sleeping better

 Hello all,

 

Just a quick little post to bring everyone up to date.  I am sleeping through the night and not having crazy dreams.  I am on ambien, but ive been on it for awhile and was having nightmares up until the last few nights.  I can say I feel much better now that Im better rested.  I didnt have any appointments today so Heather , Robert and I went to coscto and the exchange, so she could get some navy stuff.  I drove today for the first time, have to start again sometime.  It felt pretty good.

 

Tomorrow I have neurology appointment to figure out why my leg is numb and then Occupational therapy wednsday and friday.  All in all im doing much better every day, still stir crazy and i dont know what I would do if I was home alone.  Thank goodness for my family.

 

PJ

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Medications

 Well as some of you know I've been having anxiety issues in the evenings and havent been sleeping well.  Yesterday I talked to a psychologist and she said with all that has happened so fast, its no surprise I am having he anxiety and prescribed me a medication that will not effect my abbility to return to work and try to keep my mind at ease.  we will see how that goes.  My brain seems to race at night more than any other time and I am sleeping better but have some very busy dreams that keep me tossing and turning.  I am also taking ambien which helps but is not perfect as nothing is.

 

My right hand looks almost normal now, no longer looking sunburned (as much).  My left hand seems to swell more and is stiffer.  My left leg is still numb as well as my left toes, I see neurology on monday to figure that out.  My sister heather got here last night and her and Mom are passing the torch.  Mom was a big help this week getting to my appointments and helping me explain to doctors.

 

All in all everyday is another day and a better day, I cant really complain.

 

Love

 

PJ

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THERAPY BEGINS

 Well, Happy New Year to everyone, hope you had a good celebration. I was lucky that just about all of my friends, TJ, MARIA, Arie, Steve, Jen, Romel, Larry, Lynette, Chad, Steve, robert and his family all came by through the night.  Tara was supreme hostess with her baked Ziti and vgeteable trays, she really made the party.

 

Today we start our physical and occupational therapies.  I have a nurse Russell who is the awesome Lady at Balboa appointment this morning at 9 and then an occupational terapy appointment at 1300.

 

Im bored more than anything.  I dont sit still very well and Im getting stir crazy.  I cant concentrate enough to read a book so we watch alot of TV visitors help to pass the time so please feel free to stop by.

 

LOVE

 

PJ

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Happy New Year For Sure

Well, I can't say enough about the week I had with my Dad out here, I know I could not have made it to where I am without him here this week, Erin came and how I love my sister, now my Mom has the charge and boy is she doing great. I had forgotten that she had worked in a nursing home when i was younger, changing my bandages and cleaning out the burns on my ear is nothing she is a champ. I have appointments on Tuesday with the burn nurse, and occupational therapy that afternoon, then Wednesday morning I get the burn nurse dr. Russell again who is awesome and get fitted for compression gloves, which I think they did at UCSD already, but I keep forgetting to ask Alfreda(case worker at balboa) about it.

Well on this New Years Eve, my thoughts are hold those important to you, do whats right for you and dont forget to tell them you Love them. I am lucky in that my real family is just as strong as my second family. Big Guy makes me smile and laugh like no one else( I am crying as I write this); Romel and Ryan you guys are like my other brothers, I love you guys, Lynette is amazing as is Larry. I just say instead of a crazy party hold those important to you close. make sure they know you love them because you never know. I wish everyone a safe 2007.

Love PJ

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nightmares prevail

 well, I am ome and that is great, however nightmares keep me up at night and make me anxious towards the end of an evening.  i am trying to beat them with an anti anxiety drug but i think its just going to take time.

 

pj

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home

 Well we hit my goal.  I wanted to be home by friday, and I am I made some phone calls wednesday about 3 pm and stirred up the pot to put pressure on the doctors to get the Trachiotomty out and then get me released.  To say they were not Happy would be an underrstatement ; the Navy LT Hutton from Nimitz  especially was able to do in 2 hours what they couldnt do in 6 days.  Dad laughed at me cause i made one phone call and the phones were ringing off the hook.

 

so yesterday morning at 0630 i was dismissed from the rehab hospital to go to balboa hosp for Trach removal.  At the  general surgery clinic, DR. Kinsir had already set up with ENT clinic to pull it out, after much scoping through my nose with a camera.......very weird feeling they verified their was no scar tissue and pulled that LOSER out.  now i have an extra hole in my throat which is healing closed and until then all kinds of fun thins ooze out of it.  i can talk but I have to hold my hand over the bandage where the trach was. 

 

SO then we Met Alfreda Byrd my social worker and a great doctor names shelly williams who i have to go back for followups to get some compression gloves. 

 

I am home and spent the day at Target/SEARS/ lowes yesterday getting all the supplies i need and working on my endurance, nightmares still hound me but im moving forward.

