Sunday, March 21, 2004
One cat is on the floor...
...in The Dead Cat position. One is on Mom's rocker in The Modified Meatloaf position. The Honorary Master Cat is in The Holding Up The Wall position in her bedroom. All, I guess, is well with the world.
My plans, plans, plans for us yesterday came to naught, naught, naught. Sometime after posting yesterday morning, doing some light gardening and some chores, starting to sort through mail and get tax information together (I know, I'm late), I decided, as I explained to a friend, that I simply didn't want my day to incorporate starting my mother's day at 1000. I got the distinct feeling, when checking on her, that she wasn't interested in me starting her day without her initiation yesterday, as well. So I doodled around some more, took an hour's nap (during which I am pleased to report that I slept), took some supply inventories and quickly determined that we could get through a day or two without a supply run unless I decide to make yet another batch of muffins and finally, at 1330, Mom was on her feet of her own accord.
I let her sleep in, too, because I was concerned that she did not take a "settling in" nap or rest immediately after her physical therapy. Well, she incorporated it into her night. After she awoke we cleaned her off and commenced a late, true "break-fast", upon which she wandered around the house looking out windows, enjoying the breeze, settled into her rocking chair in order to watch the Animal Planet channel and announced, without being asked, that her back felt "so much better".
"Than yesterday?" I asked.
"Oh, yes."
What a surprise. For both of us. Her color was excellent, too, although her energy was flagging. I mentioned all our shopping plans for today, devised yesterday. She remembered them and begged off. I told her this was fine with me, I hadn't really wanted to go out. We took rain checks from each other for today. She made it a point to have me remind her to take a look at her roses when I watered them yesterday evening but when the sun was low enough she simply looked out the window and watched me. Later in the evening she mentioned that she hadn't seen her roses. I told her she wasn't missing much yet but we'd aim for today.
From what I already knew and have discovered since her back injury regarding her healing profile, I sense that she is gathering her strength. This physical therapy is absolutely the right thing at the right time. I'm sure it would have helped earlier, probably would have been provided in a somewhat gentler manner, but I'm not regretting the snafus in PT scheduling.
Because she is eating so little I'm relying on rich, savory foods to keep her from losing any more weight. Her bowels continue to move almost daily, much to my continued verbal amazement.
I have one quick change I am going to make to her medication schedule this morning; the addition of the OTC eye drops she uses twice, sometimes three times a day if we remember it. If she's tearing profusely we remember it. It has worked better for her than any of the prescription salves and drops, was recommended by her Mesa physician almost a year ago and does the trick to stem her eye weeping, even when her eosinophils are high.
Depending on the development of the day, I may be reporting again later.
My plans, plans, plans for us yesterday came to naught, naught, naught. Sometime after posting yesterday morning, doing some light gardening and some chores, starting to sort through mail and get tax information together (I know, I'm late), I decided, as I explained to a friend, that I simply didn't want my day to incorporate starting my mother's day at 1000. I got the distinct feeling, when checking on her, that she wasn't interested in me starting her day without her initiation yesterday, as well. So I doodled around some more, took an hour's nap (during which I am pleased to report that I slept), took some supply inventories and quickly determined that we could get through a day or two without a supply run unless I decide to make yet another batch of muffins and finally, at 1330, Mom was on her feet of her own accord.
I let her sleep in, too, because I was concerned that she did not take a "settling in" nap or rest immediately after her physical therapy. Well, she incorporated it into her night. After she awoke we cleaned her off and commenced a late, true "break-fast", upon which she wandered around the house looking out windows, enjoying the breeze, settled into her rocking chair in order to watch the Animal Planet channel and announced, without being asked, that her back felt "so much better".
"Than yesterday?" I asked.
"Oh, yes."
What a surprise. For both of us. Her color was excellent, too, although her energy was flagging. I mentioned all our shopping plans for today, devised yesterday. She remembered them and begged off. I told her this was fine with me, I hadn't really wanted to go out. We took rain checks from each other for today. She made it a point to have me remind her to take a look at her roses when I watered them yesterday evening but when the sun was low enough she simply looked out the window and watched me. Later in the evening she mentioned that she hadn't seen her roses. I told her she wasn't missing much yet but we'd aim for today.
From what I already knew and have discovered since her back injury regarding her healing profile, I sense that she is gathering her strength. This physical therapy is absolutely the right thing at the right time. I'm sure it would have helped earlier, probably would have been provided in a somewhat gentler manner, but I'm not regretting the snafus in PT scheduling.
Because she is eating so little I'm relying on rich, savory foods to keep her from losing any more weight. Her bowels continue to move almost daily, much to my continued verbal amazement.
I have one quick change I am going to make to her medication schedule this morning; the addition of the OTC eye drops she uses twice, sometimes three times a day if we remember it. If she's tearing profusely we remember it. It has worked better for her than any of the prescription salves and drops, was recommended by her Mesa physician almost a year ago and does the trick to stem her eye weeping, even when her eosinophils are high.
Depending on the development of the day, I may be reporting again later.
