Tuesday, July 25, 2023 11:47am Kara writes: Maria says they are just leaving Fairmont.

Tuesday, July 25, 2023 1:47pm Maria writes: She’s home!

• • • • • • • •

This concludes the hospitalization portion of Mom’s rehabilitation after hip surgery. Maria and family will help her settle back into Arnold. (Thank you and let us know what we can do to help.)

The total days since injury: six weeks.

On behalf of Mom, thank you everyone for being patient and caring throughout the ordeal. And a big thank you to Parker and Harley for holding down the fort. We all know this was a close one, but once again she proved that a positive attitude and healthy diet conquers all.

If anyone wants to thank the good people at the hospital:

Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital
950 S Fairmont Avenue
Lodi, CA 95240

Stay tuned for Mom’s next big adventure.

UPDATE Monday, July 24, 2023 2:20pm Maria writes: We arrived back at moms this morning. I called Cedric and made arrangements to have mom ready to be discharged tomorrow morning. So, she’ll be home by tomorrow afternoon.

Monday, July 24, 2023 12:37pm Brian & Jackie write: Great visit. Like you said, whole new woman from the last time we visited. She’s excited to go home tomorrow and was painting when we arrived. Sharon says she’s going home tomorrow so according to her it’s for sure.

uh, that’s not an In-n-Out milkshake.

Jackie writes: I got the inside scoop (pardon the pun) that she now loves Carl’s.

Kinda sad how things change when you’re feeling better…

Sunday, July 23, 2023 Kara, Mikaela, Aurora, And Lila visited Mom over the weekend and blended right in!

Sunday, July 23, 2023 11:00am Other news: Lily raced in the Sand City Criterium again. She and Craig raced the day before in Pescadero, but that wasn’t enough! Lily placed 4th in a pack of very good racers.

Friday, July 21, 2023 8:31am Chris writes: Temps in Lodi were not too bad. After months of fog along the coast it’s great to soak up the rays. We stayed in a sweet hotel nearby with a pool, so no complaints here. The Fairmont Rehab Hospital keeps the facility nicely air conditioned, so it’s comfortable for their patients and staff.

Mom is in great spirits looking forward to her release next week. She’s bonded with the nurses and therapist. She’s painting. She’s eating. She’s off the pain-killers, so she’s clear-headed. And she’s using her hearing aids! She’s a new woman from a month ago.

Kara and family arrive today. This will be fun for Mom and her neighbors. Can’t wait to get the report.

Photos: 1. Lodi is a farming community just now coming into high season, so don’t miss the farm stands. 2. Pretty good painting from a hospital bed. 3. That’s Mom with her wheelchair posse at afternoon therapy. 4. And on our way home we passed a non-lethal accident in the opposite lane that backed up traffic for 10 miles outside Stockton. Slow down and drive safely.

Thursday, July 20, 2023 11:25am Chris writes: Our visit is fantastic. Mom is ready to check out, but has agreed to stay until next week.

Thursday, July 20, 2023 11:00am Kara writes: Mikaela, the girls and I are all set to head to Mom tomorrow morning. We’ll arrive in Lodi late afternoon and go straight to her. We’ll visit her again on Saturday and then Sunday morning on our way back home. With such a quick trip, we don’t have plans to go to Arnold, so we won’t be able to grab her mail or water her plants. Fairmont won’t know what hit them when these two walk in. They come through the door at our house, and in unison announce, “Chaos is here!!”

“Good morning Mrs. Denny, your new nurses are here.”

Wednesday, July 19, 2023 8:06am Chris writes: We’re visiting Lodi today. Great to get out of this miserable 65ºF Carmel weather and so much to do in Lodi mid-July. If we have time, we’ll try to squeeze in a visit with Mom. Stay tuned.

IN OTHER NEWS

July 15 Craig and Lily rode in the 2023 Death Ride, the infamous grueling 103 mile bike race up and down the Sierras. 1/3 into the ride Craig had to stop in temperatures topping 100ºF and no shade while Lily rode on for help. All ended well, but Craig’s report is harrowing.

Monday, July 17, 2023 9:37am Craig writes: I’m fine as far as I know. It was a collection of the circumstances that made things bad. I started off the day not feeling great with diarrhea. I was nauseous but nothing that felt like I couldn’t work through it on the ride. We made several stops as we rode because I was getting too nauseous.

Eventually, I couldn’t gather enough energy to go any further. We were only about 30 miles into the ride and it wasn’t that warm yet since we had started at 5 am. I laid down on the side of the road while Lily rode ahead to the support station to get help. There was no shade anywhere and I lay there throwing up for an hour and 15 minutes till they could get a rescue vehicle to me. Some riders stayed with me until then. They transported me back to the venue and an ambulance was there to take care of me. They got me stabilized and then sent me down to Gardnerville to get a thorough check. I was on their monitoring systems for some time and was feeling perfectly normal by the time we left. I rode with Lily yesterday and everything was normal.

In looking back, I think that I got some kind of stomach bug and when I added elevation and lying in the sun and exercise it was close to a lethal dose.

ALERT: POSSIBLE RELEASE JULY 26!

