Visitation Day

Today was the first time that Dad has seen the house for over a month, and it was a surprising visit in many ways; on the one hand, Venka gave us a few suggestions that were pretty much expected, but on the other, she brought up some issues we hadn't considered (emergency exit access) and confronted the tough issue of how to address Mom's round the clock needs once she's released.


We went from room to room and Venka wasn't nearly as shocked at the conditions as I had figured (she used to serve rural Idaho), but Dad was definitely taken aback at first by the changes we made to the living room. I know it must be hard to see such a difference when you've been gone so long, and to consider that everyone had to go through your stuff in order to get in that state. But it seemed by the end that he was glad to have the work done, and he loved the railings and path (nice work, guys).

Venka is compiling an extensive list of recommended changes that I'll get on Monday, and that with my notes and my measurements will make for quite a load of work in the weeks to come. But I know one thing; Gizmo was beside herself to see Dad again and spent as much time as possible on his lap.

WORK PARTY CANCELED

My body is giving up and I'm not going to be able to physically handle Sunday after all. We'll figure out a another way with the ramp (I may take days off work mid-week after next to get it sorted and built), but no work this weekend.

Thanks everyone for your willingness to help and your patient flexibility.

More news about yesterday's home visit will go up later today.

Good News is Good News

Dad's feeling infinitely better and we are on track for a home visit at 9 AM on Friday. I'll be picking up and using their car for transport (at Venka's direction so we can get a good indicator of their everyday conditions), so I'll be at Maryville before 9 to get Dad up there with Venka, walk around the place, make a list of infractions and things to remedy, then get him back to Maryville, hopefully in time for lunch.

Stay tuned on the results!

Anyone up for a work party on Sunday? I realized that since we'll be out of town next weekend and one or both parents will likely be home the week after that, it leaves us pretty much this weekend to get the ramp done. If you're game, please let me know by email or phone. Looking to get started in the 9 or 10 AM timeframe. Otherwise, I may need to enlist a deputy foreman to lead the charge in my absence next weekend (July 6-8).

Cars and Spirits: UP

The cars are on Craigslist as of last night.

1949 Dodge
1946 Ford
1969 Dodge

Pass 'em on as you see fit.

So far the Dodge Pickup is getting the most attention (4 offers so far, one for full price and moving before the weekend), but hopefully they'll all move within the prescribed Craigslist 7-day window.

Checked in with both Mom and Dad yesterday. Mom is doing well and though she's not thrilled to hear her ablation will be over two weeks away, I reminded her that at least we have a firm date now, which gives us some sense of a light at the end of the tunnel. Dad was horizontal when I saw him but was talkative, and most of the nausea had gone away. When I called him today he was in the midst of therapy so it sounds like he is back from whatever illness laid him up...but it's still unclear whether we'll be visiting the house with Venka tomorrow or whether that will be moved to next week.

Small Breakthrough

Connected with Dr. Jones' office and we have Mom's ablation tentatively scheduled for Thursday, July 12th. They want her there at 8:30 AM for monitoring and prep, though the procedure will likely not be done until 1 PM or so. They will be watching her coumadin levels closely between now and then with luck she'll still be on track for the procedure. They're not planning to deviate from her intake, but depending on the protime measurements, that could change.

Also, I have some excellent hi-res photos (thanks to Kathryn and Sam) of the cars to be sold/moved up on my Flickr account. If you know anyone interested in restoring old cars, have them get in touch with me ASAP; otherwise, I'll be putting these babies on craigslist this week. I'd like to get them moved by the weekend or before July 4th at the VERY latest, but I tend to get kinda hopeful about things.

Bump in the Road

Dad's feeling quite ill so Venka called to put off tomorrow's home visit. He was coming down with a cold of some sort when we saw him on Saturday, and it sounds like it took a turn yesterday and he's not yet out of the woods, so we're tentatively planning for a Thursday visit instead. I'll let everyone know if that doesn't end up happening.

Also called Dr. Jones' office and the scheduler should be calling me soon to set up Mom's ablation procedure. I'm stopping by Maryville this evening to visit Mom, check on her ankle and bring her coffee, and I'll let her know then about the potential ablation.

Mission Accomplished, Vol. 1

Well the gang came through and when the day was done we had two solid railings, an organized living room, lots of brush cleared, a wider smoother path to the deck, materials gathered and a good plan for the ramp (provided my folks are okay with losing either the rhododendron or the lower deck railing).

Many thanks to Kathryn, Sam, Pat, John, Ed, Rose, Ginger and Tasha for all their help and patience with all manner of dust, cat excrement and debris. It's a daunting task tackling the Homestead, but we may one helluva dent, as seen below.







