Bunk’s Status

Sunday was a very decent day for Bunk, from the mild reappearance of his voice to the viewing of his favorite “˜Entourage’ series tonight. The lack of sleep last night didn’t seem to have an ill effect on his day, and uponawaking he said he was feeling fine - certainly better than yesterday. The visit from the Eucharistic Minister at 10:00 was gratefully accepted, as well as a visit from Lynette and Wendy Swanson, arriving a short while later with a delicious pork dinner for Bunk and some frienship for Mom while Bunk slept. The quiet afternoon consisted mostly of Bunk and Dad watching the television and a ball game, since Mom was finally able to enjoy a belated birthday luncheon with her dear friend June Toohey. More than anxious to be helped up into his chair (Mom has been trying her best to delay his transfer “˜up’ time, in order to reduce his overall time in the wheelchair and hopefully relieve pressure on his wound), the minute Mom returned from her lunch, they hit the ground running with the lift and the process of getting Bunk out of his bed. At the same time, Aunt Mary Catherine and Uncle Ron decided it was time for a visit instead of her usual work, and arrived to spend the late afternoon and early evening catching up with Bunk, Mom and Dad on things outside of the bill paying, filing and organizing that otherwise occupy her weekly visits. Bunk was thrilled to watch the baseball game with Uncle Ron since they hadn’t watched sports together for a while, and they discussed the usual mumbo jumbo of stats, teams, players, etc… This wasn’t enough, however, to keep Bunk from turning the channel before the end of the game in order to tune in to “˜Entourage’ with Dad and Mom after Aunt Mary Catherine and Uncle Ron said goodnight. For those of you who watch Entourage and know Mom, you may be as surprised as we are to here that she regularly joins Bunk and Dad as they sit to watch it, laughing out loud. The day itself was a pleasant and nice one, although Bunk never quite made it outside, opting for the brief three hour tour in his wheelchair to take place in the living room to watch the ballgame and a show or two. The visitors today and the interesting conversations they shared- not to mention his ability to have one with a voice less weak than before - made for a very pleasant and upbeat day.

It was an uncomfortable morning for Bunk, made more difficult by the fact that it was another day of feeling unwell, and his still not being able to pinpoint why. Mom and Dad rotated shifts last night, and, as is usually the case, these evenings without the nurse tend to be restless for all involved, with very little sleep. While Bunk was recuperating in his room, many volunteers lead the way and worked diligently throughout the day on his new home: thanks to Kurt Winter, Ferguson supplied all the plumbing materials and Stephen’s Plumbing handled the installation. Thanks also to County Heating and Air of Orange for the installation of the AC units and to Miller Construction for their continued dedication and hard work. Chance Hardy, of Hardy Windows, had donated and installed all the windows and doors and stopped by to check on the installation and have a brief but very nice visit with Bunk. Chance himself suffered a spinal cord injury and - paraplegic and in a wheelchair - has been a source of great inspiration and kindness to Bunk and our parents. Fortunately, it was another lucky day for a visit from Stephanie, the manual therapist, whose therapy with Bunk helped to turn his day around. For the first time today she noticed the muscles in his arms were nearly as tight as the muscles in his neck - either because of his attempt to exercise them more, or through increased spasms - but they are definitely planning on working those muscles a bit more. The no-voice conundrum was part of his day again today (it’s becoming more the norm than it had been), but after Mom suctioned his airway a few times it seemed to help just a little, or just enough to help him communicate a bit easier. Bunk managed to rally himself somewhat, and when he was helped up into his wheelchair at 5:30, he wanted to head straight out to see the new windows and the work that had been done on the Tipsy. Bunk’s never been one to show much excitement about anything (always playing it cool) but he was visibly, even if just slightly, excited and hopeful about the progress on the comfortable place he will soon call home. The afternoon turned itself into a better evening, and, after enjoying the late afternoon heat for an hour on the back porch, Bunk was ready to return indoors for a little dinner,more television, and then his transfer back to bed. He truly has such limited time to spend up and mobile in his wheelchair (courtesy fo the pressure wound), which makes the paralysis of one who was previously so active even more of a trial. We humbly ask again for all your positive thoughts and prayers for the healing of that ever sinister pressure wound, since there can be no true therapy and healing as long as it lingers.

