Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Dear Friends,

A Very Merry Christmas from Denny and Pam!

Thank you for all of your love and support over the past five months. We’ve been truly blessed by the gift of friendship from all of you throughout these trying times. The many cards have brightened up Denny’s days, and the visits, prayers, and good wishes have surely helped in his progress towards recovery.

Here’s hoping 2013 will be a year of health and prosperity for us all.

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Denny and Pam

PS Dad enjoyed a brisk Christmas walk this morning with daughters Cathleen and Christine.

 

Dear Friends of Denny,

There's bad news and good news this week. The bad news is that the doctor put in the button in place of the trach on Monday. Dad did well for a few days, but he had some issues on Friday night and the doctor decided to put the trach back in on Saturday. The good news is that his stay in this facility was extended and all three of his children, Cathleen, Christine, and Kevin, were able to visit together this weekend. Classmate Barbara Westlake also spent the afternoon with him so Pam could check out other options for his next move. Other visitors included Jack and Nona Nash as well as his brother, Paul, and Ed Conley.  We are hopeful that this was just a bump in the road, and that Dad will continue the progress he has been making at this facility for the past two weeks.

Safe travels to all of you who are on the road this week.
All the best,
The Cahill Family

Dear Friends of Denny,

Dad has had a good week at the Kentfield facility. Mom says he is visibly stronger after a week there. His lungs are very clear, and they are even talking about taking out the trach tube on Monday. As I mentioned in the previous update, they gave him a dye test to check his swallowing last week, but he didn't do well. After a week of speech therapy, they gave him another, and he was able to swallow some applesauce. They have decided that it might help the healing of his throat muscles if they remove the trach tube, but leave in a "button" that will keep the hole open just in case. The other exciting thing about the button is that he can talk with it because it allows air to move through the vocal cords.

He's been keeping up on his physical therapy and getting up into his wheelchair eveyday. In fact, they've even let Mom take him out for a spin on the running path behind the hospital. They have enjoyed walking down to the town of Ross. His occupational therapy is moving along as well. He was able to clearly write out his full name (Dennis Richard Michael Cahill!) for the therapist. He has been enjoying daughter Christine's company, and this weekend, son Kevin came to visit as well. 

We're very happy with his progress. The only downside is that according to Medicare rules he has recovered from the condition that brought him to Kentfield (the pneumonia), and they have to release him. (Medicare is an imperfect system, but on the whole, we are happy to have it). We are hoping that they won't release him for a few days, but in the meantime, we are looking at facilities. Because he may not have a trach, our options are wider.

Thanks again for keeping Dad in your thoughts.

Dear Friends of Denny,

Dad had a good week. He had physical and speech therapy everyday.  The speech therapist did two different swallow tests that had not been done yet at any of the facilities he's visited. The tests demonstrated that his muscles are very weak and not ready for swallowing, but he has not been given consistent speech therapy to strengthen those specific muscles.  The therapist has developed a  program aimed at working them, and they will give him the swallow test again in a few weeks.

The doctor's goal for physical therapy is to get him standing up. His blood pressure tends to drop a bit when they get him out of bed, but they are closely monitoring him and hope that this will get better as he gets stronger and gets up more often. He had to have a small procedure today to unblock his feeding tube, but did his therapy for the day beforehand. On a more positive note, his lungs seemed to have cleared up nicely.

He also enjoyed a very nice visit from his friend and fellow SBHS Class of 1957 alumna, Barbara Westlake this week.

Dear Friends of Denny,

Dad is settling into the Kentfield facility, and we are cautiously optimistic. The doctors and staff there have been very attentive, asking many questions about his case and settings some good goals for him. This weekend he enjoyed a visit from his sister, Sally, and Pete. They talked Notre Dame football (go Irish) and Sally helped him do some of the exercises to strengthen his muscles. The doctor (neurologist, I believe) told her that he had very good movement in his left hand (the side that was affected by the stroke). His brother, Paul, and Ed visited today and kept him company. He'll be back to regular physical therapy this week, and the doctor may recommend that he receives it 6 days, rather than just 5. We're hoping that this will help him build up his strength.

