part0008

“Rick, I am Emily Sheetz your therapist. Let me explain what we are trying to do. You have been bedridden for two years that our records show. This has left almost all your muscles atrophied.”

“We need for you to get into good enough shape that we can get you out of bed and into a wheelchair to make your life more interesting.”

“Emily, why should I bother? I am almost eighty-sixed years old, and I will kick off anytime.”

“Rick, that isn’t an accurate statement. Actuarial tables show that a healthy eighty-five-year old white male lives on the average another five to six years.”

“That’s the kicker isn’t it, healthy.”

“Rick except that you have Alzheimer’s you’re in good health. Now, what should we do, let you rot here for five years or try to improve your quality of life.”

Peggy Tapp who just walked in added, “And I won’t have to wash your boney white butt! ”

Rick gave a snort replying, “Well that is the closest I will ever come to a sexual adventure again.”

Peggy came right back with, “more like an appointment with a cold colonoscopy tube.”

“Ouch, you have convinced me, exercise it is.”

All three of them winced at Peggy’s outspoken thought.

Emily was quick to take advantage of this opening. “We’ll start you off with a series of Abdominal Pulls, Leg and Arm Exercises.”

Rick’s voice was alarmed when he said, “Sit-ups?”

“In a reduced fashion, pull both knees up as much as you can.” Rick pulled them up, so they were pointing straight up.”

“Rick, touch your butt with your heels.”

He strained, “This is it.”

“No problem, raise your head off the pillow a couple of inches, now put your hands behind your head.”

Again he tried but his head flopped down quickly.

“Sorry, Emily this is all I have.”

“No problem, pull your stomach muscles in, and hold for several seconds.”

“Repeat pulling them in five times. ”

“Great, your goal is to be able to do these ten times in a row with your heels touching your butt, and head held several inches off your pillow. This will strengthen your core muscles.”

“Lie on your side, gently kick your leg out straight and lock your knee. Very good now hold for several seconds while bringing it back slowly, do this three or four times, and then switch legs.”

This Rick was able to do four times each leg, with strain but doable.

“Flat on your back now, pull your legs to your chest as far as you can, and hold your knees.”

“Emily, are you trying to kill me?” Rick panted.

“No pain, no gain.”

“Aarrgh, I hate that saying, my drill Sergeant used it all the time. I think his name was Sheetz also.”

“Really,” Emily asked?

“No, but it should have been.”

Emily looked a little crestfallen. In spite of her quick mind, she had always been a little gullible.

While she may be slightly gullible, she also believed in paybacks .

“Tomorrow I’ll bring a weight bar and dumbbells.”

Rick turned pale, “You are kidding, aren’t you.”

“You had better behave or you will find out.”

Peggy said, “Where do you store them. I might want to use them on him.”

Rick had learned one thing in all of his years, when two women were against you, just go with the flow.

“How long do you want me to hold my knees here?”

“That is long enough. Ten seconds should do it. Do this for five reps, then work your way up to ten repetitions.”

“Next squeeze your shoulder blades together pressing into the bed but don’t arch your back. This is for your arms. Hold there for five seconds, release, and repeat. Start at five reps and work up to ten.”

Rick could do these five times but was panting at the end. Rick’s thoughts flashed back to basic training in 1953.

“My god what have I come to.”

Unaware of these thoughts Emily concluded with, “Last hunch your shoulders up to your ears, hold for several seconds and release slowly. Again start at five reps and work up to ten times.”

“Peggy you’re to help him sit up at every meal.”

“Emily, how often should I do these exercises? ”

“Do them every other day until you work up to ten reps of each, and then we will review your progress. Only do them with Peggy present, and she will record your progress on your chart.”

“So be nice to me Boney or your progress will be very slow.” Peggy cracked.

Another lesson learned over the years was when to keep your mouth shut, Rick practiced that one now.

“Okay, Rick I will see you next week to see how you are progressing. Be nice to Peggy,” Emily said with a grin.

“Hello Marsha, I am Emily. I will be your therapist.”

Doctor Meyers slowly signed the charts. He was buying time trying to figure out what to do about two such rare occurrences at once. He already wrote in the orders for continued physical therapy. Now, what steps to take to find the root cause of why dementia appeared to recede?

“Blood tests and a review of their medical histories at their previous institution would be a good start,” he thought.

As Meyers was thinking of these, a cheerful Peggy Tapp came into his cramped tiny office .

“Doctor we need you in the lounge for a few minutes; it is urgent.”

When they arrived, he saw a cake and ice cream waiting. There was a banner hung on the side of the cafeteria-like table. Congratulations Doctor Meyers on completing your residency!

The staff and patients present burst into applause as he appeared. For a few minutes, there was a minor celebration of another step in life. The usual gag gifts were presented and commented on with laughter abound. As with all celebrations, it was overall too soon.