Friday, July 14, 2023 3:06pm Maria writes: We’re just leaving mom. Craig and Lily were there when we arrived. (Lily is so adorable!)

Tom and I met with Cedric and Mom’s proposed discharge date is 7/26!

She is moving around so much better, walking with her walker faster and has more upper body strength. Craig noticed a huge improvement and was impressed too. They will spend next week working on exercises that mimic her daily activities and make sure she can care for herself at home.

We will head home on Monday and come back on the 25th!

Kara writes: Great news on Mom! I can head back to Lodi if you feel she needs the support after you leave on Monday. Let me know and I’ll schedule it.

Maria writes: I’m not sure if any of her friends are going to come by next week. She’s pretty excited about her news so she may not need the constant company but I know she would welcome it.

Don’t miss Mom in Lodi. Seats are limited and no one knows when she’ll be back!

Thursday, July 13, 2023 11:20am Maria writes: Just finished with the follow up appointment. Her surgeon was very pleased with her progress and gave the ok for her to go home when the facility deems her ready. His approximation was about a week or two. He was concerned with the news about the wound opening but after he inspected it he said it looked fine. The nurse reapplied a bandage.

The therapists at Fairmont have a scale for her progress that has to be met before she can be released but she is doing well with that too. We’ll see what Cedric and his team have to say tomorrow. All in all it was a good review and she was very happy.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 9:20pm Maria writes: I decided to meet Mom at the appointment (with her surgeon) because it turns out the appointment is in Angels Camp and not San Andreas. That will give me the rest of the day to blow off her roof and gutters and get some raking done. She still makes comments about getting out soon but has come to terms that she will be there a bit longer.
Issac, the nurse, said that she is at about 50% of her recovery right now.
I spoke with Cedric (Mom’s case agent) today and he said they are waiting for the report from her follow up appointment tomorrow to get a better idea of her anticipated release date. He said that I can meet with him on Friday and he will give me a progress report. She didn’t like hearing “half way” but she seemed more determined after hearing that.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 4:45pm Mom writes: Hi everyone. I’m so ready for home. Thanks to everyone for all the uplifting messages. Dinner is here and Maria is leaving.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 11:32am Maria and Tom arrived in Lodi and are visiting Mom now.

Monday, July 10, 2023 1:42pm Maria writes: Just got off the phone with Dora the nurse. She says that the incision is weeping a little bit but not puss-y or anything to be that concerned with. She re-did her bandages and checked it this morning.

Mom has a follow up with her orthopedic surgeon in San Andreas on Thursday. They will arrange transportation in a van with mom in a wheelchair. I asked if I could take her to the appointment and she said I could however, that would mean getting her out of the wheelchair into the car and then back in the wheelchair at the hospital in San Andreas. She said it would probably be more of an inconvenience. She also said that I could ride in the van with mom to the appointment so I think that is what I will do. I’ll drive there early in the morning on Thursday ride in the van and attend the appointment and ride back so that I can visit for a while with her.

She said that mom is allowed to be doing physical therapy. There is no hold on that. She is not allowed to be walking around with the walker without a physical therapist though. Once the therapists have decided that she is able to walk around by herself, they will notify all of the staff so that she can get her walker and move around.

Monday, July 10, 2023 11:10am Maria writes: I spoke with Nurse Lily. She said she needed to talk to Nurse Dora to get all the info and Nurse Dora will call me back.

And just for info, the staples were taken out last week sometime. She told me the day they took them out and she said that the staff said everything looked to have healed well. So this wasn’t like a stitch ripped out or a staple came out. Apparently it just opened up.

Kara writes: And Mom said this morning that the wound is still leaking.

Sunday, July 9, 2023 6:53pm Kara writes: We opted to visit Mom today instead of in the morning because we’d likely interfere with her PT (physical therapy). And she’s expecting other visitors tomorrow. Turns out that she slept on her wound side last night and it opened. A good amount of fluids came out, and they had to change her and her sheets, and dress the wound as a temporary fix until she can see a doctor. The LVN couldn’t share details with me because I’m not on the list.  I recommend calling the facility tomorrow to discuss. She can’t have PT or even walk the halls until she sees a doctor so progress will be lost quickly. She doesn’t have pain at the wound site, but they worry about infection.

We arrived with shake in hand just before dinner. I recommend avoiding that because she’ll drink the shake and skip most of the dinner. She and Lyla both. (Very much like dealing with a toddler.)

Actually, there’s an LVN on duty right now and they’re not busy if one of you wants to call now.

Maria writes: They aren’t answering. Mom told me about it on the phone today and made it seem like nothing. I told her it wasn’t nothing and I was concerned.

Kara writes: Yeah, I got that feeling too, but then Isaac (the nurse) stopped us to let us know. He said that she shouldn’t be walking (we were walking with her), and that she can’t do anything physical until she’s seen by a doctor.

Maria writes: I don’t know why I couldn’t get anyone to answer the phone at the Fairmont. I can certainly call tomorrow to find out what the deal is with the wound site coming open. That seems unacceptable. In fact, that seems like something that should have warranted a phone call to family. We’ll pick up where you leave off Kara.