Please keep all your good thoughts coming!

 Dear Friends of Denny,

Dad has successfully moved to his new rehab facility, the Kentfield Rehab and Specialty Hospital in Kentfield. He left John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek this afternoon and had an uneventful journey to Kentfield. Before he left, a doctor looked at an x-ray of his lungs and said that they look better.

Mom was impressed with the professionalism of the staff and doctors who met them in Kentfield. She was pleased to find out that the main doctor is a pulmonologist specializing in lungs/respiratory issues, which is one of Dad's major problems. The doctor also said that they were going to make sure that Dad got going on his physical therapy right away.

We are cautiously optimistic and will keep you posted. If anyone wants the address, it is below.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Please keep them coming!

c/o Kentfield Rehab and Specialty Hospital
1125 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Kentfield, CA 94904

Dear Friends of Dennis,

Dad is still at John Muir hospital, though he moved out of the ICU on Friday. Thanks to in-laws and good friends who helped with dinner preparations, son, Kevin, daughter, Christine, and Mom were able to spend Thanksgiving Day with Dad. He also enjoyed surprise visits from niece Maureen and good friend Paul Bareilles.

At John Muir, he has been working with a wonderful physical therapist, Kristine. She has taken him down to the hospital's gym facility to work on his core strength through stretching and straightening. Kim, the occupational therapist has been working similar muscles, helping him sit up straight and lean forward while in his wheel chair.  She is also having him work on basic tasks like washing his face and brushing his teeth. Because he's been sick, these are actually pretty hard workouts for him, but he is determined. Mom has already noticed that he seems stronger as a result of the exercise during the past few days.

He has been okayed for discharge by the doctor for Tuesday. We've decided that we are going to try a different rehab facility in Marin County. We had tried last week to move him back home as this is what he really wants.  What we found out is the options that Eureka offers cannot provide the resources that Dad needs at this time.  We are hoping to get him strong and get back home ASAP.

The Marin County location will be closer to middle daughter, Christine, and has a reputation for its strong  physical therapy program. The physical facility is not quite as pretty, but we are hoping he will get better care than he has in Walnut Creek. We will miss the folks at John Muir as they have all seemed professional and caring.

Dear Friends of Dennis,

Happy Thanksgiving. Our family is so grateful for all of the wonderful doctors and nurses who have been so helpful over the past four months. We are also thankful for Dad's stubbornness (never thought we'd say that), and for all our amazing friends and family who have been so helpful and supportive during this ordeal. And we are especially thankful for Mom who has been right by Dad's side for the past four months fighting along with him.

Unfortunately, Dad returned to the ICU at John Muir Hospital on Monday due to another aspirational incident. Monday was a tough day, but since then he has been alert and recovering. The silver lining to this return to the hospital is that they have arranged for a gastroenterologist to examine him to try to determine why this keeps happening. Hopefully he will have some idea of how to stop this cycle.

We hope you have a good holiday. Hug your families and be thankful for your health.
Much love,

The Cahills

Dear Friends,

Dad returned to the Walnut Creek long term acute care facility on Sunday after a stay at the John Muir Medical Center to combat another round of aspirational pneumonia. The doctors and nurses at John Muir were really wonderful, and he was recovering well. By the end of his stay, he was alert, recognizing his sister, Cathy, when she walked into the room for a visit from Eureka. He was even able to do a crossword puzzle with Mom. He didn't get much physical therapy there, however, and so remains weak.

Unfortunately, the move back to the long term care facility was a rough transition, and he has had some trouble sleeping and readjusting to the new place. When he doesn't sleep well at night, it throws everything off. He becomes disoriented or so sleepy he can't do his therapy. Mom is working hard to make sure that he is getting the care and attention he needs to get back on the road to a strong recovery. Today was better. He had slept last night and was able to do both his occupational therapy and his physical therapy. They are working on various exercises to strengthen his arms, legs, and core muscles. He was also able to sit up on the side of the bed by himself and brush his own teeth today, both are good signs.  We are hoping that things will continue to improve as he gets stronger with further therapy. The speech therapist is also working with him. We learned at John Muir that one of his vocal cords is paralyzed, though there are therapies that can help strengthen it. Inspired by his interest in the crossword puzzle, she is also using puzzle exercises to work with him.

