{Karlton Bontrager}

Karlton’s physio session was quite intersting today. The PTs told him to get into a kneeling position as he sat on a mat about the height of a chair. Ever so slowly and with much complaint about his quads hurting etc. he eventually got both knees in the right angle and the right place. He then had to move forward on his knees for about six feet trying to maintain his balance and not putting all the weight on his right side.

Next, he was asked to get down on all fours – hands and knees. He had a bit of trouble keeping his left elbow straight and had to be reminded constantly but he was able to maintain that position for quite a while, putting his weight equally on both hands. After he was able to maintain his balance, the PTs brought out a raised platform of about five inches. He had to put his weight on his left hand and stay balanced as he raised his right hand to put it on the platform, still in the hands and knees position. The PTs had him lower his right hand to the floor, then up on the platform several times and Karlton was able to do that. After that he had to get himself into a sitting position on the raised mat and then stand up. He even walked all the way back to his room after the session. Karlton is certainly getting stronger everyday.

After lunch Karlton walked with me to the computer room to check his e-mails. I can’t believe how much he is able to walk – he even walked with an aide to the rec room and back much later in the afternoon.

Even though Karlton seems to be functioning well most of the time, there are times when he just can’t remember or recall certain things. And today a funny thing happened. He was talking to his Dad on the phone in the rec room. After a while I went to ask if he was comfortable when he said he didn’t know why he couldn’t hear anything on the phone. Apparently he had put down the phone to do something and was holding it upside down. When I pointed that out to him, he just burst out laughing!!

Life goes on here at ISIS …and every day a little improvement. Karlton has a good attitude about the whole thing and he says he is ready to keep working. He enjoys hearing from his friends and appreciates all the e-mails and good wishes that are sent his way. Thank you all!

An “anti ISIS dining room” Karlton is slowly emerging out of his cocoon and letting himself be seen there from time to time. And that’s where I found him Sunday morning when I arrived. Soon Robert and Vailoa had him walking down the halls into the recreation room and back to the room – perhaps two-tenths of a mile. Karlton’s walking is improving everyday, and as long as it’s not with Mom alone, he doesn’t mind walking several times during the day.

Karlton has taken up texting on his mobile phone. He seems to enjoy sending and receiving messages. In fact, when he is doing that, he has yet to complain of any pain in his eye. Is it mind over matter … pleasure covering pain … whatever it is, it keeps him from boredom and the occasional complaining.

Late afternoon, a nurse decided to take whoever was interested to the movies. Karlton said he would go depending on what show they were going to go. It was decided the group would go watch “About A Boy” starring Hugh Grant – and at first Karlton said he wasn’t going, but after some persuasion, he changed his mind. I think it was a great learning experience for him because he realized that sitting still in a fairly comfortable chair at the movie theater for two hours was much too long and much too painful for him. We helped him stand up for a while, put sheepskin cushion on the chair for him, and I even massaged him a bit, but it was still not comfortable. Now he knows that it will be a wee bit yet before he can go watch rugby games with his mates and we won’t have to be the ones to try to discourage him from going.

Karlton was with me last night (Saturday) as I was writing the update for Friday. When I turned around to see what he was up to, he had nodded off to sleep in his wheelchair, so I quit before I had time to send out the special thank yous to: Becci, Gil & Win, Helen, I.J., Morris, Lee, and Ted and Novina. Thank you everyone for your e-mails, cards, words of encouragement, prayers and positive thoughts. Karlton is certainly reaping the results of your love and good energies.

Karlton received a lovely massage late Friday afternoon. Although he said he still had some back pain during the night, the massage did wonders for him. When I arrived at ISIS on Saturday, I was told Karlton slept in until 9:30 a.m.!! The nurse said that since it was Saturday, there was no reason to wake him up and let him sleep in. His body must have been very relaxed and went into a healing mode.

It took Karlton a very long time to come out of the shower Saturday morning. When I asked him if everything was all right, he said that he washed, shampooed, and dried himself all on his own, and that’s why it took so long. He said he can’t dress himself completely on his own yet, but I was happy to hear that he is slowly but surely learning to take care of himself.

