This morning when Jim Jr. stopped by on his way to work, he found Mom sleeping on her stomach. That was her favorite sleeping position before her surgery, and we were excited that she managed to get herself rolled over. Just don't roll all the way off the bed, Mom!
This morning in physical therapy she stood up with the aid of the special table for 15-20 minutes, with her feet flat on the ground and weight bearing. One of her friends from Church stopped to visit, and Mom talked with her during therapy. However, all that standing wore Mom out, and she was pretty sleepy during the afternoon. She did sit in the wheelchair for most of the day though, and then had a shower and shampoo in the late afternoon.
After a nap, Mom ate most of her dinner, for which we were grateful, as she didn't eat breakfast, and had to be coaxed to eat lunch. I'm still learning the tricks of the trade when feeding her. I made the mistake of giving her the pills before she was done eating. They taste pretty nasty, and sometimes Mom clamps her mouth shut and refuses to eat any more after that. The trick is to offer the pills after she has finished everything else. OK, OK, I admit, I'm a slow learner! It's pretty important that she eats, because the doctor has said he'll reinsert the feeding tube if she doesn't eat. We want to avoid that at all cost!
This evening Mom was still sleepy. However, instead of being incoherent, today she sang alot. I'll take the singing anytime over the rambling and babbling. Sometimes she hums quietly, but other times she can really turn up the volume. Most of the time she doesn't sing the words, just the tune, but occasionally she catches us off guard. During one such moment, she startled us by singing, "I - want - to - go - home," to a random tune. We hugged her and told her we couldn't agree more. That's what we're all praying for!
One of the more poignant things she said tonight was, "I'm anxious to get on with my life. I know I can't have it all, but I can have a little." Hang in there, Mom! We're praying for you every single step of the way!!!!
Yay for Pauline! I was one of the first few sitters she had when she came to IMC on the tenth floor. I had the privilege of finding her again when she was moved to T7. I went looking for her when I was assigned to the floor so that I could say hello. She was very responsive and gracious. She hugged me and thanked me for coming to see her. I don't float up to the 12th floor very often, but I have seen miracles worked on that floor, they are an awesome team! I am happy to hear that they are granting her a 'trial period' and I hope that she is able to make the progress needed to stay there! Best wishes and many prayers sent for a solid recovery!
ReplyDeleteShannon Fox
CNA UCR Float Pool