Five weeks have passed since Sarah's hospitalization and 2 1/2 weeks since she came home. Somehow that doesn't seem to be enough time to contain all of the events, emotions, loss of sleep, strange meals, transitions, fear, pain, relief...but time is curved and relative, we are told, so probably expands and contracts to contain what it must.
Sarah's Thursday visit with her primary care physician was a helpful, normalizing occasion that began the process of having a terrible current medical episode become a more benign-feeling part of Sarah's medical history, just some binary code in her electronic medical record. Unfortunately, the clicking of her new valve and the ticking of her pacemaker make it all very real again whenever one pays attention. Sarah's doctor told her to expect that for each day spent in the hospital about one week of recovery would be needed. That was sobering but very helpful information. As we wonder about her need to sleep and her limited activity tolerance (is there a new health problem? is the infection really under control?), it helps to recognize that her recovery will be a matter of months not weeks. After all, I read today that it has taken Red Sox second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, nearly six months to recover from a small broken bone in his foot! (Suck it up, Dustin, comes to mind, but what do I know?) It was comforting to find that her primary care medical home team really is equipped to help coordinate some of her care as well. In a few weeks, we'll shift her long-term Coumadin therapy management to the local Coumadin clinic.
Yesterday, Seddon and Sarah met with Sarah's case manager from Community Bridges (the area agency serving Merrimack County for individuals with disabilities). They re-assessed Sarah's goals and her annual budget in order to try to utilize some of these resources to meet Sarah's current needs while keeping her longer term objectives in sight. That may result in some additional coverage at home - particularly in view of my up-coming work-related travel demands - three 2 - 3 day trips in the next four weeks.
Sarah, herself, continues to be in good spirits with less and less pain and more vitality. Her color gradually improves as her bone marrow churns out brand new red blood cells. Last night she ordered her traditional Friday night small plain cheese pizza from Constantly Pizza for the first time. And past midnight, she was sitting in bed with a movie running on her DVD player and her computer humming to the tune of her latest essay.
I start to wonder about the life span of this blog. I wouldn't want it to last longer than Dustin Pedroia's. For now, I'll continue to post from time to time out of habit, I suppose, but most of you probably have better things to do.
Sarah's Thursday visit with her primary care physician was a helpful, normalizing occasion that began the process of having a terrible current medical episode become a more benign-feeling part of Sarah's medical history, just some binary code in her electronic medical record. Unfortunately, the clicking of her new valve and the ticking of her pacemaker make it all very real again whenever one pays attention. Sarah's doctor told her to expect that for each day spent in the hospital about one week of recovery would be needed. That was sobering but very helpful information. As we wonder about her need to sleep and her limited activity tolerance (is there a new health problem? is the infection really under control?), it helps to recognize that her recovery will be a matter of months not weeks. After all, I read today that it has taken Red Sox second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, nearly six months to recover from a small broken bone in his foot! (Suck it up, Dustin, comes to mind, but what do I know?) It was comforting to find that her primary care medical home team really is equipped to help coordinate some of her care as well. In a few weeks, we'll shift her long-term Coumadin therapy management to the local Coumadin clinic.
Yesterday, Seddon and Sarah met with Sarah's case manager from Community Bridges (the area agency serving Merrimack County for individuals with disabilities). They re-assessed Sarah's goals and her annual budget in order to try to utilize some of these resources to meet Sarah's current needs while keeping her longer term objectives in sight. That may result in some additional coverage at home - particularly in view of my up-coming work-related travel demands - three 2 - 3 day trips in the next four weeks.
Sarah, herself, continues to be in good spirits with less and less pain and more vitality. Her color gradually improves as her bone marrow churns out brand new red blood cells. Last night she ordered her traditional Friday night small plain cheese pizza from Constantly Pizza for the first time. And past midnight, she was sitting in bed with a movie running on her DVD player and her computer humming to the tune of her latest essay.
I start to wonder about the life span of this blog. I wouldn't want it to last longer than Dustin Pedroia's. For now, I'll continue to post from time to time out of habit, I suppose, but most of you probably have better things to do.
Ah, my friend. Better things to do? Than to have the privilege of learning from your lucid prose about Sarah's improvements, your entire family's fortitude and love, your skills at narrative and the smiles that spring might bring? I think not. Best to all! (What you write, I will read.)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading of Sarah's progress... I will always find time to read her blog.. Thank you for keeping us updated... Hugs to all
ReplyDeleteJean Murphy