From: Rosemary Bolton
Date: Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 6:43 PM
Subject: Today at the Hospital with mom
Mom was in room 440. This was the neuro floor and wow, what a great place. All brain injury patients. When I arrived, mom was relaxing but not fully awake. She just looked quiet. Then we started talking and mom perked up, wanted to know the time, she knew it was Palm Sunday I am sure dad told her earlier.
Well, around noon mom's hospital doc, Dr. Farooq came in and said that he was discontinuing the antibiotics he was giving her. Her white cell count was down he said, I do not recall that he gave me a number. He also discontinued the oxygen. I asked him why she had that and he says they strap that on 90% of the patients that come in the ER -- almost standard procedure. haha
He said that Dr. Chopra at HH [Heritage Harbor rehab center] had already started mom on augmentin [an antibiotic] and that he would have to be the one to discontinue that. So, this Farooq guy was really nice. He thought mom looked great, said her recovery is going very well, yes, there will be drowsy days and weak days, and very good days. He said mom could recover from this, he said "she just needs lots and lots of PT" [Physical therapy] Her BP still gets high so he added hydrochlorothiazide, a low dose diuretic. Also a daily vitamin K with that.
The only thing mom said to me in regard to her recovery today, early early on when I just arrived, and she might have mentioned this to you Joyce, she said "I am concerned about being connected to all of this equipment" I told mom that the oxygen she did not need, she was not going to be getting any more IVs, (she has a port thing in now. I am not sure if they will pull that out) She was getting fed with a tube into her PEG. [her stomach feeding tube -CHA] She has the foley catheter. I told her she was going to get rid of all of this stuff and eat on her own over the next few weeks. Every day was going to get easier and better. She was really alert and perky. She needs her teeth in. Anyway, she seemed satisfied with my answer.
Daddy brought in some cute photos for mom to look at, she liked them, able to identify everyone. Interesting, today she seemed to have more trouble with words and naming things in the beginning of my visit when she was just relaxing, but as the day went on, and Particularly after PT, she was very chatty, asking questions, she listened when the doc came in as well (which was before PT).
So then, some cute girls came in, two PTs. Oh my gosh I loved them. I asked them if they could give mom PT forever, but they said they had to work at the hospital. drats! These girls made mom do some exercises with her feet and legs. She had to flex and extend her ankles 15 times each, she was counting sort of, but the right side, that is WORK for mom. Then the PTs had mom flex and extend her leg at the knee (one leg at the time). Left leg worked fine of course and the right leg was a struggle. Mom is so funny I was watching her and she was trying with all her might to get that leg to bend, she was making some huffing and puffing noises and really trying. The PT helped her a little -- so this side also was to be done 15 times. I think mom only made 9 or 10. It was really hard, the part that made me laugh though was when she would get her knee up to a point, she would reach over with her left hand and try to get hold of her right knee to "help" pull it up, which was not what the exercise intended but it was cute. She never could really get hold of her right knee anyway but I was impressed with her strength on her left (good) side that she was able to reach up and over. They also put one at a time, each knee on top of a big pillow and had mom lift her foot. The PTs were impressed with moms strength.
Okay, after that, the PTs got her on the side of the bed and had her sit with her legs hanging over, feet on a pillow that was on the floor. They brought in a mirror so mom could see herself and try to get herself straight. She did well, but for her right side, it is hard work. Mom tells me she does not feel fully on her right side, just some areas. So she might have numbness, or just altered sensations on the right. Her muscles are good. Mom told the PTs some time early on "I used to be able to do that" and they assured her that she will again.
I gave both of her legs a good massage after the PTs left. Mom looked pooped. Well, then the nurse came in and said that the paper work was being processed to get her out and back to HH. She could not give us a firm time for that.
Daddy and I were ready for some food. So we thought mom would conk out and we could go to the cafeteria. Mom did not conk out, so we just told her we would get something to eat and be back. We came back 40 minutes later and when we walked in, mom said "Hey you are back!"