This has been a rough two weeks, and we continue to appreciate all of your support. Dad's certainly a fighter. He has been working hard despite all of the setbacks and frustrations. Mom, too, has been fighting the good fight as his advocate. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

ICU've Been Here B4

Team Denny,

Here we go again.....Dad had another setback and had to go back to the John Muir ICU on Wednesday of last week.  He aspirated and has been fighting off another bout of pneumonia. He's recovering well, and the doctors seem to be taking our concerns more seriously this time around. He's undergoing a battery of new tests and his sleep pattern is being analyzed to see if it can be made more regular. We are hopeful that he can stay at John Muir for a bit and clear up some of his chronic issues before continuing his recovery.

Denny's special visitor of the week was daughter Cathleen, who flew out from New Mexico to stay with him while Pam made the drive home. Cath made some breakthroughs on things that dad had been trying to convey to each of us. Nice work professor! She also updated him on the latest accomplishments by his oldest grandchildren. Christine and Bill enjoyed getting to see her too.

 

Dear friends,

Dad continues to be in stable health and is enjoying his own room. He welcomed several distinguished visitors this week:

His niece Maureen dropped in while he was doing physical therapy and inspired him to show off. She also updated him on Humboldt sports news. 

High school buddy Tom Libbs and his wife came by over the weekend and shared pictures of the St. Bernard's  class of '57 high school reunion at AT&T Park.

Denny watched some of the World Series games with Pam. It was a special matchup pitting his childhood home team against his adult home team. As many of you know, his dad once sold peanuts at Tiger Stadium, where uncle Tony worked as a cop. Despite this, dad was pulling for the victorious Giants.

Also last weekend, Denny got a chance to go outside and see Grandson Sean (5 months) and Grandaughter Ila (2yrs). He blew them kisses and waved while enjoying the mild October morning.

Dad's writing continues to improve and we hope that someday he will be able to author these updates himself.

Dear Friends,

Dad has moved back to the rehab facility in Walnut Creek. He now has his own room with a sliding glass door to the courtyard, so Mom is able to roll him outside while he is in his chair. Yesterday they saw a large woodpecker on the beautiful trees in the courtyard.

His infections are clearing up, and the therapists think he looks much stronger than when he left for the ICU. In particular, he is sitting up better, not using pillows for support.

Mom reports that today he was clearly printing words, and that is a great help with communication. The speech therapist also put the speaking valve back on his trach, and he was able to more clearly enunciate words. This will continue to improve as his throat gets even stronger.

He watched the Giants game with Mom last night. He was wearing his NLCS playoff hat from Mike Ayers; clearly it is a lucky hat! He'll be wearing it again tonight (sorry (but not too sorry), Cousin Maureen in Michigan!).

Thank you for keeping him and us in your thoughts and prayers!

The view from Dad's new room!

Dear Friends,

Just wanted to give you a quick update on Dad. He is still in the hospital, but in the progressive care unit where they're keeping good care of him.

Today, he's going be watching the Giants game with his good buddy, Mike Ayers, who came up from San Jose to sit with him. Mike brought him a Giants division cap to wear for the occasion! He would love to see two of his favorite teams in a Tigers/Giants series.  We've also let him know that Notre Dame seems to be doing pretty well this season.

Mom was with him this morning and they were looking at old family photos that his Cousin Christine sent. They were reminiscing about his time in Detroit and the various family members in the photos.

The hospital has given him some tests to check his white blood cell count, etc., but they haven't come back with the results yet (things move a bit slower on the weekends). It is likely that he will be moving back to the rehab facility tomorrow, but we will keep you posted.

His physical therapy has been going well. They are working the muscles in his arms and legs. Today, being Sunday, he is having a day of rest from most of the therapy, but they did put him a his chair so he can sit and strengthen his core muscles for a  few hours.