Friday was a pretty settled day around the house for Bunk: he managed to catch a little sleep last night and made it through his early morning appointment with the wound care nurse well. The nurse is concerned that Bunk’s wound has been healing from the sides only,but the depth (the wound is actually very deep) really hasn’t changed much at all, and doesn’t seem to be progressing in its healing as it had been. We had always hoped that, since the wound wasn’t healing in depth, the sides would eventually just close in and bring it to a satisfactory closure. They have decided to observe it while continuing to pack it and change the dressing on a regular basis for another two orthree weeks before revisiting the issue of surgery, especially if the wound fails to close. It is a situation we had hoped would not come to pass: the possibility that the wound wouldn’t heal, making it necessary for Bunk to submit to the surgery and the very difficult recovery in the hospital, and Mom asked me to request anew prayers and positive thoughts that Bunk can struggle through this and that his body will heal the wound on its own. Just after the wound care nurse left at 9:00, Mom did, too, leaving Bunk, Dad and the nurse’s assistant (who stayed for a few hours to help Dad) alone while she took a good friend to a doctor’s appointment. By 1:30, when she returned, things had remained copacetic, without a hint of any kind of anxiety or panic in the air - which has been known to happen when she leaves. They delayed his transfer up into his wheelchair until after 4:00 today, asa subtle fear from the wound care nurse’s visit still lingered, and it was agreed without saying a word that they needed to make more of an effort to help Bunk stay in bed.Once finally allowed out of the gate,he wanted to spend some time outside since the extremely hot day had finally begun to cool. Out on the back porch, Bunk worked his shoulder and upper arm muscles on his own initiative, and Mom helped him with accessing the guestbook entries so he could read them on his laptop, as well as his email. This was followed by a good laugh or twoas he listened to his voice mail messages (a sure fire way to get a smile out of him), and then the inevitable trip back inside to watch some television - baseball, of course. Bunk is definitely feeling well enough to receive visitors, so please feel free to stop by when or if you are able. Dad continues to work hard every afternoon on the clean up process at the end of the construction day. It is not always easy for him, and Mom often needs his help, so if any guys are willing to help out in this arena, please let us know. I apologize for having floated the request so many times - summer is so busy (and hot) for everyone, but Dad (and the construction project as a whole) could really use the help! Thank you for simply considering it, even if you are unable to help at the moment.

The difficulties Bunk faced throughout the night on Wednesday lead to a very sleepy Thursday morning, but while he was completely unable to sleep at all, he couldn’t say exactly what was wrong - he simply wasn’t feeling well. He slept on and off throughout most of the morning and afternoon in an attempt to catch up on what he had missed. Some pretty continuous airway suctioning eventually helped open his airways and restore his voice, which is often a prime suspect when he isn’t feeling well. Eventually, he made it up into his wheelchair at 3:30 in the afternoon, about the time our family friend John Winter arrived; he and Bunk spent the afternoon - well into the evening, actually - dozing and watching a few television shows while Mom kept busy with just about everything else. Mom enjoyed a big dose of help today when Aunt Mary Catherine arrived at 1:30 to help with the medical filing and bill paying, as well as the Big Daddy of burdens - taxes. In what was shaping up to be a day of visitors wishing to share their time and strength, Dad also was very happy to receive a visit from his old friend Jack Schwabl, whose arrival earlier in the day meant very much to him. In considering what he might watch tonight, Bunk was planning on digging into a box of DVDs from his friend Brett Thomas that arrived today and was filled with all the new fall TV pilots from one of the networks. Bunk was very happy to hear from his old friend. He began to feel better and better as the evening marched on, and, when Mrs. Taylor and her daughter Tammy (Swanson) Eaton, and Mrs. Tiegan arrived in the evening to bring a delicious dinner and desert and enjoy a short visit with Bunk, he was pleased to have his voice sufficiently returned so that he was able to have a fun conversation with his St. Norbert classmate, Tammy. The very hot day prompted more than a few thoughts from Bunk about the good fortune of being able to have an air conditioner in his new pad - something we’ve never had at Mom and Dad’s 117 year old house, which is sorely missed on the hotter days of summer and early autumn. Thank you all again for the constancy of your support, love, prayers and friendship; each day is always a struggle, but made brighter as you offer smiles while simultaneously offering serious amounts of help, and lighter as you in turn let Bunk and our family unload a little bit of the burden.

