Grandpa

 

No, this is not my grandpa--unfortunately all of my grandparents passed away when I was young.  But this man was kind of like a grandpa to me.

My best friend, CJ and I have been friends since she was born.  She has been like a sister, her parents like my parents, and her grandpa like my grandpa. 

My fondest memories of him were trick-or-treating at his house.  He would run around the kitchen filling our bags with apples, double-mint gum, quarters, and anything else he could find to keep us there longer.  He always seemed so happy to see us and made us feel like we were special.

Ironically, I went to Grandpa Sherbahn's funeral viewing on Halloween. The best memories of him were being shared at the time of year that I remember him best.  He was 94 years old.

For 92 years of his life, Grandpa Sherbahn lived a vibrant life as an auctioneer, Angus supporter, State Fair Director, WWII vet and many other amazing roles.  He was a special man who touched many people and he will be missed.

I am sorry that I wasn't able to attend his funeral service, so I will pay tribute to him now.  I was glad to have known him, and look forward to sharing fond memories of him with CJ and our families for years to come.

A frustrated Blogger. A happy scrapper!

Well, I haven't posted in a while because I have had trouble posting pictures and other various computer failures.  I am a third year teacher and I am currently on my third classroom computer!  Uggg--I think I have a black thumb when it comes to technology.  Anyway, although I was reluctant to post anymore without pictures, I had a blogging request :) So, here it goes. . .

This past weekend was fall break from school--yippee!  I had been looking forward to this for weeks, not only because I wanted a day off, but because I had plans to attend a 24-hour scrapbooking retreat called "Croptoberfest."

On Friday, my best friend CJ (whose grandfather had passed away that morning--more about him later) and I left around 5 and drove an hour to this retreat.  We moved in at least 6 big boxes/ bags of materials--including our awesome Cricuts (more about them later, too, I'm sure).  We were in the basement of a woman we had never met before and we totally covered her ping-pong table with scrapbooking wonderment!

We ate pizza, got to know the other women around us, and scrapped all night!  At 4:00 am I finally took a nap for two hours--woke up at 6 am and continued on until around 2:30 in the afternoon when we organized our stuff and headed home!  When I got home, I kept scrapbooking as I added titles to some of the pages.

I made a scrapbook for supper club, a scrapbook of JohnDeere's broken head, and many other wonderful creations!  It was soooooo much fun!!! 

Scrapbooking is so important to me because I love family history.  I wish that my parents or grandparents had scrapbooks of when they were younger so I could see what they were like, not just know their names.  I think I may have convinced my mother to let me scrapbook her life--she doesn't think it's very exciting, but I do--I had to promise her I wouldn't show it to anyone: I will lock it up in a safe until she dies, but then I will show it to everybody!  (Sorry, mom!)

Note: I have been scrapbooking for 10 years, and I have 10 books.  If I live to be 80 and I keep up this pace, I will have over 70 scrapbooks!  Isn't that crazy?  What will happen when I have kids?  I will have to build a bigger house--not for them, but for all their scrapbooks!

Finally going home

Regular Room/ Home Wednesday

            I met JohnDeere around 7:00 again and he said he had slept better.  I went down and got breakfast to go because I didn’t want to miss anything that was said.  Soon I met a nurse, Sherry, who said he couldn’t go home until his pain was controlled.  She and I had a come-to-Jesus meeting: I said “If he’s here where it is obnoxiously loud, people bother him every ten minutes, and it takes ½ an hour for him to get medicine, his pain won’t be controlled.  I don’t want him to leave before he’s ready, but if all he needs is rest–he can’t get that here.”

            She said, “I agree with you, but with a head injury we like to watch them closely for a while.”

            “I was told that would be 72 hours and that was mid-night!”

            “Oh. . .ok. . .”

            We ate breakfast together then Dr. Young and a trauma doctor both came in and said he could go.  He slept well through the morning.  At lunch, he ate while I went to the cafeteria for one last time.  I took some things to the car–and with a thankful heart, I turned in my room key and paid my $60.00 bill (for my 3-night stay).

            Later, while he was sleeping, I got a little anxious, so I went to ask the nurse if there was a checklist he had to complete and what was left for him to do before going home.  She said there was a checklist and he was finished with it!  All she had to do was type up his discharge papers–she guessed it would be around 2:00 before she was finished.

