There's no place like home!

Today Mom went on a field trip home!!! The physical therapist and assistant accompanied Mom and Dad and gave recommendations on items that need to be done around the house so Mom can function at home. Mom was able to lay on her very own bed, sit at her computer desk, and rest on the couch in her very own living room! She said it felt so good, but she was understandably exhausted when she arrived back at the hospital.

It's so exciting to see Mom this mobile, but it also has some drawbacks. Today Dad and I went to talk to someone on the floor about insurance, and when we got back to Mom's room, she was sitting up on the side of the bed ready to push herself to a standing position. While Mom can get around quite well, she always has at least one person by her side for support, so we are a bit anxious about her trying to get out of bed alone. The last thing she needs is to fall and injure herself.

Our next hurdle to overcome is Mom's stomach pain. If we look back on the blog we can pinpoint the exact day she stopped eating - Sept. 12th. She has consistently complained of stomach pain since then, and unfortunately, it seems to be getting worse. She can't say exactly what or where the pain is, only that her stomach hurts and she doesn't feel like eating. It's all a vicious circle, because if she could feel better, and feel like eating, she could have more strength. Currently she is getting most of her calories from drinks like Ensure, Boost, and instant breakfast. We're going to put on our detective hats and see if we can't get to the bottom of this. If it's not one thing, it's another!

But all in all, it's been a great day! Like Dorothy says, "There's no place like home!"

She's baaaaaack!!!

WOW is all we can say! We had a real glimpse of Mom/Grammie today. She had that special twinkle in her eye as she visited with some of her grandkids and asked how they were doing and what they were up to. As we gathered around her bed for family prayer, it felt like old times (except that Brady offered the prayer in Chinese!) Everyone was so thrilled to see the Mom/Grammie we know and love! Although she is weak and tires easily, her sweet personality shone through.

Mom accomplished much today in the way of therapy. She can get out of bed, stand up from a seated position, and walk, all with minimal assistance. She is also able to go up and down stairs in the therapy room. Wahoo!

But our biggest excitement of all is the "field trip" home, which is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Alex, Mom's physical therapist, will accompany Mom and Dad in a hospital van on a visit to Mom and Dad's house. The purpose of the visit is to check out what accommodations will be necessary for Mom to function at home. We are so excited for her to go home, if only for a short time, and remember what her life is really like!

With progress like this, it is easy to picture Mom going home in the near future. Although she still has a long road ahead of her, she is traveling in the right direction! This is getting exciting!

Magnificent Monday - 10 Weeks!

Today was a wonderful day of progress for Mom and a terrific way to pass the 10 week mark. Mom walked quite a bit today, and even went up and down several stairs in the therapy room, which is especially exciting since there are 3 steps into Mom and Dad's house. In addition, Mom was able to get from a sitting to a standing position several times today with only minimal help. She also got herself down from a low table onto a mat on the floor, and then up back onto the table almost completely on her own! She even supported herself for a brief time while standing in a doorway. The day's efforts were pretty exhausting, but she enjoyed a back and neck massage before bed. All in all it was a giant step forward. It's starting to feel like she is firmly on the path to recovery and independence, and gaining momentum each day. Here's hoping we are done with setbacks!!!

This is exciting!!!

Popcorn and lemonade!

Thank heavens Mom is feeling better today!!! Although we didn't get to take her home on an outing like we had hoped, she enjoyed watching Conference in her room with Dad. At dinnertime she didn't eat too much, but said she wanted some popcorn, her favorite. So, we popped a small bag and she surprised us all by feeding it to herself! Then she went on to drink a cup of lemonade and munch on some apple slices ALL BY HERSELF! How exciting that she has enough control of her hands to manage lifting a glass and picking up popcorn on her own. This is a great step towards independence!

The nurse had some interesting insights about eating. She pointed out that an entire tray of food might be overwhelming to Mom. That really rang true to me, especially since Mom has never been a very big eater. In fact, she has always taken small portions of food, so the large quantities very well might be an issue. Perhaps smaller portions spread throughout the day might be the trick. Now, just how to go about that is a mystery, but it might be worth pursuing. Never a dull moment!

We are grateful for this improvement, and while it might seem small, to us it is HUGE! As we look back over the past TEN weeks (tomorrow, believe it or not) we can definitely see a pattern of good days followed by not so good days, and some downright awful ones as well. However, the sun always comes out again and we take comfort in knowing that Heavenly Father is in charge. We can't thank you enough for all your support and prayers on her behalf.

Eat some popcorn and lemonade in celebration!

Ouch!

Mom was in a lot of pain today despite the pain meds she is receiving. It was hard to watch her be so upset and not be able to do anything to help. To me, that is the most difficult part of caregiving - that you can't fix things, and sometimes nothing you do helps. I tell myself that I just need to show love and support. Today I told her I loved her, and she said she already knew. I guess that's good.

As I was leaving, I spoke to the nurse and mentioned that we had no idea this procedure would be so painful. She replied, "It's not. Your mother is just choosing to focus on it." I almost decked her, but decided to just turn and walk out so she wouldn't see me burst into tears. Let's poke a quarter inch hole through her abdomen, muscle wall and stomach and then see if she chooses to focus on it or not. (Thanks for letting me work off steam.) (Sorry.)

Anyhow, Mom had conference on TV when I arrived, but she wasn't able to take much of it in. She told me she wished she could concentrate more on the talks, but I'm sure Heavenly Father will give her credit for trying! Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. It doesn't look too positive for a field trip home tomorrow, but we'll just take it how it comes.

I still love you, Mom, even though I've already told you!

PEGS are NOT fun!

Mom had the PEG line inserted today. We were under the impression that it was a simple 15 minute procedure. Maybe it didn't take a long time, but it sure has been miserable. Her throat hurts from the tube/camera they put down into her stomach and her lips are swollen and sore, not to mention the wound in her stomach where the device was inserted. They have been giving her pain meds, but the thing that brought her the most relief was when Randy and RJ gave her a blessing tonight. After that she rested comfortably. Hopefully she will feel better rapidly. We were hoping to take her home to watch a session of conference, but she'll have to make a pretty big turn around for that to happen.

At least with the PEG line the pressure is off to get Mom to eat and drink enough. The staff has asked the family to be less involved at mealtimes and during Mom's therapy in order to allow her more control over her progress. We feel good about their request, as it will allow us to just focus on loving Mom and celebrating her progress instead of feeling pressure to have her perform.

Tonight Mom said that we don't always understand what we have to go through but that Heavenly Father knows the reasons why. What a woman of faith she is! Love ya, Mom!

Round and round and round she goes!

So Mom walked all the way around the floor one and a half times today! Way to go, Mom! The therapists have asked that we don't attend therapy with her anymore so she doesn't get distracted. I guess that means she's making progress, since they used to want us to come. Either that, or we're a bit over the top . . . (Hey, we're just trying to help!!!)

The PEG placement procedure is scheduled for tomorrow morning. While they're in there, the doctor will be checking to see what might be bothering Mom's stomach. If we can figure out what's hurting, maybe she will feel more like eating. Keep her in your prayers tomorrow!

Mom said the family prayer again tonight. It is always so wonderful to hear her talk to Heavenly Father! Jim Jr. is usually there to help feed Mom breakfast and he said she says the prayer on the food most every morning as well. That's our sweet Mom!

Tonight as I said goodbye to Mom I whispered to her that I pray for her all the time. She replied that she does the same for me! How sweet is that?!