Head Nurse Lisa Hawkins approached Chuck Meyers, “Doctor there is a patient in 29 A who is developing some breathing issues.”

“Let’s go check them out.”

So the day went. After his rounds were complete Doctor Meyers headed back to Baltimore East. He was looking forward to the end of his shift and the party after that. There was this cute nurse he had his eye on for a while.

He avoided dating anyone seriously all through school. He was not going to be one of those Doctors who married early for the support through school, then upgraded later.

There is a study showing that going through a doorway will cause the mind to reset for the next series of events. That is why people will show up in a room and forget what they are there for. The mind cleared the immediate past.

It hasn’t been proven beyond doubt, but it may explain why mankind lost its chance to find out why two people who had AIDS and advanced Alzheimer’s were now showing no symptoms at all.

Doctor John Towers, Director of Baltimore East Hospital was not pleased to have to deliver the news he had, but there was no choice. Not that he cared about the news; he just did not like confrontation. From her body language, Lisa Hawkins knew bad news was coming and was not reacting well.

“Lisa I am afraid we will not be replacing Doctor Meyers.”

A startled Lisa Hawkins drew her breath in. She knew it was not good, but this was a disaster. She managed to ask Towers calmly, “Why not?”

“With the city budget cuts, we don’t have the resources to provide for everyone. We have to back off on routine health those over eighty care for chronic conditions. If they contract additional illnesses they will be treated within the guidelines.”

Towers continued in his sonorous voice, which was irritating at the best of times, “We have a fiduciary responsibility to the city taxpayers. Since the federal or state governments will not support this effort, we will have to discontinue the program.”

Lisa could not help herself as she retorted, “Has anyone asked those city taxpayers if they want to be left to die just because they are old. You know full well we only have Medicaid patients,” she said in rising tones.

“Lisa I must ask you to maintain your professional composure.”

Lisa pulled herself back from voicing her true opinions at this point. “Very well under what conditions can we ask for a Doctor to come to Schaefer?”

“We think it is best if an emergency arises you call 9-1-1 and arrange for transportation to our ER. They will determine at that point if life-saving measures should be taken within the guidelines. Now I must call this meeting to an end. I have lunch with the Mayor at his club.”

Lisa numbly walked out of the plush office.

“What has happened to that world where I went into health care to care for people she wondered. In one day, our facility has gone from a rest home where people would be given an acceptable quality of life with medical support to a warehouse of people waiting to die. We never had the money to do it well but we did our damnedest. Now that has been taken from us. I wish I could retire but even that keeps getting pushed back. ”

“You have got to be kidding,” shouted Peggy Tapp.

“Routine health care includes testing for high blood pressure, cholesterol not to talk of Oncology treatments.”

“Calm down Peggy, none of us like it, we HATE it, but that does not change the facts. The City has effectively cut us off.”

Lisa hesitated while tugging on her sleeve.

“The directive has not come down yet, but there will be personnel cuts. If we are not providing routine medications our need for a pharmacy will be limited, occupational therapy will disappear.”

Peggy angrily added, “Only cooks, janitors, and diaper changers will be needed.”

“Crudely but correctly put Peggy.”

“Emily, what are your thoughts,” asked Lisa?

“I am going to work as hard as I can and push everyone possible to be ambulatory before the ax falls on my group. That at least will give some of them a chance. Those that receive no therapy and left in their beds will be dead within a year.”

“That’s what they want,” spit Peggy .

Until this point, Emily kept her composure, but now she bursts into tears.

Peggy who had been venting her anger switched to Mother mode and put her arms around the young lady.

“Now, Now Honey Child it will be alright in the end.”

How it could be she had no idea, but the words had to be said.

“Well done Rick,” cheered Peggy Tapp. The full-bodied nurse almost bounced in place in her joy. Sitting low in the wheelchair Rick King could see her bare belly as her smock bounced with her.

“I could have passed on that,” he thought.

His words though were spoken sincerely. “Peggy I would never have made it this far without you and Emily. You have pushed me beyond belief, but it has been worth it.”

He wondered about the hard look that crossed her face as she replied, “It is our job.” Then the irrepressible Peggy broke through.

“It was fun pushing your boney white butt!”

“Not as boney as before,” Rick came back, “I don’t know how much but I have put on some weight. ”

“Yeah I am the one that has had to move you around; we may have to change your name to Lard Ass.”

“Be nice Peggy,” he warned.

“If I must,” Peggy said with a mock sigh. As she pushed the wheelchair out of the room, Rick realized it was the first time he had been out of it in two years.

As they turned the corner to proceed to the lounge area, she chuckled as she told him. “You know there is a young lady waiting for you. This is your first date with her,”

“Marsha Wren the other person who they thought had severe Alzheimer’s but didn’t, beat you here. She has been out of her bed for two days now. Women are tougher than men.”