Dear Friends,

Just a quick update on Dad.  Some better news today. He moved from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the progressive care unit (PCU) of the hospital this evening, which is a great sign. The doctors have him on a series of full spectrum antibiotics for his infections, and he will remain on those for a few weeks. While in the hospital, they have continued to give him his physical therapy, and they are organizing a schedule for the other therapies (especially speech and occupational) for tomorrow. He has also continued to have some movement in his left arm and is working on strengthening it.

He continues to have some moments of confusion, but he is more often lucid.  For instance, when they moved him this evening, he was aware enough to ask the nurse to call Mom to let her know where he'd be. Thanks for keeping us in your hearts and minds.

Dear Friends,

I am afraid this is a two steps forward one step back kind of week, and this is a one step back post. Dad had to go to the hospital yesterday because of another lung infection.  The doctor at the Walnut Creek facility wanted to treat it right away, so sent him to the hospital as soon as they realized what was happening. This seems like a much better response than at the previous facility where they waited several days before sending him, and his lungs got much worse.

His condition is no where near as bad as it was last time in Redding. He is responsive, answering questions, recognizes people, etc. He is on oxygen, but not the ventilator (so he is breathing on his own) and antibiotics. As of this evening, his white blood cell count had dropped, which is a good sign, so we are hopeful that this will be a brief hospital stay.

 

Dad is definitely frustrated, and we can't blame him, we are, too. But, we are all hoping for the best. Knowing that we have so many people out there thinking of us and praying for us helps a great deal. We'll keep you posted over the next few days.

 

Dear Friends of Denny,

Dad is slowly, but steadily making progress. His body is healing, and he is on less and less mechanical support. He was taken off the breathing ventilator about a week ago, and while he is still connected to an oxygen mist, he is breathing on his own. Today, they removed the tube that was draining the infection in his lung cavity. That is a huge step, because now he is much more able to move around. In fact, right after they removed it, they took him out of his room and to the therapy gym for the first time in this facility!

In the gym, they put him to work on leg exercises on a ball, working on his posture, practicing sliding in and out of bed and in and out of his chair. His left leg (the side affected by the stroke) is weak, but was responsive today.

He watched part of the Giants game today, and we are sure that he will be excited when he hears about the A's victory tomorrow!

Dear Friends,

Dad has had a busy few days. Mom went home to check in on things there, so his brother, Paul, and Ed and then his sister, Sally, came up to sit with him. He really enjoyed their company, and Mom really appreciated their help. Today, Mom, Christine, and Kevin went over to visit.

Generally, there was good news this week. While they have still been working on adjusting his medication to help him readjust to a night time sleeping schedule, they seem to be getting close. The infections in his lungs are completely gone. He just has one left in his gut that is being treated. The speech therapist has continued to work with him, and he has been doing a great job. He has been more oriented and able to answer questions about his life before the stroke and about his family that are encouraging signs. He is also writing more and more things down. Today, for example, he asked Kevin about the sheep.

But the most exciting news, was that while sitting in his chair doing some arm exercises he was moving the muscles in his left arm, the side that was affected by the stroke. While he wasn't able to lift the arm, he could flex the muscles and moved his thumb! 

Keep those thoughts and prayers coming! Slow but steady progress is great.

Dear Friends,

Some of you have had trouble seeing the blog, so I'm going to try reposting the last message from Monday (we've only updating every other day or so). I hope this does it. So here goes:

A quick line to let you know how Dad is doing. He had his ups and downs over the weekend. Mom has been there everyday, and (daughter) Christine and (son-in-law) Bill also went over for a visit. They are very impressed with the level of care Dad is receiving at Walnut Creek, and we are so thankful for such an attentive and knowledgeable staff.

Dad has been exercising his vocal muscles by whispering through the trach cap. He was also communicating by writing names on a piece of paper. They are hoping to get him weaned off the ventilator as soon as possible (especially because he sometimes tries to take it out on his own). 

This weekend he talked a lot about the people he knew in seminary at Mount Angel, Oregon, as well as asking Mom and Christine about what the various Cahill and Davis cousins were doing. He definitely has a few times when he gets confused and disoriented. And sometimes he is frustrated by his situation and wants to go home, but most of the time he understands that he needs to work hard to heal.

