Kim’s back!
I actually got back a few days ago and have been meaning to update but honestly have been so busy catching up on work and time with mom that I really just didn’t have the energy to get online and write.
Overall Mom has been doing very well. We have had some up and down moments, but that’s probably been mostly of my doing. I have had some issues with the staff and a couple of other inconsistencies, but they are being worked out. I won’t go into detail with anything other than to simply stress how important it is to be an advocate for your loved one. I will also say that the issues I have had were anything that placed her in danger. If that were the case EVERYONE would know about it.
She’s been doing great with all of her therapies. As Cyndie mentioned earlier in the week, mom has been getting REAL food! Pureed foods – mashed potatoes, various soups, even some chili and sausage. I will tell you that she’s not a fan of pureed meats. Honestly, who is? Unless you have 4 paws, whiskers and a tail… Pretty sure she’ll be sticking with more “normal” foods that are already of that consistency. The best news is that she’s been cleared to have pureed snacks (not full meals) under direct supervision and with a strict protocol. Strict protocol just basically means that we have to clean her mouth really well before and after she eats. The reason why she is limited to snacks and not full meals is that we need to keep an eye on her calorie intake. She’s still getting 95% of her calories via tube feeding and we’re not at the point where we can rely on anything else yet. It’s OK – baby steps. This is a pretty big one and I don’t want to push her until we’ve been doing this for a little while and we’re all comfortable.
She had her foley (catheter) removed this morning. This is also great news! If you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of having one of those, they are SO uncomfortable. Most people have them when they are bed-bound. It’s OK for the most part when you’re in bed because you’re pretty still. Think about all of the therapies my mom has been doing. Lots of sitting, standing, reaching… even coughing will make that tube move. It’s annoying and can be pretty painful. So having it out gives her even more freedom. The trick now is to make sure that her body learns to control that function so she can deal with that a “human” (as mom puts it).
PT and OT have been going extremely well. She has taken a couple of steps (assisted) using the hemi-walker. A hemi-walker is a half walker that looks like a little step stool. It’s used to support just one side of your body as opposed to a standard walker where you stand in the middle of it and have to grip it on either side. Yesterday she spent her session in the courtyard watering their flowers. The therapists made her stand to do it and also made her reach forward to get plants in the back. It might not seem like a big deal, but that session wore her out. So much so that she actually slept for most of the night!
Her mood was great when I left her this afternoon. We had a care team meeting where everyone went over her progress and everyone is very pleased with what she has accomplished so far. I’m encouraged that they all see the value of her staying there as long as possible. This is a much different vibe than we got at HealthSouth. To be fair, where she is now is more suited for the longer stays with rehab so a stay of weeks (even months) is not unheard of.
We’ll be headed back tonight to tuck her in and say our goodnights. Hopefully she’ll still be in good mood when we return.