12.19 Another Day...

0600 in the cafeteria at Cedars-Sinai 

My fellow watchers and I were lined up at the door of the commissary again this morning waiting for coffee and breakfast. Starbucks opens at 0500 but I prefer the brewed institutional coffee here. I've been coming to this outlet everyday since 1 Novembre. Some mornings I'm the only one here at opening but this morning there was a crush of people.

I was up all night with my husband whose Ketamine dreams kept him awake. Twice he tried to get out of bed and nearly fell. I had to call for help just to pull him back onto the bed and reassure him that he was alright. Much of the night he thought he was either moving his car, so as not to get a ticket, or "doing" the laundry. Last night he baked cakes and cookies in his sleep. It distresses me that he is having these disruptions to his sleep and life in general. During the day we talk and watch television together or I work on paying his bills or answering emails and texts with him so he was no time for his mind to wander into the drug induced delirium but of course at night when the lights are off there is no stimulus for his brain. Today there is an order to wean him from the Ketamine which is used as a powerful pain-killer; I hope this will lessen the disruptions for him.

We've been informed that it's nearly time for him to move to a transition rehab facility to prepare him for acute rehab down the road. The transition in whichever facility we go to will take four to six weeks at which time hopefully he will be ready for acute rehab to learn to walk with a prosthetic leg. I continue to be moved everyday by his will to live and I can't imagine the struggle he is going through now and will have to bare in the near future. 

Every day I am grateful for the love and support from our friends and family. Henry is a very special man who loves his friends deeply and he is aware of all the love he is getting in return. Once more I would love for you to send him videos of encouragement. 

Day 48

Be fierce and thrive...!

—Ph/H

12.17 Morning

My bag packed and AOC at 6AM

I stay with Henry for five days at a time. I sleep in a chair next to his bed and watch over him through the day and night. I help the nurses change his dressings and I move his legs ever so gently. He goes to sleep early and I read a book for a time and have a little zip of brandy. We wake at 4:30 in the morning for his dressing change. I am his advocate here in the hospital and I don't mind a bit; I promised him a long time ago before all this that I would always be by his side regardless of the circumstances.

This is the bag I've traveled all over the world with; it carries four changes of clothes and my dopp kit. If I add a pair of pants to this grip I can live out of it indefinitely. There is no variation to what I wear which minimizes my dressing: a pair of dark grey trousers; four identical black pull-overs; four changes of underwear; and five pairs of socks (I believe one should always carry an extra pair of socks). My dopp kit has a flask of Hennessy V.S.O.P. or XO and other essentials. When I'm not here every fifth night, our nephew Quinton stays with him: I hate to leave him alone but he loves Quinton and we trust him.

This is day 46...

Henry will go into surgery today at 3PM for a skin graft on his right leg. He continues five hours a day of CPM physical therapy and it's not pleasant but necessary for his future mobility. Hopefully in the next week or so Henry will begin intense physical therapy on another floor of the hospital and will begin the journey to recovery. Please keep sending him your love and videos of encouragement.

Be fierce and thrive...

—Ph/H

12.16 Morning—10:30

Yesterday Eva brought him his favorite liver and onions with mashed potatoes and he ate most of it. When the food is good and made with love he has a good appetite. This morning we shared an omelet and mixed berries.

His pain is more manageable today—he slept through the night—and he is on the PT machine this morning for five hours bending his knee to 75º.

Everyday there is improvement. Two of his antibiotics have finished and he is on one final one that will continue to the end of December. He has one of the best infectious disease doctors in Los Angeles attending to his infections and we both like him a lot.

Be fierce and thrive...
—Ph/H

12.15 Late Afternoon—16:15

His friend brought him Sunday dinner of liver and onions with mashed potatoes—his favorite thing to each at Musso and Frank's Grill on Hollywood Blvd. He ate most of it before getting full. He loves Eva's cooking.

Be fierce and thrive, Henry!

—Ph/H

12.15 Morning Status—06:45

We slept well last night with few interruptions. Henry’s pain levels are dropping but still higher than what most of us could handle on a daily basis. 

He has a good appetite and last evening we shared a steak dinner with crab cakes and a fillet mignon with iced tea and apple juice. He ate half but we both left the potatoes. 

Today Eva will bring him a Sunday supper which he’s looking forward to. We might move up a floor next week to be close to PT and of course a little apprehensive at the amount of work involved butt he is more than eager to get his life back. 