Saturday, July 8, 2023 3:04pm Kara writes: Mom was good today. She had a shower and washed her hair, put in her hearing aids, and didn’t care for the food we brought her (as expected). Darryl broke ranks and got her a Carl’s Jr. shake instead of In n Out. Thankfully she liked that!

Thursday, July 6, 2023 7:29pm Kara writes: Okay, we left Mom about an hour ago after a +/- 3 hour visit. She’s made great physical progress, and did not complain of the pain once (except for the uncomfortable metal bench). She is seeing such marked daily progress that she can’t imagine she would still need full time care for more than a few more days. Her desire and efforts to get better are impressive. But I fear that she may get depressed/panicked/difficult as the days go by.

Housekeeping: They will do her laundry weekly (no need to ask or schedule this) and wash her hair which I believe is something we need to sign her up for. I will do that on our next visit. We set up her iPhone to have our contact icons on her home screen so she can tap our pictures to quickly call. We showed her what part of the phone to put at her ear so she can make calls not on speaker. She could hear when we practiced. We set up the WiFi connection on her laptop so she can now get her emails. We expressed how important the hearing aids are for everyone and she said she would put them in, starting tomorrow. (sigh)

Concerns: She does not remember many things from home. This may be common after traumatic injuries, but it has me worried.

She’s in ‘take no prisoners ‘ mode with regard to getting out. She cannot concern herself with who will have to be with her 24/7; if she can get released then she’s outta there!

We may work from her house tomorrow since it sounds like she’ll have several visitors already. We’ll talk to her to see what she thinks.

Thursday, July 6, 2023 7:29pm Maria writes: Awesome. Thanks for the update. I am on the same page with your assessment from the phone calls I get from her.

I have the hair salon number and prices. Chris and Bev left her some cash but I can also Venmo the beautician. I asked her to put mom on her schedule for Fridays.

I told her about the laundry service and asked them to launder her clothes but she is probably telling them not to do it because she’ll be out in a day or two.

Thanks for making the phone easier for her to use. FaceTiming with a view of her ear or nostrils is awkward.

Thursday, July 6, 2023 7:29pm Kara writes: Oh, her friends Jan and Gail will be there tomorrow.

Thursday, July 6, 2023 11:15am Maria writes: Kara and Darryl will be at moms today until the 10th. Tom and I will head to California on the 11th through the 17th or 18th.

Wednesday, July 5, 2023 3:58pm Maria writes: She understands that she’s not going home today or tomorrow.

Wednesday, July 5, 2023 10:50am Chris writes: Mom believes she’ll be released as soon as today and asked Kara to pick her up and take her home to Arnold. Although this is positive news, Maria and Kara don’t feel this is likely since no one has heard from the hospital staff about an early release.

Mom’s house probably needs to be retrofitted for her recovery with handrails, appliance modifications, etc. before she can settle back in.

Tuesday, July 4, 2023 11:39am Maria writes: Tiffiney has offered her guest room if anyone needs somewhere to stay when they come visit mom. She and her boyfriend bought our Ione house. It is a fairly short drive from Ione to Lodi.

Sunday, July 2, 2023 5:40pm Maria writes: Well, I got the 411 on mom’s roommate. Tiffiney just left after visiting mom and she called to tell me, “your mom and her celly are two peas in a pod!  Brenda is from Columbia. Has 3 daughters and her husband was a deputy sheriff in Stanislaus.”
She said mom was in a good mood. Brenda’s daughter was going to get Chinese food for both ladies. While Tiff was there they brought dinner and mom turned up her nose at first but ended up eating half of the sandwich and said it wasn’t bad.  Tiffiney had them both laughing which she has a knack for doing.
Craig is on his way there now and should be there any minute.
Oh, one of Brenda’s daughters knows Toms daughter, Megan. Small world.

Sunday, July 2, 2023 5:48pm Chris writes: I hope Craig brought a sweater. Temps are falling fast.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 8:25pm Maria writes: Mom got a new roommate today. Brenda. No further info.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 6:58pm Maria writes: Mom has said it is super hot there and wants a fan. I ordered her one on Amazon and it will be there tomorrow. It is small and battery operated so she won’t have cords to deal with. (Ordered batteries too). Craig is also bringing a couple to her in case she needs more. Just wanted to let people know so nobody else ordered her one.
She sounded ok today. Still having pains. Hadn’t had PT yet and was really frustrated because she doesn’t want a day to go by without it.

Friday, June 30, 2023 4:58pm Chris writes: Mom was coherent and upbeat during the call last night. She confided that she was able to slip out of bed into the chair without help from the staff. She estimated two weeks at the facility before returning home, but the waves of pain are reducing and she’s starting to show progress. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but if there are no complications she might go home sooner. Fingers crossed.

Thursday, June 29, 2023 7:49pm Chris writes: Calling Mom is challenging, but don’t give up. For some reason the phone keeps hanging up mid-sentence, but it’s worth it. I was able to complete a conversation in just 15 attempts. She really appreciates it.

