Post-Thanksgiving News from Karla

Augusto's Post Thanksgiving Update- by Karla

Augusto had some important developments in physical therapy - walking 100 feet on Friday with the modified walker, and demonstrating his skills to the kids on Sunday. It was so great to see him up!

We are all anxious for Augusto to come home and are practicing patience waiting for him to be ready. He'll need to be mostly independent (physically moving and transferring himself in and out of bed and wheelchair) in order to come home. He is making great progress towards that!

Thanks for your love and kindness, KARLA

November 25, 2011-- Thanksgiving report by Karla

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Just spent a great day with Augusto (and extended Taylor family) at St. Davids rehab. We shared our homemade Thanksgiving dinner with him and it was so wonderful to be eating together! 

Elena, our daughter, made some terrific chocolate flan that we shared with all the nursing staff, making Augusto the most popular guy on the floor, as if he weren't already!

We brought in a 2 and a half foot Christmas tree donated by a terrific friend and decorated with ornaments that have our family photos on it. Also brought a photo album of family outings from the last year. 

Augusto and I are just so especially THANKFUL this year for our lives, and our families and friends that have helped us through this tough time. 

OK, now the really good stuff: Augusto's left elbow is progressing well enough that he can use his left arm "as tolerated," which means as long as it doesn't hurt too much. This is a great development as it means he can use both his right and left arms to move his body, instead of just his right arm. 

So, now in physical therapy yesterday, the therapist provided a modified walker, that has an arm rest for the left arm, so that Augusto could stand up and walk 5 steps!!! He is able to put some pressure on his right leg and most of the pressure on his arms at this time. 

The doctors said he has to be non-weight bearing for 3 months in order for his pelvic bone and fractures to heal. He's already put in 5 plus weeks so he is making progress. The therapists respect his doctors orders and also help push the patients to self-sufficiency. So, he's not ready to walk at length, but it is truly a big boost for Augusto to take some real steps to his ultimate recovery!!

In signing off tonight, I can't begin to tell everyone how important each of you have been to our rejuvenation and restoration. We are so lucky in so many ways. Many thanks and love to all!

Karla

MONDAY NIGHT, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Augusto continue to improve in his recovery. He is at the St. David's Hospital in Austin in the rehab wing.  When he was transferred, he was still been fed through a tube since he was having trouble with swallowing (normal for his 3 weeks with breathing tube).  Today he "passed the swallowing test" Big Hurray for him. However the tube is still needed because he has to start swallowing liquids, Jello, etc. but not solids yet.  He is doing a lot of physical therapy, occupational, and others and gets tired so we call and talk to him for a very short time.  Karla is a tower of strength and has a great support group which has been invaluable. She is walking without the walker and the face is healing well.
She asks me to pass on to all of you the - how important this support has been.
We continue our way south aboard ALFIN sailing away from the cold weather and this is why I have been remiss lately in updating this page.  Thanks for your patience

November 7, 2011 Reported by Karla and summarized by Anita

This is Augusto's update, Karla just called.

-  NO canula oxygen,  now he is totally breathing by himself

-  Pneumonia, a little better.

-  Food: He is still being fed by a tube, Karla is going to ask the doctor to try a swallowing test later.

-  Respiratory system: Breathing is stable

- Awareness: Today was fine, though insisting to get a wheelchair to go home.  Last night at midnight

  the nurses noticed him confused in a awareness test, they say it could be because the length of time in ICU.

- He is in ICU, but in practical terms he is in Intermediate Care for the type of care he requires.  The room

  in the floor Augusto needs is still busy.

I'll keep you informed.

November 4, 2011-- Karla's report

posted: Friday, November 04th 2011 - 10:48 PM Augusto is still making steady progress! His lungs are looking " a little better" and all other indicators are stable at this time. The doctors have ordered him to intermediate care(!) but he has to wait until they have a bed open there. Probably tomorrow. He was really funny today at a mid day visit. More sleepy tonight. In intermediate he will have more rehab, but also opportunity for more sleep! I don't want to say he's tough but, he has not complained one bit, doesn't ask for pain medication, and has repeated said he is LUCKY to be alive and is thankful to all his doctors and nursing staff for helping him. However, the nursing staff do occasionally give him some pain medication to help him ease his effort of breathing, and now, thankfully some night time meds to sleep. Thanks to all our friends and family! Your continued support is sustaining us more than you know. Love Karla

November 2, 2011 At 2215 hr. (10:15 pm,)

Augusto is recovering well. However the doctors have warn us that the recovery is still a hard road.

Yesterday they noticed Augusto was tired, sleeping all day and not very responsive. In checking all of this some analysis revealed a loss of the hemoglobin numbers, they had to give him some blood and investigate the source of the problem. His feces showed blood in them and an endoscopy was ordered, which revealed nothing to blame the bleeding for.  Today at noon they did a colonoscopy, which was also negative. However, the hemoglobin is going up and no more internal bleeding was noticed.

The pancreas continues to leak but from 200 cc a day it has dropped to 100 cc and the doctors believe it is in route to heal itself as expected. He keeps responding to the pneumonia treatment and was more alert and responsive today. We are all waiting, as the doctors said, when we have a full day with everything OK, we’ll transfer him to the intermediate care unit.

We keep saying… ! Go Augusto Go !


This is Karlas's update on Augusto:

All, sorry for the delayed update. Got home late from the hospital last night. Augusto was having a bit of fever so was not in best shape to see visitors. He's still in ICU as there have been some secondary issues (pancreas, pnuemonia,) etc. that are being addressed. He is breathing shorter more frequent breaths because his lungs don't fully expand right now because of the fluid around the pancreas and weak diaphram. Thus he is not talking up a storm as yet. This is short term as this will clear up as the pancreas heals itself. Doctors want him to have a all round great day in ICU - on all levels- before moving him to intermediate care. These secondary issues are part of the hold up, but he is in great hands at Brack and they are working every angle of his care. Saw him this morning and his fever was broken and he was in a lot better spirits. They are still putting him through PT and Respiratory therapy every day. Today they were working his thigh muscles. For those of you who want to see him, I will let you know when he is ready for visitors. Thanks for your patience with us. In the meantime, if you wish, you can send him an email to our casavillalon@austin.rr.com email address and I will read it to him in the hospital. I am sharing with him all your great wishes and love. It is working!!! I still am trying to rest in order to help Augusto as he gets better and can come home. Thanks for ALL your terrific support! Love, Karla