Mom’s update Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I started the day with mom. I set her up in bed, put her hearing aids in and put her glasses on. I also set up her breakfast. Mom had a runny nose this morning and had to keep blowing her nose. After breakfast I set up her tray with the phone, her remote, the list of TV channels and some recipe cards I received in the mail.
Dad and Kathy went with mom to the doctor today.
Dad and
I went with mom to the neurologist today. Mom had a carotid artery scan and an EEG (brain scan). During the first test, the carotid artery scan, mom had to get up out of the wheelchair and onto an examining table. The technician, the CNA and I assisted mom. She followed my directions well and did most of the work to stand, swivel and sit. She needed our help for sure---but she is doing more and more of the work to stand herself. No results were given from either test today. The results will be sent to the facility doctor.
In between tests, we sat in the waiting room and played thinking games. First, we played, "Spell this" which involved me giving mom a word to spell and she had to spell it. She got every word correct except 'encyclopedia.' She forgot the middle piece -- 'cycl' but remembered the rest. Then, we played "Guess What I am Thinking About" which involved mom and me taking turns describing something to each other and then we had to guess what the item was based on the description---like: "It has numbers on it, you talk on it, you listen on it, it comes in different shapes and colors..." Answer: "A phone."
When it came time for mom's EEG, I went in the examining room with her again. I had to stand for an hour at her side and keep her calm and quiet and relaxed during the exam. The first time I did this with her was about a year ago and she couldn't even follow directions!! Mom kept joking with the technician asking him, "What kind of a beautician are you anyway?" The technician fell in love with her and us. Mom has that way about her. She joked and joked with the technician and kept us laughing. It was much more of a challenge to get her to conform this time! She also had to get up from the wheelchair again and onto a large recliner for this test as well. She didn't do as well as the first time with standing and moving. This time, it was like she didn't know that her feet are attached to her body or that they can help her move.
Both the technicians and the CNA kept commenting on what a great family we are. It is good to show God's love through each other and nice to know that it shines. Mom has done so much for us. She said she always feels strong whenever I am with her and that she never wants to be a burden on any of us. I reassured her that she wasn't. I waited with dad, mom and the CNA for a while after the exam for the transport to come but then I left for work.
~Kathy
When I arrived in the late afternoon, dad was with mom. They were having a snack and watching TV. I sat with them and talked. Mom was uncomfortable in the wheel chair so dad and I prompted to place her feet on the floor and her hands on the arms of the wheel chair and pulled herself up. She did with a lot of prompting. Dad left and I gave mom a book that Ava bought but hasn’t had time to read (with school demands). It is called “97 Orchard” and it is about many ethic families who all lived in NYC in the early 1900’s and how they tell their story through the food they cook and eat. My mom read a whole chapter. She loved the book. She took a nap before dinner. It was a busy day. Going to the doctor always knocks her out. A few times she wasn’t very loud and I couldn’t hear her so she independently took the thing I made and held it against her stoma to talk. She actually asked for it, “Where is that thing?” and motioned with her hand against her stoma.
I put the Mets game on for mom and I gave her the team baseball cards. I also gave her the Mets team roster book I made for her. She read through the book and the cards and watched the game. They came to put her in bed and she was complaining that her toes hurt when she stands in the Sarita lift. When she was in bed I gave her a pedicure and found out why her toes hurt! She needed them clipped! I can’t remember the last time we clipped them. The more she has gained cognitive and language skills the more we work on those skills and forget about the simple things we use to do when she was on the vent or sleeping all the time. We use to do more grooming and primping because that is all we could do for her, but now we can do so much more we forget about grooming.
Mom watched the Mets in bed and commented on the game. She would catch a little of the announcers conversation and then ask me questions (What did he mean when he said…) She asked if the World Series happened yet. The announcers came on the screen and she knew Keith Hernandez but couldn’t name the other two announcers. I called my house but no one answered (as usual). I called Anthony but he didn’t answer, so I called the next biggest Mets fan I know, Nancy. Nancy answered and told us who they were and it’s a good thing because mom kept saying over and over, who are the other two announcers? I know Keith but who are the others. Mom saw Reyes’ second homerun and cheered. She gave me a high five!
I tucked mom in and took out her hearing aids and set the timer on the TV.
The game was tied by the time I left.
Lets Go Mets!
~Claud
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