As my brother, Kevin, put it: Keep the Faith in Dad. He's a Cahill and a fighter!

Dear Friends,

Dad has made a smooth transition into his new rehab facility and seems to be making some good progress. He still is fighting off various infections, but is right back into a therapy routine.

Each morning he sees the speech, occupational, and physical therapists. He is working on rebuilding his core strength by spending time sitting up in a wheelchair (two hours yesterday, an hour and fifteen minutes today). The speech therapist is doing exercises with him to strengthening his throat muscles. She has also been working with him to help him print letters, so he can communicate in writing while his speaking muscles recover.

Some of you have asked about visiting, and we truly appreciate all of your care and concern, but at this time Dad is still very ill. When he is stronger and less immune compromised, we will send out an update on the blog, and Dad will certainly appreciate the company at that time.

A Big Move!

Dear Friends of Denny,

Some good news. Yesterday Dad moved from Shasta Regional Medical Center to another long term care facility in Walnut Creek.  We are so grateful to the folks at the SRMC ICU for the amazing care that Dad received there.  We are especially thankful for the generous hospitality of Dad's niece, Megan Maher Belcastro, and her husband, Chris, who opened their home and hearts to us (especially Aunt Pam) while we were in Redding! From feeding us amazing meals and letting us relax in their pool after long days at the hospital to giving all of us, including Dad, lots of moral support, they were amazing. So big thank yous to them! We are also grateful to the two women who made his ambulance trip down to Walnut Creek as comfortable as possible and delivered him safely.

Although tired, he is back to being alert and trying to communicate as much as he can with nods and hand signs. He is still on the ventilator, but that was primarily to make the move easier for him. We anticipate that he will be off of it very soon.

Mom and Christine (Dad's favorite blue-eyed daughter) are with him today. They report that the staff at Walnut Creek facility has already impressed them. They were met by the floor charge nurse and learned that the respiratory and speech therapists had already been in to see Dad this morning. The physical therapists came in and worked with him a bit as well. Everyone was welcoming and professional, so we are feeling very good.  Dad is very weak as a result of being laid up by the infections, but we know that he is strong and strong-willed. We are also heartened by the progress he had already made before the setback and so are optimistic. Please keep sending those good thoughts and prayers his way!


Some people have had trouble signing onto the blog to make comments, so if you'd like send your thoughts in a card, you can send them to him
c/o Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation - Walnut Creek
1224 Rossmoor Parkway
Walnut Creek, CA 94595-2501

If you'd prefer to do it electronically, you can send them to his email, oceanden@gmail.com. While he won't receive them right away, they will be waiting for him as he recovers further.

Mom has been watching the Giants' games with Dad. We are sure that he is excited about their divisional title and is looking forward to some good postseason play!

Making Progress!

From Mom (Pam): Today Dad is doing good.  He was put back on the vent for the evening and will be taken off later this morning.  Yesterday he was breathing on his own with just air to his nose, but not forced in, until 8 pm.  We watched the game together and I think he was kind of watching it, too.  He can move his head to signal yes and no and is moving his right foot & leg again.  His right arm - he is able to lift it and put it back down.  He sometimes seems to signal with it, but we're not quite sure.  All signs are good and the nurses have told me that he is ok'd to move out of the ICU, but we are waiting for a bed. Thanks to everyone who is keeping us in their thoughts!

The Fight Continues

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers for Dad. It has been a tough week since last Wednesday. All three kids managed to come up and give Dad the strength to continue to fight.

He is still in the ICU with 3 infections, two in his lungs and 1 in his blood. Dad was fairly stable this week, but still having trouble breathing and was not digesting food. A CT Scan was ordered to check his gut and found no problem. Medication was given to "wake up" his digestive tract and he has begun to digest again, thank god. But while they figured out the digestion issue, the scan showed something surprising: He seemed to have an empty space where the left lung should be. The X-ray had not shown anything, so the Dr. was a bit surprised. The empty space contained infected fluid and food remains that was flattening Dad's lung. They decided to insert a tube into his lung cavity to drain out the liquid and air so that the lung could expand back into that space. They will do another CT Scan on Monday to see if the lung is in fact expanding again. Mom said today his breathing was already much improved. He is on the respirator with 35% oxygen now which is much better than last week when he was on 100%.

