Tuesday, March 31

Glad you liked the photo. Been going through our photo albums and thought I'd add a little interest to the blog. We had a really good day today. The plumber finished the shower and our handy man will be here tomorrow to get the dry wall finished. Mr.B is planning to keep a close eye on his former student "Suede" as he makes the repairs. We spent some time outside this afternoon raking leaves and sticks from the yard. After spring break we are planning to make it to a softball and baseball game and a track meet, weather permitting.

Monday, March 30

Hard to believe that March is almost gone. After three months we are hopeful for a recovery that for a time we thought might never happen. As out patient therapy continues, the weather warms and the brain heals we are encouraged that Mr. Bichler will be back to his same old self very soon. Each day I notice small improvements in his daily routine. Today we treated ourselves to lunch at York Steak House after therapy. Mr. B told Jay that his beef tips were the best ever. It is really good to start getting out and seeing friends again.

Sunday, March 29

The week end was great! The weather wasn't too bad on Saturday, so we worked out in the yard a little. Today we went to our first Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game. Even though they lost, it was a great time. We had pretty good seats with a great look over the goal. Unfortunately, most of the goals that we saw were scored by the St. Louis Blues. We also saw Mr. Huffman's son, Ian, driving the Zamboni.

Friday, March 27

Not much happening today. Slept in a little, maybe too much March Madness! Mr. Bichler did make it down town for a hair cut. Poor Susan had to even up not 1 but 2 pretty poor neurosurgery haircuts. We ran a few errands, picked up some milk, juice, and a milk shake before heading home. Later in the afternoon, we had a very pleasant visit from a former basketball player. Some of you may know her as a substitute teacher but Mr. Bichler knows her as Cinderella. Have a wonderful week end. Go Lady Bucks and Blue Jackets!!

Thursday, March 26

Trish and Luke headed back home to Dover early this morning. At 9 Mr. Bichler was at his scheduled outpatient therapy at the Martha Morehouse Rehabilitation Center. He started with physical therapy followed by speech and then occupational therapy. Most of the time was spent on re-evaluating his status which is nearly back to where he was last time he was there 4 weeks ago. Two and a half hours and many strengthening exercises later we headed downtown to the Arena district. We picked up Mr. Bichler's belated Christmas present, Blue Jacket tickets. He's pretty excited about going to the Sunday game against the St. Louis Blues. It should be a great atmosphere since the Jackets are playing to get into the play-offs! We topped the day with lunch at Ted's Montana Grill. (no bison burgers for us, just beef and chicken)

Wednesday, March 25

Feeling much better today. Nothing like a good nights sleep in your own bed. Too bad it was so rainy today. Had a doctors appointment in the morning but had all afternoon to spend with Trish and Luke. Luke and Grandpa took a nap together in the lazy boy. Later we had several visitors but none more special than little baby Olive. It certainly was more action than we ever saw at Dodd Hall, 4 kids aged 3 and under.

Tuesday, March 24

Finally, D-day or discharge day! Had to get the PIC line out, ouch! Talked to Dr. Potts about medications and discharge instructions. Almost everything is the same as last time. Mr. Bichler will start his out patient therapy on Thursday so he won't miss a beat. When we got home, it was straight to his lazy boy for a nap. When Trish and Luke came in we took a walk out side since it was such a nice day and had warmed up quite a bit since morning. It is so nice to finally be home and with no impending surgeries we may actually be able to relax a little. Again, we would like to thank everyone for all of their support and Mr. B loves all the cards and letters that he receives each day.

Monday, March 23

Last full day at Dodd Hall. (cross your fingers, knock on wood and all that good luck stuff) The outing to The Anderson's was a success. Mr. Bichler purchased two 8 oz New York strip steaks and beef ribs so I guess we will be doing some grilling when he gets home. He had 3 therapy sessions in the afternoon and then we walked to Wendy's at the main hospital for a little afternoon snack. The great news of the day is that Mr. B finished his last antibiotic IV treatment and his screening showed that he is MRSA-free! No more antibiotics and no more infection. Tomorrow he will get the PIC line out, meets with his therapists and will talk to his doctor and case worker about his discharge instructions. As happy as we are to be going home, it is a little sad to leave so many wonderful therapists, doctors and skilled health professionals. They have been so instrumental in the recovery process and we would not be where we are right now without their dedication. Many thanks to the special staff at Dodd Hall!

Week end, March 21 & 22

Had a nice Saturday, went for dinner at Champ's on our day pass. Had a great Sunday, Trish and Luke came in for a few days. The weather was beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside playing on the swing set, throwing rocks in the creek and Luke even helped clean out some of Grandma's flower beds. Trish took Mr. B back to Dodd around 6:30 to get one of his three remaining antibiotic IV's. Field trip to Anderson's on Monday. Details at 11!

Friday, March 20

A little chilly for the first day of spring but the sun was out so we won't complain too much. Three more days until Mr. Bichler gets sprung and boy is his "honey do" list getting longer by the minute! His endurance seems to be increasing and his appetite is back. Trish and Luke are coming this week end so we are very excited. Monday, Mr. B's last day at Dodd, is a field trip to The Anderson's. Several patients accompanied by their therapists will be going with the goal of seeing how well they can navigate in a busy store setting as well as compensating for any deficiencies caused by their injuries all while completing their shopping list. Should be a fun learning experience!

