Quick update. Mom's surgery went well today. PTL!! The ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor said that the surgery was a success, mom's voice is a bit louder and stronger already, and she had no problem waking up from the anesthesia. After she was in recovery, they gave her fenitol (a pain killer) even though we told everyone that, due to her head injury and as per her neurologist, no pain meds. They also tried to give her percaset while John was with her in the late afternoon!! Advocacy never ends!! Mom was even begging them not to give the percaset to her and they wouldn't listen to her. Good thing John was there.
An aside: Mom gave me an article the other day about "brain research and Alzheimer's" for me and Claudia to read!! She has been getting so much better lately!! She used to rip out articles for us before all this happened to her.
OK, back to the surgery today. Dad and I brought mom to the hospital. I told her that, today, she wouldn't be a whale anymore because they were closing her "blow hole" in her neck---and that they were sewing on a tail for her so she could be a mermaid instead now!! Mom and Dad can't hear well and the day was funny because of this at times. I said: "Let's make prank phone calls" Mom said, "What? Do I want a hot dog?" The nurse said, "Give a holler" Mom said, "Do I want a pillow?" At one point, mom began to tell a story and so did dad--both at the same time. I sat between the two and neither one knew the other was talking at the same time....I listened to both, responded to both and read and texted as they talked!!! Mom told a story about being a first grader in Brooklyn when her tonsils were removed and how Grammy, her mother, took her to the hospital on a trolley car because mom began to hemorrhage after eating cookies after her surgery! She said she held a huge towel under her chin as they road the trolley!!!
She was anxious. I distracted her by playing "I Love Lucy" episodes on my phone for her. She loved it! We watched, "Vitameatavegemin" "I Am Queen of the Gypsies!" and the one where Lucy locks herself in the trunk and she and Dr. Peterson sing, "Flies in the Buttermilk, Shoo Fly Shoo." She recited poems to me also like "The Owl and the Pussycat" and "Do Ships Have Eyes" and "I Think That I Shall Never See A Poem as Lovely as a Tree." She cried and was anxious on and off though in between.
Do ships have eyes when they go to sea?
Are there springs in the ocean's bed?
Does the Jolly Tar flow from a tree?
Can a river lose its head?
Could you bring relief to a window pane?
Or mend the break of day?
Would you paint a rabbit on a bald man's head,
Just to give him a bit of hare?
If you ate a square meal would the corners hurt?
Can you dig with the Ace of spades?
Would you throw a rope to a drowning lemon,
Just to give a lemon aid?
The surgery took over an hour but she came through fine. Dad and I saw her in the recovery room and she was miserable. She was very sore (mom is highly hypersensitive since the aneurysm...). She was crying a lot and complaining that her throat hurt. The wound on her neck runs horizontal in the front and is about 3 1/2 inches long easily. There is no bandage on the site. She has dissolvable stitches. She sees the ENT next week for a follow-up. Given her history, the ENT wanted her to stay overnight. She will return home tomorrow God Willing.
Terry, Con and Dad visited mom tonight again. Claudia sat by her bedside from 8-10:15 p.m. until mom fell asleep. All in all, it was a great day thank God.
Thanks so much for all the prayers....!!!!!!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Mom Update, March 5, 2012, Monday
Mom’s update March 5th, 2012
On Saturday we took mom grocery shopping. It was the first time she was in a grocery store in almost two years! She was so happy to do such a mundane thing as shop for groceries. Sam came with us and she pushed mom around. Mom couldn’t wait to go down the potato chip isle!!! She picked out a few things and after we shopped we went to Starbucks (it is inside the store). We all had a decaf ice coffee and sat in the café.
On Sunday we went to the movies. We saw “The Artist” and I thought it would be a good choice since mom wouldn’t have to process the language. All in all she had a good time. She sat in the movie seat instead of her wheel chair. She was so excited to sit in the movie chair. During the movie she kept telling dad she couldn’t hear what they were saying and then when dad would try to explain she would say, “I’m only kidding!” and she laughed! After the movie she didn’t really get it. I tried to ask her questions and she had a difficult time remembering the story. I wonder if the language and pictures together help her understand.