Then there was a lot of talking going on with the three of us about going back to HH and mom seemed happy about it.
I showed her pictures on my ipad of some of my sewing projects, then daddy discovered a bunch of great old photos on mom's olden iBook, lots of great pictures of Brussels, and Greece, WOW, mom was a total snazz in her adorable outfits, goodness. She LOVED looking at the photos and she was remembering things. It seemed the more photos we showed her, the more she remembered. Daddy had these old pics of mom helping gramma DeLeeuw (daddy's mom) do the knitting projects, and also fitting garments that mom made for gramma. Adorable pictures. I have to say, daddy's mom just loved mom. She thought mom was amazing that she could do so much, so many incredible things. I see a lot of Dolley in these old pictures of mom. Face shape, nose, eyes. Dolley would have been a beauty now in her 60's.
So I am hoping -- guessing that mom made the move in the "Limo" back to HH. Daddy I hope the move went well.
I guess the only concerns I have at this time would be that:
- I hope the PT's at HH communicate with the "nurses" at HH about proper positioning in chair and bed. The PTs at AAMC said mom should not flex her right knee like that all the time, try to keep her leg and hip anatomically straight and do that with the aid of pillow or roll.
- Some one needs to rub and massage mom's legs. hahahahaha she loves it. I think it helps her fidgetty left leg, and stimulate her right leg. She should have her arms massaged too.
- Will Dr. Chopra at HH discontinue the Augmentin? I think Dr. Farooq was hoping he would.
- Mom needs to start wearing her teeth during the day… start slow if we have to, few hours longer every day if she is having trouble with sensations. We do not want her to get sores from her dentures because she has not had them a while.
- Mom needs a lot of GOOD PT, and good nursing. Not just GOOD PT and babysitting by nurses. I do not want falling asleep in a wheelchair half the day.
- Daddy, you can tell the nurses at HH that mom used to be a volunteer, maybe she can help them... [hahaha, wow, that would be hilarious... -CHA]
It was a great day. Mom seemed happy, she and daddy are so cute together. Daddy is really so supportive and attentive. That is endearing.
Daddy, can you think of anything here that I did not cover?
I hope every one had a great week-end. I enjoyed this visit with mom and dad a lot today.
Love, Rosemary
__________
More from Saturday from Joyce:
From: Joyce DeLeeuw
Date: Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: Today at the Hospital with mom
Great summary of the day!
I am so sorry all that I didn't do it yesterday-- I actually wrote a huge long thing with too many detail, and went to send.... and it wouldn't connect. I lost it. Then too tired to write. But it was very similar to Rosemary's description.
She was sleepy in the AM, woke later, and was really talking a lot mostly about knowing that things were different now. But she said over and over that what is now, would be different in an hour, or the next day. That told me that she had a handle on the fact that she has these different "states" as dad likes to call them--- sleepy state, talkative making sense state, talking making no sense state, lethargic and dopey looking, or a panic look. She seemes to move into and out of these states. But maybe gradually, the changes won't be so apparent and pronounced. Don't know. She also had PT yestereday- very similar as today- very cute, very hard for mom, but so fabulous, I applauded and cheered when she got in that sitting position. It was like scoring a point! I also liked this doc Farooq and it occured to me, dad, when we went to the Fairfield yesterday, he was the doc sitting at the central station - they said his name, I just didn't put it together, he didn't have his lab coat on. [Dr. Farooq also works at the Fairfield rehab facility]
Regarding the concerns, I think we need to write this stuff down, as I agree there are things we need to stay on top of. Remember dad you were going to bring some familiar things to HH? Are you still going to?
Anyway, how can we make sure we get our communication to the staff? How about a binder in color. oh yuk. whatever.
Anyway, dad have a great day tomorrow- now you are so close that hopefully you won't get so worn out with travel. See how it goes. I am really hoping for the best. We are a pretty good team I think!!!
love joyce
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