Be fierce and thrive...

—Philip

12.14 Afternoon—14:00

This is day 43.

View from the chair where I sleep—02:00

Henry's recovery is going well. He's working on physical therapy on his right leg four to five hours a day. It's painful but necessary to keep his right leg mobile. 

He has a good appetite and we shared a pizza last night and a salad. Tonight we are going to share a steak and some appetizers. He's talking better now though it still tires him out but the vocal cords are working and coming back to life.

Tomorrow is another day...

Be fierce and thrive...

—Ph/H

PS: I sleep in the room with him nearly every night and spend all day with him every day. It's a joy to be near him and we often laugh and smile at each other. 

12.13 Late Afternoon

Another quiet day. He spent five hours on the PT machine for his right leg and had a meeting with several doctors. We also met with one of the insurance companies. They are assisting us in the filing of our claim and accessing funds.

Henry's Orthopedic doctors think he may be able to move on to more rigorous PT soon which will mean a move eventually to another floor. So far, however, his need for care is very urgent and there are more nurses available on our current floor.

We continue to...be fierce and thrive

—Ph/H

12.12 Afternoon Update—16:45

Pretty quiet today. He's on some heavy pain killers that sort of knock him out but he did five hours of physical therapy on his right leg. Today the NP will take his catheter out and begin to prepare him to sit up in the next few weeks.

He remains in good spirits!

Be fierce and thrive...
—Ph/H

12.12 Update—10:00

Henry had a good night and slept through most of it. This morning he had a good appetite and ate most of his breakfast. 

Today is his sister's birthday and he called and sang "Happy Birthday" to her...

Be fierce and thrive...

—Ph/H

12.11

It's been forty days...4 0  d a y s...

I am grateful that Henry is alive and he's alert. He's in good spirits and knows he's loved by so many people. He will survive this horrible accident and will thrive and be happy and dance again. My lovely husband and friend of thirty years will sing and laugh again and this will all be a distant memory...

Be fierce and thrive...!

—Ph/H

12.11 Morning—08:35

After a lot of pain the pain killers set in and he slept fitfully through the night. This morning Henry had a good appetite and ate eggs, pancakes, and cereal. No more surgeries this week but he may go back for the skin graft sometime next week.

Be fierce and thrive...

—Ph/H

12.10 Morning Update—08:45

Henry will have some plastic surgery today to repack his deep wound on the left side and a skin graft on the wound on his right side. These are pretty quick operations to take place this afternoon sometime after 13:00. 

He slept OK last night but the powerful drug Methadone caused him to be delirious a bit and he complained to me he didn't like it. But he was alert enough to know what happened.

Yesterday the young resident Doctor David Gotstein stopped in and was amazed at how good Henry looked. He took great care of Henry while in the ICU for 20 days. Henry was all smiles.

Be fierce and thrive...
—Ph/H

12.09—Site Statistics

On 3 November I started reporting on Henry's status here to update his many friends all over the world on his condition after the accident on 1 November 2019. To date there have been 12,000 visitors of which 3,000 are unique and over 80,000 page views. Visitors are mostly from the USA but also The Netherlands, France, Spain, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, China, India, and Germany.

Most of the traffic comes from FaceBook and directly from Google. While I've tried to reach out to everyone in our contacts list, I fear there are many more of our friends who are not aware of his situation so I ask that you share the link to your FB account to spread the word to our many friends.

Many folks are praying, meditating, and chanting for Henry's speedy recovery. His spirit is strong but he has days when the pain from his injuries is too much to endure but he draws his strength from your thoughts and good wishes (he loves the videos you send and I hope you will send many more)!

Over the coming months I will continue to post here everyday while he recovers. Henry and I look forward to being able to visit with you all soon. 
Meanwhile:

Be fierce and thrive...!

—Ph/H (Philip)

12.09 Morning update—06:45

Very rough over night. Even though the doctors enhanced his pain medication he was in terrific pain in every part of his system. It was difficult not to be able to help him so I sat with him through the night. Today there will be more doctors and a quick meeting with the plastic surgeons. 

Updates as needed. 

Be fierce and thrive...

—Philip

12.08—18:55

Henry had a good appetite today and ate Eva’s pork roast with mashed potatoes and red cabbage and then a bowl of ice cream. I’m so glad he ate everything! 

Be fierce and thrive...

