News on Van so good it can't wait. . .
(Just got back from a week in New York. Found this report on my computer and am posting it immediately.-- Stan)
John Herdan writes:
I just came from visiting Van Eastlund and the news is so good I thought I’d better get in touch with you right away. First of all, he’s moved to the inpatient rehab area of the hospital (directions later). In his own words, he moved there last “Thursday.”
When I came into the room he was napping. He was wearing sweats and a flannel shirt, (he's pictured at right Aug. 6) his favorite clothes, and one leg was hanging out of the bed. I had a feeling something was up but I didn’t want to wake him. I went over to the window and started looking through the many cards and e-mails (more on that later) when the nurses came in to do the stuff nurses do.
When they woke him up he grabbed hold of the side rail and pulled himself right up. The nurses were as shocked as I was. A few minutes later when asked if he wanted to sit in a wheel chair for a while he stood right up, walked to the wheel chair, turned around and sat down. The nurse said that she had taken care of him the first day down there, last Thursday, and that she was totally shocked by the progress he had made. “Boy, you don’t want to hang around here long do you?” was her quote.
Fed through a tube
Since I quoted him earlier you can probably tell that the speech is better. It’s still tough and sometimes frustrating but he was able to tell me that tomorrow is a big day. Right now he is being fed through a tube. Tomorrow he gets to try to swallow for the first time. Being able to feed himself is probably going to be the biggest factor in determining when he can go home. Soon we’ll know. The best part about the speech though was when I was getting ready to leave. Van very clearly said, “Take it easy!” That really fired me up!
Van is in Room 15
The rehab unit is in a building behind the hospital. There are two ways to get there and neither one is easy. First of all, if you come in through door D in the front, you go to the elevators and go down to level A. As you stand in the elevator lobby there is a long hallway straight ahead. Go all the way to the end and find elevator G. Go down to level B and follow the signs. Van is in room 15. The second way in is from the North parking lot. You have to go onto the employee parking ramp and across the bridge to the elevator. Go down to level C, go through the tunnel to elevator G and go up to level B. If you think that’s hard, try finding your way out. It’s worse!
Greatest idea ever
Greg Johnson, you came up with one of the greatest ideas ever. That stack of cards and e-mails looked like a who’s who of the reunion. Great stuff and inspiring messages. When the latest one was delivered I got the impression from the two kids that delivered it that no one has ever gotten that many e-messages. Keep sending messages gang, they are greatly appreciated. A couple minutes of your time can make Van’s day! And trust me, his days are long. I think the last one was probably one of the most touching as Van and I read it together.
Bonnie Klimp Hinton
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