, as she takes off on the wings of angels.

:candle: :candle: :candle:

Hi friend, you have been on my mind. I hope that you are healing well and can return to your life pain free.
Chad

Thank you Chad, thank you so much.

I had several set backs during the week, but kept moving toward goals set by my Physical Therapist (I suspect she's a butch lesbian, very strong, very caring, it's been so nice to have her as my therapist ). Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts for speedy healing. :rrose:

Hang in there friend and fight for your health. I will keep you in my thoughts.
Chad

Today I light a candle for all that are feeling down or depressed due to
the holidays coming....

I light another candle for all that are suffering with an illness or recovering from one.
I don't know you Chad but I hope your getting stronger every day....

Today I got news that next week I will go home.... my best friend (C) will go over to my house and clean out the fridge and get it ready for new groceries. Hopefully my boss will have a lead on an extra set of box springs to get my bed up higher, so I can get in and out of bed on my own at home. I will get to see my dentist next week too, so my fractured teeth will be fixed (steering wheels can be very dangerous).

My nursing and PT team will transfer my care to home health, so I can receive care at home until I am stabilized enough to travel on my own to out-patient PT clinic for followup care to help me return to work by late spring.

I will miss my elderly room mate who's been an absolute jewel of a beautiful soul....she's dying from lung cancer. She never smoked a day in her life, so it's incredibly sad what cancer will do when it takes over your body. I hope to be well enough to come back and see her, before she flies on the wings of angels.

Thank you for all the prayers and good thoughts for my own wellness and recovery since my near-fatal accident while on the job. I appreciate everyone's support on my journey back to wellness.

:candle: :candle: :candle:

Lighting a candle for my family, but mostly my Tx family. My first cousin was killed in a single car accident last night. As little boys we were very close, until both our families moved out of state. Then we grew up and life happens. As you might remember his Mom died suddenly due to complications from cancer back in the Spring.

Tough year

I want to light a candle for my new online friend , Leftwritefemme :rrose:
hope you feel a bit better today.....:cc: :candle::candle::candle:

Hello and happy Thursday to all. :bouquet:


Just wanted to share today that I will be going home tomorrow and am happy to go home. It's been a long 4 weeks of therapy and diligent nursing that has counted toward my recovery and made it possible to go home.

I'm feeling sad for my room mate tonight. Yesterday was a very hard day on her. Her daughter (who also is fighting cancer) and her husband gave her the news that they're selling all their possessions and moving her husband to a less costly home, so they can hurdle the massive expense that will break them financially as her life comes to a close. Which isn't long from now.... this is the last Christmas she will have with family. Worse, she had to sign her final papers in preparation for her funeral.... and to kick start the last of medicaid to help ease the financial burden of dying. She cried all day yesterday. Her husband caved into tears too. He just held her for the longest time.... they've been together nearly 60+ years. Did I mention that my best friend and I couldn't put a finger on how her unusual name seemed so familiar to us? We discovered two days ago that she frequented a salon we both managed, for many years....only to find her here and I being her room mate. It's such a small small world.

I've made a few friends during my stay of recovery and I expect that at sometime in the future, I will most likely devote my time and energy to volunteering in some way to help clients who are long or short term recovery projects.

If you've stayed with me this far, please know how grateful I am for your good thoughts and prayers and energy in wishing the best recovery. I appreciate all of you, so very much.


--Kätzchen--


:candle: :candle: :candle:

Joy, sadness, and goosebumps with all of this combined. I'm so glad you are going home.

I am sorry friend, that sounds really hard and sad. You are in my thoughts.
Stay strong friend,
Chad

Candle
 

My only aunt is having surgery tomorrow. They found a tumor the size of a grapefruit inside her body. She is 78 years old but pretty healthy. I will be thinking of her and wishing for the best. I would appreciate it if anyone else wanted to send some good energy for my aunt.

Thank you, Chad

My aunt made it through the surgery last night. She has a long road of recovery ahead but I think the worst is over.

Thank you for sending positive energy.
Chad

Just to quickly check in, tonight:

Last Friday my therapy session was intensely painful and caused waves of nausea, that it caused me to pass out and experience an extreme vaso-vascular event, which sent me to the hospital. I can't say that I am magically better because I"m not, but my nursing team is rapidly addressing the issue and we have other plans for my health care put in place, as of today.

That said, lol, my weekend was spent elsewhere due to snow, ice and a long power outtage.....so my Cuban Sugarman and I made up for that yesterday. He is the light of my life. He lives to serve me and make me happy by doing all the sweet thoughtful things that just bowl me over. I love him dearly! He makes me smile a cazillion watt smile daily....I've never been so happy or felt so loved or desired. He blows my mind. We're falling in love with each other as the days and nights roll by, and it's all the sweeter, that we found each other like we did.

He's the love of my life. :stillheart: :stillheart: :stillheart:

Anyway, I don't think too far into the future because what is going on with my recovery and our love as it blooms, is all that I could ever ask for ....my dream has come true, and just wanted to share my happiness with friends tonight.

Thanks for all the support and good wishes for wellness.

Ps/ my new friend, Susie is almost over pneumonia and her husband came to see her, weekend before last, so she doing much better. My former room mate isn't doing well, but I've got a plan to try and see her after Christmas .