Wednesday, November 23, 2022 7:57 PM

Hello, welcome to our exciting day!

 I got a call at 9:30 saying that Larry would be transferred from RCH to Queen's Park between 10:00 - 11:00. When I arrived, he had just been brought in a little earlier. He is in room 340 on 3rd floor Neuro unit. He is in a room for 4, with only 3 beds. That's the max # per room, since covid. Larry's beside a window, which is always welcome. His window faces south (toward the Fraser River). His roommates are men & their wives were there today & all were very welcoming to us.

 Larry's room was buzzing with nurses, doctor & therapists, asking a million questions about every ability, pain, history, goals, etc. Each one was lovely & really listening to him. I'm glad that I was there, as Larry's answer to "Do you have any pain?", was "No!". Then I said what about your: bed sores? "Oh yes!"; shoulder? "Oh yes!"; hands & wrists? "Oh yes, they are really painful!"   I know that every concern Larry has will be addressed. The first concern Larry had, was for a Roho mattress, as the hard mattress he was on was already causing him pain.  I sure hope with getting out of bed more, his bed sores will finally heal. He's had them since mid-August.

 Larry looked very calm & restful. He blurts out a word or two from what he's thinking, re: his rehab & going home. Some of the therapies will take place in Larry's room, & others in the gym down the hall. There are group exercises, so that will be very different for Larry & help build a sense of community.

 It took me over 20 minutes to find an entrance off of McBride, to the hospital, as I could not access the main entrance from the direction (south) I was headed. After getting tangled up inside roads near the park, all saying 'No Left Turn', I wasn't allowing myself to get too frustrated. Getting into the building is not so strait forward either. Each visit, visitors have to fill out a page of information, take a covid test & show proof of vaccination & ID. It will be the same tomorrow & each day that follows. The screening officer took my word that I had a negative covid test 2 days ago. Visitors are expected to have a test every 48 hours. Also, there is no one to screen visitors after 7:00 p.m., so anyone arriving past that time will not be allowed access into the building. There are no time restrictions during the day for visiting.

 Each patient or family that I spoke with said they are more than pleased with the attention & care that the staff give at this facility. Larry's therapy will begin tomorrow. It's a very exciting & hopeful time for him & all who love him. Thank you for loving him! Much of his peace & confidence come from knowing how loved he is by so many. God bless you!