Getting Better

I'm regaining my strength, and walking to the bathroom regularly, assisted of course; although I consider making a run for it all by myself. But everyone is always so attentive, that there's always someone who comes to help me.

It was a busy morning.

This morning I had my initial physical therapy evaluation. I even got to walk out of my room with a walker the physical therapist had. I wasn't as grumpy about getting a chance to walk, as I had been during my physical therapy eval at Palisades. The IV antibiotics cocktail are fighting off the infection, and the IV steroids are helping my lungs to heal. I haven't felt this good in weeks, maybe months.

My doctor stopped by this morning also. He says that I might go home in a couple of days.

The speech therapist stopped by to perform a swallow test. After the examination, they confirmed that for the moment I would remain on a pureed diet, with honey-thick liquids. They will continue some examinations of my swallowing abilities.

Before I forget, I received some nice visitors this morning as well. My Soledadecita, my niece with whom I live at the moment, came in to see me this morning, after her ordeal at Ft Lauderdale Airport. It's incredible how ridiculous the airlines have gotten in their customer service lately. They frustrated my niece's every attempt to get back early to see me. She had been in Miami at the big wedding. Soledad came with her sister America, and a couple of special guests who are in town visiting from Quito for the wedding. My niece Gloria Soledad and her daughter Cristina, the daughter and granddaughter of my brother Juan Manuel, came to see me. Getting visitors from so far makes me feel so special. Isn't it cool how much everybody loves me.

Later in the day, I was told that Arlette's son Christian and his wife Anne had been in to see Arlette. She's been in so much pain the last few days, since her fall last week. She remarked at how thorough the examinations are in this country. Since they haven't been able to figure out exactly what's causing the pain, the doctors have been putting her through numerous diagnostic exams, to try to bring some clarity to her situation. There were no fractures readily visible initially. However, because of the intensity of the pain and the fact that it keeps Arlette from barely moving and makes walking impossible; they were now doing more sophisticated exams to figure out if the pain was indeed muscular in nature as initially thought, or possibly a hairline fracture of the femur or hip, or a some other cause such as neurological. They will even come back tomorrow to test her inner ear and her balance.

Arlette commented that the health care in this country is unparalleled. She has been treated in hospitals in various countries, and can clearly see the difference with both the level of care, and the attitude. These Americans are tougher she says. They have an expectation that you'll get better. They work hard, and also make you work hard to bring about a positive outcome. They push you harder. The care she has been getting here at Hoboken University Medical Center, and that care which she received a couple of years ago at Bellevue Hospital Center, when she was hit by a subway car in New York (or more accurately was pushed backward onto the platform by the gush of the train, as it was departing the station) are unequally by care in any other country that she has ever experienced.

I too am very grateful for the wonderful treatment that I'm getting.