kidney failure complicated by emphysema and other problems. She is 74 years of age. The dialysis helped
stabilize her numbers, but the blood thinner she was given revealed another problem. She began to bleed
internally due to over 40 small ulcers in her stomach.
A very good doctor, Dr. Horlack managed to go down into her belly with an endoscope and cauterize all
of the ulcers so that she would stop bleeding. However, she had lost half of her blood by now and had to
be put on a ventilator. After that, she faced a long difficult road.
On April 12 she was moved to a long term hospital. This is more of a nursing home, but since 90% of
its patients are on vents, they are classified as a hospital. The understanding is that about 95% of
admissions never leave except in a hearse.
I visited Jackie nearly every day, seeing to her finances and other needs at her house. My main
function though was to help her get back a positive attitude. She had given up on life and herself.
Everyone was expecting her to never see the outside of the hospital again, this would be her permanent
home.
We would sit and chat, with my red nose on, and discuss her options. She did not want to spend the
rest of her life in the hospital or on a vent, so we set her goals. She wanted to be out some time in June
so that is what we shot for. Then I asked the doctor what we had to do to get there. He said that she
had to come off the vent and be able to walk on her own. Okay then, that is what we decided to do.
She began physical therapy in late April, taking just a few steps at a time. She and I decided that
the next day she would always take at least one mroe step than the day before, and she did just that.
The week before her discharge, she was walking over 400 feet (with a walker) at a stretch.
Weaning her off of the ventilator was much more of a challenge. They would reduce the settings on it
to where she was doing more and more of the breathing herself. However she forgot to breath deep
enough and pneumonia set in several times. However a few weeks ago when we started the wean again, she
knew what she had to do and she did it. On June 11th she was removed from the vent for good!
I am very happy to say that I took Jackie back to her home on June 17th. At first I had no one to
help me at her home to look after her needs, but others stepped in quite nicely. Special thanks to the
Peggy Myers family, Michelle & Crystal Dishon, Jesse Hurt, and all those from her Church, Faith
Assembly of God.
Everyone deserves the chance to go home again. If they try, fail and have to go into a home
permanently, at least they will know for themselves that they tried their best. Too many families are
quick to dump their parents in a home rather than spend time getting them where they need to be in their
minds.
Jackie did all of this by herself. I simply showed her how to think positively and set big goals with
stepping stones to get there. The key ingredient was banishment of self-pity. Turn that pity into
determination and you will be surprised what you can do. Another thing she had to do was lose some of
the 400 pounds she carried. She did just that, 140 of them. Now her walking is still labored, but she can
do it. Doctors told her she wouldn't get out, well she did, by the power of her own will.
Jackie's life will never be easy, but with time it should be fairly normal. She will be on oxygen the
rest of her life, and the arthritis will always make it hard for her to move. But every day she gets
stronger, every day she thanks God for getting her home.
Welcome to the Hawks, Jackie Basham, we are glad you made it.
If any of you wish to send Jackie a get well card, or anything, her mailing address is:
Jackie M. Basham
P. O. Box 456
Lebanon Jct. KY 40150