            She said that when he woke up, she would unplug his IV and he could get dressed.  This happened around 1:00 and I was so excited to see him out of the gown and in his sexy shirt–which I brought him on purpose.  He went back to rest–a volunteer brought him some cards–the nurse gave us some instructions–he signed some papers and I went to get the car as a volunteer pushed him to the front door–it was 3:40 p.m.

            The sunlight seemed to bother him as he waited for me, but he laid his seat back and settled in as I battled school bus traffic on State Street.  I stopped at CVS because he needed more pain meds.  He also asked for some sun glasses and a Mountain Dew.  I got him all fixed up and we made it home around 5:00 p.m.  He went straight to the recliner and settled in.

            Before too long, Heidi and Randy stopped by to say “good bye” before going back to Indianapolis for work tomorrow.  Heidi volunteered to come back next week to take him to his first appointment.  Then Dan Peters, Mr. Painter’ best man and JohnDeere’s fellow tailgate rider, stopped by.  He said that Andrew hadn’t been driving recklessly, but maybe a little faster at the turn then he should have.  Dan was able to grab the tailgate strap as he watched JohnDeere slide to the edge, grab for the corner of the bed, and then fall–landing first on his lower back, bouncing back up (still conscious), and then landing on his head and going limp.  I was glad to hear the story from his point of view.  He felt guilty for not being able to do anything, but we were just glad he hadn’t fallen also.

            When Dan left, I took my socks off, put on some pajama pants and fell asleep on the couch.  I was awakened by my mom who had brought us supper: Johnny Marzetti casserole, garlic bread, and brownies.  She talked to JohnDeere a minute while I baked the casserole and put away the dishes she had washed for me.

            JohnDeere and I ate, then fell back asleep–until about midnight when we went upstairs to bed.  JohnDeere had a difficult time getting comfortable as he went from chair to bed to chair to couch and back to the bed, but we both slept in and even though we were awake several times during the night, I felt more rested than I had at the hospital.  It was so nice to be home.

Regular Room--Tuesday

Regular Room–Tuesday

            When I finished getting ready I was still a little early (they said breakfast was served around 7-7:30 and I wanted to eat with him–or I at least knew he would be awake then), so I called Mom and let her know everything was okay.

            I headed over around 6:45 and he was still sleeping when I got there, so I tried to sit by his bed and take a nap.  I was fairly awake, though, and my chair made a loud squeaking every time I moved.  So, at 7:10 I left him a note that I was going to eat breakfast (I had bacon, tator tots, and a yogurt parfait).  When I got back he was still sleeping and hadn’t had breakfast yet.  Before long a woman came to check on his roommate–she flipped on the lights and spoke to the man like he was deaf–her volume hurt my head and I could tell by the pained expression on JohnDeere’s face that he couldn’t stand it either–I finally stuck my head through the curtain an asked her to lower her voice.  I would have thought someone who worked at the hospital would have been more aware of other patients–but, the neighbor’s nurse was loud, too.  I was getting frustrated.

            Breakfast came and JohnDeere ate ½ piece of toast, a strip of bacon and all of his eggs.  Then he went back to sleep and I wrote.  I was worried I would forget some things, but so far I think I’ve done okay.

            Soon, Tom, Emily, and Alex came to visit.  And, not long after they left, Grandma and Grandpa stopped by.  Grandpa had an appointment for his pacemaker, so they were in town.  We chatted in the waiting area while JohnDeere slept.  Grandma told me about Emily’s troubles she had had with pregnancy and Grandpa talked to some woman about the medical helicopters.  She said her son was training to be an air medic–you have to have at least five years of ER experience before you can work in the Samaritan.  They went in to say good-bye and I stayed in the waiting room.  After a few minutes, Grandpa came out and motioned for me to get up.  “They’ve got him up,” he said as I saw an IV pole followed by JohnDeere and the therapist coming out of the room.  I followed as he walked all around the nurses stations in our wing of the hospital.  He walked pretty quickly and without holding on to anything–I was surprised.  He didn’t seem weak or dizzy at all.