209-286-9280‬

Wednesday, June 28, 2023 9:17pm Darcy writes: (What does Mom need?) Not much. I’ll bring her mail. I asked about a change of clothes but she said no. Might bring one anyways.
She has friends visiting tomorrow, as well as me. Carol Crouch called tonight. The neighbor just said he might pop in on his way back to Monterey. Damian is trying to work in a couple days around the 4th and Kara is coming on the 5th.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 2:49pm Chris writes: Darcy and Foofa just left after a nice visit with Mom in Lodi. It’s good to see her in normal clothes. The pain has reduced quite a bit and she wants at least three physical therapy sessions per day now.

I spoke to Mom this morning and she is accepting all visitors, emails, phone calls, and texts. Being without family and friends is her biggest gripe. (No pressure.)

209-286-9280‬

Monday, June 26, 2023 5:49pm Craig writes: When we showed up, she was like a puppy dog with excitement. She loved the visit and was somewhat happy with her breaded chicken dinner. Darcy was in Redding when we left and wasn’t going to make it in time. She’ll stay somewhere close and be there tomorrow. I think she’s going to Arnold from there to stay. I figured I’d let her get her bearings after the drive and we’ll talk tomorrow to plan out the rest of the trip.

Monday, June 26, 2023 1:44pm Maria writes: Mom says she had a whole night without pain. While on the phone with her she only had one wave of pain.

Darcy please make an effort to teach mom how to use the cell phone (“this machine” as she calls it). Now that she is dependent on it she is finally willing to learn how to use it. Thanks!

Sunday, June 25, 2023 11:00am Chris writes: The first thing we noticed when approaching the Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital is how grown up Lodi has become. It’s a now a sizable city surrounded by blocks of shopping malls, new car lots, obscure churches in wide residential neighborhoods, and an unusual amount of medical facilities in the area around Mom’s hospital. Every component of healthcare industry is represented- major hospitals, strip mall clinics, specialists and therapists, dental offices, pharmacies, and insurance agencies line the main streets. The rural town that used to be a trading post for farmers up and down Central Valley is now a major hub for health care. No idea why.
Takeaway- there’s no shortage of healthcare options for Mom here.

The Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital is centrally located across the street from a full-size hospital. What Mom’s place lacks in modernization is made up for by its high-quality staff. We met nurses Michelle, Diane, Brittany plus Maribel, the entrance monitor, within an hour of our arrival. All are warm and helpful. Praise them for the work they do.

Mom is alert and fully aware of her situation. Except for her bad hearing and desire to re-tell highlights of her past, she’s curious and keeps up with the conversation. Her 99 year old roommate Jackie is also alert, clever, and has near perfect hearing. I think she already has Mom’s number, but unfortunately she’s checking out in a week. I hope she has time to talk Mom into a hearing aid.

Mom can’t walk, but a nurse got her in a wheelchair for a lap around the facility and a chitchat outside in the shade. Activity is essential, but I think it aggravates her condition. She’ll pause mid-sentence as a wave of severe pain hits her. You can see it coming while she’s talking like she’s pausing to collect her thoughts, but it’s a gnawing pain that comes in semi-frequent intervals. She never lets it get her off track. She just waits it out and reminds us that it is getting better day by day.

I’ve heard the recovery can take as few as four weeks, but Mom is prepared for 6-8 weeks before returning to Arnold.

More to come.

Saturday, June 24, 2023 5:35pm Chris writes: Visiting with Mom this afternoon. She’s definitely on the mend. Report coming soon.

Saturday, June 24, 2023 4:25am Maria writes: I got back to the ER at about 9. Mom got morphine about a hour after arriving. It helped with the pain quite a bit. They ordered a CT scan because of blood clots in her diaper. They did the scan at 1:30. After returning to the room Mom was having feelings that she was finally going to have a BM. Due to short staffing at the ER I couldn’t get a nurse to assist. I lifted her onto the portable toilet with a second to spare!  Success.  After getting help to get her cleaned up and back into the bed she was finally without pain.  She fell sound asleep.
The doctor came in with results and said that she is ok. His fear was that she had GI issues but no evidence of that in the scan. She can be transported back to the rehab. He said they don’t know what the clots were caused by and she should see a gynecologist if they persist.
I’m waiting for the ambulance transport and she’s sleeping. Once they come get her I’m heading back up to Arnold. Chris and Bev are coming today so I’ll skip coming back down.
I’m concerned about rash after seeing quite a bit of her tonight so anyone who visits please check on that. Oh, she has a wound on her butt crack that needs to be monitored.  Looks uncomfortable. I think the rehab is aware of it.

Saturday, June 24, 2023 8:00am Chris writes: Wow Maria, what a nail-biter! (Maybe not the best idiom.) Yes, Bev and I will arrive at Fairmont early afternoon and stay through Sunday. Any info/advice is appreciated. Thank you and safe travels home.

Saturday, June 24, 2023 1:11am Maria writes: I forgot to share the info from the staff at the meeting today. Craig was there too so he can add anything I’m forgetting.
They said a normal stay for this type of rehab is 3-6 weeks. They think mom will be there a minimum of 6 weeks but they said she may need 8. When she goes home she will have an occupational/physical therapist come to the house 3 days a week and a nurse come to the home as well. Medicare covers that expense. They do not cover home care which would be someone taking her to doctor appointments or cooking for her, helping her shower or shopping. So if she isn’t able to do those things and she doesn’t pay for that, a family member will have to do it. That’s why Tom and I figured we’d come back when she is ready to go home. Everything will depend on her recovery of course.