It has been extremely frustrating for all of us, but especially for Dad as he was just about ready to move down to the Bay Area to begin the next phase of rehabilitation. This has set him back to square 1.  I do not need to tell you all how strong-willed my Dad is, so this set back will hopefully only be a bump in the long road. Again, thanks for all of the good will; it continues to help dad and all of the rest of us get through this.

Dear Friends,

Please continue to keep Dad in your thoughts and prayers. He is back in the ICU after contracting aspirational pneumonia after a feeding tube incident. He's working hard to get his breathing back to normal. We are all here to urge him on and give him support, but he can use all the help he can get right now. 

Little Sis Plays Cheerleader

Dad's little sister Sally is on the watch while Mom is taking a break and making sure the sheep are being fed at home.  Here is Sally's dispatch from the field today:

"Denny was a champ today. He was able to pull himself up and stand tall and practiced pushing himself along in a chair. His beautiful blue eyes were alert and twinkling and the hospital staff are extremely pleased with his progress. Is he a handsome dude or what? (I think it's genetic!)"

A Sigh of Relief

We hit a huge milestone today.  Dad's trach tube was removed and he is now fully breathing on his own!  We are so excited and know that he will be too once he rests tonight.  It was a busy day of physical therapy, a stroll with Mom around the hospital grounds and the trach removal.  After weeks of ups and downs, we are all relieved to have a solid marker of his forward progress.  This should make it easier for him to focus on his physical therapy and regaining his speech and mobility.

Putting in the Work

After dad's slight setback over the weekend, he is completely breathing on his own during the day and having only slight assistance during the night.  He practiced sitting up today with his occupational therapist and did exercises with the physical therapist that strengthened his core. He was able to lift his left leg as well as shift both hips, which is huge news as we were told at the beginning that he would be completely paralyzed on his left side. 

 

They have capped his trachea, so he was able to talk a bit today. He gave a brief lecture on Sea Dragons as that was the shirt of the day that mom had brought him to wear. Jan, the occupational therapist, learned that they are only located in Australia and that the San Francisco and Chicago aquariums have the sea dragon on display. He is making great strides in his ability to converse.

 

Christine was visiting the last couple of days and kept dad entertained by reading a couple of chapters of a Louis Lamour mystery.  We hope he continues to progress this weekend.

Well, Dad had a bit of a tough weekend. He has been fighting off an infection and was pretty exhausted. He was briefly back on the ventilator and had to take a break from therapy on Monday. Everyone from St. Joe's to this facility has reminded us that the recovery process is often two steps forward, one step back. We are certainly experiencing that firsthand.  The good news was that Cathy and Ron Maher (Dad's sister and brother-in-law), and Kevin (his son). visited this weekend and were there to give Dad and Mom some good family support. All of your thoughts, well wishes, cards, and emails also make the rough days a little smoother, so thank you all.

Slow And Steady

Dad has had a few solid days of progress this week. He has been in physical therapy each day, and is breathing on his own again for the most part. He is also working with a speech therapist, and appears to have a lot he wants to say. He is practicing shaving and combing his hair again, but still needs a bit of practice. He really seems to enjoy all of the letters and cards that friends have been sending and we are all bouyed by the fact that we have had a few positive days in a row. Let's keep up the momentum!

Special Day for Our Favorite Couple

Today is Mom and Dad's 47th Wedding Anniversary and I think that today's post will be about Mom.

She has been by Dad's side every day since the stroke and has been Dad's number one supporter. She has also been a rock for us kids, showing us how much confidence she has in Dad and his will to recover. Every time Dad hears Mom's voice, feels her hand on his cheek or receives a kiss, you see him relax and feel more at ease.

