Hi everyone,

My husband Tom and I have a 9 year old daughter.  The last 6 years of our lives have been tough as many people also know the economy has made life tough to say the least!  Anyway, we were finally getting our life together and then the most unexpected thing happened.  My husband had a very bad accident on his job site.   He fell 25 feet breaking his back and neck.  He has been in the hospital for almost a month and a half.  While  he was in NICU I was literally living in the room with him.  On top of the many surgeries he also had infections, a collasped lung, staff infections, bed soars, fevers for weeks ranging from 102- 105+, fluid in in lung, 32+ staples in his head, trouble sleeping for over 3 weeks, pain management problems, so far has lost 40lbs, urinary track infections, diabeties for a short period of time, and severe headaches that have still not gotten fixed and a blood clot on his spleen and in his long which they just give him blood thinners for.  Now in about 2 weeks he is supposed to be released to a sub acute spinal injury rehab. My husband can not sit in a wheel chair yet.  His blood pressure drops and he gets a head ache, blurred vision and loss of hearing if in chair for more than 5 minutes, sometimes less!  I have to bathe him, iche an ich for him, feed him, give him fluids, shampoo (waterless) his hair, cut his nails, moisturize his very dry skin, chapped lips, brush his hair, keep track of his eating, stay ontop of his rehab (body positions) and make sure his feet rehab boots and arm/hand stints, and make sure he is turned, bathed, and leg socks and pressure machine is on to make sure his blood doesn't clot.  I had to also make sure many times ( after waring them of his allergy to fruits) to not give him any kind of fruit.  I also had to stay on top of his meds and pain killers and even gave suggestions in which they used. I also brush his teeth, clean his ears, nose and even suctioned his trek cause they were so sort staffed.  I even cleaned his trike cap so he could talk cause when he was moved off the NICU floor no one knew how to take care of it!  His trike is now out, and his staples are now out (although i found one still stuck to his head which I removed cause it was out but stuck to his hair!  I even put deodorant on in cause they do not really wash him so I clean him everyday with baby wipes! I do his eye drops and at first tied a bell to his wrist cause in the beginning he could not talk and until the rehab people started working with him they had nothing to give him to aware them he needed something.  I do have to say the rehab people are great! I have been trying to find a facility in which he gets the best rehab yet we are again living under one roof.  I have been unsuccessful in finding a place in which he can get the best rehab and also gets to get the home living enviorment and his family with him cause at this time he can do so little.  I want to know if anyone else has wanted to find an assisted living/ on site living facility that you can get the care needed with your family living together!  If anyone has any advise or found a place that I am looking for I would so appreciate that!

Thank you!
Concerned wife and mother!

Patricia