            They had him sit up in his chair when he returned from walking, and he stayed sitting up to eat his spaghetti for lunch.  Soon after he was finished, he went to the bathroom and cleaned up some.  Then he took some medicine and went back to sleep.

            This seemed like a good time for my lunch and as I headed out to the lounge I met up with My mother-in-law, Mater, Heidi, and Randy.  We all had lunch together, then My mother-in-law and Mater had to leave for work.

            I visited with Heidi and Randy for a while.  In the meantime JohnDeere met with a speech therapist who gave him some cognitive tests.  Then, because I knew there would be visitors in the evening, I went back to English Hall to take a nap–it was about 3:45.

            I got back around 5, checked on JohnDeere, and sat with him while he ate his cheeseburger that I had special ordered for him.  Then Randy and I went to eat dinner while Heidi stayed with him.  While we were eating, a woman from the hospital called asking me about who was driving so they could inform our insurance of any “third party liability.” I lied and told her I didn’t know who it was, so I would have more time to think about it.  The idea of our insurance “going after” Andrew didn’t seem fair–I was so distraught over this that I could hardly finish my Panini.

            Right away, Randy and I went to talk to this woman in person.  I told her, “I know I may not be the one who makes these decisions, but my husband decided to sit on the tailgate of a pick-up.  If he had decided to sit in the front seat we wouldn’t be hurt.  I don’t think the driver is any more at fault than my husband–so I do not wish to pursue his insurance.”  She said, “Ok, I will note that in your file,” and I was relieved.  Then, another woman in the office, who had been listening in asked “Who’s your insurance company?”  “Anthem,” I replied. 

“Ok, just to let you know, they are notorious for saying they won’t pay if they think someone else is at fault.”

“Oh, they’ll pay–I’ll do whatever I have to make sure that happens.”

            Later, I realized that Randy had used his fancy cell phone to record the whole conversation and he said he was proud of the way I said I’d deal with Anthem later. 

            Still slightly riled up, I headed back to the lounge and prepared for lots of visitors: Heather Hannan, a friend from college, came to sit with me.  Then Kyle brought Irene (the exchange student who had lived with Sherbahn’s and was visiting from Ukraine for CJ’s wedding), Chris and Martha Trier came, JohnDeere and Mindi Landrigan, and Bill and Priscilla showed up later.  It was nice to see so much support especially from Chris and Martha.  A few year’s ago, Martha’s brother, Daniel Bolinger, fell on some ice, his head, and stayed in the same section of the neuro ICU that JohnDeere was in.  At Christmastime her family had to decided to take him off of life support.  I know it was difficult for her to be there, but her personal understanding was very comforting.

            My in-laws came later and visited a little with everyone.  Our visitors cleared out, My in-laws checked in on him.  I filled them in on what happened that day and informed them the we would hopefully be going home the next day.

            They saw me off the English Hall and told me that since we were planning on coming home the next day, no one was planning on coming up–but they would meet me at home.

            I took a shower and went to sleep with far fewer worries than the night before.  I was ready to go home–it had been a grouchy day for me.

Regular Room--Monday

Regular Room–Monday afternoon

            I knew a regular room would mean a higher patient/nurse ratio, but I never imagined that it would be so bright and loud; I forgot about the possibility of a roommate, and boy, did JohnDeere get a doosey or what!?!

            The man was a loud talker and complained about everything.  To top it all off, there were about five other people in the room.  I knew this wouldn’t be a good place for him to rest, and the nurse I trusted, even though she was bossy, just plopped him in the bed and left–without showing us where his call button was or plugging in his compression socks.

            Once he was settled (acutally I can’t remember for sure–it might have been between lunch and when he was moved, but it doesn’t really matter), Heide took me home to get clean clothes for me and something for him to wear on the way home (which hopefully would be Wednesday).  They had told me they usually kept someone 72 hours (11:59 Tuesday), but if they had a set-back the 72 hours would start all over again.  Anyway, it was nice to get out of the hospital and breathe some fresh air.  It was good to see home and I was so glad I had straightened things up the week prior.  That was one stress I really didn’t need right then.

