Mom’s Update November 14, 2011
I love walking in the room and seeing mom’s eyes light up! As soon as she sees me she says, “Oh! I am so happy to see you!” and then she cries. Of course I said my usual, “Morning, morning glory!” I fixed her in the bed and then cleaned her ears before I put the hearing aides in. I left to get her ice water. Every morning it’s the same. I get her ice water and she drinks it and tells me that they have the best water. Breakfast came and I set up her oatmeal. Mom ate all her breakfast. I spoke with her nurse about how much better she is doing with standing up independently. I also said that we noticed if you don’t touch her she will do things more independently, but if you hold her in the back she lets you do all the work. The nurse said she has to work on pivoting. She isn’t lifting up her feet to pivot. I am hoping that it will come in time like everything else. When she was first put on the Sarita lift she had a difficult time, but with practice and constant repetition she started to stand by herself.
After breakfast I told mom we were gonna “kick it old school!” We did our leg exercises that we did every day for a year. I held the heel of her foot in my hand with the toes pointing up and then one hand under her knee. I pushed her heel in toward her body and lifted her knee. We did ten on each leg. I then put a ball under her knee and had her lift her leg up slowly. She wants to bounce quickly, but slow and controlled is better. I then modeled for her how to pivot. I stood next to the bed and said, “Left, right, left pivot” as I moved from her bed to her wheel chair. I placed a ball under each leg. I then gave her the direction to lift her left leg up and then down touch the bed, THEN lift her right leg up and down to the bed THEN left leg up and down. She wanted to scissor kick and I had to hold her leg still for a moment before she lifted the other leg. It was a lot more difficult for her than I had thought it would have been. We practiced over and over again until she was able to lift one leg and then keep it still while she lifted the other. She was very determined. I then did some exercises with the big blue ball. She walked it up and down her arm. Mom had to go to the bathroom and I thought it would be a good time to apply what we did. I put her shoes and socks on and got her ready to get out of bed. Mom had a very difficult time. I gave her the same cues, but she had a very difficult time pivoting. I wheeled her into the bathroom and she stood at the bar straight up but also couldn’t pivot. I know it will come in time.
I left this morning and stopped in to the see the social worker. I asked her for two prescriptions for her wheel chair and the lifting recliner. She told me that the nurse from social services is coming Monday the 21st to evaluate mom. She decides if mom gets the Lombardi Program (it is like an at home nursing facility) or just a home health aide for a predetermined amount of hours a week. I don’t know how soon she will be released after she is evaluated. I left worrying if mom is actually ready to leave because she still isn’t pivoting to get in her chair. I wonder if we can do it, but I want her home so bad.
Anthony came next. Mom was at OT. He went downstairs by the OT room and peaked in and saw mom. He sat at the end of the hallway waiting for her. The head of the facility came down to OT and wheeled mom out when she was done. They all went to the computer room and the head of the facility showed mom his daughter singing on the internet. THey talked about family and visited for a while. Anthony went upstairs with mom and lunch came.
Kathy went to see mom. She walked in and mom was happy to see her. She grabbed the newspaper on the bed and handed it to Kathy and said, “This is for you and Claudia.” It was an article on changing special education laws (I am crying typing this). Mom was forever cutting out articles and leaving them in my mailbox about autism or special education. I found one recently and smiled. She had ripped it out of the paper and put it on the side for us. She talked to Kathy about Jean. She told Kathy she was up late last night eating potato chips (I can’t see how unless dad gave her some or she dreamt it) and Kathy asked if she remembered when Jean was little and hid potato chips in his book shelf. Dad went to my house to babysit and Pop said he was hungry so Jean said, “Pop come here” and took him to his bedroom and removed some books form his book case and took out a bag of chips!!!
Sam, Con and Anthony Michael went to see mom but they got stuck on the side of the road on North Ocean Avenue. They had to be picked up by Anthony. They still went to see mom for a little while. Mom was so happy to see them and cried when she saw them. They left because Anthony had to get back to work and figure out what to do with the car. Dad put mom to bed.
"I sought the lord, and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4
Peace and Be Well,
~Claud
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