Thursday, March 19

What a beautiful day! By the time I arrived at Dodd Hall, Mr. Bichler had been on the treadmill, done stairs and scored a 28/30 on his cognitive test. He was also complaining about how hungry he was and how breakfast is never very good. (because they don't have bacon or sausage!) When he went upstairs for lunch, his Dr. wanted to take out his sutures. Now, he was all for getting those stitches out, but not when he was eating. He made her come back and do it after he had finished eating. After lunch Mr. B only had 1 therapy session. Somehow he talked his occupational therapist into letting him play rummy while watching the NCAA tournament. Yesterday, in rec therapy he filled out his bracket and tomorrow he and his therapist will compare their picks. It was so nice today that we decided to get outside and walked to the main hospital and had supper at the cafeteria.

*The picture above is from graduation yesterday with several of Mr. Bichler's therapist and two of his doctors from Dodd.

Wednesday, March 18

Big day today. Mr. Bichler made lunch for the therapists and me during his occupational therapy session. It was a meal complete with potato pancakes, bratwurst and sauerkraut topped with applesauce and peach jam. Everyone raved about the pancakes. This afternoon there was a graduation for all those patients who will be discharged before next Wednesday. Everyone received a certificate and had the opportunity to talk about their experiences at Dodd Hall. Mr. Bichler thanked his therapists and jokingly said he didn't graduate the first time, they just kicked him out and he only came back to get his diploma! At 6pm he went to the main hospital to get a CAT scan of the brain just to make sure there is no more bleeding. Hopefully, everything will continue to progress in a positive direction and we will be back home next Tuesday.

Tuesday, March 17

Today was a much better day. I worked at the zoo from 7-12, had lunch with a docent friend, picked up my car from the shop, was able to get the truck started in the parking garage and made it to Dodd Hall to have dinner with Mr. Bichler. He also had a pretty full day. They added several extra classes into his schedule, an orientation class and traumatic brain injury class along with his standards - physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech. Today Mr. B walked to the stadium and around by Mirror Lake and back. Tomorrow he is making lunch for his therapists. He is fixing his favorite meal, bratwurst and potatoe pancakes. I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes!

Monday, March 16

My day began by dropping my car off for repairs and then driving Mr. Bichler's truck over to see him at Dodd Hall. He was just returning from a coffee run as part of his occupational therapy. He has been feeling really good and doesn't seem to have any pain from the surgery. We met with one of his doctors today to discuss his medications, when his sutures will come out and his vision. After lunch Mr. B had physical therapy. His regular therapist had the day off so Amber filled in. Since it was a nice day we walked to Mirror Lake.(no ankle weights this time!) On the way back to Dodd, Mr. B decided he was hungry and stopped at a street vendor and bought a Philly cheese steak and then ate it on the way back. Talk about multi-tasking! At least his appetite is back. I attended my first Spouse Support Group for families of traumatic brain injuries. I found it to be very helpful to talk to others whose husbands have suffered from brain injuries. From here the evening went downhill fast. I left early so I could go pick up my car in London but when I got to the truck in the parking garage, the truck would not start. AAA and 2 hours later I still don't know what is wrong with the truck but I did get a ride home and I'll try to have a better day tomorrow. Going to the zoo in the morning and put in a few hours in North America, my favorite region. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday, March 13

Today our walk-in shower is going in thanks in part to some very good friends who helped to get everything ready for the plumber. Meanwhile, at Dodd, Mr. B was busy planning a vacation as part of his recreation therapy. The therapist was wanting to improve his computer skills despite the fact that he had assured her that he has "people" to take care of his computer needs at school. After lunch, Mr. Bichler walked to the "shoe" or football stadium for physical therapy. It really turned out to be a pretty day and a nice walk on campus. He walked for 35 minutes at a fairly brisk pace. His therapist is working on increasing his walking speed. We also learned that his discharge date is set for March 24. It is a little longer than he had planned but this way he will be finished with his IV antibiotics and won't need additional nursing care when he goes home.

Thursday, March 12

Not much to report. Mr. Bichler seems to be enjoying this second stay at Dodd more than his first. Probably because his schedule is not as intense and he is able to talk with his therapists about the areas he feels he needs to improve. Tomorrow morning the staff will come up with a discharge date at their panel meeting.
His address is:
Dodd Hall
480 Medical Center Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43210
c/o Mr. Andy Bichler #3108

Wednesday, March 11

Mr. Bichler gave me a call this morning as I was getting ready to come see him. He informed me there was no need to hurry, he had just seen his schedule and he would be busy all morning. So goes the road to recovery. Mr. B seems to be quite popular at Dodd Hall. All the therapists wanted to have him on their schedules. He has all new therapists this time around with the exception of Lisa, his speech therapist. This afternoon he passed his balance test which means he is no longer a "fall risk" and can move around with less supervision. Most of today was spent evaluating and setting goals.