He was in Physical Therapy on Friday and while Mom was cheering him on as he tried to sit up, he winked at her. As she told me over dinner on Saturday, they have always had fun together from living it up in the Bay Area when they were young (seeing the Beatles and Tony Bennett) to driving in their VW bus across the Southwest. They are an amazing couple who will have many more years together and next year, Dad will owe her a dinner out for their 48th. Thanks Mom for being there for Dad. He is a lucky fellow.

Hello Friends,

This week Dad made some great progress. He has been getting up every day for physical therapy. This usually involves working with a trainer for a half an hour or so as well as working against gravity sitting in a chair. He is working to build his core strength back up to help him sit unassisted. He did so well yesterday that we were able to take him for a stroll around the facility in his chair. He has also started a bit of occupational therapy -- he will be working on doing familiar things like brushing his hair and washing his face.

The big news, however, is that the tracheostomy incision has healed enough that they were able to put in a 'size 6' trach. This allows air to move through the vocal cords, which means he will be able to try to speak. Dad hasn't talked in three weeks, so, as you can imagine, things are rusty, but he is trying. It is still somewhat of a whisper, but as he is a Cahill, we are sure that will be 'telling us all about it' very soon.

It has been a pretty exhausting week, so Dad is resting this weekend. Luckily, he has the company of wife Pam and his favorite blue-eyed daughter, Christine. We've been reading him all your wonderful cards and emails. Thanks to all of you who are keeping him in your thoughts.

I thought we could all use a little inspiration:


CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, who suffered a stroke in January, released a second video message Sunday showing improved mobility and speech and detailing his work to find a replacement for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
"I wanted to make sure we could update the people of Illinois on my progress against this stroke," the 52-year-old Kirk said in the video. "The progress I have made has been very encouraging — learning to walk again and improving my speaking skills."
The three-minute video (http://bit.ly/NuuErR ) features footage of the Republican walking on a treadmill and up stairs under the close supervision of a rehabilitation specialist but without a cane he had previously used. It shows him walking faster than a previous video, aided by a harness extending above his shoulders. He speaks at times with a stutter and sometimes struggles to form words during the video, which was filmed both at his Fort Sheridan, Ill., home and at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
Kirk said he recently finished a nine-week mobility study at the institute where he walked nearly 15 miles and climbed 145 flights of stairs. He said a high point of his recovery was walking up all the stairs of the institute and that it was good to be at home during his recovery. He was moved to outpatient rehabilitation in May.
The senator suffered a major stroke on Jan. 21 and underwent emergency surgery that included the temporary removal of a 4-by-8-inch piece of his skull to allow for swelling. Surgeons also removed two small pieces of brain tissue destroyed by the stroke.
Doctors have said the stroke was expected to limit movement on his left side and perhaps in his facial muscles, though they expected him to make a full mental recovery.

Dad moved into a new room today. It has a nice view of Mt. Shasta and the Trinity Alps. He had a very active morning and was communicating with his thumbs up and ok signs, as well as blowing kisses to his niece. After some therapy (we are working on strengthening his core with some sitting up), he was pretty tired. The doctors are primarily focused on getting him fully off the ventilator (which he is on at night) and healing the trach wound so he can swallow.

Dad is improving in small increments each day.  He has been sitting up longer and even tried to brush his own teeth!  Our fear of him not knowing anyone in the rehab center compared to if he was located in Eureka has diminished since one of the nurses is Matt Richards, a St. Bernard High School Alum.  All three kids came to visit dad this weekend as well as his sister Cathy and brother-in-law Ron.  Cathleen asked him if he was feeling okay last night  before she was going to leave, and he held up his hand signing "OK".

Dad is settling in to the new facility.  They have him sitting up each day to help with his breathing and are doing daily arm and leg movements.  He remains tired from the journey, but we are pleased to see that he appears motivated to recover.  Mom met with the doctor and nurses today to discuss his new routine.  She too is getting settled into her home away from home with help from her niece Megan and Megan's husband Chris.  We continue to feel blessed for all of the support that we have from the community.  Dad is grateful too, he gave Meg a wave goodbye as she left his room.

