Mom update

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.

another mom update

Yesterday she got moved to a rehab facility. I was not happy with it yesterday for many reasons, but today was better. I think they are going to take care of her, but yesterday I wasn't so sure. When I got there today, they had her up in a wheelchair, she had had a bath, and her bed was made and changed. She had already seen the weekend therapist. I talked with the therapist and I am feeling better now. Next week she will get evaluated by all the therapists and get her hair did~! She is happy about that!

Mom update

My sister-in-law and brother brought Thanksgiving to the hospital today. They brought dressing, corn, green beans, fruit salad and a coconut pie. Mom enjoyed it and we fed the two nurses on duty. There are 5 patients there now, but Mom is leaving tomorrow to a new facility. I still have not been to look at the new place, but by all accounts, it is a lovely rehab center. She got frustrated today trying to talk to me, but I told her it's ok. I asked her if she was going to give up when she gets frustrated and she emphatically said, "NO!" She can say a few words.

Yay!

Mom's doctor came by tonight while we were helping her with dinner. He thinks she will get her movement back and her speech back in due time. It will be slow and there are no guarantees, but he is optimistic. I told her that her assignment was to be able to tell me Happy Birthday tomorrow! What a great birthday present that would be! She will be moved to another rehab facility on Friday. It is a brand new facility associated with a local nursing home. Her speech therapist at the hospital highly recommends the speech therapist at that facility, which is why we chose it. She said Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists procedures are about the same, but speech is different and this therapist works really hard with her patients. Her bowels and bladder have to be re-trained as well, but one has to be able to walk to go to the bathroom......AND they have a beauty shop at this facility. She will be happy to get her hair done. It has been being washed in rehab, but not styled.

Another update

For the first time, I am encouraged. Today Mom had a swallow test and had improved enough to get off that pureed food and move to a soft modified diet. Her eyes have also readjusted to prestroke levels so her glasses actually are working now. She looked at a magazine tonight and looked at all her cards. She also walked 12 feet today with lots of help. They are helping her move her right leg, but that is re-training her brain connections.Still no talking, but she is trying to move her right arm with limited success.

Update

I took Echinacea with Goldenseal and it knocked my cold almost completely out! My brother has it worse now, but he is taking it as well. I made Mom some real mashed potatoes and gravy with real butter and cream. She ate it with a smile on her face. She is sick to death of their pureed no taste stuff. She still has some swallowing issues, but she seemed to swallow better when it was something she liked! :) Tomorrow the other two patients on the rehab floor are moving to the next level, so unless they get new patients, she will be the only one, and she will have her own personal R.N. I keep hearing stories of people who came back from strokes and it gives me hope. Keep those stories coming.

Progress!

I did not see Mom today because I am sick with a cold, but my brother was pretty excited to see her very alert and he even saw her move her right arm. He said she talked up a storm, but, he didn't know what she was talking about. I hope that will come back. They say that stroke victims heal from the bottom up, so speech would be among the last thing to return if it is going to. I'm going tomorrow. I won't get close to her, but I have to see her.

Discouraged!

Today was a total set back. Mom wouldn't or couldn't eat any lunch for me. The speech therapist was there and she told me Mom was holding food in her mouth and not swallowing. Her brain is not getting the message to her throat to swallow. Without much to eat (such as it is...pureed, no salt diet) they put her back to bed to rest. This evening when we went back, I took her part of a smoothie that I had made for her. She drank it right down, but when we tried to get some dinner in her, it came back up. The nurse got something for nausea and once again they put her to bed. She is very pale and lethargic. So...tonight, I am once again afraid for my mom. I just want her back!

Encouraged!

I am feeling slightly encouraged this evening. Several people have told me stories of their own parents who had strokes just like this (all the same parts affected) and they came back...not ever completely, but functional and talking. Also, at lunch today and dinner tonight, Mom was able to use her left hand and get the food to her mouth after we put the food in the spoon. Still no use of the right  arm and hand, but the doc said she does have good reflexes in the arm..also, I was told that when the brain is healing itself, the body is very sleepy, which explains why she is so sleepy. I will take whatever I can get in the way of encouragement! Also, learned that after a stroke, healing takes place from the bottom up, which explains why she can move her right leg now.

