Yesterday, Sunday, was transition day to the new facility. Richard already had anxiety about it. I got up early and brought the trusty egg mcmuffin, some starbucks and a smile.
First thing he says...DONT TALK TO ME ABOUT ROSSMOOR! I give in. I talked to him about it anyway. It was hard for me to decipher what all the anxiety was about but I finally came to peace and understanding that this is alllll about new environment, new people, learning the rigamarole again. he had already figured everyone out at Tunnell. He had them all labeled as good guys bad guys and now he'd have to start over.
I went through all his drawers and closet and packed everything in going to new place going to apartment bags. Talked to some staff a bit - spent about 2 hours with him. His shoulder is still very sore so I went down to walgreens and picked up some icy hot to give him a massage. It felt good when it started setting in, but apparently he had a reaction to it after I left and they had to towel it off - area got red and inflamed. His pec on that side is yellow from the bruising. I swear it looked like he impaled his heart from where the bruising is.
Anyway...I left and Arlene and Lee were on their way to take him in their van over to Walnut Creek. I packed up a table from the apartment to add to one side of his bed, so rearranged a little bit when I got there, restrung electrical, extended his light pull with twine and tied it to his bed, got his cell phone connected and charging - EVERYTHING was in the same place as it was at tunnell with the added things we brought like a table lamp, clock, the picture frame that I finally finished (thank you to everyone for sending me pictures!).
He gets there and is pissed. Everything is cluttered, the place sucks blah blah. He was busy complaining this as I was running for dim sum...yes....I sourced a place in walnut creek, introduced myself to the owner and said see you tomorrow ;)
This is his room as it was Saturday before I rearranged Sunday
Eating helped a little bit - it was a bit of a flurry getting him checked in, paperwork, meeting people, getting him something to drink etc... He's still pissed. He cant see the damn pictures its too blurry - I mean everything was BADDDDDDDDD
I get home and am there for less than an hour before the phone is ringing and its him. Still pissed. he doesn't care what I have to do, but I need to get him out of there and back to Tunnell as soon as possible. His roommate wont turn down the TV, and he is pretty sure that the staff wont help him get up and into his chair because his roommate told him they don't do that here... /sigh.
So I ate pizza. I would have taken a Valium if I had one....and pretty much any other illicit downer drug. I also was asleep before 10pm and slept until 8am. I needed that.
The good news is my sister talked me off the cliff with the last moments of our conversation being...this is his schtick! Oh yes! how true that is. I told him that today and he laughed.
Of course today was a different story, and a new song. I get there just as his PT is interviewing him. This girl is FANTASTIC! Hes in a better mood. He eats a little bit of the dim sum while she is talking then they start their thing. I have a video of it but its boring and hes just walking (but its on my Youtube channel should you REALLY want to see). She said hes taking long left foot steps and short quick right foot steps and is asking if that leg has pain. We had a long talk about how the stroke was displaying itself. He is in no pain other than his shoulder....and when that get janked he says JESUS CHRIST! i thought this was a no chaplain zone?!
He walked the full perimeter of the building (a lot) and then went into the PT room and she put leg weights on him and he did leg lifts. He did well.
Back to the room she helped him change his pull up - CNA came in to finish - Kirk. Every single person Ive met here is an incredible person. not hurried, very caring, explaining what they are doing as they are doing it. Kirk was the same. He helped him back to bed and explained to him the best palce to sit on the bed to be at the highest point. Helped him get situated. Took his BP - 120/78 yeah! the BP issue is all but GONE!
Then its just us again....and dim sum. Hes happier. He says the food is better. He's liked every person hes met, same as me. I said I was so glad and explained how hard it was to find a place with a limited choice, and that we had felt this was the best place offering the most to him...
His nurse came in and commented on his hair that it reminded her of Albert Einstein...it totally does...other times I think it looks like a hilarious orangutan. I REALLY want to get it cut before I go. I dont think he is going to let me...he wont even let me trim his sideburns.
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