I don't remember if I mentioned a fascinating and touching movie we saw last week, "The Music Never Stopped" -- but it is out on Long Island now. About traumatic brain injury and music therapy. See it.
Claudia, John and Ava began the day with mom. They cleaned out her ears, put her hearing aids in and her glasses on, and began to stretch her hands to start her physical therapy/range of motion exercises but then mom’s breakfast came. They said that mom was awake and alert. They moved the table to the right side of the bed and raised and lowered the height of the bed in just such a way that they could fit the table over and under the bed so that mom’s food was in front of her on the tray in order for mom to be able to feed herself. The aide gave her the first 2 forkfuls and then mom fed herself the rest of her breakfast alone!! She had difficulty with the oatmeal—manipulating the spoon---she tends to keep her eating utensils at the wrong angle sometimes—more perpendicular to the dish rather than parallel which makes it hard to scoop or stab food. But mom did feed herself!! She even motioned for the coffee and wiggled her finger for it (she likes her coffee first—the aide today was a substitute one so she didn’t know this about mom!). They left the Food Network on for her after they left. They also read the Psalm 23 poster on the wall and when they got to “green” mom said, “pastures…” and finished the line before it was read. Mom also said, “I love you” as well.
Anthony, Con, Sammy and Anthony Michael and Dad came to see mom next. Emily and Anthony (Con and John’s cousins) came to see mom too. Emily and Anthony brought mom a beautiful African violet. It went on the windowsill next to the daffodils that Con brought her. They all talked and laughed. Dad said that mom tried to talk to everyone but very quietly (even though she can only mouth words, she can do it with great enunciation or mumbling which we refer to as quietly). Anthony and the kids did mom’s full physical therapy/range of motion exercises twice. Anthony worked a lot with her legs too. Mom ate lunch and fed herself a bit---but she resisted doing it at first. Neither the aide or Anthony could get mom to feed herself. Finally, Anthony asked Anthony Michael to tell mom to do it and she listened to him and fed herself. She ate meat loaf, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, coffee, juice, and a roll. They said mom was sleepy but stayed awake while they visited.
There is a real problem with keeping people working at the facility. People are leaving left and right. Evidently, there are many people who call in sick and/or quit and no one is around to take their place. The people left working are grossly overworked and busy and are unable to keep up with the work. Because of this situation, mom was in bed until 2:30. There wasn’t enough staff around to help move her to the chair.
Terry, Lenny and I came next, as the others were leaving. Mom greeted me with a “Hello” and big smile and bright eyes, but then promptly fell asleep. Tomorrow, the head of respiratory said he is going to put mom on CPAP mode on the vent during the day and back on the vent SMIV mode at night. This means that mom will have pretty much no vent assistance during the day—just blowing air into the trach and only have vent assistance at night.
Dad put mom to bed tonight.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5
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