Saturday morning was a bit brisk but sunny, so Vailoa, a nurse’s aid, helped Karlton walk from his room, out the front door and down the parking lot to the side door! Then she pushed him in his wheelchair around the ISIS grounds. When we got back to the front door, he said he would walk again, so with help, he walked down the corridor to the dining room where he had his lunch with some of the other patients. Karlton doesn’t like to eat there because he can’t always tolerate the noise level, but yesterday he was able to stay and finish his lunch.

I had Karlton weighed yesterday afternoon. He had gone down to 64 kg when we got back to ISIS about two weeks ago, but yesterday he weighed 67.5 kg. Yeah!! All the food he gobbles down is doing some good finally!

Wednesday, Karlton had an appointment with the radiology department at DPH (Dunedin Public Hospital) because he has been having pain in his left shoulder. It was the first time since the accident that he did not need to be transported by an ambulance. Instead he used the Mobility Taxi – a van that can transport wheelchairs. The X-rays did not take very much time but the surprise came when the accompanying nurse asked Karlton if there was any place he wanted to go. She said she would take him in his wheelchair but he didn’t have anywhere he really wanted to go so we went down George Street where all the stores are. We stopped at the Canterbury Sports Store and Karlton checked out helmets/head gear. They didn’t have a big selection but he seemed to be satisfied with what they showed him. After a few more stops, he said he was getting cold and hungry so they went on back to the hospital while I stopped in at McDonald’s to get him a snack – Fillet of Fish Sandwich/Fries and Apple Pie.

While we were on our jaunt, a couple of nurses from Ward 5B recognized Karlton and stopped and talked to him. They were amazed at how well he looked.

We did not get back to the ISIS center until way past 1:30. I was afraid our nurse would get in trouble since the appointment was at 11:00 but she said nothing was ever said. “Besides it’s good for Karlton to get away sometimes. He must be bored stiff sitting here all the time.” What wonderful and caring people we have met!

Karlton was still hungry so I went to get his lunch. Lo and behold! He had fish and chips for lunch and he gulped that down in no time. I must ask the nurses to weigh him to see if he has gained any weight since coming back from the hospital.

Karlton got the day off from the PTs so he was able to check his e-mail. Even though his left arm was in a sling and it rested on a pillow for support, Karlton complained about his shoulder. He also said his right eye socket was giving him pain so we did not stay at the computer for very long. He did have a session of back massage and he said that felt very good and relaxing.

Thursday morning Karlton saw Dr. Tie so he asked him about the X-rays. We looked at them together and he said that Karlton does have a subluxated (?) left shoulder but he does not have a dislocated one. The muscles have atrophied and cannot support his arm. The PT gave Karlton a better sling/support so I hope that will help ease the pain he feels.

During the PT session, Karlton stood on his own for nearly five minutes. The PTs were there in case he needed them but they did not have to hold him. Then he got a wee rest and again they had him stand and play checkers as he stood on his own – this time for ten minutes!!! He was also able to step back a few steps without any support. What an improvement he has made!! I thought he would be exhausted at the end of the session but the PTs said he had to walk on his own – just to the door. He did take at least ten steps on his own! After that he walked ALL the way back to his room holding the PTs hand.

I could hardly hold back my tears as I followed him with his wheelchair back to his room. It was so wonderful to see him “walk” with gusto!!

Tuesday was a rainy day but much milder than Monday. When I arrived at ISIS Karlton was eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich that I had fixed for him the night before. Soon a nurse arrived with two bowls of oatmeal & fruit and soy milk. He gobbled down that quite fast and was ready for a big bowl of apricots I got for him. The amount of food this boy can eat is amazing and yet he doesn’t seem to put on any weight!

Karlton complained that he had terrible back muscle pain during the night and could not sleep until he got some medication. The PT explained to him that he had not used his muscles for so long that everything he does now will probably ache for a while. The PT had Karlton push the wheelchair with his leg to the physio room today. Under protest, he made his way there. Then the PTs had Karlton stand and balance himself for a wee bit longer than yesterday. He sat balanced on a table with his feet on the ground and had to hit a balloon with a badminton raquet. Soon the PTs raised the bed so his legs were dangling but he was able to maintain his balance and still swing the racquet. After the session was over, Karlton walked (with support) all the way down the corridor from the physio room. A great workout!!

