CHAPTER I
Dear Bud, Joe, and families ……….
I retired to bed January 8, 1975, feeling as well as usual. The day before I fell as a result of muscle weakness on my left side, but attached no special significance to the experience. I doubt if therapy had been instituted at that time much benefit would have resulted. I awoke quite early the next morning and being unable to go back to sleep, I arose to go to my chair in the family room to read. I had no thought that I was paralyzed, and only discovered my
infirmity when I attempted to walk and fell against the door jam to the door leading out of our bedroom.
I called Bessie, and dear Bessie with some new found strength was able to get me back in bed where we waited for morning so I could summon my son Joe. He came and called Dr. Mannino who recommended that I be taken to the hospital admitting room where I was admitted to a medical ward.
I was in the Licking Memorial Hospital for thirty days, receiving medical and physiotherapy treatments. My convalescence seemed very slow although I was able to ambulate a bit better, but still depended entirely on a wheel chair.
New regulations regarding early discharge of patients facilitated my efforts to gain an early discharge from the hospital in advance of my clinical indications, and I might add, before I was ready to return home.
I soon found my home environment was incapable of rendering necessary care. We called Dr. Mannino, and instructed him to make arrangements for me to enter the Dayton Veterans Hospital. We chose the Dayton Hospital for its reputation of having a splendid Physical Medical Department.
I was admitted to a medical ward and was in the care of an able internist who supervised my treatment. Physical therapy was started immediately, and I soon discovered the treatments I received in the Dayton Hospital were much more physical that the ones I had been accustomed
to at the Licking Memorial Hospital. I also concluded that physiotherapy is a misnomer, in fact it is not therapy because there is no expectation of affecting a cure, only a hope of sufficient improvement to enable the patient to live with and tolerate his infirmities, encouraged by the hope of cure.
I was treated well at the Dayton Hospital, and I thought I had arrived at the point of maximal improvement. My attending Doctor agreed that there seemed little need for me to remain in the hospital, so I returned home.
I must have suffered an extension of the thrombotic process in my brain, because there was a sudden increase in my disability. Dr. Mannino was told of the change in my condition, and he advised that I return to the Licking Memorial Hospital. Joe loaded me in his car, with the help of his guest, Jim Madison, took me to the admitting department.
I was admitted to the recovery room for lack of other accommodations. Dr. Mannino decided to start me on a Heparin regimen, which consisted of a series of heparin injections through an indwelling venous catheter, carefully monitored by frequent determinations of the heparin level in my venous blood.
I was not warned that psychic manifestations were a common side effect of heparin therapy. Unpleasant hallucinations and delusion which required restraint gave me a few unpleasant days, but they cleared after a few days.
I have been on an anticoagulant and must confess that my treatment has been at variances with good practice because I have had no laboratory evaluation of my blood status. This is my own, and not Dr. Mannino's neglect.
I returned home after seven days, I am sure improved, but still feeling some of the affects of my heparin treatment, and decided my care would be a greater burden than Bessie could support. I decided that a month in a good rest home would be helpful, so Joe admitted me to the Arlington Nursing Home for thirty days with the hope I might improve in that time. I had very good care, the nurses and other personnel were attentive, and most considerate.
I practiced my walking a great deal although I still made considerable use of the wheel chair. My roommate, Alvin Cooperrider, was a personable and fine gentleman, who made my stay in the rest home enjoyable. The rest home had just been built, and only recently occupied, so everything was spic and span.
To be continued ..................
