Mom is much more talkative now, and much clearer-minded. Although some of what she talks about is still not tracking with events, her personality is much stronger, and her speech is easier to understand, although her voice is very weak. Conversation is not as much of a chore for her, and there's less searching for the right word. She still is slower to respond than the average person. There's a slight delay between one statement and the next or between a question and an answer, but nothing like she has been the past few months. I really do think that the effects of the stroke were intensified by the presence of UTIs, which we have requested they check for regularly.
We talked a lot today, and she chatted with Meryl and with Vivien for a long time. The one downside of what seems like greater focus is that she's now much more lonely than before, something she expressed a couple of times this weekend. I stayed until she dropped off into one of her frequent naps, and talked to her nurse for a bit after that (mom was saying she had a tummy ache, which I passed on -- though evidently it was not so severe that it kept her from drifting off.)
We are all hoping that the improvement persists through next weekend, and continues.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
We visited with Estelle twice yesterday. Dan and I went together in the late morning.early afternoon and Dan returned by himself later in the day.
Estelle was alert and talkative both times. She was being brought out into the common area when we arrived in the morning and the nurses made a place for the three of us in the hallway since the dining/meeting area was pretty full already. It is hard to talk with Estelle when there is alot of extraneous noise or activity going on around her. Her voice is weak and she does not always seem to hear us well unless we talk at a louder than normal voice - both of which make communication difficult even under the best of circumstances. The more alert she becomes the more she notices and is distracted by any activity which would not normally concern her. She also seems fearful of it, to be honest. She asked several times if we would stay until she left and would we "see her off." While there was some confusion as to what she might have meant, I think she simply felt that she was not in her room, which has become her home, and she did not quite know how or when she would be returned to the safety of that room/home and did not want to be left alone until such a move took place. I know when we were in the hospital on Tuesday that she kept asking me to be sure I did not leave without her.
Anyhow - we had a nice visit. Estelle took phone calls from Marlene and Viv and seemed to enjoy both of them very much. Dan also read her a New Year's card from Viv and a letter from Meryl which she pronounced, "Lovely."
She wanted Dan to play guitar for her and, since he did not have it with him, he promised he would return later in the day to do so....which he did.
The feeding tube seems to be remaining in place. I did not get a chance to check the site because she was in the hallway but they do have her hand splints back on and she was not picking at it this time so I am hoping it remains firmly attached and working well.
Estelle was alert and talkative both times. She was being brought out into the common area when we arrived in the morning and the nurses made a place for the three of us in the hallway since the dining/meeting area was pretty full already. It is hard to talk with Estelle when there is alot of extraneous noise or activity going on around her. Her voice is weak and she does not always seem to hear us well unless we talk at a louder than normal voice - both of which make communication difficult even under the best of circumstances. The more alert she becomes the more she notices and is distracted by any activity which would not normally concern her. She also seems fearful of it, to be honest. She asked several times if we would stay until she left and would we "see her off." While there was some confusion as to what she might have meant, I think she simply felt that she was not in her room, which has become her home, and she did not quite know how or when she would be returned to the safety of that room/home and did not want to be left alone until such a move took place. I know when we were in the hospital on Tuesday that she kept asking me to be sure I did not leave without her.
Anyhow - we had a nice visit. Estelle took phone calls from Marlene and Viv and seemed to enjoy both of them very much. Dan also read her a New Year's card from Viv and a letter from Meryl which she pronounced, "Lovely."
She wanted Dan to play guitar for her and, since he did not have it with him, he promised he would return later in the day to do so....which he did.
The feeding tube seems to be remaining in place. I did not get a chance to check the site because she was in the hallway but they do have her hand splints back on and she was not picking at it this time so I am hoping it remains firmly attached and working well.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sorry for the delay.
The hospital was unable to schedule a tube replacement yesterday and so it was done at 8AM this morning....well, the appointment was scheduled for 8AM but the actual procedure did not happen until nearly 9:30.
All went well - it took less than an hour and this time it was done in an actual surgical suite under flueroscopy instead of at the bedside as they've done in the past. I was not allowed to watch this time but they assured me that everything was fine and that Estelle did not require sedation or anything else during the procedure.
It took another hour for the ambulance to return to bring her back to Woodbine and so it was nearly noon by the time she was settled back in her room. I stayed another hour to make sure she was not having any ill effects before leaving. I got a chance to open her cards and letters and read them to her while I was there and she seemed to enjoy them. She particularly liked a picture that Viv sent of her children and husband.
