Rosemary here:
So sorry for lack of updates.
All of us have been busy. Busy. Busy.
First, to fill you in on the meeting that took place last Friday afternoon at 2.
Mom was too drowsy to attend this meeting, so only dad and I went.
Every thing is going well. Mom has had medication adjustments so this has effected her state of mind, most outstanding change was discontinuing the Requip medicine that we (our family) thought was effecting her recovery as far as alertness.
The removal of that medicine was rough in the beginning, mom had tremors, fever, excessive sleepiness, extremely low blood pressures, dizziness and nausea. That has eased.
This discussion was pretty much stating by the staff of the Rehab Center that mom's treatments would continue.... however the physical therapy was not going well so the head PT decided that
starting TODAY, Wednesday, in fact, mom would be getting a scaled down Physical Therapy program to just focus on strength, in her room, in her bed.
All of us agreed
last Friday that this would be okay. I believe we felt mom needed to get stronger but have rest, and not focus so much on every effort to make her stand up.
The week-end. Mom enjoyed a wonderful day on Saturday.
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| Elizabeth, Jason Christina, Jerome and mom |
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| Daddy, Elizabeth, Joyce and Mom |
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| Andrei, dad, Elizabeth and Mom |
Joyce and Andrei, Christina and Jason, and Elizabeth and Jerome came to visit with mom and dad. It was a great day. Mom had physical therapy with a new therapist. He had great success with mom and after doing several other exercises, he did indeed have mom stand up without complaint at the parallel bars. Twice.
Mom enjoyed a visit, with above family all day, Two excursions outside for wheel chair rides around the Rehab Center grounds, a lot of talking and happiness.
Sunday was a good day, more resting.
One thing to note, mom is still being tube fed over night. During the day, she feels nauseous and not hungry. The doctor in charge of mom said this was not a worry, as she was getting nourishment through the tube feeding, and this was just part of recovery, days of not being hungry or even having taste and smell aversion to food.
Monday I came to visit and mom was very sleepy in the morning.
She went to PT and had a good session, stood with a support on one side two times.
She was very sleepy. We were quite happy with her result today even so.
In the afternoon, mom went to a chorus concert upstairs in the facility. This was the Heritage Harbor choir that she has been a member of and sang in for the past 20 years.
Mom enjoyed this concert, she was a little sleepy but became quite alert while listening and even sang a few of the songs.
After the concert was over, mom felt great. We decided to get our coats and go outside for fresh air. This was wonderful. Mom was happy.
Monday was a great day.
Tuesday was another great day, according to dad's email update:
Today there was a lot of rain around this area so no outside excursion for mom. I came in early today when mom had just received her breakfast. She ate her yoghurt & some oatmeal. But then the speech therapist arrived with a cup of tea for mom. I asked is there sugar in it? She went right back, then when she came back with the sugar added, and mom took a sip, her face lighted up. She drank that whole cup! I hope she gets that every morning from now on.
Physical Therapist Annabel showed up, with a woman, who introduced herself as a visiting therapist.
They then took mom to a contraption at the end of the therapy room, where they assist mom in standing. She has failed at that contraption every time before as it was discontinued when mom became dizzy. However not this time! Mom was sweaty, but I explained to Annabel that she was like that already in the room. While mom was assisted in standing, she had to move some cones between the 2 tp's. I thought she did great. Then they sat her on the NUSTEP bicycle and again I was proud of her. After PT mom went to her room to rest and I eventually went home for lunch.
When I returned to mom's room after going home for lunch, I was pleased to find that she had made a decent try of eating her lunch. I brought her a get-well card from friends, a couple from our church. It always make her very happy when she gets mail like that.
We then played some Youtube music (piece you suggested, Rosemary, in your email; she liked it very much & said that composer is a favorite.
click here to enjoy --> [Boccherini, Fandango for Strings, guitar and castinets, yeah, it is fun])
Also, by about 4:30 the rain had stopped so she had a chance to enjoy some fresh air yet when we had a little stroll outside. By the time dinner was served, I was able to convince her to go to the dining room, where we sat at a table with another lady. Although mom ate only a couple of bites, she enjoyed this and said she would not have eaten anything if she had had the dinner in her room. At one point I asked for tea, and they brought her a cup but it was the thick stuff, from which she took a few sips but said she did not like it. If I see the speech therapist tomorrow, I have to ask her if mom is allowed to have that regular tea at other meals.
After the dinner we returned to the room and mom played for a little while on the key board. She also tried one of these puddings Rosemary had brought (vanilla pudding)
Today she was also weighed (I did not hear the result yet) and the doctor saw her (and said to me she was very alert and doing very well).
All in all a good day.
