Lenny began the day with mom again this morning. He said that she was very sleepy again. Even when he opened her eyelids, she still fell right back to sleep. He did her full physical therapy/range of motion exercises as she slept anyway. Lenny said that mom ate breakfast but only ½ because she was so tired. She had oatmeal, vanilla milk, juice, and blueberry pancakes. He read his physiological psychology textbook to mom and she listened. Then, he and mom played Solitaire on the IPAD. He said that, at one point, he asked mom if they had any moves left and mom mouthed, “Yes, you can put the 3 on the 4.” She was correct! He stayed with mom until about 11:20 (which was right before lunch) and then he left.
The recreation therapist took mom to play “Nintendo Wii Bowling” after lunch. No one was with her for lunch today, so I don’t know how she did with feeding herself today. Dad and Aunt Sophie came and watched mom participate in the Wii Bowling. Dad said that mom did actually participate! Aunt Sophie leaves to go back home tomorrow. Dad said that mom mouthed hello to Aunt Sophie and grabbed Aunt Sophie’s hands as well.
When I arrived around 3:30, mom, dad and Aunt Sophie were all in mom’s room again---asleep!! Dad and mom were holding hands as they slept---though dad swore he really wasn’t sleeping!! Hahaha! I woke them all and gave mom some juice (there were 4 unopened containers of it in the room). Mom needs to be sure to hydrate, especially since she no longer gets any liquids through her tube feeding. We, our family, need to be sure to offer mom juice or water (nectar consistency—which means it is thicker than water consistency but less thick than honey consistency) throughout the day. I did the calendar with mom next --- the laminated one that Claudia made. We erase yesterday’s markings on the calendar and use a marker to circle today’s date and day. I try to ask mom questions while we do this, even though she doesn’t know the answers: “What is the name of the month mom? [I verbally cue her] It starts with an A mom…Aaaaaa…. [then I tell her April and she repeats]What day was yesterday mom? Yesterday was ___. So today is ____ what day mom? [we name the days and I have her repeat after me] Yesterday was April____ so today is April what mom?” Next, we shift to the white board that I set up on her dresser. It says, “The month is “ “The day is___” “The date is ____” and we read it [usually mom can read it alone] then we fill in the blanks and she reads it again completed. Next, we started to do the pegboard and pegs. We didn’t get far before mom’s CNAs came to put her to bed. Once she was in bed, she became tired. I asked her if she wanted to work or watch the Sound of Music…she picked the movie!! So as we watched the movie and I sang to her (she was too tired to sing or mouth the words), I did her full physical therapy/range of motion exercises. As we watched the Sound of Music and I sang to her, I began to cry at one point because I remembered when mom played the Mother Superior in the play years ago at a community theater. Mom loved to sing. Our entire childhood was sometimes a musical! She was always teaching us songs or singing to her Perry Coumo records (yes, on a record player!!) as she washed the dishes or ironed the laundry. Mom’s dinner came next—macaroni salad, sloppy Joe on a soft hamburger roll, peaches, vanilla milk and broth. We don’t give mom the broth—it is too salty. We tried to give her some macaroni salad but it was too vinegary and she began to choke…so we asked for mashed potatoes instead. Mom fed herself by scooping and piercing on her own about 2-3 times. She lifted the fork, once I helped her fill it, and raised it to her mouth about 10 times at least. The rest of the time, I combined hand over hand assistance or I fed mom. Mom only had the mashed potatoes left to eat when I left for work this evening. Dad was feeding her. Dad and Aunt Sophie put mom to bed. He said that mom was sleepy and sleeping after she ate her dinner. The respiratory therapist said she did well today on the CPAP mode of the vent again!! There is consensus though that mom’s respiratory rate should be in the upper 20s and hers is in the 30s. This could mean that she isn’t taking deep breaths, but rather shallow breaths---as though she is out of breath. All in all though, she did well.
"Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit." Psalm 147:5
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