 

LOVE  PJ WHO SLEPT IN HIS OWN BED LAST NIGHT

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Making my Goal

 Well, we had the conference with the doctocrs and rehabbers and they all agreed im ready to go, however I can't leave with this trach stlll in.  i told them i was very frustrated that they couldnt find a doctor to remove a trach in 5 days.

 

well by about 3:15 they didnt have any answers yet so i made some phone calls, dad said i really stirred up  a hornets nest, but loook i want some kind of results. 

 

So I am being released this morning, where I will check into balboa walk in surgery clinic and they will remove the TRACH.

 

Ive reached all my goals this week now i just have rehab and working on my stamina

 

LOVE PJ

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BIG DAY

 Lynette tells me I reallly need to spell check before I post, its not easy typing with grease and lotion on your fingers. JUST KIDDING!!!!!!  Ill concentrate harder and put out a good product.

 

Well activan and ambien my new best friends!!!  I am up early but i slept about 6 hours last night the most since arriving at Paradise Vallley rehab center (sounds like somewhere Nicole Ritchie or othere celebrity would go.

 

ON SCHEDULE FOR TODAY

the Trach doctor is supposed to be back today or they are going to ask for a consult.

we have a meeting witth all rehabbers and doctors at 11

doing the onsite of my apartment so i can be released.

 

Its a really big day, yesterday we did alot of physical and occupational therapy,  my legs are pretty tired today.  well wish us luck and well let you know how it goes.

 

LOVE PJ

 

 

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PJ REPORTS

So last night i had a a battle with the medicine and lost, about 1930 I was hit with withdrawals so  badly, i never guessed withdrawals, was like yir mind going at 400 mph and not knowing wwhat you can do t appease it.    The way im looking at it now UCSD burn unit used some strong stuff to save my life, even though im against pills all together if i need some to be normal until my system is ready so be it.  I havent been sleeping well and the trach should come out tomorrow I may accept the ambien to get a goodnights sleep tonight.   I am one day at a time and things are still looking good for release by weekend.   Well enough for now.  Thanks to Everryone.

 

 LOVE PJ   

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Too much of a good thing...

Hello everyone, I talked to my Dad this morning and our man PJ is trying to take on too much at once it appears. He had a small issue last night going through the withdrawls of the medicine. He has not taken any medicine since he arrived at the rehab facility, and it caught up with him last night. They had to give him a bit of Ativan to help him out, his pulse was racing, he was sweating, and was really having some trouble.

They were supposed to take the trach out today, but they are having trouble getting a hold of the person that is supposed to do it. It may not be out until tomorrow. He wants that out badly! He can't lay on his stomach, and that is supposedly the way he normally lays when he is sleeping. So he is having trouble sleeping with the trach in, and wants it out yesterday!

He walked to the gym today and did some exercise this morning. He will have to do it again this afternoon as well when the PT (Physical Therapist) arrives later. Dad was with him most of the night and then again early this morning to try to help him through it.

That is what I know as of now. Remember to hug your loved ones and tell them you love them.

Chris

FROM the MAIN Man PJ

first of all thank you to larry and lynette for an absolutley excellent time last night, im so glad, for those of you whoo dont know for the last 4 or 5 years every christmas eve , Big guy, Romel and very others have all congregated at Larry and Lynettes(two of the most fabuolous people Ive ever met) For Hor's de oures. It was an absolute excellent occcasion that i got the three hor pass, i laughed and had such a good time. Thanks dad for making that happen

Secondly THANKS to all the support over the last 6 weeeks while i have been in the coma and drugged beyond my blief. I make the nurse go through every pill every day. Im not sleeping so well and they keep trying to give me a sleeping pill. If I need a pill to sleep i dont need to sleep, sheesh ive been sleeping for a month!!!! Ive been rehab hospital at Paradise Valley since Friday and its ok, some crazy dreams I hate being in this room alone at night. I stopped taking the pain pill, becuase I HAVE NO PAIN!!!!! The nusrses are all learning that i dont just take pills, I have kept taking the blood pressure medicine (however last night they wouldnt give to me because my blood pressure was so good.

MY GOALS: get this trach out, with xmas holiday its a ghost town so im stuck with it and its useless
Get home by Friday.



ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO ALL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT AS I AM REALLY MOVING NOW!!!

FA RA RA RA RA RA RA RA RA....

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope everyone has had a great holiday. We will see how many get the Title and what it is referring to. I talked to Dad last night, and it appears that PJ was able to make his first trip out on the town last night. PJ was given a 3 hour pass yesterday and was able to go over to Larry and Lynettes for Christmas Eve last night. Dad and PJ were allowed to go over about 6:15 last night and allow PJ to continue in the Christmas Eve tradition that we read about in a previous blog.