Friday, June 23, 2023 8:24pm Maria writes: Just leaving. About 30 minutes away. The nurse called and said they are transferring her to the hospital. Mom called me and said she wants me there because she is scared. I’m heading back.

She has blood clots. I stopped at the nurses station on my way out and asked to keep her pain meds coming whenever she is eligible and asked for another laxative or suppository. They went in to administer a suppository and said they see signs of blood clots.

So the 24 hour bed hold starts now. We will need to make a decision tomorrow about whether to hold the bed or let her get discharged to another facility when she gets released again.

Friday, June 23, 2023 5:59pm Maria writes: This was the best I’ve seen her. I’m still here with her. Craig and Tom just left. She is still in so much pain even though we got them to change her medication to something stronger. Tramedol. She can take the Tylenol 3 also and she just needs to rotate the two meds. One or the other every 4 hours. She had her first tramedol at 4:15 and she’s been asking for something more since.
She is not having pain at the injury site. The pain is in the rectum. Christy said that Sally had the same issue after her hip replacement. Craig said he was familiar with it from his injury as well.

Thursday, June 22, 2023 11:50pm Maria writes: Parker and I arrived at about 1pm today. Mom was in a lot of pain. She said that they forgot about her after bringing her back from physical therapy and she was waiting to get put back in bed. I found a nurse to ask for pain meds. They came, but not quickly. I asked the nurse if she could get something stronger and mom said, “can I get morphine!?”  The nurse was taken by surprise and laughed a little but said no, we can’t give you that. So I asked what other options she had since the Tylenol with codine wasn’t working. He said he would talk to the doctor.  I have a meeting at 3pm tomorrow with the medical staff and I will push for something stronger. Norco or at least doubling her dose of what she is taking now.
As far as her current health condition, she is in a diaper. She does not move much. She has little to no appetite. She is still swollen but I thought a little less. She is complaining of rash due to the diaper. I can’t imagine how frustrating this must be for her. She is still very weak.
She feels dirty because she hasn’t showered since at least the 13th. The facility has a salon station and I will schedule her to have her hair washed and styled soon.
I met with the admin staff and went over all the legal details of her stay. Lots of documents to sign. As far as insurance goes, Medicare will cover 100% for the first 20 days (as has already been mentioned). On the 21st day they cover 80% but her supplemental insurance will cover the remaining 20% so she has no out of pocket expense for awhile. If she requires certain medications not related to her current issue she will be responsible for those costs however her insurance will cover that anyway. If for some reason she needs to be sent to a hospital, which is across the street, they will notify us and we can decide if we want to hold her bed there. If we choose to do that insurance will not cover those days while she’s at the hospital and it will cost $450 per day. My thought is give up the bed and she can be discharged to a different rehab center.
Parker stayed with her while I met with admin and he said he was pretty disturbed at how depressed she seemed. She cried a lot again.
I’ve been in contact with many of her friends and neighbors and several have said they would visit her and offered help.   I feel horrible when she gets teary and says she doesn’t want us to go (back to AZ) but we have to go back and make our own arrangements in order to come here for an extended period of time.
As I’ve said, Parker and Harley will share house duties. Anyone who comes to her house to stay can reach out if they have any questions.  We bought a new mattress, pillows and sheets for the guest bedroom so it’s a little more comfortable. Also I will set out clothing on her bed so that anyone who stays here can take her fresh clothes and bring back her dirty clothes. The facility can launder her clothes but if we are there we can bring it here to wash for her.

I hope to have some more insight after the meeting with the medical staff tomorrow.
I’m sure there is more but I can’t recall right now.  I’m still working on getting her bills and monthly financial issues handled.
I’ll let y’all know what the medical staff has to say tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 5:44pm Brian writes: Visited Mom for about 3 hours today. She was fairly lucid but in revolving pain. About 10 second waves every 2-3 minutes. That would take her attention. She was very appreciative of Maria and her family for being so involved with her care. We all are. She seemed very fixated on family stories. Most have been distilled to their essence. She loved her dad. She got sleepy so we excused ourselves before dinner.
Her mobility is still poor. 3 steps today.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 4:30pm Brian & Jackie just left Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital in Lodi after visiting Mom this afternoon. Mom still experiencing waves of pain, but she walked three (baby) steps. Hospital admin person Bianca has Maria and Chris’ phone numbers if she needs medical or insurance info.

Note: Mom was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes a few years ago.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 3:20pm Maria writes: She is supposed to eat a low carb and low sugar diet. Grapefruit is the only thing she isn’t supposed to eat because of the interference with one of her medications.  She probably could control her diabetes or even reverse it if she stopped having 3-4 of her little milkshakes every day.