—Philip

12.07 End-of-Day—19:00

It was a good day and we are hoping for a better day tomorrow. Day by day...

Be fierce and thrive...

—Ph/H

12.06 End-of-Day—20:00

This was a trying day for Henry as the pain was very intense. The doctors operated on his bottom again debriding lots of debris from the very deep wound. It will heal but will remain painful for a time.

As always his spirit is strong and he is determined to recover fully. He smiles often and is alert when people speak to him. It's not time yet to visit but soon he will be ready to see folks.

As always,
Be fierce and thrive...
—Ph/H

12.06 Status—09:00

The surgeons are ready to move Henry to the Pre-Op room. His surgery will take about an hour.

Be fierce and thrive...

—Ph/H

12.05 Update—19:00

Our nephew joined us today to help with Henry's recovery by motivation. He's going back into surgery tomorrow morning sometime after 10AM to clean out more debris in the infected wound. While he's not run a fever today he's in great pain and they hope to repack the deep wound.

We are going to sleep early tonight.

Be fierce and thrive...!
—Ph/H

12.04 Update—06:00

Surgery was over in an hour. He had a hole about 6cm deep and pretty wide. They cleaned out the dead tissue and packed it. There is a vacuum over the area now to drain it. 

He slept OK last night and he's being washed now. 

Be fierce and thrive

—Ph/H

12.03 Update—08:00

Surgery on the infected wound today at 13:30 PT. This should fix the fevers he has experienced for the passed week.

Be fierce and thrive...
—Ph/H

11.2—Evening Updae

The doctors will perform some surgery tomorrow morning to fix the infected area around his hip/thigh. He lost a lot of skin there and it's become infected.

Be fierce and thrive!
—Ph/H

12.2 Update—11:00

Henry is eating well and going through intense therapy his right leg which can cause a lot of pain. He needs to do 5 hours a day.

His spirits continue to be good. 

Be fierce and thrive!
—Ph/H 

Be Fierce and Thrive

Henry is fierce and he is thriving. He said to me today that he is happy and his spirits are good. It's evident in his appetite and willingness to participate in the physical therapy on his right leg. He's more talkative too even thought his voice is still weak—but getting stronger thanks to his vocal therapist, Paula.

It's been one month since the accident. He was in ICU for 21 days and in very critical condition for 18 of those days. Today he is thriving and will live and recover from this terrible accident. We are both grateful for you continued love and support.

He looks so handsome: today he got a shave and a good washing. 

Be fierce and thrive!
—Ph/H

Sitting Outside...

When I take a coffee or food break I like sit in the bamboo garden between the North Tower and the Saperstein ICU. It's lovely and quiet in the evening: when the wind blows the bamboo plants there is a comforting rattle that calms me and helps me reflect. It's a nice spot few visitors know about and instead they sit in the rather dingy lobby/waiting rooms of the hospital. Even though the furniture is comfortable I still find these rooms oppressive and not good for me to get my mind at peace.

I've found there are lots of places where people can sit and reflect. There is a lot of public art around the various squares and plazas too; I like to walk around these spaces: being in the moment; listening to the sounds of a city alive with people and machines; I like to look at the staff and visitors hurrying to an appointment or work or to see a loved one. In these moments I try not to remember the past or plan for the future only the present moment; then I am released from pain.

Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Hills has some extraordinary pieces. This Is a Henry Moore and while I’m not the best judge of sculpture I really love this one. It’s called Three-part Reclining Figure. Of course Moore is one of the most important of the Post-War artists working in large scale bronze pieces.

Or this piece by Jonathon Borofsky, Molecule Man. Both of these pieces are in a garden of succulents and beach grasses. There are also little water fountains that are lighted with LEDs that change colors as the water gentle burbles like springs. Yesterday I made a short video of the fountains and the gardens. There are bamboo plants and desert grasses throughout the sculpture garden making it a comforting and healing environment. Many of these pieces are important works and all celebrate humanity and the human condition.

I also like to sit here in this space while having a late afternoon coffee...It's a beautiful useable sculpture and I've not been able to find out who designed it. There are a few places like this one and I often find myself alone in these spaces.  

There is also an extensive painting collection here on each of the floors in the towers. I've seen paintings and prints by Picasso and Oldenburg and many others. I'll document some of these pieces in another post.

Be fierce and thrive!
—Ph/H 

11.30—Evening

Another good and productive day. Still much pain but his spirit is positive. This is day 30 in hospital...