            When I got back, I checked in on him.  It was then that I learned the story of his roommate.  His wife told me he was a farmer south on state road 13 near Somerset.  He had been driving a loaded grain semi when had come up behind another farmer pulling a gravity wagon behind his tractor.  As most of us would, he passed the tractor.  Just as he was passing, the man driving the tractor decided to turn left.  That is when they collided and JohnDeere’s roommate’s semi load crushed in behind him as he split the tractor in half.  The bizarre thing about this accident story is that just before JohnDeere left the ICU, a whole bunch of people (who because of their rural attire Heidi claimed looked like friends of JohnDeere’s--only younger) filled the lounge.  It turns out they were there for the young man who was driving the tractor.  We heard one of them talking that when he got to his friend, the engine block–of the semi–had split and fell on the young man.  He was crushed and covered in oil–it was even running in his mouth. The friend turned him over to drain the oil.

            So, now we knew that the young man who was covered in oil and being kept in a drug-induced coma was there because of what had happened with JohnDeere’s complaining-femur-fractured roommate.  What a strange coincidence.

            Next I was readied for supper with Jewel and Brad.  As we gathered our stuff for the trek down to dinner I recognized the Juillerat’s pastor, Bud, and his wife heading toward the elevator.  At first I thought it was another amazing coincidence that they were visiting the same floor of the hospital that we were on, then I realized that they had come to visit JohnDeere.  Pastor Bud greeted me with a warm hug and his wife said a prayer as we all held hands.They left and I went to eat.  I don’t think there was much more excitement that evening: the family all left and I went back for a second night at English Hall–and my first night alone with JohnDeere at the hospital.  But, I was confident that he would be ok–and comforted by the phone in my room–a direct link to him.  I slept really well, but decided to keep my normal routine and set my alarm for 6 a.m.

STICU Day 2

Neuro STICU Day #2

            I woke up around 4:45 and I was worried about him, so I used the phone in my room to call the nurses station.  They said he had had a lot of pain during the night, but was not doing a very good job of pushing the button and letting them know.  The nurse said that whenever she saw him tossing and turning she would go in and ask him if he needed medicine.  She was frustrated with himtrying to be a tough guy.  I explained to her that he wasn’t just trying to avoid help–he’s just a “non-complainer.”  I know that in the past he’s had a sore knee or finger or something for three weeks before he says anything–his philosophy is usually “don’t complain if there is nothing you can do about it,” which he always used against me since I am a constant complainer.

            Anyway, she told me he was going for his 3^rd CT scan soon, and that if I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the doctor, I should probably be there around 6 a.m.  So, I decided to get dressed and head over there right away.

            When I arrived, he confirmed that he hadn’t slept well.  He also told me that the had gone for a CT scan, and he had eaten some toast–so far he had kept it down.  I went out to sit with My mother-in-law and wait for a doctor to read the scan.  I took a nap in a chair.  The doctors made their rounds between 7 and 9:30, so I expected to be called back during that time, but I wasn’t.  As soon as 9:30 hut and visitors were allowed back, I went and checked him.  He was awake and talking some more.  He said that the doctor didn’t comment much on his CT scan, but ordered an MRI, for a 3D view.  If that looked good, they would send him out of ICU and on to a regular room.  I was comforted by this move because I knew it meant he was doing better, but I was also worried that he wouldn’t have as much attention in a regular room.

            When I went to report to My mother-in-law, Heidi and Randy, Jewel and Brad, and Mater had arrived.  I gave them a report, we chatted, and then we decided to go to the cafeteria for lunch.  Heidi went with me to tell JohnDeere we were going downstairs.  His lunch was waiting for him, so I helped him cut his steak–he had kept down his toast from breakfast, and I was hoping these few bites of steak would be ok.

            After lunch we waited for a room to become available.  Jewel and Heidi visited him, then I went in as he stood up (for the first time), was lowered into his wheelchair, and we all paraded with him to the fifth floor continuing care unit.  I went with him as he was settled into room 1524–Bed #2..

STICU Day 1

The STICU (Surgical and Trauma Intensive Care Unit) Day #1

            I don’t really remember what we did while we were waiting for them to get him settled in, but I do remember lots of people sitting around trying to sleep in their chairs and I wondered why so many guests would be spending the night.  Soon, after talking to Shawn, the night nurse, I realized that family was not allowed to stay with a patient in the ICU.

