Mindless Jumble of A Retired School Teacher
My jaw has been swelling since Tuesday..dentist office is closed for the week, but I found some bactrim at my mom's and a friend brought me some ketoprofen, which helps with the pain. Today I finally caved and called my dentist at home, but he was out of town. He called me back tonight and said that what I was taking was alright, but if I needed something else tomorrow, he would try to find a pharmacy open. It's always something!
My brother went to lunch with our cousin, who is a doctor today. Finally, someone could convince him to go get an MRI....in fact, he called from the restaurant and set up an MRI for my brother today. Results showed stenosis in his back, a cyst in or on his spinal column, and a spot on his kidney. Cousin is setting him up with a neurologist as soon as possible to see about his back and our cousin will check out his kidney, since he is a urologist. He has been in such pain for such a long time. I am so glad our cousin made him do something! He's already worried about not being able to help much with Mom if (when) he has to have surgery. I just want him to feel better. I can take care of Mom....well, me and the rehab!
8 weeks since the stroke....7 weeks of therapy completed. Still tiny progress. One of the aides told me she heard mom crying today and went to see about her. She had wet her clothes because the aides that put her down to rest didn't take her to the bathroom first. Don't know why...they are usually very good at that. Mom has yet to push the button for help. We can't make her do it. The aides and my brother and I all told her that it was not her fault and she should not worry about it. First Christmas Eve in many, many years that we did not spend it with our friends. The friends came to see Mom today, but tonight my brother and I went to be with her in her room. Thanksgiving in the hospital and Christmas in the rehab center! Maybe next year! Merry Christmas everyone! I still have much to be grateful for and am happy to spend another Christmas with my mom...no matter where it is! Tomorrow we are bringing her here to my house for a Christmas lunch. I am ready! I think I need to straighten out the table cloth! :)
I spent most of the day crying because something was wrong with Mom and neither I nor any one else there could figure out what was wrong. She cried and I cried. After about 3 hours, I left for a little while and called my brother. The aide told me she went to sleep after I left. I stayed gone a couple of hours, but my brother went to see about her. She was sleeping when he got there. All was well when she woke up, except that she was all wet with sweat from a low blood sugar. Once we got that regulated, she was fine. We both left tonight never knowing what was wrong. When I got there this evening, my brother was in conference with the directors of nursing. He had a run-in with one of the aides last night that was in no hurry to get in there and help the other (very pregnant) aide help Mom go to the bathroom. The helpful aide was not even Mom's designated aide...the other lazy assed one was and my brother had a few words to say to her about not getting in there to help the other aide. My brother doesn't get angry much, but he was mad as hell last night. He told the directors that he didn't want that aide back in his mother's room and he also didn't want any retaliation for his going off on her. He is afraid she will take it out on Mom. She is the only lazy, disagreeable person we have encountered. Whew! I need to go to bed!
I was supposed to have the day off to take care of things around my house...like leaves! My brother was coming to be with Mom at the noon meal, but he called at 12 and said he was on his way when he got a fire call. As volunteer Fire Chief, he needed to go, since he couldn't find another fireman. I hurried up to help Mom with lunch and when I got there, her sister was there helping her. I was a mess because leaves are dirty. I hadn't even washed my face today, but I went on. The speech therapist came by and said she did really well today and could say "Merry Christmas" very clearly. She did say it for us several times and even said my name for the first time....and my brother's name. Yesterday, when I went there at 5, she was sitting in the wheelchair and said to me very clearly as I walked in the door, "This is mama!"
They had her dressed like a clown today! She likes to match and we had a beautiful new light velour outfit there with a zip up top. We intended for them to put the top on as a shirt. They had another non-matching shirt under the zip up jacket. I went right out and bought a shirt that would match to go with that outfit. I don't want to get there and find her dressed like a clown again!
Look at these leaves! NONE of them are mine! They all blow in my yard and swirl up against my house and stay there. I get to suck them all up with my blower/vac. Not an easy chore!
Second week in this rehab is completed. She is showing some tiny advancements and saying a few more things more clearly, but they are mostly things she doesn't have to think about. I tried to get her to learn to say Stewart, my brother's name, before he came back from Branson. She actually said it pretty good for him, but only copying what we tell her to say. I have been reading up on a concept called Earthing that I was told about by a friend. It basically just uses a pad connected to the ground part of a plug that the user places his/her feet on barefooted while sitting. I ordered one for her. I already bought a bed sheet for me that is grounded and already feel a bit more energized after 3 nights of sleeping on it. Here is the website. I have read the book that came with mine and I am quite impressed. It certainly can't hurt anything. We have disconnected ourselves from the healing properties of the Earth by wearing shoes all the time. Who knows....this might help her re-connect those broken connections in her brain!
Today is the end of her first week in rehab. We believe she is making progress, but it is hard to see because it is just baby steps. She is trying really hard and still tries really hard to tell me something. I see her twice a day, so I guess it would be hard for me to discern the subtle changes. My brother is leaving tomorrow to go to Branson. He goes every year at this time. Last year Mom went in the hospital from her blood being dangerously thin on the day he left. She got out of the hospital on the day he returned. This year she can't even talk to him on the phone. I know it will be hard for him to leave, but he needs the break. He will call me every day at least once. That boy loves his mama.
