Update on Dad

[Jane]

I have had quite a few emails about how my dad is doing. I am happy to say he is in rehab and today, for the first time since the day before Thanksgiving, he sat up in a wheelchair for about 4 hours. Tomorrow we are taking him by private ambulance to the orthopedic doctor to check the rod in his hip and to see how badly his knee is hurt since he is still having alot of pain with it. He has stood up but has not walked yet at all.

He will probably be in rehab until early February or so unless he gets very determined and works harder on his therapy. He is still in alot of pain and says it is very hard for him to work with one wing instead of two. He still is not allowed to move his right arm at all and it is still strapped to his side so he wont'. They said that could take awhile to heal since it is mainly hip bone and pins in the arm.

But I know how blessed I am to still have him and mom and every night I thank God for having them. Our Christmas this year will be spent in rehab with dad but there is no other place that we rather be than with him and mom. Will update what the doctor says tomorrow.

[billy badd]

Jane, our prayers are with you and your family. Your Dad is a great man and I love reading his books. We hope y'all have a Merry Christmas. billy

[Jane]

Thanks Billy. I went with him and mom today to the doctor and seems one of the incisions in his hip is infected badly. They could only remove every other staple because of it. The doctor was very upset because rehab never called him to tell him of the infection yet someone at rehab put him on antibotics. Dr. Robinsons let them have it and told them he is his doctor and he needs to be informed of anything. So hopefully that helped.

His broken arm has moved some but Dr. Robinson said since that arm was never 100% to begin with from being broken years ago in 16 places, he is not going to put him thru more surgery on it. Seems it has fallen off the shoulder joint some but it should heal and he can use it just not as much.

We found out today that rehab is $700 a day after the 20 days that Medicaid and his insurance pays for so now we may bring him home and hire a private nurse during the day and have therapy come to him. That is just plain crazy and they can't afford that since they are talking about another 40 days there. That would be $28,000 which is kindof high for a place to sleep and eat. No wonder our health care stinks today.

Dad's spirits are still kindof down so if anyone would like to send him a card and cheer him up, here is the address:

Patrick D. Smith
1370 Island Drive
Merritt island, Fl. 32952

That is their home address and mom will take him the cards to rehab.

We will know in 3 days what kind of infection we are fighting and if these antibotics will work or not. They have him on Keflex and he may need something stronger which Dr. Robinson will order. Just really mad right now that no one at that rehab center contacted him about the infection since he is dad's doctor. But I gave them a piece of my mind and so did Dr. Robinson.

Dad is well loved for his books and even Jeb Busch loves daddy and thinks highly of him. He has called along with Bill Posey and a number of other big wigs in Florida. But thanks for caring and please keep the prayers coming. I just want him home and well enough to get in and out of his wheelchair until he can walk again.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas

Jane

[flraceguy]

Sorry to hear about your Dad having problems... I truly hope that things go well and everything works out very soon... Please keep the faith and realize things will go well very soon...

[Jane]

Thanks Duane, things will get better I know just need to get this infection under control now. Just still can't get over the rehab not telling us or his doctor about it. And the doctor said it had alot of drainage so they should have. Still can't get over it cost $600 one way to take a patient to his/her doctor on a gurney with oxygen. Today would have cost us $1200 which you pay. But mom found some company that did it with his oxygen but in a wheelchair for $85. But no wonder people are so mad about health care and the costs even with insurance. That is just plain crazy.

I guess I should be thankful that his doctor found it and he will make sure dad is okay and that I still have him. Just would have been nice if when he first fell and we first went to the hospital, that they had checked his hip then instead of letting him sit for almost 10 days with a broken hip and lots and lots of pain.

But yes, it will get better.

Jane