Today dad and I had to take mom to the doctor for clearance for her operation tomorrow. Tomorrow she gets her stoma sewed up! Yahoo! She will be able to talk better, blow her nose, cough and hopefully SING! Please pray for her and her quick and safe recovery! Dad had taken mom to the doctor last week and she was supposed to get her clearance done, but something got messed up and the hospital never received the papers, so last minute, dad asked me to go with him. If we didn't receive that call from the hospital the whole procedure would be rescheduled.
Mom has a very difficult time differentiating between her doctor and our pediatrician when we grew up. She is very confused. She keeps asking when did he change his name from (then she says the pediatrician’s name). I took out a piece of paper and drew a picture of both men and wrote all their information down. I tried to show her that they are two different men but she couldn’t wrap her head around it. She kept saying that the pediatrician’s wife use to work at her doctor’s office (the office now), “Here she worked” when she worked at the pediatrician’s office. It was confusing me after a while. She also kept saying, “When did he change his name?” I took a picture of her doctor and I scanned Google for a picture to use for the pediatrician, but when mom saw it she said, “That’s not him!” I may have to use a stick figure. I will write her a social story to see if I can get her to understand they are two different people.
All went well at the doctor and mom’s aide was at the house when we arrived home.
Please pray that all goes well tomorrow. She is scheduled to be at the hospital at 10:15. She is to have nothing to eat from 11pm on. It is going to be a difficult morning for dad.
I will write tomorrow to let everyone know how it went.
Peace and be well.
~Claud
On Saturday we took mom grocery shopping. It was the first time she was in a grocery store in almost two years! She was so happy to do such a mundane thing as shop for groceries. Sam came with us and she pushed mom around. Mom couldn’t wait to go down the potato chip isle!!! She picked out a few things and after we shopped we went to Starbucks (it is inside the store). We all had a decaf ice coffee and sat in the café.
On Sunday we went to the movies. We saw “The Artist” and I thought it would be a good choice since mom wouldn’t have to process the language. All in all she had a good time. She sat in the movie seat instead of her wheel chair. She was so excited to sit in the movie chair. During the movie she kept telling dad she couldn’t hear what they were saying and then when dad would try to explain she would say, “I’m only kidding!” and she laughed! After the movie she didn’t really get it. I tried to ask her questions and she had a difficult time remembering the story. I wonder if the language and pictures together help her understand.
Today dad and I had to take mom to the doctor for clearance for her operation tomorrow. Tomorrow she gets her stoma sewed up! Yahoo! She will be able to talk better, blow her nose, cough and hopefully SING! Please pray for her and her quick and safe recovery! Dad had taken mom to the doctor last week and she was supposed to get her clearance done, but something got messed up and the hospital never received the papers, so last minute, dad asked me to go with him. If we didn't receive that call from the hospital the whole procedure would be rescheduled.
Mom has a very difficult time differentiating between her doctor and our pediatrician when we grew up. She is very confused. She keeps asking when did he change his name from (then she says the pediatrician’s name). I took out a piece of paper and drew a picture of both men and wrote all their information down. I tried to show her that they are two different men but she couldn’t wrap her head around it. She kept saying that the pediatrician’s wife use to work at her doctor’s office (the office now), “Here she worked” when she worked at the pediatrician’s office. It was confusing me after a while. She also kept saying, “When did he change his name?” I took a picture of her doctor and I scanned Google for a picture to use for the pediatrician, but when mom saw it she said, “That’s not him!” I may have to use a stick figure. I will write her a social story to see if I can get her to understand they are two different people.
All went well at the doctor and mom’s aide was at the house when we arrived home.
Please pray that all goes well tomorrow. She is scheduled to be at the hospital at 10:15. She is to have nothing to eat from 11pm on. It is going to be a difficult morning for dad.
I will write tomorrow to let everyone know how it went.
Peace and be well.
~Claud
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