UPDATE ON JACK - MAY 2009

Yes, I know! It’s been too long since I’ve posted. I really have been working on my post about my cruise. It’s almost ready. I now have pictures, as well, so it will be more fun for you to look at and read. In addition, I’ve had cataract surgery on both eyes—two weeks apart and there was a short time when I had great distance vision but zero close-up vision. That meant I couldn’t see what I was typing on the computer screen. I do have to go in for a “laser zap” on my eyes. One in five people who have cataract surgery have to have the laser zap. It seems that occasionally a piece of the sac that held my original (what I was born with) lens, breaks off and then turns up in front of the new lens in the form of “fog.” That’s what I have to have done this Thursday, 5/14/09.

Enough about me! Here’s what’s happening with Jack:

For a number of years, Jack has had several TIA’s or mini strokes. He would have one and be unable to communicate for two or three hours and then he’d be back to normal as though nothing had happened. But in the past two weeks he has had two and maybe three strokes that have caused damage, i.e., his left leg is dragging, he cannot stand without assistance and can only walk when there is a person on both sides holding him up. Also, he has little use of his left hand. When I was at the care center on Tuesday, May 5th, his left eye-lid was drooping. His Doctor (Dr. Brown) thinks he had another stroke on Wednesday, May 6th. They drew blood and did a lot of tests on that. I have received the report but do not understand much. I will get with Juli when she has time. She really knows a lot about that stuff.

I talked to Jack on Sunday, May 3rd. He seemed pretty much like he has been. When I talked to him on Monday, May 4th, he really seemed out of it. He was slurring his words more than before but he kept saying things that were really “out in left field.” He told me that Juli is in charge over at the care center and that Juli really has everything “under control” at the care center. Then he told me that he needed me to look into something for him. He said, “Grandma Erickson died and she had a lot of nice furniture.” Then he said, “There are people who are taking her furniture and putting it into bottles to preserve it.” That’s what he wanted me to look into. He didn’t think “those people” should be taking Grandma Erickson’s furniture. For those of you who don’t know who Grandma Erickson is: Grandma Erickson is Jack’s mother’s mother. She passed away in December of 1956.

Juli had seen Jack on Saturday, May 2nd. She told me his left eyelid seemed to be drooping. I called the care center on Monday and talked to his nurse. She said that he seemed to be dragging his left leg and couldn’t stand up by himself and that he didn’t seem to have as much strength in his left hand as he had before. That’s when she told me she thought he’d had a stroke. She said that it was a small stroke and that they didn’t know whether he might soon have a massive stroke. Some people have a couple of little strokes and then have a massive stroke that either kills them or leaves them helpless.

I drove over to Richfield on Tuesday, May 5th to visit him. He was in the Physical Therapy room and they had been working with him. He looked at me and there was not an ounce of recognition in his eyes. A few minutes later he knew who I am but not at all, at first. I had taken him a Frosty. He tried to hold it in his left hand and had quite a hard time. I had to keep pushing the cup upright so it didn’t spill out. Bret was there to see him on the following Friday. He also took him a Frosty. By Friday, Jack was unable to hold the Frosty at all. Bret had to hold it for him. It was that weekend that Dr. Brown told Tal he thought Jack had had another stroke.

I went over to see him again on Friday, May 15th. He talked and talked but I was only able to understand two phrases. He was just mumbling. I told him several times that I couldn’t understand him and asked him to repeat what he said. He apparently did repeat what he had said but I couldn’t understand him the second time, either. It is very sad. Apparently the Physical Therapists are working with him a lot but I don’t think there’s much hope he will make a miraculous recovery.

That is pretty much how things are at the moment. I’ll try to keep you updated. It is so sad to someone who used to have so much energy and got so much accomplished become totally dependent for his care and lose his mind and memory in the process. As an Architect, he was the Architect on about 100 chapels, multiple schools, public buildings, hospitals, high rise condominiums and other miscellaneous buildings. He learned how to fly and got his private pilot’s license. He was President of the Sugar House Rotary Club and Rotary District Governor for the State of Utah. He sang with the Beehive Statesmen Barbershop Chorus for about15 or 16 years. While he attended the University of Utah, he played violin with the University Symphony Orchestra. Later, he was invited to play violin with the Westminster Community Symphony Orchestra. Later, he became Concert Master of that Symphony Orchestra. He was in the Coast Guard Auxiliary for 10 years. He loved to snow ski and water ski. He was a pretty good snow skier and a great water skier.

Yesterday, May 22, I met Shanna and Charlie in Richfield. Jack didn’t know Shanna at first and then he thought she was Narda (his sister). She told him that she is not Narda but is his daughter Shanna. Even after that, he asked her whether she ever talked to her sister Elaine, so he was still thinking she was Narda. He told us he has invented a new telephone but he is afraid to tell the person who is in charge of the telephones because he thinks that person will steal the phone. A little later he told me he doesn’t know what to do about his phone. He said, “I guess I will just leave it on the bed and let them steal it.” He really seemed happy to see me and just wanted to hang onto my hand for a long, long time. He told Shanna and I that he guesses “this place (the Care Center) is really my home now.” There is a “lift” in his room now because one person just cannot move him around from his wheelchair to the recliner or the bed. I was happy to see that the nurses and aides don’t have to try to lift him. The “lift” seems a secure and safe way to move him.

I will keep you updated on his condition from time to time.

As for now, I have been a real slacker where the birthdays are concerned. I didn’t forget any of them. I remembered them on the day and knew whose birthday it was and I thought of each of you. I just didn’t get them mentioned on my blog. But, here goes:

Happy Birthday to Spencer, February 9th; Juli, February 10th; Aspen, March 6th; Russ, March 12th; Kylee, March 14th; Charlie, March 17th; Dusty, April 8th; Dave, May 6th; Ali, May 7th; David, May 8th; Patti, May 27th; Waiva, May 31st. Hope you all had/have a super day.

Dave and Patti – Happy Anniversary March 17th. I love you all!