Mom has had several good days in a row. A couple of days ago she asked me if she had “cried today”. Not that she was feeling sad or depressed, but I think she’s realizing the many changes that she’s going through. Not just physically but mentally as well. I was happy to tell her that she hadn’t cried in awhile but she’s been laughing a lot. She tells me that she knows she was pretty bad – acknowledging the bad thoughts she had and how she was feeling hopeless. I think it’s wonderful that we’re at the point where we can talk through this and she can see that she is getting better. One of her nurses had told her from Day 1 that her improvement is all up to her and that she can’t give up. If she gives up, she has nothing. I believes that to be true now.
Yesterday I saw her lift her left fist *almost* to her chin. She has some shoulder subluxation so she does have some pain but her therapist is helping her to work through that as well as making sure that she’s doing things to help heal and strengthen those muscles. She’s working to pull herself up to standing on her own. Yesterday she did that a few times with minimal assistance. About every other day she practices taking steps. It’s hard for her to do that in every PT session because it’s so taxing on her body. She also experiences knee pain from time to time so we need to be careful to work different muscles so nothing gets overworked and has a chance to rest.
Here’s where things are moving fast… Her eating! I mentioned before (I think) that she is off of the continuous feed at night. She was having one pureed meal with her speech therapist, 4 bolus feedings throughout the day, and pureed snacks whenever she wanted (with supervision). Yesterday she was changed to TWO meals per day – one with her therapist and the other with supervision. “With supervision” means that she can sit in the dining room and eat with the rest of the group. No one has to be staring at her or sitting with her specifically to watch every bite, but be nearby in case she starts coughing or has any issues. Mom had her lunch with the therapist and then Chad and Sam came up and then four of us had a family dinner in the dining room! It was the first time we had eaten together in a long time and it was really nice. Hopefully by the end of next week she will be moved to THREE meals a day. From there, the next goal would be to have her meds administered by mouth rather than through her tube. They’d continue to crush them but would mix them in with something like applesauce. The less they can put through the tube the better. They’ll still need to do water flushes to keep the line clear (and also ensure she doesn’t get dehydrated) but with her getting all of her nutrition and meds by mouth we can talk about having that tube removed. It’s usually somewhere between 2-4 weeks after being used (other than the water), just to make sure that she really doesn’t need to use it anymore.
I’m also starting to see that mom is becoming a lot more social. I think having those extra tubes removed has helped her confidence so much. Wheeling her around connected to a pump and everyone seeing that she was using a catheter really made her feel self-conscious. She didn’t see other residents using those things and she doesn’t like to feel so different. She still doesn’t like her voice (she says she sounds funny) but she is talking more and speaking louder. Her new friend, T, has introduced her to a couple of other ladies there and yesterday mom even introduced herself to someone as we shared an elevator together. It was so nice to hear her say, “Hi. I’m Sue”.
We took a little field trip up to the salon and she got her hair cut. She said it felt so good to have a real hair wash. The aides do what they can in the shower with her, but it’s not the same as getting it done in a salon. All you ladies know what I’m talking about. Mom was happy with her haircut and a couple people commented on how nice she looked. I think that bolstered her mood a little too. We’ll be going back next week so she get her greys covered. I think she’s going to start looking for different reasons to go up for that hair wash.
People have been asking about visiting. Mom is doing great and I know really does enjoy her visits. During the week she tends to have her PT/OT sessions in the morning. Speech therapy is usually either around 8-830 or around lunch time. Therapies happen Monday-Friday. She’s usually getting ready for bed around 7pm. So if you’re looking to visit, weekends are nice because she really doesn’t have a lot going on and the days can seem longer. At least during the week therapy really helps to pass the time and helps her to get tired enough to sleep at night.
Also (before I forget), I put her on the list to be changed to a specific room. Mom doesn’t really like where her room is located. She’s down at the end of the hall and she feels like it’s hard for people to remember she’s there. We’re looking at a room that’s at the top of the hall, close to the nurses’ station. It’s also right across from her friend’s room. I could see her hanging out in the common area more often once she moves since she’ll be closer to the action.
All in all, things are going great. Today marks 5 weeks since she’s been here. She’s come so far. Still a way to go, but she talks about the future now and occasionally likes to show off the movement on her left side when she starts to do something new. As long as her stays positive, I know she can accomplish anything!