Hooray! Today was PICC line removal day. The nurse warmed his arm for about ten minutes to let the veins expand. Karlton was told it would not hurt but was a bit hesitant so I told him not to watch as they pulled it out. I told him I would wait ten minutes and come back. He said he could feel his pulse as the nurse pulled the line out of his vein … 53 centimeters of it!! The nurse measured the line several times to make sure every centimeter of it had been removed. Karlton said it did not hurt but he could feel it coming out.

One more step towards normalcy in Karlton’s life! He was in good spirits, wide awake, alert and joking all day!! Thanks everyone for your e-mails, cards, prayers and good wishes.

Monday was a very windy and stormy day. Down in the valley we had hail and sleet but as we crossed the green belt and onto ISIS, the ground was covered with snow. It snowed and stormed on and off all day but by the time I left around 6:45 p.m. all the slush was gone from the roads.

Karlton was able to answer 12/12 questions correctly three days in a row so now he is considered to be out of the PTA (Post Traumatic Amnesia) state. The OT told Karlton that he was permitted to leave the hospital premises so he asked me to take him to Aukland! He doesn’t ask for much, does he?

The PTs worked him pretty hard in the afternoon. They made him slide over across the bed. He had to stand a wee bit all by himself!! He was left/forced to/and able to “find his sitting balance”. Karlton’s a/c joint in his left shoulder has separated so needs to wear a sling and keep it supported at all times. After the session with the PTs, Karlton had to walk down the whole length of the corridor. And because he is able to sit up straight, he has a regular wheelchair now.

Karlton continues to make progress everyday. Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement.

The shuttle service between the hospital downtown and ISIS does not run on weekends so I told Karlton I would take the earliest public bus that runs at 9:31 on Sundays. I thought I would surprise him by catching another line which left the Octogon at 9:10, arriving at ISIS at 9:35. When I arrived he said: “I thought you would be here at 8:00. Dad’s already called and I’ve already had my breakfast and my shower.” Oh, well!!

Yesterday was a rainy day and a lazy kind of day. Karlton mentioned that he likes the weekend because the physios don’t come bother him and he enjoys being lazy. He listened to his music and soon said he would like to check his e-mail if I would read it to him. It wasn’t long until he said he was very uncomfortable because he was supporting all his weight on two points on his bottom. How easily we forget that we can shift our weight, wiggle around in our seats and not even think much of it. So our session in the computer room didn’t last too long.

One of his favorite nurse’s aides was on duty and talked him into walking to the dining room. He was quick to agree and with our support he walked there and sat down in a chair. Soon it got too noisy for him so we took him back to his room.

After lunch, a couple of his friends came by and again he took a little “stroll” with them. They wanted to take him outside for a while but the weather was too cold and wet. I have to remind myself all the time how much energy it takes him to walk even a wee bit. Later as he was resting in his recliner he said he didn’t want to take a nap because he had a hard time going to sleep the previous night. I was just going to the kitchen to cook something for him so I had a nurse roll him in his very BIG recliner to be near me. I had to keep talking to him, clanking pots etc. to keep him awake. I guess the effort paid off because when Jennifer and Alec called him at 6:30, the nurses told them that he was fast asleep!!

Karlton is able to stay awake most of the day now. He is alert, witty, sarcastic, and is always telling me that my English is not very good and that I need to take classes to learn to communicate better!! I guess the old Karlton is slowly emerging!!

Wow! I found a fairly decently-sized Asian store where they sell fresh tofu. Thanks to Dr. Stuart Tie, a Chinese house surgeon from Malaysia, I found out there are four Asian stores in Dunedin. Val, a wife of a patient at ISIS, and I got into Ted’s car (Ted is in charge of the kitchen at ISIS) and went looking for the store in South Dunedin. I got bean sprouts, bean vermicelli, and tofu to start off with. I will have to go back next week and get some red bean filled buns that Karlton said he would eat.

