thebes Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Looks like all the good vibrations are having an effect. Good luck for your Dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 And just for fun... My parent's have been eating their lunch at the same local diner every Friday for several years now. It's a small (35 seats) family owned place. The food is freshly cooked (they don't own a microwave) and quite good. Every Friday my M&D order exctly the same thing. Fish & Chips but they both substitute a small house salad for the chips. By the way the fish is excellent. Yes... I've had it MANY times. It has become such a routine that the owners of the diner drop the fish in the frier and begin the salad prep the minute that M&D walk through the door. Here's the "fun" part... Tomorrow (Thursday) Dad is going to be transferred from the hospital post knee replacement to a rehab facility. Friday morning I'm going to call their regular diner and order up 3 fish and chip (with salads rather than chips) "to go" orders and deliver them to the rehab place. This coming Friday would have been the first Friday that they haven't had their "routine" lunch in a very long time. It's my goal to fix that. Cross your fingers that I can actually pull it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungkiman Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Fingers crossed, and good vibes/thoughts have and will be sent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 JHoak: that's a perfect idea. All these good vibes are working. Fingers crossed. Amazing what we can do as a species when we care enough don't you think? Best regards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Jeff, thanks for the update. Hope all goes well in rehab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 I'm on track to do the lunch thing tomorrow. I just have to figure out the lie that lets me sneak out to go pick it up. I wish I could join them (the fish is really good) but I have somewhere I need to be not long after and can't hang around to eat with them. Based on today's facility provided lunch he's going to like it there. Lunch was a nice sized ham slice with red eye gravy, 1/2 a baked sweet potato, a bowl of greens (collard I think - I'm not a greens fan), a cornbread muffin, a BIG slice of Boston Cream Pie, and a glass of iced tea. It all looked very good (except for the greens) and smelled even better. Hell... That's a better meal than I eat 99.9% of the time. They're starting him out with twice a day 90 minute physical therapy sessions. Depending on progress he may go to three times a day in a few days. I've never been in this type of facility either as a patient or a visitor. I was surprised at the amount of high-tech exercise equipment that is within a few steps of every room. All of it is available to Dad any time he wants to use it and the staff actively encourages its use. That's a good thing. My Dad has never been one to just sit around. He has to be doing something all the time. My bet right now is that he'll be busier than ever and having a good time. Yes... There is and will be pain. That's the price of admission. But my guess is that 6 weeks (or less) from now he'll be saying "why did I wait so long to have this done?". Once again thanks for the prayers and good thoughts. I can't help but think the collective "good wishes" of a bunch of folks haven't had a positive effect on his recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 24, 2012 Moderators Share Posted August 24, 2012 I think your right, he will be better than new in no time, great news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 I did manage to pull off the surprise lunch today. It was epic. I thought for a moment that my Dad was going to break in to tears. Twenty minutes or so after I had delivered my Mom to the rehab place for her visit one of their church friends showed up to visit. It was exactly the diversion I needed to slip out unnoticed. I made the short trip to their favorite diner and placed the order. A few minutes later I was on my way back. D@MN my car smelled good... When I got back to the rehab facility Dad was in the bathroom changing clothes. He came out and the first thing out of his mouth is "It smells like food in here". He looks at the wall clock and says "Did they bring lunch early?". I almost busted out laughing when he said "It smells like Randy's (the diner) fish". I had set out both lunches, Dad's on his bed side table and Mom's on the small dresser across the room. When Dad opened the cover on the fish is when I thought he was going to cry. He said "I can't believe you did this". I told him "after all these years of the same Friday meal I couldn't stand for you to miss it for something as trivial as a knee replacement". I think I truly made his day. After all of the years that they cared for me it feels good to give back a little bit. Quite simply the very best $13 I've spent in a very VERY long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 24, 2012 Moderators Share Posted August 24, 2012 Perfect. [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 best wishes for your dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Excellent you achieved exactly what you set out to do. It must make you very proud to see the kind of stuff your dad is made of and don't ever forget tht you are made from exactly the same stuff too. More good wishes for a smooth recovery for your dad. Best regards to both of you and to your mom as well.Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 A quick update on Dad Today marks 1 week in the Life Care rehab facility and 10 days since his knee replacement surgery. By all accounts from the therapists and nurses he's doing remarkably well and progressing at an excellent pace. This morning a staff member (I'm not sure what her actual job function is) stopped by and chatted for a few minutes about his release from rehab. She asked him "when would you like to go home?" His immediate reply was "yesterday". Right this minute it looks like he'll be going home on Saturday. This is GREAT news. If so he'll get to be home for Mom's 74th birthday dinner. Yesterday they took away his walker and he now relies on a cane for the extra support while walking. Even with the cane and the 10 day old knee I think he's getting around better than was before the surgery. Today I took him an old wood cane that we think might have been used by his Grandfather (my Great Grandfather) in his later years. We can't confirm this but if true It's probably pretty "special" for Dad to have it. Once home he'll have regular visits from a physical therapist to continue the strength and flexibility exercises. There has been no word as to how long these will continue. Dad has a follow-up visit with the surgeon next Wednesday. I'm expecting him (the surgeon) to be astonished at Dad's progress. Thank you all for the prayers and positive thoughts to date. I'm certain that the collective "positive energy" from family and friends has eased his pain and accelerated his recovery Please continue to pray and send good thoughts for a quick and pain free (as much as possible) recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Thanks for the update, Jeff. I'm glad to hear that things are progressing well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 It's good that he's on the mend, and has a good son to help out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 I too am very happy that he's "on the mend" and doing quite well. Don't be fooled. I ain't all that "good" as sons go. I just happen to be "available" right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Going back a week and thinking about their favorite Friday lunch Mom and I have hatched a plan. Even though he's on track to be released on Saturday Mom and I are going to sneak him out tomorrow and have lunch at their favorite diner. It's doubtful that the floor nurses would allow it even though he's set to be cut loose the next day. I understand completely. They have their jobs and their orders to consider. Allowing one of their patients to leave the facility is probably NOT one of the things that they're allowed to authorize. I don't care. I mean who's going to miss him for an hour or so. Bringing some "normalcy" to his life means more to me than whatever orders the nurses are under. Besides... What can they do? Go ahead... Sue me for taking care of my Dad. I have nothing... You’ll spend an @$$load in legal fees and end up with nothing at the end of the day. I kind of like the “Mission Impossible” aspect. It’s been a lot of years since I “liberated” someone from a hospital for a few hours. It’s a long story. It was a lot of fun at the time even though it ended up with me getting in a lot of trouble. With any luck at all Dad will once again get to enjoy his favorite Friday lunch and I won’t end up in the Polk County lockup. Here’s hoping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 jeff: kind of reminds me of the seen from the"Big Fish" where the son breaks his dad out of the hospital and has a great high speed cqar chase in his dad's old hot rod and then takes his dad down to thr river where he carries him out into the water in his arms and the next thing you see is a great big fish jumping out of the sons arms into the water and his dad is gone. Great movie to see if you have not yet. Have fun with your great escape. Best regards toy you your dad and your mom, Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I too am very happy that he's "on the mend" and doing quite well. Don't be fooled. I ain't all that "good" as sons go. I just happen to be "available" right now. You come to the forum and ask for prayers for you're Dad, I consider that good.I din't say you were great, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Spend all the time possible with your dad, life goes so quickly by. I lost my dad Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhoak Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Spend all the time possible with your dad, life goes so quickly by. I lost my dad Saturday. Very sorry to hear of the loss of your Father.My most sincere condolences to you sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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