Mom had a good day. Claudia, Jean and Terry visited with her early this morning to do her physical therapy/ range of motion exercises. Terry also did aromatherapy with her (she responded by shaking her feet--and liked dad's aftershave smell the best today). She sneezed out loud while they were there--that's a first. She also had a runny nose at first when they arrived---they cleaned her up and set up her pillows. Claudia brought the head nurse into mom's room to show her the mess the CNAs made of her pillow placements. The nurse said she'd take care of it---Claudia became sort of forceful in her request for the nurse to do so---finally (the pillows are never placed correctly). Claudia mentioned that one of the respiratory therapists thought it was terrible that mom has someone with her almost all day long---that she never "gets a break." It shouldn't, but it always does, appall me every time ignorance comes from a professional who should know better. It frustrates and infuriates me sometimes too. Look up any information on people in a coma and you will find that the person is NOT to be left alone unstimulated 24 hours a day so that he/she can drift further into the depth of the coma...!!! Good Lord, help them. Seriously.
When I arrived midday, her pillows were almost correct (the arm ones were still not correctly placed) and there was a long, rolled up light blanket between her legs and feet; something new. The pillows are supposed to be placed in a fashion that looks like mom is sitting in an armchair. The triangle pillows I made are to be touching the bed on each side of mom and on an incline that rises away from her body...on top of these pillows, there should be a bed pillow on each side of mom that is rolled in half...mom's elbows go out to the side of her and sit on top of these pillows and her wrists and hands lean on the incline of the pillows I made for her. Her feet are supposed to float freely over the edge of the pillow under her calves. Mom mouthed "Oh my God" once during physical therapy on her right side (which is now sore more than the left side). Dad saw mom when I left and spent the afternoon with her. He said that she opened her eyes a few times and that, during physical therapy with her, she lifted her leg by bending her right knee independently off the bed. This is wonderful. He said that when the nurse came into the room to do some routine care on her, mom's eyes opened and she moved both her head and her eyes to track the nurse's whereabouts in the room!! Lenny visited mom tonight and did her last physical therapy and prayers before bed. He said she opened her eyes a few times while he was there with her, but then went to sleep.
I spent the evening doing paperwork with dad---identifying which of the random checks from insurance (in amounts like $6.58, $43.76...) went to which doctor's bill (or if we even had a bill from a specific doctor yet or not). Anthony helped dad sort through checking account statements for the last 5 years---trying to identify which sums of money went to pay what bill... NIGHTMARE. I don't know how dad sorts through it all each morning--it covers his entire dining room table. Please continue to pray for peace for dad and strength to endure. Thanks.
As always, your prayers are what get us through all this muck and mire. xxxxooo
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23
Amen and good night.
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