Claudia started mom's day with her early this morning and found mom "bright eyed and bushy tailed!" True to form---sleep one day and awake the next. Claudia bought mom a preschooler's plastic, thick peg board with oversized pegs for mom to use in order to help strengthen her fine motor skills. Mom was able to put 5 pegs into the board independently using first her right and then her left hand!! She was also able to pull the pegs out as well. Claudia came up with the idea of a peg board because, on Sunday, mom was able to open the magic marker she was using by pulling off the cap and then putting the cap back on!! Receptively mom pulled out pegs according to color.... Put pegs in board using left hand---took 10 minutes.
I purchased some large oversized plastic preschooler's tweezers for mom to use for fine motor skills. Claudia came up with the idea to have mom pick up 1 inch round pom poms and place them in a cup. Mom was able to pick up 5 pom poms and place them into the cup!!! Mom took the tweezers and tweezed the cup and brought tweezers to left hand and with the tweezers put cup in left hand.... she did this in front of a nurse and then in front of 2 respiratory therapists... Then mom left the tweezers on table and put the pom poms in the tweezers then lifted the tweezers up with the 3 pom poms in it and placed all 3 in a cup!! She comes up with such creative ways to compensate for any of her losses!! She tried to screw the pegs into the board at one point too.(Claudia already went to the teaching supply store to buy mom a bucket of plastic screws and bolts!!). Mom also put the peg in her right hand and put it in the right side row of holes and then took her thumb and placed it on top of peg and put her other hand underneath the board and squeezed to push the peg in.
I came after Claudia, around mid-morning. Every time I tried to get mom to speak she resisted. I usually touch my lips and speak and then touch her lips and tell her to speak---this cue usually prompts her to speak (out loud or whispering or mouthing words). Today, every time I did this and touched her lips---she tried to either lick or bite my finger!! She also pushed my head away from her face while I was talking to her. When I asked her to "Look at me" she squinted her eyes shut tightly!! She read, "St. Joseph's" on my shirt. She read the word "Belmont" on the dry erase board but either said nothing or "I don't want to" to all other words I showed her. Though, when I showed her the name "DOROTHY" and asked her whose name it was, she did say, "My name." I put the IPOD music on for her and her roommate and left.
Respiratory therapist still is insisting that mom can't talk while on a trach. How sad!!! You would think that a person working in this capacity would know more about trachs!! Mom DOES INDEED speak out loud on the trach!! She doesn't like how she sounds though and this prohibits her from speaking more out loud.
She is supposed to have circulation stockings on her legs during the day...but this is not being done so we always need to remind the staff to do it. The occupational therapist used to work on mom's neck (it was tilting to the right side badly)...and when this was being done, mom's neck was straight again. Now, since they cut off all her therapies, mom's neck is tilting to the right side AGAIN. They weren't supposed to stop the neck therapy, but they did. When Claudia and I went to talk to the head of the Therapy Department, he told me that they won't do it, but they will find out if they can teach one of our family members to do it (either CLaudia or I). Dad was livid over this! And we are back to the diaper issue where they are giving her diapers that are the wrong size again...tooooo small!
Does anyone know of anyone who knows about respiratory therapy exercises??? Breathing exercises?? We need to work on getting mom off the vent. She is still on a 10 this week...but the machine indicates that she is breathing over the vent and on her own a little. PRAY THAT SHE BEGINS TO BREATH ON HER OWN AND GETS OFF THE VENT!!
This afternoon, late, Claudia and I returned to work with mom. Anthony and Dad visited her in the late morning and early afternoon and stayed until she fell asleep. Claudia did the "Sounds at Home" "Outdoor Sounds" and "Tuned into Learning" sound games with coinciding pictures, but mom wasn't that interested. When she heard the sound of the door closing, Claudia said, "THat's a door opening and closing" but mom said in an annoyed voice, "Closing" as if to say, "It isn't opening!!" hahaha!
She stacked the pegs on the peg board one on top of the other...connecting each one 2-3 at a time. I tried to write with her and made a circle and then she made a circle. We made a vertical line and then she made one. We made a horizontal line and then she made that too! She even tried to make a D !!!! She did all of this in front of the CNA. She even said his name---or mouthed it.
Claudia left as Dad arrived and we spent time with mom but she began to fall asleep. At one point, mom pulled on her trach and I said, "Stop" and tried to remove her hand...and she said out loud in response, "OK OK OK!!!"
Tomorrow, dad has an eye doctor's appointment and may not be able to drive out to see mom during the day because of the drops they will put in his eyes. We are all working during the day as well. So anyone who can visit mom tomorrow during the day or morning would be greatly appreciated.
A funny thing happened on Sunday, Dad and I were talking about how great mom's progress is and he said, "Yeah, she's doing sooo great. It's really amazing!!! Hey, hon, how are you going to get her to walk? What's your plan for that?" God Himself only knows that answer!!!
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must
remain in the vine."
John 15:4
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