I started the day with mom. She was sleeping when I arrived. She was NOT happy having to wake up. She wanted to sleep more, but breakfast was already on its way. I fixed her in the bed and set the tray table up so she could eat. I didn’t have much time this morning because I had an 8:15 meeting. I had made a sheet up with all of our cell numbers (me, Kathy, Anthony and Pop). She started by dialing my cell phone and she did it! It rang! I then had her dial Anthony and she was able to talk to him. When I came back in the afternoon after work, dad said she called him today! Those of you who know the real “mom” will know this is dangerous because she will be prank calling us all day! (I can’t wait for the whispered tones of “Is your refrigerator running? Better catch it!). I cut up her food and poured her juice. I cut her food up and then had to leave. I left some magazines and a book for her to read. I also left her the remote.
~Claud
When I came to see mom this morning, she was in the large recreation room with much older patients. They were getting ready to have coffee together. I approached mom and she desparately said, "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" It upsets her to be with the "old" people as she calls them. We went back to her room and I cut her hair, trimmed her nails, had her brush her teeth, and then I put her make up on. She was in a quiet mood. I think she misses her therapies a lot and feels that she was given up on. She called Aunt Carol for her birthday and sang to her on the phone. Mom thought that dad was coming to take her home today and cried a bit when I told her today was not "the" day. We went down to the computer room next because mom wants to learn how to use the computer again. We met Anthony downstairs. Mom was confused with the computer but not terribly so. Using her left hand is the big challenge there (on the computer).
Mom was in the wheelchair and wanted to learn how to push herself. Anthony is soooo patient with her. It is a beautiful thing to watch their interactions. He gently guides and encourages her. I had a flashback today of years ago when mom would sit with Anthony and teach him at home....he now has the opportunity to do the same for mom. They work well together. Mom's progress is sooooo slow at times but Anthony is soooo patient with her.
Anthony said that when they went back upstairs, mom had lunch and it was still all wrong. He called both the dietician and the speech therapist to get it fixed---wrong liquids still. Anthony said he could barely get mom to laugh. She wasn't her happy self today. She is still on medication and also still has the UTI which could contribute to her mood.
Anthony said that he and mom did some WORD SEARCHES. Mom could read the words on the list, circles the words in the jumble of words when Anthony pointed the words out, and cross out the words found from the list. But, mom couldn't find the words from amongst the jumble of words.
~Kathy
I came back in the afternoon and dad was sitting beside her. He gets all nervous when he sees me and starts to make excuses (LOL). I tried to have her do work but she won’t work for me! It’s cute. I sat down and started to work with mom. I did the scrambled sentences and she was able to do a page and a half. They are lists of scrambled sentences (pancakes I this morning ate). She was able to unscrambled them. I then took out the markers and the white board and practiced writing letters. She was doing great. I took out a piece of paper and a pencil and had her copy words in order to write Ava a letter. She did it, she wrote her a note – To Ava, How do you like Brooklyn, etc. I then took out some drawing cards we had from a long time ago. They have pictures of simple drawings and then the same drawing on the opposite side of the card with missing pieces. Mom did a pretty good attempt at filling in the missing pieces. I took a picture of one of them. I then took out the language book that John’s cousin gave us and she did fine with creating sentences. She always says that the activities in that book are “stupid”, yet there are task in that book that she can’t do yet. The visual perception tasks can be difficult.
I then had her open my computer and type her name and address. It took a long time for her to type with one hand. I had her use the caps lock key to make a capital and then turn it off. When she was all done she realized that she didn’t write Avenue after Belmont and corrected it. She read it back to me and when she was done I remembered a song she use to sing us when we were little. It was a song that she learned n kindergarten!
I know my name and address and telephone number too, and if some day I lose my way, I’ll know just what to do! Walk up to a kind policeman, the very first one you meet, and simply say I’ve lost my way and cannot find my street. BUT… I know my name and address and telephone number too. And he’ll be kind and help you find the dear ones who wait for you.
She sang the whole song and we laughed and laughed!
Dinner came and mom ate a grilled cheese sandwich and potato salad (weird dinner huh?). She didn’t eat the carrots or the fruit. She has lost her appetite. I wonder if it is the medicines that she is on. After dinner we watched TV and she fell asleep in the wheel chair. She was put into bed early.
When mom was in bed for the night I had an idea to call Anthony and have her sing to him. We called Anthony and she sang the song for him. I held my hand over her stoma and she actually carried the tune and sang for real!!! Next we called Kathy and then Con and the kids and mom sang the song for all of them. I couldn’t believe I was hearing her sing again. In the past she would mouth the words here and there, but this time she was actually singing.
She kept telling me that she misses dad. I tried to console her. My mom and dad are truly in love with each other. They have been a model for our family with regard to what true love is. They still sit and hold hands and kiss. Tonight dad hugged the stuffing out of mom and gave her many kisses before her left. I can’t help but think about the song and “the dear ones” who have waited for mom over he last 15 months.
Peace and be well,
~Claud
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