It's been a few days since the last update so I thought I'd write you all again this morning. We'll start with the fun stuff first! On Sunday, we all took mom to her favorite neighborhood restaurant, Cafe Gio!!! Our dear friend, who works there, was soooooo thrilled to see mom again and mom was just as thrilled to see him too. Mom made a toast saying, "I am so happy to be here at Gio's with everybody again!" Mom's meal was "on the house."
We had a great time together (but missed Ava, who is at college, and Lenny, who was studying/writing papers for college, and John, who was sick).
Mom also saw her doctor from the neighborhood too (her regular G.P.) on Monday. He was amazed to see her and to find her in such good shape, all things considered!! He was shocked. She was thrilled to see him!! However, she alternately confused his name with the name of the pediatrician that we kids went to when we were little. She knew the name of both doctors, but kept confusing her doctor's name with ours on and off. He gave her a clean bill of health and wants to see her in a month.
Back at the "ranch," we are still getting into a "home" routine. We aren't there yet though...still working on it. The biggest thing to remember, now that mom is home, is that we can't "let up" on being there with her and working with her. This is for a variety of reasons. Number one: dad needs breaks. He is faithfully there, by her side, every day, every hour of every day....cooking, doing the chores... (dad is a great cook!! He made barley soup the other day!!! yum!!). But dad has to do a lot of lifting now that mom is home because she is a "2 person assist" which means that mom needs 2 people to lift her or to help her get to a standing position or to transfer from one seat to another. Because she is a "2 person assist," someone from our family needs to be present with the aide who comes at all times. Hopefully, this is only "for now" and mom will regain her strength and ability again soon. But we have to persevere with forcing her to move, stand, walk... Anthony does this a lot with mom, doing the exercises that Barry showed us.
I was with mom the other day, Monday, for the afternoon. I let dad go gallivant for 3 hours. During that time, mom needed to use the toilet, so it took us both 1 hour and 15 minutes, but she got there and the mission was accomplished! Not without complaints from mom though. The whole time I was trying to help her, she doubted my ability to do so. She also doubted her own ability as well. A lot of her recovery, at this point, involves "mind over matter" to a great extent. Mom needs to believe that she CAN do things like stand and walk, in order to do them. I tried many approaches during that hour and 15 minutes to get mom to stand and transfer from one place to another...some times it was gentle coaxing, other times it was a passionate pep talk--like a football coach would give... Mom didn't respond well to my prompting and prodding at all for the most part, not until we were done...then she was glad and confident and thankful. During our attempts, she said, "Oh why did dad leave me with YOU?!!!" in an angry, crying fit of frustration, "You are so mean!!!" Wow, that hurt, but she soon realized that I wasn't being mean, just persistent (my forte!! HAHAHA!!).
This is "crunch" time at school and also in view of the upcoming holidays (I haven't even shopped yet at all!!! Yikes!) but we all are getting into the groove of mom being at home. Claudia and I are devising many more "visual aides/charts" for dad, mom and the aides. There is a daily log of intake and output (haha!) and one for making mom's breakfast. There is also a chart in the bathroom that goes through the steps of how to help mom grab the bar on the wall, pull to stand etc. We need to make a 'morning routine' chart as well as an afternoon and evening chart as well so mom isn't spending all her time sitting around looking at TV.
Claudia worked for hours doing Life Skill activity sheets on Sunday. Mom did great!!! They are all about how to deduct information by reading, how to use a calendar to plot and remember events, how to write a check...
Mom had OT this week finally. Dad said the OT left activities for mom to complete. The OT will only come 2 times per week....for only 4 weeks....then outpatient OT. I met the Speech Therapist on Friday and the person is GREAT!! and even has experience with people with head injuries!!!!! The PT and Speech people should start this week too. We need a chart/schedule for that too.
Operation Basement and Back Room are under way too! Dad and I are slowly turning the back TV room into an office for him replacing the "Dining Room Table Office" he has now....not good, we often can't find mom having a meal among all the "piles" of papers...!!!! "Houston we have a problem. We seem to have lost mom. Visibility may be an issue here!!!" This is a hard task to do because it involves getting rid of things... but dad is a trooper. Dad and I are also cleaning out the basement as well. We are 1/8 of the way through this project too. We need to clean the basement to make room for all the things from upstairs that he isn't ready to part with yet. Dad keeps saying that mom will begin to ask for things so he wants them there for her. He said that, to some degree, she does this already. We came across the top to mom and dad's wedding cake.....dad initially said, "When I die you kids can take this, not now" but he later relinquished it to my safe keeping.
Now for the "PCA/Aide" challenge.... Our weekend aide is FABULOUS!!!! However, in 7 days, we have been through 4 (FOUR!!!) aides.....they drop like flies. Pray for a good one from Monday through Friday, please. Also, mom has a new red mark on her tail bone area. PRAY this isn't a bed sore!! please!!! Last weekend (her first weekend home), she and dad tried to get to the bathroom and mom slid to the floor. Maybe this is why the red mark is there, hopefully so.
Thanks for all the prayers so far! Please continue to pray for us all. xxxooo
"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." Hebrews 10:36
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