            At about 3:00 a.m. was when we finally called back and asked to see him–we realized later they were not very good about notifying us when they said they would.  Anyway, he seemed to be resting well.  Shawn–a dark haired guy with earrings and a sports smock asked about medical history.  He also informed us that we could call and come back to visit anytime buy only two at a time and only for a few minutes at a time.  He also said a CT scan was ordered for later in the morning and that a doctor would be around in the afternoon to read it–but he could tell us earlier if there were any changes.  That made me feel good because I felt like I would have answers soon.

            At 3:30 a.m., My mother-in-law and I headed back to the lounge.  I grabbed a sheet and pillow, sat down by a fish tank, Mom pushed another chair up to build me a bed, and I settled in.  It was hot, bright as day, and I was worried, but I slept a little.  At 5:30 I woke up to go to the bathroom and an empty feeling in my stomach kept me from falling back asleep.  I noticed My father-in-law was also awake, so we soon went to check on JohnDeere and then on to the cafeteria for breakfast.  I couldn’t tell if I was hungry or nauseous–and nothing sounded good, but I ate an omelet anyway.  JohnDeere had Jello for breakfast in his room.

            We rested some, then I went to talk to him.  He asked me what happened.  All he remembered was sliding on the tailgate and then waking up in ICU on Sunday morning.  I explained how “The Great” had helped him and the helicopter had flown him here. 

“You know you’re in Fort Wayne, right?”

“Well, yeah (with a smart aleck tone). They took me for some kind of scan, do they know what’s wrong with me yet?”

While I was eating he had had his second CT scan. I explained to him that he had a fractured skull and he would have to be there a couple of days.  “Shit” was his one word response.

            I headed back out to relax and began to write my lesson plans.  Fortunately I had my laptop, planner, and a good idea of what needed to be done, so I pretty easily cranked out a weekly instruction manual.

            Then the family started showing up–first Aunt and cousin (after a morning of youth hunting), then Grandma and Grandpa (who, because of Grandpa’s pacemaker have been here often).

            [Later in the day: His doctor, who was supposed to read the CT scan around noon was not very timely.  My mom forced me to go eat lunch around 1:00 p.m. and then I finally go to talk with Dr. Kachman.]

            At around 11:00 a.m. I got a text from CJ– they had already left the reception when the accident happened and I thought that everyone had agreed not to tell them about it until they got back from their honeymoon, but Mr. Painter’ parents, Dennis and Peggy, had).  I was upset that they would have to worry about this while they were supposed to be having a romantic trip, but they assured me they were glad to know now rather than later.  They went in to visit with him and he asked them when they were leaving on their trip.  That’s when things got a little messy. . .he got the “I’m going to puke”-look on his face.  Mr. Painter yelled for CJ to grab a trashcan–she found one and as she was brining it up, JohnDeere’s vomit-filled broken head was coming down.  This fiasco was mostly successful except he puked on her hand and she gave him a fat lip.  This was actually his most gruesome superficial injury.

            It was actually after the CJ/Mr. Painter projectile vomit that I talked with Dr. Kachman.  He said that the CT scan showed no change and according to him JohnDeere could be moved to a regular room.  He said, “These results make me happy, and if I’m happy you should be very happy.”  He was wearing a tan suit jacket and a tie with hippy flowers on it–this suited his white-haired persona much better than the leather jacket he donned in the ER!

            I was very happy with this news, but the nurse quickly brought me back down to Earth. She said that doctor Kachman really had no say in when JohnDeere moved because he is actually a Another hospital doctor.  He had ordered another CT scan (#3) for the morning–Then a The hospital doctor would review it and make a recommendation.  I was not excited to wait another day, but she assured me that these doctors would come earlier in the morning so they planned to have his scan done by 7:00 a.m. so everything would be good to go as soon as possible.  I left him to rest for a while.

            Back in the lounge, Pastor Bill and Priscilla Wood had come to visit.  We talked a while and they gave us a card and a church bulletin.  Then My in-laws decided to go home to get cleaned up.  Soon after they left, Dave and Beth Metzger stopped by.  They didn’t go back to visit JohnDeere, but they did pray with Mom and I.

