Friday, August 15, 2008
Repeat of Yesterday
Movement for 8/15/08:
- Groggy when awakened at her 12-hour-sleep-mark; so much so that I swear she dozed while taking her breathing treatment, which is the first thing that happens once I get her up on her ass. Hard rise from bed and verrry sloooow movement toward bathroom, although she insisted on not using the chair (I kept it very handy, anyway). Slow progress to the dinette and to her rocker after breakfast. She hasn't taken a nap, yet, although I expect that will be happening soon. She seems more alert. We'll see how the rest of the day shakes out.
- The rest of the day shook out sloooowly, but we didn't use the wheel chair. Mom was determined and, although, slower than usual and shuffling more than usual, she stayed on her feet, walking and walkering, and did well.
Small Challenges
Movement for 8/14/08:
- Although Mom didn't use the wheel chair today, even though I suggested it a couple of times, and, with prompting, she straightened and stretched without complaint in order to make movement easier, she wasn't quite as light on her feet as on her good days. She also took a full three hour nap. Lately, her naps have been about two (or so) hours. She was in a good mood, but just slower than usual.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Excellent Follow Through
Movement for 8/13/08:
- Her movement was super-normal, today. She took coaching easily, stretched well through her abdomen every time I prompted her and, as a result, walked, sat and stood exceptionally well. No wheel chair use, today. I was so inspired I decided maybe it was time to try some sittercizes, but she wasn't interested, although she bounced around to the music I played (an iPod playlist of some of her favorites), even sang along to some of them as I sang and made lots of fun of me dancing around her and with her. She absolutely refused to do any actual exercises, although she commented several times, ironically, about how well I was doing. I was satisfied that she got an energy boost from the session.
- She did very well in the evening, too, but began to visibly lag just before she decided to go to bed. Not sure why. When I began preparing her toothbrush for her in the bathroom, she informed me in no uncertain terms that she would not be standing at the sink to brush, so I began to prepare everything for spit bowl brushing. She nixed that, too, telling me that she "just didn't have it in" her to brush her teeth, tonight. I gave her that one; I could tell that she was losing energy quickly and, anyway, she was becoming stupid-silly which always indicates that she's over tired. She even had more trouble than usual pushing herself back on the bed. I guess all the stretcing was sufficient exercise for her. She did well, though. Those lectures really do work. For awhile, anyway.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
RN Visiting Day
Movement for 8/12/08:
- Mom's excitement pre, during and post visit kept her up and walking or walkering all day; no wheel chair use. However, it was clear that she was very stiff and not interested in doing small things to make walking easier on herself. She became, in fact, dismissive of my attempts to have her stop and "stretch" or "straighten up", or "straighten your knees". The result was that it was very difficult for her to move around and the more I suggested using the chair here and there, the more ornery she became. Thus, she spent a lot of time bent almost in half and attempting to pick up her feet and move them forward in this position. Try it. It's very difficult for a normally spry person, let alone someone like my mother. As well, she leaned heavily on me, sometimes to the point where my shoulders and arms began to ache. Finally, in the wee hours of this morning, after she was sitting on her bed, readying herself for sleep, aching and tired, I let her have it. I explained to her that if she didn't pay attention to the walking tweaks I suggest along the way, no matter how much she wants to walk, she's going to screw herself into a position where she won't be able to walk.
"It's okay with me, Mom, if you don't walk and, chances are, at some point, you won't be able to. At that point you'll be bed and wheelchair ridden. But, at that point you'll also want that. You'll be too physically tired to want anything else. Now, listen to me. Look at me when I'm talking. You want to walk, now. That's fine. But if you do it badly, if you continue to pay absolutely no attention to what you are doing and careen about assuming that I'm going to catch you with every step, let me tell you, you're going to injure both yourself and me, I will be none to happy about these injuries, and you won't be able to walk, no matter how much you want to! Do you understand????"
"Yes," she said, not exactly meekly, she doesn't do "meek", but I could tell she understood.
"Okay. I'll remind you of this tomorrow and we'll try again."
"Please. Do remind me."
I love it when she says this. It means that she's taking me seriously.
So. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
Monday, August 11, 2008
No Cold But Something Else
Movement for 8/11/08:
- So far, during the first part of her day, we've used the wheel chair exclusively because of some intestinal pressure and a very early (around 0930) complaint of nausea. She stayed up, though until about 1330; then, after a fairly decent breakfast, went to bed. Weaker than usual, though. We'll see how the rest of the day works out.
- The second half of Mom's day was pretty much a repeat of the first half, except just before bed. Once in the bathroom and readied for bed, she felt that she could easily stand at the sink to brush her teeth, and did well. Then, she walked with environmental and my assist to the bedroom, as usual. Because she had not been feeling well most of the day, typically, when she moved in transfer she was severely bent over. When she started to bend over on her way from the sink to her bedroom, I directed her through her "morning stretch" twice, and this took care of the bending over, despite the obvious effects of being very tired. As a result of the obvious beneficent effects of the two stretches, I think that much of her observed difficulty walking was because she hadn't walked much throughout the day.
Possible Cold
Movement for 8/10/08:
- Lots of wheel chair use today, although she used her own steam and the walker to move from the breakfast table to her rocker. Later in day, though, she simply didn't have the energy for more than transferring, so that's pretty much what we did: I wheeled her around and she transferred. Used the ramp instead of the steps; although she stood for tooth brushing (she hates brushing her teeth sitting down with the spit bowl) and she walked with my and the environment's help into bed.
- Although she seemed a bit weak and stiff, the biggest problem seemed to be a mild cold; lots of coughing (which would be unusual of late), lots of sneezing, lots of nose blowing.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Almost Back to Normal
Movement for 8/9/08:
- We're finally getting back to fairly normal hours. I awoke her at 1300, about a half hour beyond her usual 12-hour-sleep mark. She was ready. No wheel chair use today, either "morning" or "evening". No complaints of stiffness. Straight up two hour nap. Kept to a 12-hour-from-arising-to-bedding-down day. Seemed to feel good.
Mostly a Sleep Day
Movement for 8/8/08:
- When she awoke she had a slight fever. She was so unsteady on her feet that I insisted, over her protests, that she use the chair once she'd made it to her bedroom door. She seemed to revive a bit after her bath but, once again, against her protests, I insisted that I wheel her to the dinette. Once she had settled in the chair she was relieved that I'd decided to insist and told me so. After breakfast, though, she walked around the breakfast table to the steps, took the steps and, with a little difficulty, walkered to her rocking chair. She tried to walker to the foyer steps on her way in for her nap but faltered as she was reaching for the walker after standing from her rocker. Once again, I brought the wheel chair around for use. She did, indeed, take the steps on her own, at her insistence, but was, once again, relieved that I was there with the chair to wheel her to the bathroom and to bed. She handled transfers well.
- This evening was a completely different story. She walked with environmental support and walkered as usual; no chair use. I'd given her two acetaminophen throughout the day; one at breakfast and one at dinner. During her evening she no longer complained of stiffness. I asked her, after she arose from her rocker to head for bed, if she was feeling stiff and she told me she wasn't. She did, however, today, spend more time napping than usual (three hours) and went to bed early, considering when she awoke.
