As Chena noted, today was a very busy day, with meals, family and other visitors, nursing evaluations, Primary Care Provider and later Physical Therapy (and maybe Occupational Therapy but I missed them) evaluations. Niilo seemed to be having a hard time making sense of much today, but squeezed our hands whenever offered, and commented a couple of times on the subject of his roommate’s television shows.

I read Dad the letter Diane Benson sent him. (Thank you, Diane.) Dad remembered Dietrich Strohmaier but had a hard time hearing him; Dietrich doesn’t have the loud voice of one used to having to work to be heard, but he sure does have the memories of shared times and interests! He reminded me how healing classical music can be, so I got a working CD player (in the bedside drawer now) with earphones and brought it in. Even when Niilo wants just to sleep, it can muffle the other noises to make that easier. Please offer to put it on for him when you come visit.

Particularly worrisome is Niilo’s increasing weakness over the past few days: He could not stand up straight. It seemed like it took more energy than he had, just to get almost up despite considerable help. The physical therapists will try again over the next couple of days, but unless he can stand safely with support he cannot even use the bedside commode. He also seemed not to have energy to talk or to focus for more than a moment.

More blood, urine, and other tests will be done again.

We don’t know whether the future holds meaningful improvement or continued decline. We encourage friends to visit for 5-15 minutes: Pull the chair up close to the bed, squeeze his hand, and talk to him for a bit about a common interest, even if he seems to be sleeping. And leave a note in the little book on the nightstand so we can remind him who came. Room 116, Aspen Wing, Denali Center (19th ave off of Lathrop St, directly across from the Medical & Dental Arts Bldg.)

And if you can’t visit, please write or call and we will tell Niilo for you. It has been encouraging to know that he has so many people who care about him. Niilo Koponen, 710 Chena Ridge, Fairbanks AK 99709

–Heather

heatherkoponen@hotmail.com, (907) 479-0981 (has message machine) or chena@chena.org 907-488-2001

Today Niilo is moving to short term rehab in the Aspen Wing of the Denali Center. This is right next door to the hospital. I don’t have a room number yet, but someone there will know it.

-Chena

From Heather 4/22:

Niilo Gobbled a dish full of raw broccoli first of the hospital foods tonight, after yogurt, blueberries, canned fish strips and rye bread brought from home.

He also sang the Finnish song Minun Kultani to me and told me something about sea urchins.

Rob and Peggy were other visitors this evening; he recognized both and was interested in conversation.

As long as things keep improving, Niilo is scheduled to be transfered to Denali Center, a shortterm care facility connected to the hospital that has plants and nice common visiting areas where Niilo should be able to spend some time out of his bed and chair. With the weather warming so rapidly, he may want to spend some time outside.

It is uncertain how long Niilo will spend at Denali Center before coming home; It will depend on his digestive system working reliably and on whether he will be strong and balanced enough to not risk falls if he gets up in the night. He is on the Active list for a room at the Pioneer Home here in Fairbanks, but it is not likely that such a room will be available really soon.

When we left tonight, Niilo bid us ‘bye with, “Nakemiin!”

Wow, how time flies. Heather wrote me (Chena) for the blog yesterday (Sunday), but I didn’t get it posted. This is what she said then:

“Well, Dad is better today than yesterday, moving to the chair and answering questions appropriately this morning and evening, and eating applesauce and most of an Ensure as well as juice and water this evening. And he inhales on his Peace Pipe (incentive spirometer) in repetitions of 7-9 at a time, though not keeping the ball up longer than 1.5 seconds. His belly is less bloated and he has passed non-diarrhea stools a few times. And he sang the Kukku kukku…. song with me. (I don’t know how to spell it.)

On the other hand, he’s very weak and is anemic (hemoglobin 10.9) and his albumin (protein) is slightly lower instead of improving.
Various people who have not signed in the visitor book have said they stopped by to see Dad.

It sounds like they plan to transfer Dad to Denali Center as soon as a bed is available; he’s #4 on the list. This is not necessarily better than his being in a hospital room.”

Today, when I (Chena) was there, Dave S. brought flowers and stayed for quite a while, and Scott, was it?, stopped in also to say hello. My support group tells me my memory is shot because of stress, but when I couldn’t figure out if I’d let the squirrel out of the trap or it was running around in my car last night (and losing a few hours of sleep pondering that), I think Gary had cause for concern. Anyway, thanks to you who come to visit Dad. He might not give you a lot of feedback, but I think at this point it is the family who really needs to know that someone besides us cares for Dad. I appreciate the visitors. We are getting pretty fried!

On Monday, nurses Wendy and Tina got Dad to walk out to the nurses station. I fed him some pears and applesauce, and left a note for Heather that we need to bring him some quality yogurt. They were out of it this afternoon, and Miss Ignorant Chena thinks yogurt is good for the gut so let’s get some for him. Dad talked a bit to me, and I gave him a scalp massage.

This thing of going to Denali Center is a bit freaky. I worry that Dad will never come home. Well, if we are going through emotional turmoil, I can imagine Dad is also.

Heather, Harry knows the words to Kuku, and he emailed them to me a couple of weeks ago. I’ll get them to you. Harry has been so strong and good for us. Nice to know Dad has friends like that.

Love to all, Chena

Dad spent a lot of the day sleeping. Even slept right through one of four daily breathing treatments. He gets a mask put over his nose and mouth for a few minutes, apparently with a bronchial dilator. Even so, there is some concern about his lungs; he’s just not exercising very much and it is often difficult to get him to do the deep breathing necessary. The morning nurse Megan today told me he should be using the little ball and pipe affair about 10 times an hour. An x-ray or similar of his lungs was performed this afternoon, but we didn’t know the results when Heather left after supper.

