Anthony visited mom this morning and ran her physical therapy twice. He said she was really sleepy and quiet. Dad and Claudia saw mom next. Today, the recreation therapist brought mom, dad and Claudia to the recreation room to play drums for an hour!!! Claudia said that they tapped a tambourine and then some sticks, and then they banged a drum. Claudia did all this "hand over hand" with mom (she moved mom's hands through the motions). She said that dad really has a lot of rhythm!!! Mom was very sleepy through it all and when they three returned back to her room, they watched MASH together (one of mom's favorite shows) and discussed the show as it played. Dad, Con, Aunt Carol, Anthony Michael and Samantha saw mom tonight and did her physical therapy again. They said that mom opened her eyes widely for them when they first arrived but then went to sleep.
Her sugar level was high today in the morning --- 212 -- so she needed a dose of insulin. The medication nurse said this is typical until she fully wakes up and her body balances out. It was 96 when I was there, which is normal. I know I have mentioned that mom's movements have decreased in intensity and frequency since Friday. Her sugar level was high on Thursday night too and she needed insulin. She also had that respiratory issue where her vent had to be raised back up to 16. I wonder if any of this is related to her decrease in bodily movement??? I have a list of what she is given each day: Heparin, Cumadin, iron, lasix, Prilosec (acid reflux from G-Tube feeding), Zocore (for cholesterol), Labetalol (for high blood pressure), and Dialantin (for seizures---from hospital). I intend to look up the side effects to any of these drugs as well.
I came to see mom late in the afternoon. She looked sleepy then too, but I talked to her a lot and combed her hair, washed her face and began her physical therapy. She was coughing a lot during my visit, but the medication nurse said that this is a good thing---exercises her lungs and she is able to occasionally give a productive cough. An amazing thing happened while doing her therapy; as I lifted her right arm (her good one), I always end with a review of her face and head using her arm. What I do is take her by the elbow with one of my hands and then guide her by the wrist with my other hand and then move her hand to touch her head, cheek, nose, eyes, mouth, chin... As I move her hand to each part, I recite, "Touch your head... This is your head" etc. Today, when I finished this cognitive exercise, I asked mom to "Touch your head"... I told her to keep her hand flat and flattened it for her. Then, while holding her arm up at the elbow, I told her to, "Touch your head, mom. Come on, you can do it..." over and over again like a cheerleader--- AND SHE DID IT!!! She touched first her head, then her nose and then her mouth---with breaks in between and she did it 5 times!! She was so cute when she first touched her nose on command because she put this really concentrating face on---then slowly moved her hand to her nose and then, once there, she cupped her whole hand over her nose and opened her eyes wide with a look that seemed to question, "Did I do it??" I cheered her on over and over!! In total, while I was with her, she opened her eyes a little bit 8 times and then widely twice ( 1 minute 20 seconds and then 45 seconds). She was very alert still when I left to go home. I pray she is getting better each day.
"But forget all that--it is nothing compared to what I am going to do." Isaiah 43:18
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