With a busy schedule for Wednesday, it was fortunate for Bunk that he was able to get some decent rest last night before the activity and appointments of the day began. Early in the morning, with a visit from the home visiting wound care nurse and a phone conversation with colleague and friend, Pegs, already behind him, the nurse arrived for the tracheotomy change, which had been scheduled as a home visit this time. The procedure went well, and they were surprised at how seemingly necessary a more frequent trach. change is becoming; it allowed him to clear quite a bit of phlegm from his throat, which in turn allowed more of his voice to shine through. With his sights set on his acupuncture appointment with Dr. Xi at 1:00, he managed to tolerate the trach change well enough and move forward with his day. The acupuncture appointment, as is always the case, certainly helped to relax him and ease some of his discomfort. The Angel ballgame and his oddly requested “English muffin pizza” concoction occupied him until around 3:00, when the day’s very warm weather successfully beckoned; a short while later he was up in his wheelchair and heading out to the back porch to spend the sunny afternoon with our good family friend John Winter. Both Derek and Billy Seitz joined them, and, in the time before Derek headed down to the Tipsy to help with the wiring, the four guys had a very nice late afternoon just lounging on the porch. When Stephanie, the manual therapist, arrived for her 6:00 appointment, they all went indoors together to hang out in the living room where today he had his massage and manual therapy while up in his wheelchair. Bunk, Mom, Dad, Derek, John and Billy enjoyed a little dinner, another ballgame, and the company of friends - Linda Molyneaux and her daughter Heather also stopped by for a kind visit - until everyone said goodnightsometime after 9:00. Timing was good as Bunk was just about to hit the wall with exhaustion, and after Mom and Dad helped him back into bed I was able to enjoy a great conversation with him on the phone since his voice was finally strong enough to hear over the line. It was nice to hear his voice, and have an opportunity to let his good nature into my day.

With the wound - vac possibly taking a permanent leave of absence, today was the first day that Mom has had to revert to changing the ‘old-style’ wound dressing on a daily basis. Although it’s not difficult, it does require some very uncomfortable positioning for Bunk to tolerate, which most likely will mean that, in addition to her meticulous care of his wound, now Mom will also have to work at shaving minutes off of her routine. Her effortsseem to begranted very little respite. After his usual morning routine, Bunk rested in bed for well over an hour in spite of having slept well last night; when 3:00 arrived, he was ready to be helped up into his wheelchair, with the intention of taking a little trip out to the backyard. From my conversation with Mom, it sounded as if they never quite made it outside today, and instead headed straight for the living room. We’re trying to come up with some ways of getting him outside first thing upon hitting the seat of his wheelchair, so it becomes part of his daily routine, just like changing the dressing on his wound, getting dressed, or cleaning his tracheotomy. Todd Kimori and Dave Baxter, both good rugby friends, arrived at 4:00 to spend some time with Bunk; he always enjoys their company, especially as his voice began to inch its way toward being heard. They watched the Dodger game, followed by an entire corndog and large Coke for dinner, which was followed by the Angel game. Although Todd had to say good bye in the early evening, Dave stayed until 10:00, sitting at Bunk’s bedside in his very quiet and mellow manner. Bunk always appreciates his time and friendship. His comment to Mom just prior to the arrival of the evening nurse was that he felt good today, in fact, better as the day went on, which was obvious to those around him who witnessed his voice becoming slightly stronger and his appetite increasing. Tomorrow Bunk will be having yet another trach. change to see if perhaps it doesn’t help with his voice troubles. Trach. changes are not the easiest of procedures for him, as it is painful and the recovery time for Bunk is gradual over a few days at least. Thank you for keeping Bunk and our parents in your prayers. Also, thank you very much to the construction crews - PR Construction and Miller Construction - for their tremendous efforts in getting Bunk’s new loft apartment built. The ongoing process has not been easy, and every day they arrive willing to do the necessary work because of their steadfast wish to help Bunk in his lifelong effort to carve out a new place for himself.

