I spoke to the physical therapist in charge of working with mom yesterday. The therapist gave the following report on mom's progress:
-She is currently able to go from the wheelchair to pull herself up to a standing position at the parallel bars 10 times in a row and stand for 20 seconds each time (almost totally straight) ALL BY HERSELF!!!!
-Mom is able to take "appropriate steps" independently while holding onto the walker while 2 people (one holding under each of her arms) gently hold under her arms as she walks (not supporting her heavily at all) as another, 3rd, person stands in front of the walker and pushes the walker close to mom while she takes steps!! Mom has a tendency to push the walker away from herself as she walks
-Mom has a tendency to keep her feet too close together as she walks (she needs to spread them further apart). I told the PT that Anthony and I were just talking about this today!! It is as though mom uses her arms and arm muscles to assist her in standing up, but it is like she does not know at all what to do with her feet or how to use them to assist her
-Occupational Therapist is still working on having mom start in the wheelchair and grab the bar on the wall in the bathroom to stand up and then sit on the toilet---difficult time there but this is a relatively new skill.
-PT says that, when mom is taught a new skill, she needs ALOT of cuing and prompting (verbally and otherwise) to complete the task. It is as if mom doesn't know what to do--comprehension or processing problem--- However, once the process is repeated over a period of 2 weeks, mom remembers what to do. This is a typical characteristic for someone with a Traumatic Brain injury like mom.
-PT said that some time next week, we will be invited to come watch mom in PT!!!! PT is afraid we will distract her though...I assured PT we won't do that
-PT said that mom is working toward walking with the walker with a TRUE 2 person assist, then with a TRUE 1 person assist, then transfer the skill to the CNAs in mom's room
-PT said it is noted that mom does not transfer new knowledge yet---for example, though she can pull herself to stand at the parallel bars, she can't do it in the bathroom at the bar there...tasks and skills are not related in her mind....they are separate, new events
Claudia began the day with mom this morning. THE BEST NEWS WAS THAT MOM CAN NOW ACTUALLY DO A CROSSWORD PUZZLE ALONE!! She was able to read a few clues, arrive at he answers, then find the spot on the crossword board where the word goes, AND write the word!!! She didn’t finish the puzzle by any means---but she did go through this process for 5 words or so!! Mom got D-A-L-I for a clue about Salvatore Dali, but she spelled it D-U-L-I. She also got the clue for “house made of bricks” ‘ADOBE’ and more.
Mom insists that Claudia put her make up on now!! –especially since Carmine was coming today to work with her! Mom was already eating breakfast this morning when Claudia arrived. Claudia looked for activities for mom to do on her bed tray. She gives mom the remote, the phone, the phone number list (she called dad last week!!). Claudia made mom a tool to use to put over her stoma (hole in the throat) so that her volume improves. Claudia rips out one page at a time from several activity books (jumbled words, mazes, crosswords…). Then Claudia leaves for work.
Mom’s friends Maureen and Flo came to see her next. Then dad joined them. Dad said mom was talkative and laughed and had a nice visit with them. Dad said that he worked on color matching cards with mom and that she did well. He is becoming a good teacher!! He also bought mom a computerized crossword and word puzzle hand held electronic game. We will figure it out and try to use it tomorrow.
I visited with mom tonight after work. She was so happy to see me and I don’t ever remember her looking and behaving in such a typical and normal way! Mom said she has a lot of dreams about things that will happen. One dream she remembered was about someone getting married at her house and she had to get information from the guests but she couldn’t walk. She had to crawl around the house.
She talked on the phone to Lenny. She told me about her wonderful visit with Maureen Florence and Flo and Karen. She was excited that Carmine came to see her today too. She was in a great mood and remembered a lot without me prompting her (giving her hints).
Once she was in bed, she began to ask me questions about the stroke and coma again. She asked me to tell her the story so I did, starting with last summer. When I came to the part about Christmas and the set back, I told her about how I bought every member of our family the “Don’t quit 5 minutes before the miracle happens” shirts and that I prayed and wrote each family member a special letter about him/herself that included a message about their character and not quitting. Mom asked me to read the letters to her so I did. She loved them and cried and laughed and asked me to print them all and put them in a frame for her to read. She said that she wants to be around for all of us for a long time and that her hope for us all is that we would all be happy. Mom said that she hopes we all have the wonderfully blessed life that she has had.
We prayed and I anointed her with oil. When we came to the part in the prayer about thanking God for the miracles He is doing in her life, she cried and gave thanks and said she hoped she does well (like living up to what God has given and done for her). We held each other and kissed and hugged and then I left.
“Whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit.” John 15:5
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