More Mom

Mom  was moved to rehab from ICU on Friday and we can see a few basic improvements. We just hope for more. More than anything, I would love to see her be able to talk again so I would know what she needs. The droopiness is gone from her face and her smile is back. I just wish she had something to smile about. That doesn't stop her; she smiles anyway. What an awesome woman and mother she is.

More Mom

Mom  was moved to rehab from ICU on Friday and we can see a few basic improvements. We just hope for more. More than anything, I would love to see her be able to talk again so I would know what she needs. The droopiness is gone from her face and her smile is back. I just wish she had something to smile about. That doesn't stop her; she smiles anyway. What an awesome woman and mother she is.

Mom

My mother had a stroke with heart failure sometime during the night on Friday night. She is now in ICU and is unable to talk or use her right side. It is so painful to us to see her not be able to smile and see her beautiful face drawn on one side. This happened one year exactly after Dad passed away.

"Me" day!

After cramming too much into yesterday, I took today off just for me. Slept in, then cooked homemade chicken strips, steamed cabbage, squash, mashed potatoes (real ones), jalapeno cornbread and cool, refreshing iced tea. Ate too much, so that required a nap. Now tonight I have to attend yet another meeting, but that is my only sacrifice for today.

Perfection!

Holy Moly!

Had a meeting at 10 A.M. just because I am on a committee, not because I had anything to contribute! Had to to get some groceries while I was still dressed for public, but after a change into work clothes I went to work at Mom's. Got there in time for the plumber to come install her new handicap toilet.....picked up limbs out of the yard (a truck load), bought pansies for Mom's containers, picked up pecans, planted turnip greens and mustard greens...then took 35 pounds of pecans to Shreveport to get them cracked. Ate my first meal of the day in the car on the way home from Shreveport at 6 P.M. No wonder I am tired....By the way, I was supposed to be at the krewe den at 5 to work on the float. Ooooops...thought about that on the way home from Shreveport while munching on my 1/4 muffaletta from Monjuni's! I may take tomorrow off because I CAN!

Tiz the season, I guess!

I purposely have avoided committees, meetings, and all other things that I hated when I was working. The last week I have had too many meetings doing things I do NOT want to do. How did this happen? Deeply involved in the tediousness that is the krewe cookbook project, now totally involved in procuring funds for a memorial at the site of my now defunct high school, and working on the Mardi Gras float. We are trying to get finished with the cookbook before all the holiday festivities begin. Getting funds for anything is just a pain in the ass, but my brother is all gung ho about this memorial project, so I can't tell him no. Three days last week I didn't even make it to my mom's and I still have projects going on at her house....PLUS, the pecans are falling big time! Mom can pick up pecans because she has those gizmos to use without bending over, but my brother and I try to help her as much as we can. Then I take the pecans and get them cracked for her. She picks out every last one of them.

Fall garden!

This is it! I am way behind, but there is no need to plant anything unless we get rain. I have one more raised bed that I can water, but other than that, there will be no fall garden! Radishes and collards!

Whirlwind week!

Not sure where this week went, but it is gone!

• Finally bought groceries
• Finished my mildew project in Mom's living room
• Started on the dining room...same problem
• Cleaned out storage room and moved treadmill from dining room to there
• Worked on krewe cookbook
• Worked on krewe float
• Bought groceries for Mom
  
• Did little at my own home....OH....EXCEPT
• REFINANCED at 4.3%  WOOHOO!
  

Dinner!

Way to go, Mustangs!

I am proud to have been associated with West Orange Stark High School in Orange , Texas. Many years were spent there and they were the best of my teaching career. Although I don't live there anymore, I keep up with many of my former students on Facebook. Found out tonight that the young man who died on the sidelines a month ago was elected posthumously as the homecoming king. His father wore the crown and escorted the queen. What an awesome thing to do! This makes my heart smile!