Kicking off his week with quite a bit of frustration and total exhaustion over his inability to communicate with his voice, Bunk tried his best the whole day to keep his attitude positive, while continually trying to communicate through talking instead of clicking. It was a huge effort on his part, and although he wasn’t feeling well and made it very clear that he would rather not go to his appointments at St. Jude Hospital today, Mom helped him to realize that getting out of the house and partaking in some interaction could only do him some good. While at the hospital, the decision was made to remove the “˜wound-vac’ from his pressure wound and take a wait and see approach for the next two weeks to see if the wound might be at the point of healing just as well on its own. While meeting with the physical therapist, despite his very apparent exhaustion, he gave breathing a try and managed two passes at 7 ½ minutes and 3 minutes, respectively; it nearly wiped him out. After meeting with the neuropsychologist, Dad brought the mammoth of a van around to retrieve Bunk and Mom before returning home, where they enjoyed a nice lunch together - some Chinese food, and, also for Bunk, lots to drink. A neighbor from across the street stopped by when they returned home, and in his very forthright manner, proceeded to ask Bunk questions that we wouldn’t dream of asking him, or, if we did, wouldn’t dream of having them answered. Bunk freely admitted that he has been feeling worlds better since returning home, although often it doesn’t quite seem that way, and that indeed, some days are good and some days are downright awful and difficult. He remains, still, grateful for each day. Once Derek arrived a bit later, Bunk’s voice seemed to find its footing, which perked him right up. They enjoyed the baseball game together and their usual sports talk before Derek said goodnight; Bunk’s spirits were good and he managed to pull himself out of his difficult day to say goodnight on an upbeat note. With his exhaustion fairly complete, it was no surprise that by the time the evening nurse arrived at 10:00, Bunk was ready to turn in for the night and give sleep another chance.

More and more these days, Bunk gauges his wellbeing on the strength of his voice, so the day began on a high notewhen he awoke with a stronger voice than he has had these past two weeks. His voice is one of the few things he has control over and can employ at will, so it’s really not so unreasonable that it carries so much weight with him. Good friend and Eucharistic Minister, Tom Brand, came by early in the morning to offer Communion to our family, during which Bunk was grateful since it was the “first day all week that I’ve felt good.” You especially know it’s a good day when he lets Mom shave his neck - which is almost never - and today he gave her the green light. Mom said, “It always makes him feel so much better”, but in reality, rather, it makes him look better, which in turn, makes her feel better. Around 3:00 in the afternoon it was time for the transfer routine into his wheelchair, after which Derek, Beverly, Jack and Katie arrived for a fantastic afternoon visit. Derek and Beverly spent time with Bunk which gave Mom an opportunity to make a bee line for her garden, this time with the help of Jack and Katie. Bev did a greatjob as always of patiently helping Bunk with his food; her patience and persistence paid off and resulted in Bunk eating more than he has in some time. Later, Bunk cajoled Bev and Derek into staying a bit longer and watching the latest episode of “˜Entourage’ with him, after which the all said goodnight, leaving Bunk, Mom and Dad to watch another show or two before settling in with the arrival of the night nurse at 10:00. Hopefully this decent day was the beginning of an uptrend for Bunk, filled with comfort, a strong voice, some breathing exercises, and far less frustration and pain.