Tuesday, March 10

Well, I saw my first red-winged blackbird of the year this morning on the way to the hospital. Can spring be far? Good news on several counts. First, our nephew, Daniel and his wife, gave birth to little baby Olive today! And the next best news was that we were approved to go back to Dodd Hall for a brief stint to rehab all those areas that were lost during the last two surgeries. Having two cranioplasties in 6 days and contracting a potentially dangerous infection can really affect one's cognition and memory. Mr. Bichler will begin the intense therapy sessions at Dodd tomorrow. The Dr.s and therapists will have their panel meeting on Friday and based on their evaluations they will give us a discharge date. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! And a special thanks for friends who come to sit with me during surgeries, even when I tell them they don't need to and to those who ask if I need food, and when I say no, they bring me marble brownies and milk any way! I pray everyone has friends and family as special as we are so blessed to have.

Monday, March 9

Ups and downs, 1 step forward and 2 steps back, nothing seems to go as we expect. Although, the surgery, the second in 6 days went well, the labs came back positive for infection. This means an extended stay and I.V. antibiotics for at least two weeks. Mr. Bichler is feeling great and looks the best he has for a long time. Ideally, we hope part of the stay is at Dodd Hall which can address his medical needs and provide the therapy to get him back to where he was at the end of February. And then, we both hope,it will be back home for good!

Friday, March 6

Today was rather uneventful compared to the last 2 days. Mr. Bichler was up and walking this morning trying to strengthen those little used muscles. His appetite has returned to near normal and he has very little pain from the surgery. Several therapists were in to evaluate his current condition and tomorrow he may be moved to the step-down unit if a bed opens up. The neurosurgeon is very pleased with his progress and will be taking the drain out tomorrow. Thankfully things seem to moving back in the right direction.

Thursday evening 3/5

As Trish posted, Mr. B was taken to surgery earlier than expected this morning. The surgery lasted from 9:25-11:15. Dr. McGregor explained that blood from the previous surgery had seeped into the brain cavity and was pooling on the frontal lobe creating pressure that caused some changes in Mr. Bichler's mental and physical status. Dr. McGregor had to remove the front of the skull again and suction the excess blood out and then replace the bone flap. A drain was inserted to remove fluids from the area. Mr. Bichler will remain in Surgical Intensive Care for at least 3 nights to monitor his condition. He is alert and responsive although he is somewhat sedated for the pain. He ate supper tonight and asked if he could go home, both good indications of recovery.

Thursday March 5th

Mr. Bichler is once again out of surgery, they had room in the morning so he went to surgery around 9.  They suctioned the fluid out and added a drain so hopefully we won't have any more problems.  He will be staying in the SICU (Surgical Intensive Care Unit) so they can monitor his status post surgery. The doctor was pleased with the outcome of the surgery and we will be sure to keep you updated as we get more information. 

Thursday, March 5

It's about 1:10 am and I just got home from the OSU Medical Center. As I said earlier, there were some subtle changes that have been occurring since the Friday surgery. To ease my mind, I decided to take Mr. Bichler to the E.R. just to have the neurosurgery team check him out. That was around noon. A C.T. scan (at 6 pm) showed a hemotoma (blood from bruising) that may or may not be causing some of the problems Mr. B has been experiencing. The neurosurgeon said they would be admitting Mr. B for observation but around 8 pm an anesthesiologist came to get information for his surgery. Guess they forgot to tell us about that little detail! Any way, today they will be doing another surgery to suction the blood off the brain. They did an MRI around 11 pm but I won't know the results from that until I go back in the morning. I just needed to get home and get some rest. The surgery is considered an add on so it will probably be later in the day when ever the surgeon can fit it in. Dr. McGregor will be doing the surgery. He has done the previous 2 surgeries and he is absolutely wonderful. I will have Trish update the blog as we get more information.

Wednesday, March 4

Although the surgery went well, according to neurosurgeon Dr. McGregor, the recovery process is not going as I expected. We seem to be going backwards and it has been especially frustrating for me. Answers are vague at best, could be the trauma of surgery, the anesthesia, medication, or lack of, or a combination of all of the above, ect. ect. ect. I'm having difficulty scheduling our outpatient therapy, Mr. B has lost his sense of humor and his appetite and it is cold outside. Now that I am finished feeling sorry for myself we will get back to the job at hand, recovery. Today is another day, pray it is a good one!
MY SLEEPING Rx:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23: 1-6)

Sunday, March 1

Yesterday was spent resting and recovering from Friday's surgery. The swelling was actually worse, both eyes swollen, the right eye was completely closed so it was decided that discharge would wait until today. Around 2 pm one of the neurosurgeons came in to see if Mr. B was ready to go home. By 2:30 we were in our car and headed for West Jeff. It took him about 5 minutes to fall soundly asleep in his lazy boy. Nothing like being home to speed up the healing process. Hopefully, by mid-week he will be back to his regular outpatient therapy schedule. I had to laugh, as we were getting into the car he asked where his helmet was. When he was supposed to wear it he wouldn't and now that he doesn't need it he is asking where it is! Go figure!! Thanks again for all your prayers and have a great week.