—Ph/H

11.29—Morning

Thank you again for all the videos. He watched them all with the biggest smile on his face. His morale is very good and it amazes me that he is so positive. I think this is because of the love and support of his friends.

Today the leg is being exercised by a machine that lifts and bends his right leg for 6 hours at a time. Henry is eating better and taking in more protein calories which is a very good thing (as Martha Stewart would say...).

Be fierce and thrive...!
—Ph/H 

Trying to Comment? Do this...

Some folks are having trouble posting a comment. Here's what to do.

At the bottom left in tiny letters below my signature you will see a link that reads either: "No Comments" or "Comments" just move your cursor over that link and "click" on it. You will be taken to a page with a white box where you can write your comment. When you are finished "click" "Publish" and your comment will be available to everyone. 

I don't moderate this so do not leave any personal information like a phone number. I go through all the comments at the end of the day and read them out to Henry as needed. He loves hearing from you!

Be fierce and thrive!
—Philip

End of the Afternoon—16:50

Today is a lazy day (Henry says they must have given him blood from a lazy person yesterday!) I think it's the tranquilizer the doctors prescribed to help him manage the pain and stress.

He's had some calls and lots of videos from friends and family. The videos make him happy and reminds him about the many friends he has who wish him well. I, too, am thankful for all the love and support he's gotten these last four weeks. It's been 28 days since the accident that was nearly fatal and he is improved so much that even the trauma doctors are impressed. But we all know he is strong-willed.

Next week his (our) nephew, Quinton, will come out to help with his care and support. They are close and it will motivate further is recovery.

Be fierce and thrive, Henry West Foote!

—Ph/H

We are Thankful!

Be fierce and thrive

—Ph/H

Thanksgiving Day

We are thankful for our friends who have given us so much love. Henry is in good spirits today. His will is strong. 

Thank you for your loving support!

Be fierce and thrive...

—Ph/H

11.27 Update—07:30

Surgery went well! 
Yesterday Henry had surgery on his right knee/tibia and it went well. He is in a lot of pain but the doctors have a plan to help him manage. He also had a revision to his left leg: the doctors improved the area below the knee where the foot was amputated. He is doing very well and his spirits are very good.

I am not surprised by his positive attitude and that's what has gotten him this far. I am so grateful that he is alive!

Be fierce and thrive!

—Ph/H

11.26 Update—08:45

Henry will go into surgery between 11and 15hr today for a revision to the left leg amp. and to fix the right knee. He's in great spirits today and joked early this morning with doctors and his nurse, John. 

His pain levels go up and down and he's on three different pain medications to help him manage different pain sensations. He is eating more calories which is necessary to get the feeding tube removed and make him more comfortable. The next stage will be to check his neurology and make sure there is nothing else the needs the hospital. The various infections are being treated long term. There is no time frame when he will be released to rehab so today's operations will help give us some milestones.

Today I'm contacting the police and working on the insurance forms for EDD. 

Keep sending me videos for him to watch, he loves seeing all of you and it makes him smile. 

I'll update later with surgery status.

—Ph/H

11.25 Update—09:50

Henry had a good night sleeping but will probably sleep most of the day as well. The pain medicine is very strong and it knocks him out.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) doctors will work on his right knee. He won't be able to put weight on it for at least 6 weeks. 

This Thanksgiving please remember him and be thankful he's alive!

—Ph/H (Philip)

So Many Thanks...

Thank you so very much for all the great videos being sent to Henry. I showed him a batch today and he was smiling ear to ear and saying hi back and thank you!!

Thank you for your healing kindness!

Tomorrow is another day. Remember to say: Please and Thank you...

—Ph/H

Make a Video—15:45

Henry got to talk with his mom yesterday and it did both of them a lot of good to reassure each other of their love; today his great friend Kenya Winchell sent him a video greeting and expressed her love and support for him. His eyes were focused completely on her image and his smile was electric. 

I encourage you to make a short video to wish him well and speedy recovery until he can take more visitors . Tell him you love him. These messages are the most important part of his day and they are easy to make and send to me via WhatsApp or directly to my phone. This is preferable to a phone call right now as we can't control when he's ready to take a call but a video can be played anytime... 

—Ph/H (Philip)

23 November—10:00

Henry ate a little last evening and had some sips of Boost this morning. He had a difficult night due to the pain and today the doctors are increasing pain medication.

