Sunday, September 7, 2008
A New Movement Standard?
Movement for 9/7/08:
- Well, this morning, after the usual difficulty of getting her up and a usually long period of taking certain stats, administering a breathing treatment, chatting and playing with the kitties, she didn't think her legs could support a walk to the bathroom. I was fine with this, didn't attempt to get her to try it. I noticed she transferred well from the bed to the chair, except that, upon turning to sit in the chair, she, literally, fell into the chair. This happens rarely. She stood well during groin bathing. I was prepared to give her a rest between back and front, but she said she didn't need it. She was sure she could walk with environmental and my aid to the dinette but at the point where the foyer meets the hall, she stopped and said, "I think I need to sit down." So, I marshaled the chair and wheeled her the rest of the way. Good transfer from wheelchair to table chair, though.
- After breakfast she was anxious to go into the living room and watch a new romance movie I'd taped, thinking it would be light and funny. I didn't even think to ask her if she thought she could walk and walker the distance. She didn't think to question this either. But, three quarters of the way around the table she told me, "Better get a chair. I don't think I can stay up." So, I did, and ramped her into the living room. Fair transfer from wheelchair to rocker. She gave out early today, though...normally I would say it was probably the weather, because today hosted an unexpected storm, but, after the last several days, I'm not so sure. At any rate, she felt she could walker and walk into the bathroom and bedroom, and she did, but practically threw herself onto the bed and almost slid off because she wasn't quite close enough to manage a secure butt purchase. I have no idea what to expect for the rest of the day. We'll see.
- Well, after awakening from her nap, the evening proceeded as usual, without wheel chair support. My guess is that she gave movement her best, so, using that assumption, I can say that it may become obvious within the next week or so that
- It is going to take her pretty much a whole day, from the time she awakes from night sleep to the time she goes to bed, to get her "sea legs", thus, I expect, the wheel chair will be used more frequently than it has.
- The effort she needs to stand appears what takes the most energy, for her, and, earlier in the day, it robs her of the energy she needs to walk once she's standing.
- Considering that she spends more time sleeping than awake, a circumstance which I can see no reason to change, since my long time observations tell me she clearly needs the sleep, we have definitely reached a new movement (or, perhaps, non-movement) standard.
# posted by Gail Rae @ 18:36 email...
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