CHANGE OF SCENERY

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Room 12, in CSICU, on 6W, is no longer occupied by Ken and Bert. It was just like any other moving experience --where did all of this stuff come from. Ken sat in his chair as I gathered up the months of accumulation and piled it on his bed. We are still on 6W but it is now room 20 in the Telemetry Unit. My route to the sixth floor is still the same; however, instead of stopping to be let in the main double doors of CSICU, I take a few more steps down the hall and walk right into our new "pad". For the past three months, every time I walked this portion of the sixth floor hall, the view ends with this room. A couple of times I even knocked on the door to visit the patient who occupied it. John - the man who was waiting on his by-pass surgery the day Ken was receiving his new heart. Being in this room serves to remind me how God has crossed our paths with so many who have touched our lives deeply. When I walk out of this room and turn my head to the right, I can see Ken's old room through the windows of the CSICU closed back doors. Walking past the CSICU reminds me how far God has brought us on this journey for a new heart.

Moving day was Friday. It started on Tuesday waiting for a room to become available and then we had to wait because of a minor problem with the new fistula on Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon dialysis was completed and the fistual was fine, bringing us back to waiting for a room on Friday. As always, when dealing with getting something done in the hospital, it is hurry up and wait. When the call to "move um out" finally came late afternoon it was a circus. Instead of going out the back doors that I can see when I walk out of Ken's new room, the two nurses took us all the way through the unit to the main doors. Immi led the way announcing "Mr. Cooper is leaving us, everyone tell him bye". Then we were out the main doors, took a left and wahl-la, what a trip!! All of the subsequent trips to get his bed as well as three plus volumes of his medical records were done through the back doors - guess they were tired from the initial long hard trip.

A short time later at shift change, one of the night time techs and two of the nurses came over when they heard we had moved. Ken had been in the chair all day and because we were waiting for a different bed to be delivered to his room (long story) he still was at 9:00. When the bed was finally situated and hands were gathered for transferring, the group included the three from CSICU who had already been here once. I asked them if they had come to tuck him in for the night. Ryan, the tech, came by several times that night to check on Ken. Every night he has worked since, he stops by on his way to clock in as well as several times throughout his shift just to make sure everything is ok. Every day someone has come by to visit and make sure we are "behaving". The room is nice - but we miss our family behind those closed double doors.

Amazing what a difference there can be just eight rooms down the hall. I actually have a chair that will make out into a bed as well as drawers and some shelves where I can put away personal items. We have a view and Ken can see it. In room 12 the bed was not close to the windows, but even if it had been he would have been looking at the windows of rooms from another section of the hospital - up close and personal. It would have been great to of had the comforts of this room the past three months, especially for me. Oh, wait I forgot, we are at UMMC not the Hilton I can see a few streets over. Perhaps it is only fitting that at this point in the journey our view has expanded. Yes, I do believe I can see an area of sky that has planes heading for Tennessee.

It is possible our stay here in telemetry will be very short. There is talk of getting us back home very soon. Details are being worked out for transportation and for the facility Ken will be transferred to. It is very exciting but at the same time a little scary. We love Chris, the physical therapist, and know her and trust her to do everything possible to get Ken back to being able to take care of himself and walk. There are lots of things I need to take care of including the apartment. We are suppose to give a 30 day notice, I will just have to see.

The prayer request include working out all of the details, transportation, new facility, apartment and packing up . Also, Ken needs to stay well. He is doing fairly well. He has had a cough that is both irritating physically as well as mentally. It is tiring him out and that sometimes affects how he eats and rest. It is now Tuesday morning and I have been here all night. He wanted me to stay because the last couple of nights he has gotten startled and panicky not knowing where he is when he wakes up. I got a couple of hours sleep but I am really tired and plan to go home and rest a little, while Ken is getting dialysis this morning. Please pray I will just continue to rest in Christ as He works out the details. I hope next time I can give you some details about finding those Ruby Red Slippers.

I hope you had a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend and have a GREAT MONDAY - I mean TUESDAY!!! Sometimes those Tuesdays are like having two Mondays, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!! God Bless You.