I'm hoping he gets a little more solid food today. No word on the next surgery on his right leg which is the cause of much of his pain.

This morning a nice young lady came by and played the violin for him and he enjoyed it. He also greatly enjoyed a video from his BFF Kenya in Ibiza...he smiled the whole time and watched it twice. He likes videos and you can send short ones to me and I'll show them to him.

—Ph/H

Evening Uodate—16:18

Tonight he will eat the first food and drink in 21 days! He will have to swallow and it's very difficult. The food will be chopped like hash so he can eat it. 

—Philip

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Text or call +1 323 578 4366

Update—11.22

Henry's surgery was successful. I won't go into details but it is certainly life changing for him and us. He is very positive and very strong...he smiles and engages with his medical team.

Today was speech therapy and swallow exercises. He's still in a great deal of discomfort to say the least.

Later updates as needed.

—Ph/H 

Short Update—09:40

He will go in for surgery on his left foot this afternoon probably around 14hr00. 

He resting in a new room and they are taking steps to relieve his delirium which comes and goes. This is the residue of ICU Delirium caused by medications, lack of daylight and night signals, as well as sleep deprivation caused by the many tests and wakeups in during the night and day. I always tell him what time it is and in the new room he has a window where he can see daylight and the night sky. The next big thing is to get him eating and drinking by mouth. The breathing tubes were down his throat for 14 days which causes issues with swallowing. 

I'll update after the surgery...

—Ph/H

Update—2019.11.20—08:50

Surgery went well on his right hip. Tomorrow is surgery on his left foot and maybe his right leg. Henry's spirit is very good and he's positive about his future. I don't see him depressed or worried and for that I am grateful—I doubt I would be as positive or strong.

—Ph/H

Surgery Update—14:55

Henry is coming out of surgery. They fixed the hip but the right knee was still too swollen for surgery. Hopefully on Thursday the swelling will be down. 

Doctor said he is doing fine.

—Ph/H

Morning Update before Surgery—09:15

The surgery yesterday was very successful and his temperature is down to 99 this morning. 

At 11 today he will go into surgery for his right knee and hip.

His spirits are good!

—Ph/H

Afternoon Update—14:15

The nursing staff and doctors spent most of today preparing him for the VAT surgery this afternoon. It should take about two hours I imagine. He's scheduled for 16:30 PST.

The professional medical staff at Cedars is far superior to any group of nurses and doctors I've experienced. They are giving him the best care possible. 

He asked today that I read some short stories to him and I picked the James Baldwin collection "Going to Meet the Man" which is a great set of stories.

—Ph/H

Update—08:45

Henry is doing much better. Doctor Bluen just told us the MRCA is cleared from his blood and they will mostly knock any Staph infection out with the pulmonary procedure today (though he will continue on his antibiotics for some time to come.

He's also taking charge of his care and I'm happy to see this because it means to me that he is back to managing his life. He's resting today to prepare for the surgery today and tomorrow; his temperature is down to 100-101.

I am greatly encouraged...

Today I'll read some of the many comments and messages he's received over the last 15 days. Thank you for commenting and caring for Henry. Please keep him top of mind until he fully recovers.

—Ph/H (Philip)

Update—12:30

It's past noon and he's sleeping easily. He's had the doctors visit and they are still ready to perform the pulmonary procedure tomorrow sometime which will hopefully reduce the fever by eliminating the infection.

Thank you to everyone for you continued loving support of Henry. As I've mentioned before he would prefer no visitors for the time being.

—Ph/H (Philip)

Morning Update—9:10

Henry is resting. He's a little listless today from the fever he had all day yesterday but it's down to 100 this morning. Later we will do some breathing exercises to strengthen his lungs.

All is well. 

—Ph/H

11.16 Quick Morning Update—09:50

Henry is resting and anxious to take control of things. But he's alert and has a sense of humor...He just said he wanted to see if he could walk and we had to show him what his legs look like. I had to laugh at his spunky attitude!

—Ph/H

Update—13:50

Henry is in very good spirits and can whisper/talk now that the breathing tube is gone. 

—Ph/H

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Text or call +1 323 578 4366

Update—12:37

The breathing tube was removed this morning. Henry is doing much better and is managing the pain. He still can't talk but he can whisper. His voice will come back soon.

He asks that you comment here as he's not ready to have visitors.

Thank you for your loving support of Henry...

—Ph/H (Philip)