July 30, 2012

Dear Friends,

Today Dad took a big step forward. He left the ICU for a rehabilitation center this afternoon. We are so grateful for the amazing care that he received from all of the staff, administrators, nurses, and doctors at St. Joseph's Hospital.

He will now be working with physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapists. He has a long road ahead of him, but it is great that the journey has now begun in earnest.

July 29, 2012

Dear Friends,

Another good, but tiring day. Dad continues to do well with his breathing. He periodically opens his eyes when we talk to him, but is still unable to speak. The physical therapist came in and worked on his sitting; they even helped him stand briefly (with lots of help, of course). We’re hoping, if all continues to go well, that he will be out of the ICU sometime this week. Please keep your thoughts and prayers coming!

Caring Comments

Cahill family -

     Thanks for keeping Dennis' friends/family informed about his condition; very thoughtful.

     Seems that I've known Dennis forever and probably took his presence and good humor for granted.    What a lesson!   He often attends daily Mass at SB and visits the Discovery Shop on Mondays where we exchange bits of news, laughs and cute stories (his).   He likes to reminisce about our parents and tease me because my father was Chairman of the Republican Central Committee.

      I'm thankful  that he's in my life and pray for his total recovery.

           Dianne Caracappa Luzzi

July 28, 2012

Dear Friends, Dad had a good day today. He began regularly breathing without the respirator. The physical therapist came in, and they did some exercises. Dad worked on sitting up for the first time in a week and a half. He seemed in good spirits and was responding well to us. Unfortunately he picked the wrong day to listen to his first Giants' game in a week.

July 27, 2012

Dear Friends,

Dad is recovering nicely from yesterday’s surgery. He seems to feel much better with the various tubes away from his face. He opened his eyes and was responsive to us. His heart rate and breathing seem to have evened out, and we were all heartened by his improved appearance. He will not be able to talk for several more days, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to “tell us all about it.”

Dear Friends,

Dad is recovering nicely from yesterday’s surgery. He seems to feel much better with the various tubes away from his face. He opened his eyes and was responsive to us. His heart rate and breathing seem to have evened out, and we were all heartened by his improved appearance. He will not be able to talk for several more days, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to “tell us all about it.”

Comments on the Blog

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for your wonderful cards, comments, and calls. Knowing that your thoughts are with dad and with our family is very comforting.

If you have a story about Denny that you'd like to share, we'd love to hear it. 

We know that some of you have wanted to post, but have had trouble commenting. This blog site requires you to have a gmail email account, which you can create at gmail.com. If you’d prefer not to create a new account, however, you may send your thoughts to cdcahill@gmail.com, we will make sure that they are posted on the blog.

July 26, 2012

Dear Friends, Denny remains in the ICU, though he is responsive. After nearly a week on a feeding tube through the nose and respirator, doctors decided dad would benefit from a tracheotomy and an operation to install a feeding tube through his side. Both procedures were completed successfully today and are reversible. The removal of the tubes from his face should make Denny more comfortable and allow him to focus more of his energy on healing the parts of his brain damaged by the stroke. He returned to his room and was resting comfortably after the procedure this evening. The nurses, doctors, and staff at St. Joseph Hospital have been absolutely wonderful. Of course, Denny would tell you that this is because he had his first job as a dishwasher in the hospital cafeteria. In all seriousness, we can not express how appreciative we are of their care and hard work. Thank you all for keeping dad in your thoughts. Love, The Cahill Family

7/25/2012

On the morning of July 17th Dennis Cahill suffered a massive ischemic stroke and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka. After more than a week, Denny continues his care and recovery in the ICU at the hospital. The Cahill family feels blessed to have such a supportive community during this difficult time. We wanted to create an online forum to allow us to get information on his condition to you more quickly, and to give people a place to send comments for us to pass along to Denny as he recovers.  Unfortunately, Denny is not in a condition to welcome many of the well-wishers who would like to pay him a visit. We will spread the word as soon as that changes. We would like to thank you all for the prayers, calls, meals and thoughts. The outpouring of support is greatly appreciated by the entire family and we know your support will aid Denny as recovers.