URGENT- Don Souden Has Had A Stroke

[Archaic]

I will, Robert.

His sister is hoping to get to speak to him and promised to let me know if she does.

I asked her to call me if anything happens regarding his condition, even if it's the middle of the night. I told her I'd rather know than just worry, and then I would be able let all his other friends know what's going on.

I also asked her to tell Don that all his friends send him their love, best wishes and prayers.

Please keep sending cards. We're hoping Don will be stabilized and go back to Southport Manor, in which case it will be nice to have the cards waiting for him.

Should he be moved elsewhere we'll work out a way to pick up his mail and forward it to him.

Thanks everybody.
Archaic

[Archaic]

Update on Don

Hi everyone.

Don is in stable condition in the hospital.

The cardiologists determined that he didn't have a heart attack. The symptoms of pain in his left arm were actually caused by a blood clot in his left leg. Because his left side is paralyzed his the signals going to his brain are a bit scrambled.

But it's really good that he felt something and spoke up about the pain in his arm, because on Aug 8 the pain & numbness around his shoulder area were the warning signs of the stroke about to occur, and he didn't even mention it to his medical team.

The doctors don't want to anesthetize him again after he had the previous clot removal so recently, so they will monitor it as they try to break it up with clot-busting medications.

His sister spoke with him this evening, and then she called me and said he wanted to speak with me. Don sounded pretty good; very tired of course but his speech & memory were quite good, and his sense of humor was certainly going strong.

Don told me that one of his therapists "read my book and liked it", so he's thinking of writing another one.
I asked "On what subject?" and he replied "Murder most foul" in his best villainous tone.

He got a kick out of my idea to buy him Jack The Ripper pajamas for his birthday so he could wear them during his Rehab sessions.

We talked about the need to keep a positive attitude and work hard at his rehab, even though it's exhausting. I suggested he try to look at it more like he's in training for the Baseball team. (Don loves Baseball. And when you're in training for a team you accept the coach's authority to tell you to do things like run laps in the rain, because no one's actuallymaking you do it...you're doing it voluntarily.)

Don told me again that he knows he needs to work hard and get on his walker (zimmer frame) so he can get to the conference in London next month. He wants me to go too.
I told him I'll try, adding,"but if it doesn't work out this year, there's always next year". Don said "Right."

He said the people that are taking care of him are being "very kind to me".

Looks like when the hospital releases him he will return to the same care facility he was in before, Southport Manor, but he wasn't sure when that would be. (I'll ask his sister. I think maybe in a day or two, but maybe they want to make sure the clot is breaking up first.)

I passed a few more messages from friends, and Don asked me to thank all of you. He's really touched to be receiving cards and messages.

Thanks everybody,
Archaic

[lynn cates]

thanks

Hello Bunny. Thanks for keeping us informed.

Will continue to pray.

Cheers.
LC

[Archaic]

Hi Lynn. Thanks.

I'm afraid Don will continue to form blood clots, scary situations like this will continue to happen, and it will be a race each time to find the clot and break it up.

Poor guy has been through so much.

But I'm heartened that despite it all he still has has writing and editing on his mind.

Take care,
Archaic

[Robert]

Hi Bunny

Tell Don the JTR pyjamas are an excellent idea, but don't forget the slouch nightcap.

[belinda]

Hi Bunny tell Don I'm thinking of him and wishing my old quiz partner all the best.

[Lyn]

Bunny, is the address for sending cards still the same? Dan Hollifield (Vila) and I would like to send one -- we've only just heard this news. Don is an old, old friend of ours and we have many fond memories of chatting with him, sharing email with him many years ago.

[Archaic]

I'll tell him, Belinda.

Hi Lyn.

Yes, thus far the plan is for Don to go back to Southport Manor, so if you send your cards there, he will receive them.

They are keeping him at the hospital to see if the medications successfully break up the blood clot.

If by chance Don has to stay in the hospital that long, Don's brother will pick up his mail for him and bring it to the hospital.

Don is making good progress reading the cards that are printed neatly.

Just make sure the card says ATTN: DONALD SOUDEN either write after street address, before the city name, or at very bottom of whole address.

Don's birthday is October 21, so we're hoping to deluge him with birthday cards.

I will keep everybody posted if I hear any news.

Take care,
Archaic

[Archaic]

Don's Book

Hi everyone. I was asked about Don's book.

It's a novel, a murder mystery, and is available on Amazon in hardback, paperback, and Kindle.

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Same-Only-Diff...1361994&sr=1-1

If link doesn't work just do a search for author Don Souden and title "The Same...Only Different."

Thanks,
Archaic

[Carol]

Hi Bunny,

Thank you for keeping us up-to-date with Don's situation. I've been away from my laptop for a few days and have only just found out that he is now in hospital.

Tell him that he should count himself fortunate that he doesn't have an older sister like me. His own sister sounds like a *****-cat. My baby brother, aged 61, would verify this.

Per-Åke and I sent Don's birthday card off to him yesterday. I forgot to mention on the card that the view is from the English Lake District in the north-west.

Please don't forget to take care of yourself, too.

Love
Carol xxx

[Carol]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! The dreaded word-nullifier is back on the prowl! The asterixes DO NOT hide a bad word in this instance. The word I used was related to a feline. I don't know, that word-nullifier really has got a smutty mind.

Carol

[belinda]

I posted cards today. I hope they get there in time.

[Archaic]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! The dreaded word-nullifier is back on the prowl! The asterixes DO NOT hide a bad word in this instance. The word I used was related to a feline. I don't know, that word-nullifier really has got a smutty mind.

Carol

Gosh, I was wondering!

Archaic

[Ben]

What's this **** and bull story I hear about a smutty-minded word-nullifier?

Oh, I see what you mean.

[Errata]

Why this is a big deal :

Strokes are often caused by clots reaching the brain. As such one of the first medications a person is put on after a stroke are blood thinners. That Don is still developing clots is serious. It's manageable, at least in the short term, but it is a condition that is made much worse by being bedridden. This is what quadriplegics usually die from. Clots hitting the heart, lungs or brain. Because not moving around causes clots. Its why they are exercised several times a day. Don is experiencing some typical left side paralysis. He's also exhausted, and still reprogramming his brain. Moving around is hard for him, and he doesn't feel well as it is.

He HAS to do his rehab. It's a matter of life and death. It's also a matter of him being able to do what he wants to do.

What we can do:

I propose we make a bet with Don. Now I don't know him that well, so I'm spit balling. But what if we bet him something like his hotel expenses for the Ripper Conference, and say that he will be able to walk 20 steps with a walker. Or 5 steps unassisted. Something like that. Either way he wins, but all of us throwing in a little money to put him up for the Ripper conference is not a small incentive. Never mind the pride in the idea that we all value his knowledge so much that we would put him up just so he can attend the conference. And if we make that bet, we kinda leave him alone to get it done. Send cards by all means, pictures of hotel rooms, 5 footsteps, whatever just to goad him on. But let him focus on the goal.

I'm just throwing that out there. I'm not the detail person for this. The incentive can be more or less (monetary, non monetary), the conditions more or less (physical, mental), but everyone in his situation needs a goad. And as part of the Ripper community, we can provide it. This community has things he wants. Knowledge, access, documents. And sure we would give it to him anyway (probably), but make him earn it. Make him MOVE for it.