What I wrote today started with all the day’s events as they happened. The beginning is not good. BUT READ ON TO THE END!!!! I am crying as I write this now….the miracle is happening!! Praise God.
Mom was asleep when dad and I arrived today. I woke her by opening her eyelids. She basically just stared and didn’t talk much. She did throw dad a kiss, tell dad, “Don’t do that” and shook her head yes. I talked to her and told her about my day but she just stared at me. Every few seconds, she fell asleep…then she’d open her eyes again and repeat the cycle. She was fighting to stay awake. Dad asked her to lift her arm and she did. He asked her to move her hand in a circular motion and she did. He asked her to touch her head and she began to. I tried to do the IPAD with her but dad, in his anxiety, kept interrupting by crosstalking to mom and speaking loudly and not giving her any time to process. I settled on playing some inspirational, Christian music for her. She seemed to like that.
There were 3 brown outs at the hospital and a black out while we were there. As a precaution, all vent patients had to be bagged. This means that they are hooked up to a balloon like bag that is connected to an oxygen source. It is not comfortable for the patients when awake because it is difficult to establish a rythym to their breathing…the bag tends to pump too much oxygen in and too forcefully which causes discomfort. Mom turned beat red and panicked. Her nurse did not think it was necessary to bag her. I asked if we could request not to bag her and the nurse said yes in a way that basically told us to make the request so I made it. Mom’s breathing was more stabilized but she was breathing in a panic mode from the belly…that’s when I put the music on and prayed over her. Her breathing became even. We still have to wear the gowns and rubber gloves in mom’s room because of a urinary trach infection she has. It is hot and uncomfortable. The rubber gloves hinder typing and texting and working the IPAD (all work on heat sensitivity. The AC in the unit is hardly working and it is warm in here. There is literally water dripping from the ceiling of mom’s room!!!!! The entire ceiling is covered with condensation. Once the lights go on after every brown/black out, the staff is told to use minimal electricity. Many of the unit’s lights are out because of this. It is difficult to do mom’s therapies still and it has been a month now since she is out of her therapeutic routine with us. I want to work and help her get better but it is hard. I think I am getting irritable!!! HAHA! Time to give thanks! I do give thanks in every circumstance. “Give thanks in every circumstance” 2 Thessalonians 5:12
I spoke to the resident who told me that mom is only on ONE of the 3 blood pressure medications she had been on previously. The one medication she is still on is a minimal dose of it now (20 milligrams). Mom is back on heprin (which isn’t the greatest thing for her side effect-wise). However, mom will be on the heprin for only a very short time---just during her hospital stay. They stopped the Lasix altogether but reintroduced it again today in an extremely low dose. She is still on the antibiotics. The resident said he thought there was a bed on the RCU and that mom would be moved there soon (like later today).
The Physical Therapist came to see mom today and ACTUALLY WORKED WITH MOM!! Mom SAT AT THE EDGE OF THE BED UNSUPPORTED!!!! She has never done this before. Mom was also able to apply pressure with her right leg and slightly with her left leg! She lifted her right leg off the bed when a small blanket was rolled up under her knee and did this 4-5 times. She could only wiggle her left foot and not lift the leg at all. She was able to lift both arms on command and to open and close her fingers on command as well as to bend both feet at the ankle on command. She did all this about 4 times. Mom slightly moved her right arm across midline (the middle of her body) and back out with very little prompting. The biggest accomplishment was mom sitting on the edge of the bed---this is the first time in over a year that she did this. The physical therapist said that if mom stays here a bit, mom will get physical therapy 3 times a week at least!!! PTL!!! The physical therapist said she was impressed with mom’s ability---stretching… and what we do with her and to keep up what we are doing. Mom went out like a light after physical therapy…it was a lot of hard work for her.
Mom had a Doppler sonogram on her legs and all was well there. Mom keeps lifting her head off the pillow at her neck and her upper shoulders---many times---alone. Everyone comments that mom works and responds best for us.