Healthy habits can go a long ways to prevent diabetes, keep it under control, and even reverse it.
• Lose extra weight, especially if you carry a lot of belly fat.
• Move your body. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity like walking every day, 5 days a week.
• Eat healthy. Cut back on sugar, salt, processed packaged foods, and saturated fats from meats.
• Load up on dark leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, and lean protein.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 12:44pm Maria writes: Craig asked if we are allowed to bring food in for her and the answer is yes.

If you’d like to add something to the timeline, tap here.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 6:46pm Maria writes: Mom is tucked in at the rehab center. It’s not fancy. Fairly old building. She is in a two person room and has a shared bathroom with the room next door. She isn’t using the bathroom right now anyway. Her roommate is 99 year old Jackie who was a rice farmer. Super delightful lady. Doesn’t really like tv unless she’s watching the Giants.
Mom will start with strenuous PT in the morning. She still moans with pain but they gave her a Tylenol codine script to manage it.
Visiting hours are 8-8. She is in room 4. She was already happier with the bed and the food.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 4:35pm Maria writes: Finally! They just loaded her into the ambulance. On our way to Lodi.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 12:29pm Kara writes: Just talked with Mom for an hour. She’s getting pain in waves in her tailbone that lasts about 30 to 45 seconds. (I suggested she get tested to rule out labor.) Her mood improved as we talked, and she mentioned how much she wants to hear from her kids. If you call her mobile phone, be aware that she will probably hang up on you a few times before she figures out how to answer successfully. And speak slowly. She has had the necessary bodily functions to be moved to the facility. She has gotten up twice today and pivoted but she hasn’t taken any steps yet. She’s waiting for the ambulance.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 11:32am Maria writes: She is ready to go (to Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital in Lodi, CA). Waiting for an ambulance. We’re heading down now.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 11:02am Jackie writes: Let Craig know we’re able to go to Lodi on Wednesday.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 8:02am Regarding transferring Mom to a different facility Craig writes: We discussed that a bit yesterday. Although we can pay the additional transportation costs out-of-pocket, her insurance only provides to the nearest available facility. The discharge nurse said they monitor that closely. I haven’t heard any official duration for her stay but in conversation I keep hearing “a few weeks”. If she was in Lodi, it’s achievable for me or Maria to go see her every other day. If it’s longer than a few weeks, not so achievable. I’m personally not opposed to having her closer to us. The admission process is probably pretty far along by now since she was scheduled for release today. If anything should get diverted to allow the Bay Area option, I would be on board. I’m also on board for Lodi.
As I watch vibe and spirit, I’m seeing her like she is accepting and prepared to go. Probably natural for someone in her condition. She was impressed with my recovery so I let her know that the pain was there for me too. Her therapy is painful and mine was too so I like to let her know that it gets better. The thing I see is that she doesn’t have the drive to put the effort into the recovery. So as much as I don’t want her feeling alone between visitors in a recovery facility, I think that it could also be effective towards her independence.
I think when visitors are there, she really just enjoys hanging out with the people who are there and listening to people having good thoughts and getting along. What a weirdo huh!

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 8:00am Chris writes to Craig: I have a thought about Mom’s recovery situation. The recovery facility in Lodi is 1 ½ hours from Arnold or San Jose. It’s 3 hours from Monterey. What do you think about moving her closer to us in the Bay Area? There may be more choices and it’s easier for us to visit.

Monday, June 19, 2023 5:36pm Chris writes: Mom has Medicare and possibly a United Healthcare supplemental policy through Harold’s employer AT&T. Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital accepts both carriers.

Monday, June 19, 2023 5:35pm Maria writes: The social worker coordinates her insurance with the facility. I will stop by the billing department here, if there is one and find out if they need anything. I’ll give the Fairmont everything I have regarding her insurance info.
I just called to ask if they prefer a family member be there when new patients are admitted or if they are typically in the way. The receptionist said they urge family to be there so I will be following the ambulance to Lodi.

Monday, June 19, 2023 5:03pm Maria writes: I caught the social worker as she was leaving and she said mom would be leaving tomorrow. I’ll going to bring her a care bag in the morning that will go with her to Lodi. She will be at Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital, 950 S Fairmont Ave, Lodi, CA 95240. 209-368-0693. (Info below)
She and I went to visit Diane Cirravelo when she was there several years ago so mom is familiar with the place. It was a nice place.

Monday, June 19, 2023 4:45pm Maria writes: She had physical therapy this evening and it did not go well at all. She cried, she still cannot move her feet once the PT finally gets her to a standing position and then she can’t fully stand when she gets up off the bed. She is sort of in a bent over position. Her legs are very swollen. They have said that is because she was on an IV for days and because she has not moved. I was surprised to see that she gave up so easily. She has been very emotional today. Hard day here.

Monday, June 19, 2023 11:45pm Maria writes: Social worker just came in. Lodi can take her. Social worker thought she would be transported tomorrow morning however they want mom to have a bowel movement before she can go. They took out her catheter so she will have to get out of bed (not likely) or use a bedpan.