            When they left I went back in to check on him.  The nurse came in to remove his IV that they had given him “in the field” because he had complained about it hurting.  To JohnDeere’s unpleasant surprise, the 1 ½ inch wide tape being ripped from around his arm was one of the most shocking pains.  Then she un-bandaged his right elbow and cleaned out the cut.  This also got an ouchy response.  She gave him some pain meds, and I went back to the lounge.

            Soon we met up with Dan and Eileen Ransbottom.  They actually heard about the fall from a Mrs. Beery.  Her son, who lives in Missouri, had read about it on Heather’s Facebook page.  He called and told his mom who called and asked Dan and Eileen what they knew about the Wise boy’s accident.  It was news to them.  All Eileen could talk about was how handsome JohnDeere had been a few weeks ago at the church’s 125^th Anniversary celebration.  When they went into see him, she kissed him.

            Later that evening, My father-in-law and I checked in on him and he threw up a second time.  The nurse had given him anti-nausea medicine, but it wasn’t helping because it wasn’t his stomach that was making him sick, it was his head.  I was very worried about the fact he couldn’t keep anything down.  And he was feeling very hungry.

            Late that evening (or at least it seemed late) “The Great” and Kyle, Vester and Mouth came to visit.  I told them about him puking on CJ and we looked at Facebook pictures of the wedding.  It was very difficult to look at all the fun things that happened just hours before our shock–the handsome pictures of him in a tux represented an old JohnDeere and an old life that I wasn’t quite sure I would have back yet.  And pictures in the parking lot made my heart sick.

            Soon after everyone left, I found a few sheets and pillows.  I set out for a loveseat–covered my eyes and ears with a sheet, and tried to get my legs situated on the three-foot sofa.  I successfully managed to block out the light and most of the noise when I heard My mother-in-law talking to a family and admitted to myself that I had to go to the bathroom.

            As I headed that direction, I stopped to talk with My mother-in-law and the family.  I soon understood that they were the parents of the young man who was in an accident at Grace College. He had been walking with a young lady who was a freshman volleyball player at Grace.  They stopped to sit on a hammock, which, unbeknownst to them was fastened to a rotten tree.  The tree snapped and landed on the couple.  The girl was killed and the young man was moved to the trauma ICU.  That was a week ago.  His family seemed in good spirits and they were thanking God for all the progress he was making.  They told us he had to have bonds from his pelvis to make some new vertebrae for his neck.  He was on a ventilator, and paralyzed from the waist down.  They told us that they had travelled from Iowa to be here and that their son would have to be in ICU for three more weeks and then to a rehabilitation hospital for a while after that.  They were a wonderfully nice family and since that accident was close to home, and Chellie knew the young lady from sports (she was from Wabash), I was interested to hear their story.

            When we were finished talking with them, I complained to my mother-in-law about being hot (she and I share an aversion to temperatures over seventy degrees) and then I tried to settle in.

            Meanwhile, My mother-in-law spoke with Grandma who suggested I stay at the school of nursing.  She told My mother-in-law that it was just right across the street, it costs only a few dollars a night, and she stays there any time that Grandpa has heart stuff.  My mother-in-law presented the idea to me and said that she would stay in the lounge.  I was reluctant to stay by myself in a strange place, but I knew my stinky feet could use a shower, and my must-have-8-hours-of-sleep-a- night body was running on fumes.  Company and adrenaline had kept me going through Sunday, but Monday would be a different story.  I gathered my clothes and make-up and we headed for the front desk where they had a key waiting for me.  AS the woman explained the room/accommodations to me and gathered up some toiletries, I began to cry.

            This is really the first time I had had a chance to cry, and as I let my fatigue escape my body, and the relief of a potential good-night’s sleep replaced it–tears just silently slid down my cheeks.  A security officer picked me up and showed me to my room.  As I set my things down and started pulling bobby pins out of my wedding hair-do, sobs came for a different reason.  I shook with fear and said out loud: “God, please make him ok.”  As I showered and readied for bed, the tears kept coming.

            Fortunately, I could crank the air conditioning and when my head hit the pillow, I was quickly asleep.  Even though my bed was so soft in the middle I thought it might break, and my pillow was only slightly softer than a brick, I slept–uninterrupted for almost six hours.  I was so thankful for that “full” nights sleep.