PJ is also no longer with a patch over his eye. He was having difficulty focusing with his left eye, so they put a patch over his right eye to allow his muscles to work more and help his eyes to focus. That is no longer the case according to the Christmas Eve report that I received. PJ is also going to be off the Methadone by today if he isn't already. He is still given an anxiety pill, but PJ has said that he hasn't taken that in a while. The doctors are as pleased as they can be with the progress that PJ is making. I am sure that getting to go out last night was a big boost in his spirits!

I was able to talk to him again yesterday, and boy was he busy. He was doing about 6 things at one time and going 100 miles per hour. He was trying to get his laptop fixed, so he would talk to me for a minute and then say, "I can't get the mouse to work!" Then he would say, "How did you like riding in my jeep." Then, "I need to get the drivers for the card." It was great, he was trying to get back into the swing of things and, it seemed, getting a bit frustrated doing it. Then just as quick as the conversation started, it ended. "OK, I am going to go now." I was so happy to get to talk to him, and he sounds like he is doing great!

He is ready for the trach to come out. Dad tells me that the doctors are thinking that Tuesday (Tomorrow) he may get the trach out. He wants that out in the worse possible way. He sounded even stronger yesterday than the day before, and makes great progress every day it appears.

Merry Christmas everyone! I can honestly say this is one of the best Christmas's that we have had in a long time. The kids are having so much fun, and we are really blessed to be where we are. It is sad that sometimes it takes an event like this to make you really appreciate what you have in your life and how fortunate you are. I love you brother, and don't ever doubt that!

Hug your loved ones, and tell them you love them.

Chris

Big gifts come in small packages...

Hello everyone, sorry I didn't post last night, long evening. Well I got the best Christmas present ever yesterday. I was able to talk to PJ! I had a good 5 minute conversation with him and it was great to hear his voice. My dad put me on speaker phone, and I put the girls and Diane on speakerphone also. The girls were able to tell him they love him and they can't wait to see him. He said, "I think I might be a little late getting you Christmas presents!" Just like PJ, first thing he starts doing is thinking of other people. The girls told him that talking to you is the best Christmas present that they could get. He asked me how I liked his house when I was out there and that he was sorry that I had to use vacation to come out there. I told him that I didn't have to use vacation, and that as far as I am concerned his house is the best one he has had in San Diego that I have seen.

He was a bit tired, but very much coherent. He said that his hands and arms are burnt to bad so he thinks he can get out of the rehab facility quickly. It was so good to hear him.

Dad then called me late last night and told me that they played foosball. They have PJ getting up and moving around via a wheelchair. I couldn't understand if dad meant that he walked with the wheelchair in front of him or what. The Doctors told Dad that they still are giving him methadone, an anxiety medication, blood pressure medication, and one other that I can't remember right now. The meds should stop soon though according to the nursing staff.

This is absolutely the best present that I could have had. I was so excited to hear him, and he sounded great. He did ask when I was coming back out there, and I told him that we are anxious to have him fly home for a while so that everyone here can see him and hug him. He has a way to go before that happens, but it is not as far off as people think. He is starting to remember more about the accident and what happened. He has several therapists. An occupational therapist, a physical therapists and others. They work on his strength and his mind every day. In the afternoon they come in and quiz him on what happened that morning. He still gets wiped out pretty quickly, but he is making such large strides.

Well I hope that everyone has a blessed Christmas. Hug your loved ones and tell them you love them.

Chris

Warning...Contents under extreme pressure...

Just got off the phone with Dad, and he has been in the room with PJ. According to Dad, PJ had just finished eating breakfast when he arrived, and then the breakfast came back to visit them both (coincedence that Dad was there when this happened??? I will let you decide). Actually the nurse told Dad that he can't lay back down after he eats, or that is what will happen. So Dad had to leave while he cleaned himself up and took a shower (HOW COOL!).

He is becoming more aware of what has happened and how long he has been out. He is feeling bad and that he has put a burden on the family for having to be out there. Make sure when you read this PJ that there was no burden at all and that is exactly what family is for. No one has felt burdened by being out there, if anything, we all want to be out there at once.

Steve is trying to get a Sprint broadband card for his laptop so that he can get onljne and start getting back into his normal routine. This is exciting times right now, and we are days away instead of weeks.

I also want to let everyone that has read this blog on a daily basis know that our family, especially PJ, is so grateful for the thoughts and prayers that have been sent his way. The outpouring of support and love has been overwhelming, and it is so appreciated! It will not be long before PJ will be able to have as many visitors as he can handle, so hang in there, and we will let you know when that is.

Remember hug your loved ones, and tell them you love them.

Chris