Estelle was very awake and talkative today. The most talkative I've seen her in a long time - but she was confused. She was quite convinced that her sister, Marlene, had driven her to the hospital and was upset that I would not go and find her and bring her back. She was also insistant that I hurry up and have "the baby" pretty soon because it was time and she'd been waiting forever. On the other hand, she knew who I was today (which is unusual) and she answered all questions appropriately, even being quite cooperative and conversant with the nurses and doctors.
She is moving her right arm and hand much more - which is both good and bad. It is good for the obvious reason - but the downside is that she keeps pulling at her feeding tube and that may have been why it fell out this time. She is also inadvertently and randomly scratching her left arm quite badly. Her nurse wants to get an order from the doctor to place an abdominal binder on her midsection so she cannot get to the feeding tube but that contradicts the hospital order to leave the site open to air because it is infected again so I asked her to hold off on that until Dan and I can discuss other options. So far we have come up with two possible suggestions. I thought that perhaps the tube can be anchored in several places with tape - making it flush against her skin and harder to grasp at random and pull on. Dan thought that perhaps they can start putting the hand/finger splints back on and then she cannot easily grab at the things. A combination of both might work out best.
We'll talk it over with the nurses and see if either of those things will be possible or even advisable to do. Any other ideas would be appreciated if anyone has a suggestion.
Other than that - that's about all I know. Estelle seemed pretty content today. Not at all agitated and quite interested in her surroundings and the people and things in it.
The hospital was unable to schedule a tube replacement yesterday and so it was done at 8AM this morning....well, the appointment was scheduled for 8AM but the actual procedure did not happen until nearly 9:30.
All went well - it took less than an hour and this time it was done in an actual surgical suite under flueroscopy instead of at the bedside as they've done in the past. I was not allowed to watch this time but they assured me that everything was fine and that Estelle did not require sedation or anything else during the procedure.
It took another hour for the ambulance to return to bring her back to Woodbine and so it was nearly noon by the time she was settled back in her room. I stayed another hour to make sure she was not having any ill effects before leaving. I got a chance to open her cards and letters and read them to her while I was there and she seemed to enjoy them. She particularly liked a picture that Viv sent of her children and husband.
Estelle was very awake and talkative today. The most talkative I've seen her in a long time - but she was confused. She was quite convinced that her sister, Marlene, had driven her to the hospital and was upset that I would not go and find her and bring her back. She was also insistant that I hurry up and have "the baby" pretty soon because it was time and she'd been waiting forever. On the other hand, she knew who I was today (which is unusual) and she answered all questions appropriately, even being quite cooperative and conversant with the nurses and doctors.
She is moving her right arm and hand much more - which is both good and bad. It is good for the obvious reason - but the downside is that she keeps pulling at her feeding tube and that may have been why it fell out this time. She is also inadvertently and randomly scratching her left arm quite badly. Her nurse wants to get an order from the doctor to place an abdominal binder on her midsection so she cannot get to the feeding tube but that contradicts the hospital order to leave the site open to air because it is infected again so I asked her to hold off on that until Dan and I can discuss other options. So far we have come up with two possible suggestions. I thought that perhaps the tube can be anchored in several places with tape - making it flush against her skin and harder to grasp at random and pull on. Dan thought that perhaps they can start putting the hand/finger splints back on and then she cannot easily grab at the things. A combination of both might work out best.
We'll talk it over with the nurses and see if either of those things will be possible or even advisable to do. Any other ideas would be appreciated if anyone has a suggestion.
Other than that - that's about all I know. Estelle seemed pretty content today. Not at all agitated and quite interested in her surroundings and the people and things in it.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
We're back!! Got in late last night and so we did not get a chance to visit Estelle. We had kept in touch by phone, however, and regretfully I must report that her feeding tube fell out some time yesterday morning. They could not replace it at the home and so we are waiting for an appointment time at the hospital again today. Meanwhile, they have started an IV to assure that she remains well hydrated.
We had a few phone calls from the nurses while we were away cncerning minor things....a slight rash, a small blister, a redness on her coxxyx area, and a regular update on her weight. She has lost 15 pounds since her admission - which they were looking for her to do. Now that she's done so they are going to recheck her thyroid, however, just to make sure it was the change in calories and not a medical reason that the weight loss has occured.
Other that those few things the staff reports that she's been doing well.
We had a few phone calls from the nurses while we were away cncerning minor things....a slight rash, a small blister, a redness on her coxxyx area, and a regular update on her weight. She has lost 15 pounds since her admission - which they were looking for her to do. Now that she's done so they are going to recheck her thyroid, however, just to make sure it was the change in calories and not a medical reason that the weight loss has occured.
Other that those few things the staff reports that she's been doing well.
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