Sunday, January 4, 2004
Well, that's done.
I'm here, permanently, for posting purposes, now.
This page will undergo the installation of some basic frills...an id area at the bottom, for instance, with email address, etc. The entire Mom & Me, hmm...body of work, will be split into four separate server areas and connected through linkage. All four sites will continue to provide access to all pages of the site including future pages to be created.
Hmmm...I'm just sitting back and leaning into this. What a pleasure it is to be back.
So, to fill you in, my mother, at this time, is somewhat more frail than she was over the Christmas holidays but is regaining lost ground rapidly. I'm not sure what happened. The whole episode snuck up on me. For about three weeks previous to Christmas Proper I began reminding her about Christmas and "training" her for it so she could endure the 2.5 hour car ride each way to and from MPS's house for Dinner Day. The training included: Strict attention to staying awake and diet; adding movement, although not necessarily a lot, at least every other day; getting out; getting used to riding in the car.
We progressed nicely. At two weeks prior to Christmas she was interested in going out to eat so we did, successfully, and without oxygen I might add. We took in two shopping trips although she remained in the wheel chair. At least every other and sometimes every day I had her out walking, using the wheelchair as The Best Walker In The Universe. She was doing well, slowly building up laps, walking the chair over both concrete and pebbled ground. With oxygen. 3/lpm. She attended my book club meeting on December 18th, still feeling more secure in the wheel chair but careful to deride it to her understanding and appreciative audience of my book club mates. She remained alert, ate heartily, participated, was an all 'round Jolly Old Soul and even insisted that we stay up for tea that evening after returning home in order to rehash the evening.
Considering all these results you won't be surprised to learn that Christmas was a spectacular success. Not only did Mom not mind the car ride, on the way back she commented that since her back was taking it so well we should start planning the necessary business and visiting trips back to the Valley. I agreed. As well, the day featured her getting up and down and walking a lot independently. It was surprising; a joy to see. Although she's had anemia on and off during the last few months because of her sometimes necessarily excessive intake of ibuprofen to take the edge off the pain and inflammation, her color was really good. As well, we'd been getting good results with all her alternative treatments.
The day after Christmas featured the arrival of two dear friends to spend the night and for whom we'd decided to fix a non-Christmas food holiday dinner. My mother was up for everything and didn't start to flag until early Saturday afternoon. She needed a nap about two hours before our guests left. We knew when she headed in that she wouldn't arise before they departed. She was clearly tired. Satisfied, and tired.
Sunday she was up some but barely mobile, although relatively sure of herself when on her feet. I chalked her sluggishness up to the need for rest. I was not surprised Monday when she insisted on spending most of the day in bed. I insisted she eat some and badgered her with water...got her up for changes of bedding and clothing, etc., and a thorough head to toe washing. She was, though, adamantly prone and foggy. I let her be.
Tuesday, a day before her next acupuncture appointment, she was not only surprisingly weak but wobbly, not stroke-ish but as though she'd been in bed for weeks rather than two days. I became alarmed and began to badger her into staying up, some movement, some concentration with multiple games of Sorry, stricter monitoring of her diet and medication and lots of lectures to try to jump start what I was interpreting to be a flagging will to live. Oh, it's been lively here the last few days. I'll write more about it later. I owe it to the caregiver's, and, for that matter, the caretaker's plight.
For a variety of reasons we've been battling severe incontinence more often than not (a blissful day for me has been, lately, a day when I only have to change out and launder one bottom sheet and one set of clothes) with its attendant dehydration. I have to keep a close eye on her for signs of incipient dehydration, as her thirst is not always functional anymore (although it still, I discovered tonight, after spending the day feeding her sodium laden foods, has its moments).
My hours have not been as strange as they are tonight. They've been pretty normal. Nursing my mother through convalescence from injury took on a routine aspect early and I'm pleased and proud to report that I can be counted on to be sufficiently flexible in my caregiving to adjust to various stages of recovery. I was not, however, prepared for the swift setback that followed Christmas.
It's beginning to look as though it is a temporary set back. I'm still wondering if allowing her a few days of laxity (one of which was extreme laxity) contributed to the severity and swiftness of the setback. But it looks as though we are back on the road to recovery.
As a reminder to myself: We have an appointment with Mom's non-alternative physician on Monday. I'm looking forward to it and have no small amount of business to conduct and concerns to address. I'm wondering what shape Mom will be in on Monday. The appointment won't be until 1430. Tomorrow is going to be a general beauty day: Do her hair, do her nails, maybe get in a walk, maybe catch up on Sex and the City. Easy and alert. To encourage beta waves.
I think it's time for me to consider going to bed. It's nice to be back. I have lots of plans and lots to report. Stay tuned.