Also, found a message from Dr. Jones' office on the Homestead voicemail saying they are ready to schedule the ablation pending a conversation with me about the details. Wish they'd called my cell or home numbers (as provided), but what can you do? So, I'll have that scheduled on Monday and by the time Dad and Venka come up on Tuesday things should be looking good...or we'll have a lot more work to do before either of them come home.

Stopped by Maryville yesterday and apparently Mom fell on her way to the loo. Her ankle may be sprained from the fall, and they are going to get her an x-ray today to see what damage was done, but she needs to keep her right leg elevated to keep the swelling down. Definitely complicates the physical therapy progression to say the least.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Here are the final candidates for the ramp plan.

Option A (PDF)
Option B (PDF)

It all depends on time, space and materials, but we'll map each potential plan out for sure on Saturday.

What Lies Ahead

For those who haven't seen the Homestead recently, here's what's in store.

The view from below the lower deck (and the railing I'd like to build on Saturday):


and the view leading up to the lower deck, with the other railing I'd like to have built on Saturday:


and finally, the general vision for the ramp, viewed from the front door, though the exact shape is not ideal and is up for debate depending on a number of factors, including measurements and clearance:


I am putting together a list of materials and tools we'll need for Saturday...I don't anticipate much construction aside from the railings, but we'll be drawing up plans for the ramp on that day.

Saw Mom and Dad again yesterday, and gave them the good news that Dr. Jones got back to me, and once he takes a look at Mom's charts, he'll likely give the ablation a green light and get it scheduled.

A Change in Plans

Okay...apparently, due to the uncertainty around the physical therapist's readiness for my parents' house and my Dad's difficulty in getting around and up to the house, he and Venka agreed to put off the home visit for a week. We'll have more news next Tuesday.

However, I'd like to put a work party together this Saturday afternoon around 1 PM at the Homestead. The purpose would be to visit the house, survey the plans for the ramp, build some temporary railings to make it easier to get up to the house "the old way", and to begin some organization on the interior of the house so that some of the clutter can be arranged in a more orderly fashion.

If you are interested in coming up and participating, please call my folks or me (I'd rather not give the numbers online) or email me at jedgilchrist@gmail.com.

Dad likes the plans I drew up, and I'm going up today to get some more measurements and to take some better pictures of the cars to get them moved off the lot. More to come as I know it!

Father's Day and More

Tomorrow is the big day at the Homestead, so I have drafted three plans for the ramp in ArcView and will pace out exact dimensions while at the house with Venka and my Dad. After some discussion, Dad and I really don't think Venka is ready for or aware of the "uniqueness" of the Gilchrist Homestead, so I've put a call into her to talk a bit about it and what she should be ready for. I also have a call into Dr. Walsh, one of Mom's cardiologists, to see if he is aware of her status and/or if he has any advice.

I called Dr. Jones last week but he is out on vacation through tomorrow, and the scheduler would not talk to me unless Dr. Jones was involved, so I'll follow up with him tomorrow about recheduling Mom's ablation.

Stopped by Maryville on Saturday for a Father's Day brunch, which was really nice and allowed to have a nice extended chat and some good food too. Saw them both as well yesterday (with coffee in hand) and they're both in fine spirits but quite ready to leave.

Dad and I discussed moving the cars to the lower landing below the driveway until the ramp construction is complete just so they're out of the way and we can get working while people come by and look at what's there before deciding if they want to take them off our hands. I think it's a pretty good idea so I'm going to be talking to the neighbor (Guy) about using his equipment for the move, though locked wheels and flat tires could pose a problem. I would like to have them out of the way this week so we can get a work party going this weekend, but I'll have more info on that as the week progresses.

More tomorrow after the visit!

Lights and Tunnels

The meeting today was, by all rights, a roaring success. Stephen (social worker), Eddie and Darlene (nurses), Bree and Venka (physical therapists) and my folks and myself all gathered and discussed the many issues at hand...namely, what it will take to get my folks out of Maryville and how long it's going to take.

Both therapists had good things to say about Mom's and Dad's respective progress, and the nurses chimed in to say that Mom's UTI is cleared up. Her coumadin level is still considered stable even though the doses change every few days, so I will call Dr. Jones tomorrow to schedule her ablation procedure, and while Mom had plateaued previously in terms of her physical therapy, Venka recently found some new interesting breakthroughs for her in terms of day to day occupational activities so there is more work to be done for sure.

The short answer as far as length of stay: 2-3 weeks for both Mom and Dad. If they don't get out at the same time, Mom will likely be the first to be released, and we discussed options for her if that is the case since the staff agrees that Mom needs to have someone around 24 hours a day to make sure she has the help and care she needs.

