Gary Bonjour 1951 – 2008

Mom and Dad are visiting Gary today. The traffic was a breeze the first hundred miles out of Savanna. The last fifty to downtown were murder! The visit is going well. Mom and Dad will sleep at Uncle Ronnie’s (Mom’s brother) house tonight to spread the ride time over two days. Gary’s swelling continues. We worked on his legs for a while. We will do more anti-swelling exercises before I leave tonight. Doctors have made rounds. PT was here, also. No walking today, but plans to do so tomorrow.  -Randy

Dad is looking good today, better than yesterday.  He was sitting in a chair doing some exercises when the doctors made rounds.  We told him it would help convince them that he will be well enough to release soon.  Sitting up also helps the goo in his lungs to break up.  Right now, Sarah is taking care of some deep cleaning in his mouth which will hopefully make him feel refreshed and clear the way for his tastebuds to taste.  

-Alicia

We have had a lazy day today.  Gary did manage an hour sitting in the chair and some exercises.  He took a wheel chair ride to the family room to view Lake Michigan.  It was a beautiful today.  Gary is now sleeping after all the excitement.   Doctors are working on his release to a rehab hospital.   This time we are pushing for the Genesis Medical Center-Acute Rehab.  We keep trying to get back to the western part of the state.        Patty

We came to the room this morning to find Dad deep in slumber.  Uncle Randy wore him out yesterday with all the PT!  This is a good thing.  We will get him up in a bit and he will take a quick field trip to another floor for a routine chest x-ray.  White cells are down a fraction, but the doctor said this was not unusual and he wasn’t concerned about it.   Today we will be doing more PT and Sarah and her husband should join us for the day.  It’s a beautiful sunny day here.

If you’d like to send Dad a funny card or a cheery note, he would love to hear from you.  Below is his address:

Gary Bonjour – Room 1589
Prentice Women’s Hospital
250 East Superior Street
Chicago, IL 60611

-Alicia

A full Friday morning is being experienced by the patient.  Doctors made rounds noting Gary’s improved condition.  The white cell count was 2.4; up .1 over the last two days.  After docs were gone Gary rose from bed (with help) and sat in a chair to eat breakfast, a V8 and yogurt.  The nutrition delivered through the PEG seems to be having the desired effect as Gary reports feeling better.  PT lasted forty minutes.  He performed the exercises of the last session, and the therapist added a few more.  Gary stood at the end of the session and walked (with a walker) eight feet back to bed.  All in all, a good morning.    -Randy