A day of mixed results, Saturday began well and an early morning visit from Mr. Rausch and Mr. Arlt, who came by again to work on the painting from 8:00-noon, was a cheerful first encounter for the day, especially since Mr. Arlt brought his Jason by to visit with Bunk (Jason was a favorite student of Bunk’s at the SLDC). The morning routine was the same as ever, and while still in bed, the manual therapist arrived at 1:00 for a desperately needed visit. Stephanie tried her best to work on some of the issues surrounding the pain in the back of Bunk’s head, which seems to be increasing daily. Her work made a difference, and she even managed to squeeze in some exercises on his abs using e-stim. A short rest later and things took a dive with his airway secretion suctioning needs increasing moment by moment, which sometimes have a tendency to morph into the severe post nasal drip, constant runny nose problem that requires absolute vigilant attention and assistance on the part of the caregiver (Mom and Dad). Attendant to the post nasal drip problem and all its issues was the very difficult challenge of Bunk’s quickly increasing anxiety and near panic. Exhaustively and unfortunately for Bunk, Mom and Dad, this went on for hours and hours, until just before 11:00, when, finally, and apparently against his usual MO, Bunk fell asleep for the rest of the evening - sleeping the entire night through for this first time in a very long while. The full night’s sleep for all of them was a welcome event, especially after such a difficult and tiring day.

With lots of activity surrounding the construction project keeping the house and its surroundings humming, Friday was quite a busy day for everyone. As far as Bunk’s day was concerned,it essentially began with the arrival of the wound care nurse at 10:00, when she changed the dressing and made certain everythinglooked appropriate for a healing wound. Mom is studying to renew her nursing license, which she must do this fall, so she has decided to take her CEUs (continuing education units) on wound care. Needless to say, she is quickly becoming an expert in this area, and soon will outpace any wound care nurse the hospital cares to send out. She simply felt it was a wise choice considering, unfortunately, it might very likely be a chronic issue due to Bunk’s immobility. It was wonderful when, around lunchtime, Bunk’s good friend Steve O’Donnell stopped by for a great visit and chat. Although Bunk’s weak voice frustrated him again because it required such an effort, the visit and being around a good friend really seemed tobe the right thing at the right time,and picked Bunk right up, sending him forth into the rest of his day on a positive note. The 1:30 arrival of Aunt Roselind was very happily received as always; her cheerfulness and the huge amount of assistance she provides are a blessing to Mom and the whole household. She stayed until 6:00 in the evening, busying herself with applications for Bunk, letter writing and general filing. When it was time to help Bunk into his wheelchair at 3:00, they all agreed it was a fine day to be outside, so, surprisingly and without much hesitation,out the front door they went. Bunk was using the newly repaired (for the fourth time since its purchase one year ago) powered wheelchair, which has the ability to hit the brakes on its own and comes in quite handy on the steep slope of the ramp to the backyard and Tipsy. It certainly makes it much easier on Dad’s straining back. On his way down the path, Bunk was able to say hello to Mr. Rausch and Mr. Arlt, who are always so generously hard at work with the painting of Bunk’s new home. Bunk commented later on their kindness, how nice it was to see them, and how good it felt to be outside while it was still warm. The afternoon was beautiful, and they all enjoyed sitting on his new patio, while Mom and Aunt Roselind went up the newly constructed stairway for a peak at the view from the new balcony. Since the elevator isn’t installed yet, they described it all to Bunk, who was just below them. Mom said he is just going to love the view, the breeze and the sun from what is sure to become his new “˜living room’. Once back inside for dinner, a salami sandwich did the trick before he was helped back into bed. He watched the usual programs with Mom and Dad before they began taking their shifts, since weekends still are without any nursing help. Fortunately, Friday had been what they all agreed was a good day.