And yes, I did drive!! It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be driving on the left side of the road. I kept getting the windshield wipers going every time I tried to signal a turn but that was about the only mistake I made. Oh, and I didn’t speed or go through yellow lights. I just didn’t need to get stopped because I don’t have an international license with me.

And WOW! Karlton let me take him outside. I think it was because Farmer John said she would come with us. And when Farmer John says a walk would be good or just about anything else, Karlton usually listens. Sometimes a strong and loud person comes in handy!!!

In the afternoon Karlton asked me when “his” reflexologist was coming. When he found out he wasn’t going to get a session he asked me to massage his feet. It wasn’t quite as good or gentle as he would have liked, but he tolerated it o.k.

Karlton is starting to enjoy coming to the computer to check his e-mail and send a few messages. He still tires very easily and complains that his eyes hurt after a while, but he is showing much more interest in everything.

Hope you are enjoying the last of the summer season. We are beginning to see daffodils, canterbury bells and grape hyacinths popping up. Spring is almost upon us here in New Zealand and with the new season of renewal, our hopes and prayers are that Karlton will continue to improve at his record breaking speed!!

Friday started as another beautiful day in Dunedin. Karlton would not let me take him out for a stroll saying that he did not think I was strong enough to control the wheelchair around the grounds of ISIS. He expressed a real concern for his life so I did not push the issue at that time. By early afternoon, the weather had turned cold and windy so the opportunity for a walk was gone.

One of his physios had been away for a week and was pleasantly surprized at the progress Karlton had made. Also, a nurse stopped me in the corridor and said, “I can’t believe how well he is walking. He is going to walk out of ISIS.” I am always gratified and grateful to hear remarks like these and encouraged at how well Karlton has progressed.

Karlton has nicknamed a nurse “Farmer John” because she has an organic farm and also because of her loud voice. She is quite patient with Karlton and tolerates his cynical comments and jokes. But more important, Farmer John sells organic, free roaming chicken eggs so I have found a great source of protein for Karlton. I was able to make egg foo young, salmon burgers, fried rice, etc. for K. since he has gotten quite fed up with hospital food.

I pan fried some VERY fresh sole fillets that Helen (the reflexologist) had so graciously brought for us … fresh off the boat … as these fish were swimming earlier in the day. Karlton really enjoyed the fish and was quite reluctant to give me my portion of the dinner. This was one great meal that Karlton and I thoroughly enjoyed.

I had planned to leave before dark but by the time Karlton was tucked in bed it was already dark outside and I had to run to catch the 7:45 bus. It was a busy day but Karlton really enjoyed the wonderful reflexology session he had, and was relaxed and content.

Thursday was a beautiful and warm day in Dunedin. When I arrived at ISIS, Karlton was sitting in his recliner writing messages he wanted to send to some friends. He had already had his breakfast and the OT had taken him to have his shower. One of his first requests to me was to get him something good to eat. He had his “snack” of oatmeal, a big bowl of apricots and a peanut butter sandwich and he was ready to go to the computer and check his e-mail.

After Terry arrived we decided to take Karlton for a walk around the ISIS grounds. Karlton was decked out in his “flash” sunglasses (the ones he has on in the picture on the home page) and a baseball cap. He tolerated the sunlight well and since it was warm we took our time looking at the different flowers and plants and enjoyed the nice fresh air. Shortly after lunch, Karlton’s friends arrived and wanted to take him out in the warm air so off they went. Karlton came back wearing a chain of daisies around his neck … and no complaints or protest on his part!

By the time the PTs came to work with him he was pretty worn out from the walks in the fresh air but off he went to the physio room. They had him walk a wee bit. Then they had him put weight on his weak leg by having him reach for a balloon on that side above his head. He did this several times under protest but we could all tell how exhausted he was.

Karlton had a full day! The nurses were surprized when a pizza delivery man arrived at the ward later! Karlton and his visitor had decided they were hungry so had ordered it unbeknownst to all of us.