Mom and I have been watching (over and over) this Gospel of John movie on Netflix. I thought you all would enjoy a look at how much she is enjoying it.
I don't know if you can hear very well, but when I asked her if she liked the movie, she thought that I was talking about the movie I was recording with the camera. She said she didn't think she'd look very good in it. But, of course, as usual, she looks wonderful.
Click here
Friday, January 9, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Occupational therapy is coming to an end as well.
The occupational therapist just left, and she is also really pleased with Mom's progress. So, unfortunately, she is also probably not going to keep coming to visit us. Ah well. I've learned so much from her that I think I won't have any trouble keeping on doing the things that she has been doing with Mom. I guess the downside to doing well is that we are going to have to keep doing well without having someone come every day to show us how to do it.
On the occupational therapist's suggestion, I got Mom a little hairbrush, and she's been brushing her hair with it. This is excellent for getting her arms up high and fighting the dementia which is trying to steal her ability to raise her arms above her head.
It's bitterly cold here today, and so I am spending most of the day in Mom's nice warm room with her. The rest of the house is chilly. (I've even got the bread in here raising because it is too cold in the kitchen.)
So far the day has been really good. When the OT came, Mommy was sitting up in her recliner and had just finished rubbing hand lotion into her hands. Her hands were still a little moist with lotion. I was proud that we remembered to do that. The OT suggested that rubbing hand lotion in was good finger exercise. So, when she called me to say that she was in the vestibule (I knew she was coming today, but I didn't know when), I was so proud that she came in just as we were doing something that she'd given us for "homework."
Earlier today, we did the in-bed leg and arm exercises. Then, Mom informed me that she had no need to sit on the commode and instead of arguing - like I used to, I just let her stand up and walk (using her walker) the five feet or so to the recliner. Messy pants are less stress than arguments. She was able to stand and walk with minimal help from me. Her new, shorter, walker is much easier for her to use. Then instead of me pulling her bottom back in the recliner once she was sitting down, I let her sit on the edge for a while until she decided to scoot back herself. And, she was able to do that on her own as well. It just took her a long time to decide to do it. When the OT came, Mom stood up for her a few times (with the walker), and she did some hand squeezing exercises with small balls of yard. She also buttoned some of the buttons on her sweater. The OT showed me some additional exercises to do with Mom's arms to try to get more motion out of the them.
Mom's ring finger has been really bothering her a lot. The ring is sometimes so tight that it gives her pain. (I don't really think that she needs fluid pills again, but the ring does need to be sized larger.) I've been asking the advice of each care provider about Mom's ring this week, and they all agree that it has to come off. But, the OT today had the best advice of all about that. There is a tool you can buy on Amazon for less than ten dollars called a ring cutter. We are going to get that. One person had suggested getting the snips from Stephan's toolbox - but I was too scared. (Good thing too because she's on that Xaralto - what if I had cut her?!?) The nurse thought that "maybe" we could get it off with oil, but I'd already tried that, and it didn't work. Her knuckle is too enlarged from the arthritis. Now that I know there is a proper tool, I'm very relieved. The OT suggested that I call a jeweler and see if they'll loan me one - if I explain the situation. At any rate, once we get the ring cut off, we can get it sized to slip over that knuckle and be safe for her to wear.
Now, Mommy is reading Little House in the Big Woods along with an audio book on youtube while I type this up for you all, and we are both snug and cozy in this warm room.
On the occupational therapist's suggestion, I got Mom a little hairbrush, and she's been brushing her hair with it. This is excellent for getting her arms up high and fighting the dementia which is trying to steal her ability to raise her arms above her head.
It's bitterly cold here today, and so I am spending most of the day in Mom's nice warm room with her. The rest of the house is chilly. (I've even got the bread in here raising because it is too cold in the kitchen.)
So far the day has been really good. When the OT came, Mommy was sitting up in her recliner and had just finished rubbing hand lotion into her hands. Her hands were still a little moist with lotion. I was proud that we remembered to do that. The OT suggested that rubbing hand lotion in was good finger exercise. So, when she called me to say that she was in the vestibule (I knew she was coming today, but I didn't know when), I was so proud that she came in just as we were doing something that she'd given us for "homework."