We also discussed the preparations necessary to ensure that the Gilchrist home is ready for either or both of them to return. The staff is very positive about the ramp project, and I explained how Paul and I spoke yesterday both about the ramp and the doors to the bathroom and bedroom so that wheelchair access is ensured, but Venka was wanting to follow up on the home visit so she can see the situation and make suggestions as needed. We scheduled a visit for next Tuesday morning, and we're bringing Dad and an extra wheelchair to run through the house so I'm sure I'll have a long list of things to clean up and modify before Mom and Dad come home.

After the meeting, I sat in on and helped with one of Mom and Dad's joint physical therapy sessions, and it was encouraging to see them doing so well. I helped at one point with transferring Mom from the wheelchair to the bed, and she does really well as long as she has the help she needs when she needs it. I spoke with Venka and Bree briefly after the session and prepped Venka for the visit by showing her a few pictures I had taken, including the one above. It may not be a live grenade (as Dad explained), but its presence is definitely an indication of things to come.

What's New?

Been a while, and not a whole lot has happened, but thought I'd let everyone know: Mom and Dad are doing well and looking great, but both are getting antsy to get out. They've explored pretty much every nook and cranny of the facility (even "Felix's Corner", whatever that is) and the bordeom of routine is setting in, so we're all looking forward to the outcome of tomorrow's meeting.

Paul S and I will be at the house tonight pacing out the ramp and deck renovations. Chris has done some phenomenal work uncovering the Dodge truck in front of the house and I'm hoping they'll all be clear for removal this week. It's just a matter of getting the right buyers lined up.

Addendum

Stephen and I finally connected, and we'll all be sitting down Tuesday at 2 PM to sort out the timelines for Mom's and Dad's release. Stay tuned!

We're Only Making Plans...for Jeanne (and Bill)

(click picture to enlarge)

If you haven't been to the Gilchrist homestead in a while, the sight above may be a bit shocking. The picture here (compliments of GoogleEarth) was taken sometime last year, after the Great Felling of 2005, and shows the area that used to be covered by lush forest is now open to the elements, thanks to pressures from Metro and Measure 37. But, soapbox sermons aside, the reason I bring this up is that I want everyone to get a visual idea of the work ahead.

The picture below is a close-up of the house itself and the area directly in front that needs the most work.

(click picture to enlarge)

The crudely-drawn red loop is what was intended to be a circular driveway, but thanks to the mustard-colored shapes (which represent cars in various states of decomposition), that dream has never quite come to be. So my vision in the weeks ahead is to get those mustard shapes removed, pave at least half the red loop, and construct the lengthy ramp (depicted here in lime green).

Hopefully this gives everyone a good idea of the work that lies ahead, and thanks to input from friends, neighbors and family (thanks Gary, John and Chris), a murky work plan and timeline is forming in my brain. I hope to call a meeting soon somewhere relatively central to everyone so we can meet in person and draw up some plans, then I'll run them by the 'rents before we break ground. But ideas are still most welcome, so by all means share your wisdom.

Still waiting for a call back from Stephen to arrange that face to face meeting, as it's still anyone's guess when Mom and Dad will be sprung free. That meeting will be key in arranging the whole thing, but next week for either of them appears optimistic. Mom and Dad both looked well but tired from therapy when I saw them yesterday; Mom is dressing herself and performing other Occupational Therapy tests in record time, which is impressing the staff to no end, and Dad's right foot is now making him fully capable of using a walker and standing while washing dishes (who knew they'd put them to work while at Maryville?). Dad's scheduled to cook a dinner for one of the staff members as a sort of test of skills (though it sounds like a scam to me), and based on how that goes, he may be released earlier than originally projected. But like I said, it's anyone's guess.


Also, Chris went to town on the Hawthorne tree in front of the house (see above...thanks, Chris!), and it is now no longer laying on and obscuring the Dodge truck. Should make it a more attractive commodity to potential buyers, though the raccooons living in it might be a hard bonus to sell.

Doctor Unger's Good Word

Yesterday was very successful, as I was able to get Mom to and from St. Vincent's for her doctor appointment without any major difficulties (with thanks to Metro West and the Maryville staff). The Doc had some very good general things to say about Mom, including improved heartrate, coumadin level stabilization, reduced fluid retention and excellent responsiveness. He agrees that we should proceed with the ablation and a CT scan to make sure that future complications can be monitored and minimized.

Other highlighted outcomes:

* She's likely ready for the ablation procedure within 7-10 days
* Her heart rhythm and rate are both very good (well below 100 and steady), which is encouraging.
* I will call Dr. Jones to schedule the ablation procedure, and Dr. Unger will schedule the CT scan
* UTI status is known, but a UA was processed during our visit and pending the results, she should be in the clear
* She will stay on diuretics for the near term to keep fluid retention low
* It was advised that I consult cardiologist Dr. Walsh for information before the ablation

All in all, it was pretty good news.