Monday, June 19, 2023 10:40am Kara writes: For purposes of planning, let’s presume something like this:

1. In the next couple of days, she is moved from the hospital to the convalescent home.
2. She is there for around three weeks. We plan on stop-in visits and care for her home, including changes necessary for her mobility.
3. She goes home, initially in need of full-time assistance.
4. We create a schedule between all of us to get her through this critical recovery time (maybe four or five weeks).
5. During this last period, we are deciding how to move forward based on her health and finances.

Monday, June 19, 2023 10:33am Maria writes: She’s groggy but she’s awake. We can take care of her bills. I’ve been picking up her mail. (Regarding Lodi) There are no facilities closer that have availability. She isn’t expecting visits daily while she is there and Craig says he can go every other day or so.

Monday, June 19, 2023 10:00am Maria writes: She will not be discharged to home because she has not been able to take any steps during physical therapy. She has low hemoglobin right now and they are getting ready to do a transfusion. Craig, Lily and I are here right now. We have been talking with the social worker. They are lining up assisted health care in a convalescent home. The closest available is Lodi. She will most likely be transferred there tomorrow.
Her legs are very swollen. Movement would help with the swelling and getting her stronger but she just isn’t moving.
Craig and I are discussing family coverage now.

Monday, June 19 Happy Birthday Harold.

Sunday, June 18, 2023 2:51pm Maria writes:I wanted a better understanding of her situation so I asked what the case would be if she didn’t have out of town family here right now and she said that she would be moved to the convalescent hospital across the street when they were ready to discharge her. She cannot be home alone at this time.

Sunday, June 18, 2023 2:31pm Maria writes: Ok this is big.
If we, or another family member, were not here right now mom would not be released to her home. She would be going over to the convalescent home where Harold was for a short time. She cannot be alone. She does not seem to understand the severity of her situation.
She is not getting discharged tomorrow. She has to be able to walk with the walker to the bathroom with assistance. She could not walk at all today. She has very little strength in her arms and legs. Her right side is swollen right now and they did tests to rule out blood clots. They aren’t sure why she is swollen. Her oxygen is low (80’s) when she is not on oxygen and they won’t discharge her until her O2 is in the 90’s.

She didn’t remember me being here at all yesterday but that is probably due to the anesthesia. She is still not eating much of anything and her hand tremors are back.
I’m working on her right now regarding her home furnishings because she had trouble getting off of that couch she loves before she had the accident. She won’t be able to get out of it at all now. I have suggested a motorized lift recliner.
Lots of changes for her and lots of discussion for all of us.

Sunday, June 18, 2023 1:31pm Will Mom be released Monday? Maria writes: They haven’t said. She had physical therapy this morning and they made her stand but not walk. She’s been sleeping since I got here so I don’t have any new info.

Sunday, June 18, 2023 12:51pm Maria writes: Good numbers!

Saturday, June 17, 2023 3:00pm Maria writes: Well she says she has no pain. She is very out of it and has FaceTimed both Parker and Harley. 🤦‍♀️
The nurse just told me that they won’t make her stand today, she will just rest and they’ll get her on her feet tomorrow.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 1:00pm Maria writes: She’s out of surgery. Went well but she lost a bit of blood. The doctor didn’t think she would need (a hip) replacement but they are keeping an eye on it. She should be back up in her room in about 45 minutes. I’m heading back there now.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 11:00am Maria writes: She’s still in surgery. The nurse said she thought they were getting ready to wrap up.

Friday, June 16, 2023 9:31pm Maria writes: Hello. I’m just leaving the hospital. Mom had wanted me to spend the night there but I was unaware if that so I didn’t pack accordingly.

She was in some pain still and requesting morphine. The nurse told me to call between 6-7 to find out what time the surgery would be. I was able to brush the matted hair behind her head and get it into a ponytail. She complained about her feet hurting and feeling like she had no circulation so I rubbed them for awhile and they were warm so she is getting circulation. I think maybe because she has not moved in 4 days she is losing some feeling. She seems a little scared but looking forward to getting the surgery done. Nurses have been good and they try their best to speak loud and slow so she can hear them. Oh, also her hand tremors are very bad right now. Not sure why.

Friday, June 16, 2023 10:15am Maria writes: Got to the hospital this morning at about 6. They are very lenient with visiting hours so they let us in. Nurse Sandeep (Tandel) was very nice and had nice things to say about mom. Mom was asleep but woke when I held her hand. She thought I was another nurse. We had a nice visit while I took her vitals. JK. She had a list for me. What!?!?
We are at her house now where we’ll sleep for a few hours and then I’ll head back down this afternoon.
Surgery is still scheduled for tomorrow morning.

On a side note, I accidentally dialed the surgeons number at about 6pm last night on the drive. I hung up immediately. At 11:30 I got a call back from the surgeon asking if I needed something. I was impressed that he would make the effort to follow up.

Thursday, June 15, 2023 4:00pm Maria writes: We just hit the road. We will be there in Arnold until the 24-25 and then Darcy will arrive. Kara can relieve Darcy. I can go back whenever necessary.

Thursday, June 15, 2023 Maria writes: We are actually going to leave a little later today so that we arrive at 8am, when visiting hours start, and we can go straight to the hospital and visit for a bit.