Earlier today, we did the in-bed leg and arm exercises. Then, Mom informed me that she had no need to sit on the commode and instead of arguing - like I used to, I just let her stand up and walk (using her walker) the five feet or so to the recliner. Messy pants are less stress than arguments. She was able to stand and walk with minimal help from me. Her new, shorter, walker is much easier for her to use. Then instead of me pulling her bottom back in the recliner once she was sitting down, I let her sit on the edge for a while until she decided to scoot back herself. And, she was able to do that on her own as well. It just took her a long time to decide to do it. When the OT came, Mom stood up for her a few times (with the walker), and she did some hand squeezing exercises with small balls of yard. She also buttoned some of the buttons on her sweater. The OT showed me some additional exercises to do with Mom's arms to try to get more motion out of the them.
Mom's ring finger has been really bothering her a lot. The ring is sometimes so tight that it gives her pain. (I don't really think that she needs fluid pills again, but the ring does need to be sized larger.) I've been asking the advice of each care provider about Mom's ring this week, and they all agree that it has to come off. But, the OT today had the best advice of all about that. There is a tool you can buy on Amazon for less than ten dollars called a ring cutter. We are going to get that. One person had suggested getting the snips from Stephan's toolbox - but I was too scared. (Good thing too because she's on that Xaralto - what if I had cut her?!?) The nurse thought that "maybe" we could get it off with oil, but I'd already tried that, and it didn't work. Her knuckle is too enlarged from the arthritis. Now that I know there is a proper tool, I'm very relieved. The OT suggested that I call a jeweler and see if they'll loan me one - if I explain the situation. At any rate, once we get the ring cut off, we can get it sized to slip over that knuckle and be safe for her to wear.
Now, Mommy is reading Little House in the Big Woods along with an audio book on youtube while I type this up for you all, and we are both snug and cozy in this warm room.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Quick Update
Mom's doing so much better that the nurse discharged her today. She will still get visits from the occupational therapist and from the aide who gives the sponge baths, but she doesn't need to see the nurse anymore - not even only once a week. He said that her backside is completely healed, and that she looks great. She probably will also be discharged from physical (not occupational) therapy as well at her next PT visit.
Yesterday, the physical therapist told me that her boss is going to come for an evaluation, but unless Mom is constantly improving - that is walking more and more and more - there isn't much the physical therapists can do. That's why she'll probably be discharged from PT as well. However, she is walking a lot more, and I'm pretty confident that if we keep doing the exercises we can keep her at this level for as long as she's able, and maybe she will even get more mobility.
So, next week, it will probably just be the aide and the occupational therapist coming to visit. But, I'm not at all worried. I feel so confident that I know what I need to do, and I know that if something goes wrong and she has any other trouble, there is help out there.
Mom had a really good day today. She is done looking at pictures, at least for a while, after two days of constant picture gazing, and so I switched gears (Jeanie suggested that I move from thing to thing.) Today, we watched "Annie" twice. (She wanted to watch more of it when it was over so I started it again.) And then I found the Gospel of John on Netflix and we are watching that (for the third time) now. She really likes it. It is the KJV spoken through narration with live action on the screen. So, you see what's happening even though you can't really hear what the actors are saying. The Gospel is read straight through. The actor they have playing Jesus is very unusual looking, and Mary is old and a little heavy, and the woman who is caught in the act of adultery where Jesus writes on the ground is not drop-dead-gorgeous or at least she's not made up to look that way (usually they pick a really doll-up actress for that role). All the other actors are different than I'd expect as well. So, it's a very different interpretation than usual, but it's really interesting to see the action while hearing the Scripture. I like it. I'm glad Mom wants to keep watching it. Pretty soon I'll be very well versed in the Gospel of John. However, Mom is sleeping through this playback. I imagine that the narration is giving her pleasant dreams. :-)
Yesterday, the physical therapist told me that her boss is going to come for an evaluation, but unless Mom is constantly improving - that is walking more and more and more - there isn't much the physical therapists can do. That's why she'll probably be discharged from PT as well. However, she is walking a lot more, and I'm pretty confident that if we keep doing the exercises we can keep her at this level for as long as she's able, and maybe she will even get more mobility.
So, next week, it will probably just be the aide and the occupational therapist coming to visit. But, I'm not at all worried. I feel so confident that I know what I need to do, and I know that if something goes wrong and she has any other trouble, there is help out there.