Mom also mentioned that since Dad and I have brought it up to the staff, everyone is responding much more quickly when she calls for assistance, which in turn makes her much more apt to use the help. I was relieved to hear that to say the least, as it means fewer chances she might fall and injure herself, though the therapists are all thrilled with her progress in terms of both steadiness and strength.

I am trying to nail down Stephen to get another face to face later this week, and once that's in place, I should have a more definite timeline regarding both parents will be released. It still sounds like Mom will be cleared before Dad, but Dad's pretty adamant that he needs to be out at least the same time as Mom so we'll have to see.

A Pivotal Week Ahead

Been a little while since the last update, but everything is generally A-OK. Mom continues to try and get to the restroom without assistance, but after talking to her and getting a gauge for the general response time, it's because calling the nursing staff takes about 20 minutes to get a response and Mom needs assistance much sooner than that. I am hoping to meet with the head nurse this week to get some special arrangements made or to at least get an idea of what options we have, since she's likely to continue getting up and endangering herself if no accommodations are made. She managed to hurt her right hand on her wheelchair and it's been bandaged up, but it's something I will be talking to her doctor about this Tuesday when she goes in.

Speaking of, there are a number of questions I have put together with Dad and with assistance from his physical therapist regarding Mom's status and the timeline for further treatments/therapy. Pending the results of this Tuesday afternoon office visit (for which I will be accompanying Mom), I should have a better idea of when her ablation procedure is supposed to take place, when she will next get a CT scan, and when she might be released from Maryville. If she's scheduled to be released before Dad, we will either pay to have her stay longer or work out an alternative home-care situation. Lots of options are still on the table, but without the information we will get on Tuesday, it's all guesswork for now.

Dad's recovery is humming along, and he is able to use his right foot to take steps and manage the walker much better than before. We dropped off some Hood strawberries with him yesterday and I understand they were passed around at dinner so their healing effects could be felt by all. He's got plenty to do around the place and plenty to entertain him in his downtime, and as he passes the staff in the halls I can see by the banter that he's well-liked and well-known by just about everyone there. Hardly shocking, I must say. I'm planning to talk to Stephen tomorrow about scheduling another sit-down so we can see where he stands (no pun intended), and I hope to get that in place before the end of the week so we can synchronize homecomings.

Meanwhile, at the Gilchrist Homestead, neighbor Chris was kind enough to take his weed wacker to the greenery that has sprung up around the various automobiles 'round the place, thereby uncovering two that are on the docket to be sold/donated/removed in some fashion. I've taken crude pictures for Craigslist and managed with Dad's help to find the titles for the various machines, and I'm going to be looking up potential values later this evening (though they'll of course be sold as-is with a "you tow it" clause). Anything that isn't/can't be sold on Craigslist will likely be donated through the "Autos for Animals" program, and now that I have the titles, I hope to have those arrangements wrapped up this week as well. I've been tidying up around the house here and there and getting things ready for their return home, and I will be stepping that up throughout the week, as I expect one or both to be ready to come home next week or soon thereafter.

On the exterior, plans for the paving and smoothing of the circular driveway are on deck post-auto removal, and Dad and I are talking about a ramp that would actually extend up the hill and wind more toward the flat bed truck than originally designed (with the general of 1 inch down, 1 foot out, we're looking at about 50 feet out or so). I am sketching this out and will need help from construction geniuses to put a plan and list of materials to accomplish this task. If you have the know-how, please email me and we can talk about what I have in mind.

Communication Breakdown

There does indeed seem to be some sort of disconnect; Stephen returned my call and explained that the mid-week release was actually for Mom (since her therapy progress has plateaued, which makes her ineligible for coverage by her insurance for a continued stay at Maryville) but that Dad may have to stay another two weeks. Stephen then claimed that he and Mom and Dad had spoken and Dad had mentioned he'd like Mom to stay at Maryville on our dime until Dad's ready for release.

When I spoke to Dad about it yesterday evening however, he had no recollection of such a conversation, and he indicated that the Mom stay was just one of many options on the table. Clearly I need to get us all in a room to hash it out, and I will endeavor to do so early next week (since Stephen's out today).

Caught Mom and Dad as they were finishing dinner with their new friend Lorraine (?) last night, and Gary happened to be there as well, so we all chatted about the day's events and I listened to some very interesting reminiscing about bygone days in Beaverton and Portland (the origin of Orenco, the dog tracks out by Reedville, Barnard airport, and an amusement park on Council Crest). I had no real input, but it was all cool to hear.