I just got off the phone with the surgeon. He said she has a fracture that requires a partial hip replacement. She will most likely be discharged on Tuesday. Walking with a walker same day as surgery. Doc says she’s very healthy.

We can stay as long as needed but I’ve only packed 2 weeks worth of meds. I am pretty open for dates going back.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Craig writes: They are treating her well. I left at 1:30 and the orthopedic surgeon hadn’t visited yet so we don’t know when surgery will be. It won’t be today. She’s not very hungry and the food is terrible so that’s a win win. They said she will be discharged to home and she is being set up with physical and occupational therapists.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Craig writes: I’m still with mom. Surgery has been postponed due to mom needing to get blood pressure medication out of her system. No surgery time yet. There has been info coming through and I have been passing it on to Maria so that everything is written down. We’re still waiting for the orthopedic surgeon (Dr. Rogowski) to come in. He will be the one to schedule surgery.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Kara writes: I just talked with Mom. Craig is with her. She can’t have surgery until probably Friday because of her blood thinner meds. She’s in a lot of pain but is on morphine.
Denny’s visit with her is cancelled and Maria handled the painting ladies. She’s bored but I let Craig know that her computer is a laptop so he can bring it to her. Craig will keep us updated.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Craig drove up to the hospital in San Andreas.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023: Kara writes: Mom’s in room 213 at Mark Twain Hospital. She’ll have surgery tomorrow and Craig will be there for her. Maria will be there Thursday evening for around five days. That gets us to Tuesday. We can decide next steps when we know more of her after-surgery condition and needs.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023: Mom fell in her front yard and broke her hip.The neighbor came when he heard her calls for help and she instructed him to call Harley. Harley arrived and they decided she needed an ambulance. She was transported to Mark Twain Medical Center in San Andreas, CA.

209 754 3521
Room 213

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Hospital Discharge Information

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Rehabilitation Center

Fairmont Rehabilitation Hospital
950 S Fairmont Avenue
Lodi, CA 95240

209-368-0693

Room 4. Visiting hours 8am – 8pm. Ok to bring food.

Cedric Gibbons
Social Services Director
209-443-4839
cgibbons@ensignservices.net

FAQs

MAP

Hospital

Mark Twain Medical Center

768 Mountain Ranch Rd
San Andreas, CA 95249

209 754 3521

Room 213

Orthopedic Specialties

Sheriff – Arnold Division
209-795-0473

Fire Department
209-795-1646

Holiday Inn Express
1341 E. Kettleman Lane
Lodi, CA 95240

209-210-0150
davidch.hilodi@gmail.com

“Although my wife and I did not stay on this property, we were impressed with General Manager David Choa. He pointed out that the indoor pool is open an hour earlier than the hotel where we stayed and a booking includes full breakfast.” –C Sanders, Carmel, CA

Jan Jacobex
831-601-2205
dunnjan@comcast.net

Carol & Don Crouch
209-795-7008

Sonja Cooper
209-890-5646‬‬

Carlos Alvarez (next door most weekends)
650-868-0111

Debbie Scanlon
925-413-1783
scanlon26@aol.com

Sue & Paul Bishop
760-382-9587
suebishop@gmail.com

Traci & Mel Souza (always home)
831-277-1219‬‬
traci.souza@gmail.com

Christine Greenberg
209-743-2868
thegreenbergs@prodigy.net

Jocelyn Mumcaster
415-310-4804
jocelyn.mumcaster@gmail.com

Mom
cell: 209-286-9280‬
home: ‭209-753-0113‬‬
sharonldenny@gmail.com
3763 Fairway Drive, Arnold CA 95223
PO Box 2605, Arnold CA 95223

Maria
‭209-596-6441‬
mariamoldham821@gmail.com
3311 N. 108th Lane, Avondale AZ 85392

Parker
‭209-596-5478‬‬
parker.davidson@live.com
1340 Bush St, Angels Camp CA 95222

Harley
‭209-419-2702‬‬
harleyrdavidson98@gmail.com
PO Box 271, Hathaway Pines CA 95233

Kara
‭‬714-785-4168‬
karasanders84@gmail.com
12373 Windsor Drive, Yucaipa Ca 92399

Craig
‭408-827-4170
craigssanders@gmail.com
153 Escobar Ave, Los Gatos CA 95032

Jackie
‭‭831-238-8683
‬jackieksanders@gmail.com
352 Laurel Ave, Pacific Grove CA 93950

Brian
‭408-623-8709‬
headhighandglassy@gmail.com
352 Laurel Ave, Pacific Grove CA 93950

Darcy
‭503-869-6246‬‬
darcy@bin21pdx.com
12750 Fielding Rd, Lake Oswego OR 97034

Bev
831-402-9105‬‬
bev@bevsanders.com
PO Box 4418, Carmel CA 93921

Damian
714-869-1389‬‬
damian@monsterstage.com
2751 N Springfield St,  Orange CA 92867

Chris
831-402-5703‬‬
chris@surflasolas.com
PO Box 4418, Carmel CA 93921

Denny Onslow
‭206-999-2063‬‬
denny.onslow@gmail.com
17528 Talbot Road, Edmonds WA 98026-5029

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