Mom had a really good day today. She is done looking at pictures, at least for a while, after two days of constant picture gazing, and so I switched gears (Jeanie suggested that I move from thing to thing.) Today, we watched "Annie" twice. (She wanted to watch more of it when it was over so I started it again.) And then I found the Gospel of John on Netflix and we are watching that (for the third time) now. She really likes it. It is the KJV spoken through narration with live action on the screen. So, you see what's happening even though you can't really hear what the actors are saying. The Gospel is read straight through. The actor they have playing Jesus is very unusual looking, and Mary is old and a little heavy, and the woman who is caught in the act of adultery where Jesus writes on the ground is not drop-dead-gorgeous or at least she's not made up to look that way (usually they pick a really doll-up actress for that role). All the other actors are different than I'd expect as well. So, it's a very different interpretation than usual, but it's really interesting to see the action while hearing the Scripture. I like it. I'm glad Mom wants to keep watching it. Pretty soon I'll be very well versed in the Gospel of John. However, Mom is sleeping through this playback. I imagine that the narration is giving her pleasant dreams. :-)
Monday, January 5, 2015
Mail Call :-)
Today, Mommy got a letter from Jeanie and a letter from her sister, Bonnie.
I'm a little frustrated this morning because she is refusing to get out of bed, but I decided to give her the mail and not wait with it. (I thought that maybe she'd decide that getting out of bed was a good idea if she got a shot of happiness through the mail, but it didn't work like that. She still is refusing to get out of bed.)
At any rate, if she's not out of bed by the time the occupational therapist gets here at 2:15, I'll have an ally in my camp. Maybe she'll know what to say to encourage mom decide to get out of bed.
Until then, Click here to see the video of her looking at her mail. Enjoy! Hope you all have a wonderful day.
(Edit: It is now after six, and except for a short break with the Occupational Therapist, mom has been rereading Aunt Bonnie's card and looking at the pictures from Jeanie ALL DAY LONG. Every once in a while, she'll say to me: "Look at this. Did you see this before?" and she'll show me a picture or the card. She is so happy.)
I'm a little frustrated this morning because she is refusing to get out of bed, but I decided to give her the mail and not wait with it. (I thought that maybe she'd decide that getting out of bed was a good idea if she got a shot of happiness through the mail, but it didn't work like that. She still is refusing to get out of bed.)
At any rate, if she's not out of bed by the time the occupational therapist gets here at 2:15, I'll have an ally in my camp. Maybe she'll know what to say to encourage mom decide to get out of bed.
Until then, Click here to see the video of her looking at her mail. Enjoy! Hope you all have a wonderful day.
(Edit: It is now after six, and except for a short break with the Occupational Therapist, mom has been rereading Aunt Bonnie's card and looking at the pictures from Jeanie ALL DAY LONG. Every once in a while, she'll say to me: "Look at this. Did you see this before?" and she'll show me a picture or the card. She is so happy.)
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Aunt Dorothy's Christmas Card (magical) !!!
Here's a video of Mommy's opening a Christmas card from Aunt Dorothy!
Click here to check it out :-)
Click here to check it out :-)
Saturday, January 3, 2015
A NEW WALKER!
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See me trying out the walker in the parking lot :-)
Stephan Peters, THE most amazing second hand shop shopper, found this today for the bargain price of $4.99! WOWZA! We'd adjusted Mom's walker as low as it could go, and it was still a few inches too tall. Both her occupational therapist and her physical therapist have been checking to see if insurance would cover a shorter one, and this one is perfect. No need to bother with begging Medicare anymore. It is the exact same brand she had already, but it is little enough for the little person she has become. In fact, it has to be adjusted up! How cool is that? I think it's pretty cool.
You can see that it is almost at my hip level - almost adjusted right for me in this picture. Mom's hips are still higher than mine from the floor up because most of the shrinking she's dealing with is in her spine. Mom used to be about five feet tall, and she stood just a little bit taller than my four foot ten, but now she's about three or four inches shorter than I am.
Stephan moved the wheels from the front of the old walker onto the new after we got home, and she's already gone for a trial walk.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Catching Smiles
This video was taken the day after Christmas when Aunt Bonnie called mom. The handset works amazingly well. She seems very comfortable talking with it. (Thanks, Brian)
Whenever her sister calls, Mommy always smiles a lot while on the phone, and I was trying to get one of those images to share with you all. However, instead of smiling while she was listening to her sister, Mom got distracted by me and the camera, but we got to see a smile anyway.
Click here to see it.
After I caught it on film, I left the room so she could talk without being distracted by me. She probably smiled dozens of real smiles after I left, but at least we caught a nice smile and a laugh on the camera before that. :-)
Whenever her sister calls, Mommy always smiles a lot while on the phone, and I was trying to get one of those images to share with you all. However, instead of smiling while she was listening to her sister, Mom got distracted by me and the camera, but we got to see a smile anyway.
Click here to see it.
After I caught it on film, I left the room so she could talk without being distracted by me. She probably smiled dozens of real smiles after I left, but at least we caught a nice smile and a laugh on the camera before that. :-)
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