When mom woke up at 5:00 p.m., she was awake and alert!! I asked if she wanted to do the hidden pictures on the IPAD which is one of her favorites. She said no but I said, “Oh come on nd do it with me.” I read her the 9 items we had to find in the picture and mom said, “Oh, is that all?” She’s baaaccckkkkkk!!!!! Hahaha!! She talked on the phone with Claudia and answered, “oh, yes, and ok.” When she got off the phone, we asked who was on the phone and mom said, “I don’t know” then I said, “It was your daughter…what’s her name? Clau…” mom said, “Claudia Bonavita” in a disgusted manner!!! She talked to Anthony next on the phone, he told her he had to go back to work and she told me, “Take this, he has to go back to work now.” We did a crossword puzzle:
Clue: “Bow and a….. What do you shoot from a bow” Mom: “Arrow”
Clue: “Famous Roman Emperor. Starts with N…” Mom: “Nero”
Clue: “Distress signal. S…” Mom: “SOS”
Clue: “slightly wet. Starts with D…” Mom: “damp”
Clue: “a short letter. Starts with N…” Mom: “Note”
Clue: “Religious groups. Starts with S…” Mom: “Sects”
Clue: “_____ Beef sandwich. Starts with an R….” Mom: “Roast”
Clue: “Tehran’s country. Starts with an I” Mom: “Iraq”
Clue: “Not together. A…” Mom: “Apart”
I asked mom what she calls me, my nickname, “The p…” She said, “The pest” and smiled. I asked her who my son is “L….” She said, “Lenny” and then she told me who was married to who and who their children are…named them all!!!!! Named all her own children first and last names. Dad asked her what her children’s and grandchildren’s names were and she named them all with only a phonemic cue!! (First initial sounded out).
The doctor came to listen to her lungs and said, “Hi. How are you?” Mom looked right at him and said, “How are you?” He said she was doing great and that she was weaned further from the vent until the blackout occurred. I asked mom what her name is and she said her first and last name and then I asked her what my name is she said she didn’t know. Then I said, “Ka….” She said my name!!!!! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A YEAR!!!! She said my name!!!!! I asked her what my last name is and said, “Gr…..” Mom said my last name!!!!! PTL!!! She pointed to her mouth and said, “Water” to dad. The nurse came in and mom asked, “What’s the woman’s name?” Later, mom held dad’s hand and stared at him and stroked his face. Mom and I reciteds nursery rhymes she taught me in childhood…”There was a Crooked Man” “Three Little Kittens”…then we sang some old family songs that my “Uncle Twinnies”and my grandpa used to sing: “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor” “A Boy Stood on a Burning Deck” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Mom knew all the words. The events go on from here. Has mom ever done any of these things before? Yes, most of them...but not all at once in a matter of2 hours!!!
Con, Claudia, Anthony Michael and Sammy came to meet dad and I tonight. I couldn’t leave mom when she was so awake and alert so we waited for the next crew to arrive. When they came, dad and I left. They asked mom what John’s nickname is and mom knew it. They kidded around with mom and Claudia whispered, “My neighbor has diphtheria” and mom said, “God forbid!!” and they asked what movie that line is from and mom said, “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” She kissed Anthony Michael and said Sammy’s name and told Sammy she loved her. Claudia showed mom a picture of herself (Claudia) in a Revolutionary War outfit and mom smacked Claudia in the face over and over in a comedic way and they all laughed and laughed. Claudia wrote on the white board and wrote silly words and mom said, “Stop that’s not funny!” As they left, mom was being prepared to move to the Medical ICU (not Respiratory yet because no beds).
Will I ever rest though? Now that she is awake and alert...I am frightened that putting her in the wrong place will set her back again....I saw my mom today for the first time in a year---I don't want to lose her again.... Please pray for God's Divine placement for mom. Thanks.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” Psalm 150:6
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