This page will undergo the installation of some basic frills...an id area at the bottom, for instance, with email address, etc. The entire Mom & Me, hmm...body of work, will be split into four separate server areas and connected through linkage. All four sites will continue to provide access to all pages of the site including future pages to be created.
Hmmm...I'm just sitting back and leaning into this. What a pleasure it is to be back.
So, to fill you in, my mother, at this time, is somewhat more frail than she was over the Christmas holidays but is regaining lost ground rapidly. I'm not sure what happened. The whole episode snuck up on me. For about three weeks previous to Christmas Proper I began reminding her about Christmas and "training" her for it so she could endure the 2.5 hour car ride each way to and from MPS's house for Dinner Day. The training included: Strict attention to staying awake and diet; adding movement, although not necessarily a lot, at least every other day; getting out; getting used to riding in the car.
We progressed nicely. At two weeks prior to Christmas she was interested in going out to eat so we did, successfully, and without oxygen I might add. We took in two shopping trips although she remained in the wheel chair. At least every other and sometimes every day I had her out walking, using the wheelchair as The Best Walker In The Universe. She was doing well, slowly building up laps, walking the chair over both concrete and pebbled ground. With oxygen. 3/lpm. She attended my book club meeting on December 18th, still feeling more secure in the wheel chair but careful to deride it to her understanding and appreciative audience of my book club mates. She remained alert, ate heartily, participated, was an all 'round Jolly Old Soul and even insisted that we stay up for tea that evening after returning home in order to rehash the evening.
Considering all these results you won't be surprised to learn that Christmas was a spectacular success. Not only did Mom not mind the car ride, on the way back she commented that since her back was taking it so well we should start planning the necessary business and visiting trips back to the Valley. I agreed. As well, the day featured her getting up and down and walking a lot independently. It was surprising; a joy to see. Although she's had anemia on and off during the last few months because of her sometimes necessarily excessive intake of ibuprofen to take the edge off the pain and inflammation, her color was really good. As well, we'd been getting good results with all her alternative treatments.
The day after Christmas featured the arrival of two dear friends to spend the night and for whom we'd decided to fix a non-Christmas food holiday dinner. My mother was up for everything and didn't start to flag until early Saturday afternoon. She needed a nap about two hours before our guests left. We knew when she headed in that she wouldn't arise before they departed. She was clearly tired. Satisfied, and tired.
Sunday she was up some but barely mobile, although relatively sure of herself when on her feet. I chalked her sluggishness up to the need for rest. I was not surprised Monday when she insisted on spending most of the day in bed. I insisted she eat some and badgered her with water...got her up for changes of bedding and clothing, etc., and a thorough head to toe washing. She was, though, adamantly prone and foggy. I let her be.
Tuesday, a day before her next acupuncture appointment, she was not only surprisingly weak but wobbly, not stroke-ish but as though she'd been in bed for weeks rather than two days. I became alarmed and began to badger her into staying up, some movement, some concentration with multiple games of Sorry, stricter monitoring of her diet and medication and lots of lectures to try to jump start what I was interpreting to be a flagging will to live. Oh, it's been lively here the last few days. I'll write more about it later. I owe it to the caregiver's, and, for that matter, the caretaker's plight.
For a variety of reasons we've been battling severe incontinence more often than not (a blissful day for me has been, lately, a day when I only have to change out and launder one bottom sheet and one set of clothes) with its attendant dehydration. I have to keep a close eye on her for signs of incipient dehydration, as her thirst is not always functional anymore (although it still, I discovered tonight, after spending the day feeding her sodium laden foods, has its moments).
My hours have not been as strange as they are tonight. They've been pretty normal. Nursing my mother through convalescence from injury took on a routine aspect early and I'm pleased and proud to report that I can be counted on to be sufficiently flexible in my caregiving to adjust to various stages of recovery. I was not, however, prepared for the swift setback that followed Christmas.
It's beginning to look as though it is a temporary set back. I'm still wondering if allowing her a few days of laxity (one of which was extreme laxity) contributed to the severity and swiftness of the setback. But it looks as though we are back on the road to recovery.
As a reminder to myself: We have an appointment with Mom's non-alternative physician on Monday. I'm looking forward to it and have no small amount of business to conduct and concerns to address. I'm wondering what shape Mom will be in on Monday. The appointment won't be until 1430. Tomorrow is going to be a general beauty day: Do her hair, do her nails, maybe get in a walk, maybe catch up on Sex and the City. Easy and alert. To encourage beta waves.
I think it's time for me to consider going to bed. It's nice to be back. I have lots of plans and lots to report. Stay tuned.
