My Vacation Odyssey Pt. 3 The Road to Recovery

Since I couldn't walk,I had to be transported by wheel chair access van from Md. to New Jersey, a five hour trip. I was thinking I was going to have two EMT guys transport me, but to my surprise I was greeted by a 25 year old red head young lady named Abbey. Isaid to her, "Don'tyou have a partner?" and she replied to me "Nope,just you and me." I found her to be the most capable driver and a pleasant and most interesting conversationalist. She lowered the platform of the back of the truck andpushed me in and secured the wheel chair to the floor and secured me with a seatbelt that went from the floor, all around me and to the other side. A friend of mine humorously likened it to those horror movies where they transport the maniac to the prison chained to a wheelchair in a van :D

Like I said, Abbey proved to be a great traveling companion and conversationalist for the five hour trip. She told me how she and her ex-boyfriend liked to surf during hurricanes and how she got knocked out when a wave threw her on the beach and how she was the only woman on the fire dept.in Ocean City. She was also quite the traveler with Canada bove Washington State being the farthest northwest she traveled, Arizona and New Mexico the farthest southwest she traveled ,Maine the farthest northeast and the Bahamas the farthest south she's been. She also didn't like Obama so we had several laughs
there.

At one point I felt a rumbling in my stomach and knew what was coming on. The hospital provided me with a bedpan in case such an incident happened. I told Abbey and like the professional she was, she pulled over to the nearest rest stop andpulled over to the farthest parking space, gave me the bedpana nd got out so I could do my thing. She said for me to knock on the window when I was done and to put the pan in the plastic bag and she would throw it in the dumpster, which I did.
Unfortunately I had to ask her the embarassing request to clean me with the moist towelettes the hospital provided which she also professionally obliged. I told her about mysite here and that Iwas going to blog about mye xperiences and would mention her. She even laughingly said, "You can even mention that you let me clean your ass." LOLOl :D In fact it was Abbey who suggested the titles you see here.

We arrived at Kessler at 6 p.m. after leaving Md.at 1 p.m. When we got in the door the receptionist told me my wife had been calling for me and we were soon able to hook up. Abbey gave my medical records to the people at kessler and bid me good-bye and goodl uck. I asked her if she was staying overnight somewhere and she said no,she was just getting a bite to eat and take a catnap in the truck and heading back.

All the nurse and aides at Kessler are so caring and professional and knowledgeable and the occupational and physical therapists are beyond reproach and fantastic. They give you quite a workout while being very caring and responsive and considerate of your condition and directing each workout to your personal needs.

Unfortunatly the insurance company stepped in again and said they couldn't cointinue to cover me there because I was limited in what I could do so I had to find another place. We found a place called The Buckingham which is a rehab place and very nice. Unfortunately I was the youngest one there,but allt he rehab people, nurses and aides are younger than me so we bonded well. At times I imagined myself as Jack Nicholson in One FLew Over the Cuckoo's Nest only not that bad.

The Brentwood at Buckingham where I am staying is a beautiful rehab centerr located on sprawling lawns and wooded areas in Norwood,N.J.where you can spot deer now and then. It has three sections; One for long term patients,one for short term where I am and one for a Korean population. Being it is a rehab center it is not as hospitalized and less restrictive than a hospital while still retaining a professional nursing staff on hand along with personal nursing aides 24/7 dispensing medications as needed and taking good care of you. The halls are lined with beautiful landscape paintings and the rooms are more furniture oriented withTVs in large mahogany cabinets.

I can't say enough about the professional Physical therapists staff here. Each therapist is very personal, friendly and they work hard and diligently with you. Although each has several patients at once,they are all very personal, professional and sensitive with you and you never feel likee you are just a number. I have two such members.Tara is a very attractive young woman with a smile and sparkling eyes that light up her face, very intelligent, professional and knowledgeable and gives you quite a workout yet asking you how you feel after each one to judge how she can proceed and giving you a few miniutes rest between each workout.Tara works with me in the morning and concentrates on my upper body excercises to strengthen my arms,shoulders and back so I can transfer from my wheelchair to bed, toilet and other transfers. In the afternoon I work with Chris .Chris is a tall,well built lad from the Phillipines who has an infectious smile and great sense of humor. Chris works with my leg excercises which needs strengthening since both are in casts now and we work on getting tothe point where the doctor will say I can have weigh tbaring status so we can get me walking again.Chris always kids me about going surfing once I'm out ofh ere and we both laugh. Chis is like Tara and all the therapists here; very nice, dedicated and genuinely concerned about each of their patients.

I have also seen many heart warming stories here. Husbands and wives whose spouses have suffered strokes who stay by their side from morning to night.That is true love and makes me feel proud of the human race again.Of course my lovely wife Judy, who I can't thank enough for all the work she's done in answering doctors and doing paper work with the insurances,coming to visit me after work as much as she can,bringing me fruits,newspapers and even a small, portable DVD player and some of my dvd's to watch.Thanks Jude.I love you.

I have been so blessed to have such supportive people around me for this whole ordeal including you my online friends. Thank you all for being there.