Helen Brown left a wonderful card for Dad. Visitors, please look for it because it is lots of fun. Thanks so much Helen. And good times, Fred, now that you are retired!

Heather and Joan kept Dad company for the evening “meal” and apparently he was a bit more talkative with them than he’d been with me. They got him up, too.

The afternoon nurse was Jill, who’d I’d gone to school with at good old Main during its Junior High days. We appreciate the good and friendly staff.

–Chena

From Gary:

I got a chance to visit Niilo in the hospital (still in Rm 315) for the first time since back from Juneau earlier in the week. He was having a delightful dinner of Italian Ice, Beef Bouillon, Jello with Crushed Tylenol. Yes, he is on a clear liquid diet for the moment. While a bit weak from a very good day yesterday and not much sleep last night, he was able to sit up and read the paper with me for a bit. Talking was an effort. He’ll get part of a thought out, try a bit more and a bit more and then just shrug when he can’t complete it. This is an issue he was suffering from even before the surgery.

He had a few other visitors today. Heather and Rob as I was leaving, then Wendy Arundale stopped by as well. He asked Wendy what happened at Meeting on Sunday. I believe visitors do cheer him up even if he’s not up to full two way communication.

His various medical signs are slightly improving – bilirubin, white blood count. Once the distension in his abdomen goes down, he can resume solid food and that will help him gain some weight back. He’s also getting over a urinary tract infection. It surely hasn’t been easy. We hope he gets a good sleep tonight.

Thanks for the comments on and off line.

From Chena:

This afternoon when I visited, Dad introduced me to the nurse: “This is my daughter, Chena.” Big deal to me, because he hadn’t been able to say that for quite some time. We talked a bit about the Juneau avalanche, about which Juneau folks are quite upset but I see doesn’t make headlines in Anchorage or Fairbanks papers (but it certainly should!). Dad read the New Yorker cartoons, back page, but didn’t supply the missing caption (drat, ’cause he’s so good at things like that. Remember his cartoons of the legislature, Dana and Sheri?).

Dad had a CT scan this afternoon but it was done late, so we have nothing yet to report. We don’t know if people want to hear about medical issues or what, so I’ll supply some of the details as I know them. He is still being fed intravenously.

When Heather, Dane, and Joan visited this evening Dad didn’t want Joan to leave. She had brought him a gift, of which he was very appreciative. But it wasn’t the gift so much as the company, perhaps, which he craved. So Fairbanks friends, evening visiting would be much appreciated by Niilo. He’s such a people person.

Even if he doesn’t seem awake, I would recommend sitting there and talking to him for a minute or two. It kind of reminds me of Heather and me talking about raising kids: we thought quality time was a strange media discussion. To us, quantity is where it is at. Be there and then you will receive as well as give. We could preach about this, but the point is that if we observe someone for 2 minutes, we are getting very little into their lives and them very little into ours.

News: Marilyn Herreid is turning 80 tomorrow. The family so totally loves Marilyn. She supported Gordon (“The Popcorn Man” to Max and so many sauna goers) but more than that is her own creative, nurturing, loving self. It was a highlight this last March that Sanni, I, and others on the First Friday Art walk ran into Marilyn at the Artworks. This is a person who has given so much to so many.

From Heather:

“Dr. Robinette says Dad’s white blood cell (germ-killer reservist) count has risen somewhat, so he ordered blood cultures and urinalysis and started Dad on antibiotic tonight and chest and abdominal CT for tomorrow. The #1 “differential diagnosis” would be pneumonia, even with little cough and lungs sounding close to the same as earlier…

Poor guy, this is not a fun time for him. But he hasn’t complained much.”

Heather and Dane and Joan have been visiting. Chena visited too. Niilo was not perky, as we say. Oy.

Love c

Heather on Tuesday:

“Dad walked as far as the nurses’ station windows twice, using the walker and some help. One trip, he tried to lay down on a gurney that happened to be parked in the hall and they had to get a wheeled chair for him to sit in instead.

The jaundice is gone – not yellow and bilirubin level down almost to normal – but his belly is still bloated, he still had diarrhea, and his lipase and albumin level s are high, suggesting mild pancreatitis from a gallstone blocking his pancreatic duct while working its way down to the intestine. So solid foods were stopped again: back to jello, icicles, tea, water, broth, and the I.V. nutrition with lots of protein.
Dr. Robinette says Dad’s albumin levels were actually so low when he was first admitted that he must not have been getting enough protein for quite a while. And here I thought he got seafood and some meat and occasional beans&rice, and that we get too much protein in our diets. I guess we better pay closer attention to the protein in Mom’s diet too!

Dr. Robinette also says that anyone who is frail can take many months after any major injury or operation to get back to their former function, if at all. I have heard this from others as well.”

What some of you may not know is that Dad had a fall a couple of months ago which was bad news. I think it was a balance thing, in the lower part of the house, and he couldn’t get up until Alex got to the house and helped him. Since then, he has mostly been disoriented to time and unable to concentrate. Full time care has been needed because he strongly exhibited characteristics of Alzheimer or some form of dementia.

Heather and Chena have been going to the Alzheimer support group in town, which has been quite helpful. We are also attending a Savvy Caregiver class to learn how to deal with the declines. Caregivers Aurora and Marilyn are also attending.

So things, although becoming gradually different the last few years, have changed dramatically at the homestead this winter. Sometimes things happen faster than we expect or would like! My message to people out there who love Dad is that he is not who he was before. Your good wishes, your stories, your visits are welcome.

Love, Chena