Nursing Home Update

We went to see Mom at the nursing home today after church. She was in the dining room eating lunch. They are giving her pureed food again and thickened liquids. She didn't seem to mind it at all. She ate about half of her food and drank some water and a couple sips of coffee. She knew who we were, she called me by name and said that Tim was my husband. After she ate, we took her back to her room in her wheelchair. She said she was cold, so I wrapped a blanket around her and she was sitting in her room watching television. She isn't quite back to where she was, mentally, but I'm not sure she will get back there. It makes me sad to see her back in the nursing home, but I know that she is being cared for there. She hasn't been walking yet, the nurse said they are starting therapy Monday and their goal is to get her back to where she can walk with a walker. I know that Barry and Carla have been to see her. I probably won't go again until Wednesday. Right now, I think I will try to go 2 or 3 times a week. I just can't go every day. I will try to blog as much as I can. It might be the same old thing, but at least you will know how she is doing.

Mom's World

I took this picture of Mom on Friday, October 31,2008. She had a bath, had her hair washed and was dressed for the first time in a week. (since she fell last Monday.) She was happy that Barry, Carla, Lauren, Gregg and Isabella were coming that night to visit her. She ate well all day and was in a pretty pleasantly confused mood.

Saturday morning, she took a major turn for the worse. I went in to get her at 7:30 am for breakfast and she didn't know me at all, and wouldn't let me come close to her. She was extremely combative and threatened to call the police if I didn't leave her alone. I left the room for a few minutes and went back to try again. She was still very agitated, talking completely crazy, seeing people on the ceiling, in the walls. I was devastated. I broke down in tears, not for me, but for her. And I realized, that was not my mom. I didn't know that woman. I was crying, and yelling, yes, yelling at her- "I'm your daughter, Debbie, Look at me, I'm Debbie. I'm just trying to help you." She still couldn't walk and get out of bed on her own. I could have left her there, but what I didn't say in the beginning is that she was covered with...poop. That actually didn't even upset me. I just needed to clean her up, but I couldn't get close to her. I called the ambulance and they took her to Ball Hospital. By the time I got there, she knew me and had calmed down. They cleaned her up and did lots of test. She has a bladder infection, blood in the stools and will probably need a blood transfusion. They also need to re-evaluate her left leg, the one she can't walk on. I was in the ER for 5 hours with her and needed to leave, first for a water softener repair call and then to see our friend, Ray, who is in IU Med Center in Indy. Mom's brother went out to set with her in the ER and Barry was out there. Barry called me after she got to her room, telling me that she had gone completely crazy again. I am afraid that it will be all downhill now. She has more bad times than good. So I guess this will be my last post as the caregiver for my mom. When she is released from the hospital, she will be going back to a nursing facility. I can't reach her in the world she is in. But like my sister said to me, "We can't reach her in her world, but God still can." That is a comforting thought and one that I am going to cling to. I can't reach her anymore, but God will always be able to get in her world and take care of her like I can't.