Journal entry by Donna Meyer —
Greetings friends and family! A year ago tonight we were in a state of shock with the beginning of a very uncertain time with Mom’s health. Tonight we are thankful and amazed at her resilience and progress. She’s doing well! I haven’t updated in a while, so I thought I would bring you up to speed.
For any of you who are familiar with the country dancing pastime she and Dad enjoy, she seemed to be cutting a rug with a steady two-step—two steps forward and one step back for quite a while. Here are some short reports!
She got good reports from neurosurgery in Iowa City from both the doctor that drilled the hole in her head and also the one who placed the stent. They did a CT scan and a brain angiogram and they were pleased with the results.
The back pain she was experiencing has subsided considerably. She was evaluated and they determined that she wouldn’t be a good candidate for surgery. She has received an osteoporosis treatment and has gotten back on the calcium and vitamin D.
She developed a fast heartbeat and the A-fib that they first detected in ICU returned, so she now has an implanted loop recorder that monitors her heart 24/7 and automatically sends a report to the cardiologist through a phone. She was put on a heart medication and blood thinner.
She was feeling kind of dumpy so her doctor did a thyroid test and found that it was pretty far out of whack. This earned her another medication and it has brought the numbers back into the normal range. She was also low in iron and potassium so they gave her additional supplements. She struggles to swallow pills, so she was lucky to be able to get these numbers back into range as well got to stop taking those.
She struggled terribly with clostridium difficile, or c diff. This was an intestinal bacteria that caused her to stay close to the bathroom. She lost a lot of weight and lost her appetite. After dealing with recurring infections for months and months, the antibiotics and probiotics finally worked. She’s even gained a few pounds back.
On July 4th, we went to hear the Kenastons at Lake Robbins Ballroom. Her and Dad were able to get out for a spin on the dance floor (photo attached). This was a goal that was on her board at the rehab hospital, so this was a major accomplishment.
The next day she accidentally caught her shin with the bottom corner of the car door. With her skin so thin, it really cut a big gash in her leg. She has been working on healing that and the wound has almost closed now.
Mom and Dad have been able to do some traveling to some old and new events for a few days. In June, they went to eastern Iowa to see the tractor ride. They didn’t take the tractor, but enjoyed being around the ride for a couple of days. In July, they went to Guthrie Center to enjoy music put on by many of the musicians that have been coming to their place the past several years. It was such a treat for all of us to just enjoy and not have to do anything! They went to the Mount Pleasant Old Threshers Reunion, the Farm Progress Show, and the Clay County Fair. At the end of August, Dad went on the Honor Flight for Veterans and Mom and I spent the day in and around Fort Dodge.
She got outside a lot this summer. She walked around to check on the garden and flowers and she would even walk on the road to the south corner and back, which is over a half mile. She got back into mowing the lawn and taking the UTV to check the cows too, which if you know her, then you know that these are huge deals!
She is using her phone for everything again. She texts, looks up sports scores, checks the weather and rainfall, and has it with her everywhere she goes. She has been doing office work again, paying bills, looking at email, and the internet.
Mom feels good and is getting around better all the time. She does cooking and cleaning and laundry. She was able to make pies for recent birthdays. She is getting sharper and has less trouble with dates and times than she used to. She hasn’t been back in the tractor or the field yet. She still has some trouble with focus and multitasking, but then we all have trouble with those!
Dad has been taking such good care of her all along. He manages her medications, helps keep her straight on things she needs to do, gets groceries, cooks, cleans, helped with the garden, and drives her to appointments.
Tonight I’m thinking about everyone from that night a year ago…my hair stylist (I was there when I got the call), Panora EMS, Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputies and EMA, doctors and nurses at Methodist ER, Life Flight crew, doctors and nurses at University of Iowa Hospital, plus friends and neighbors who were at the scene, on the phone with us, brought supplies to the hospital, and helped clean up the truck and corn.
We are still so grateful for everyone that night and thereafter who helped in so many ways and who continue to help. Mom couldn’t have gotten to where she is today without the love and support of all of you. ❤️
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