August 31, 2013

     Good morning. I am at home, but Mom is still in the hospital. My sister was able to find help watching her kids so she could come up and spent the night with Mom. I am very thankful to have help with her and very happy to get to sleep in my own bed. I miss her when I am away. On the drive home I got a very painful shooting pain in my left hip, crazy I know but I felt that Mom's hip was hurting her and I was feeling her pain. It made me cry that I wasn't there to help her and protect her. I know she is getting lots of love and attention from my sister and she would keep her safe no matter what. I just worry a lot.
     I was able to get some much needed information yesterday. Someone, an occupational therapist (OT), actually talked to me, truthfully. Which is what I needed most, to be talked to by a real person, told things in plain language and to be brutally honest with me. And she actually listened to me. New estimated day of discharge is Wednesday. This makes me so happy, to get her home sooner than we had originally thought.
     This is what I learned from the OT, due to Mom's Alzheimer's she is not able to learn new things like walking with a walker. So there is no need to concentrate on that aspect of rehab. She needs time to heal from the break and surgery. Then when properly healed and pain is under control she will be able to walk again, hopefully. As long as we work with her doing exercises, range of motion and building strength. All these things we can do at home. We will have a physical therapist come to the house and work with her and we will be taught the exercises we need to do with her to help her get better. Also my past as a nurse and working in the rehab department of a nursing home will help get her home sooner than later. I had already purchased a shower chair and my sister got Mom a potty chair months ago. We also have been using a hospital bed for a while now at home. All we will need is a ramp to get up to the porch, which is being installed by my brother-in-law with the help of my husband on Monday, and a wheelchair, which I think should be supplied through insurance, if not I will find one before we come home.
     We can do everything at home that they are doing at the hospital. Plus she would be in her own home, her own environment where she will be hopefully be more comfortable, less confused, and happier. She will get to be with her little dog that she loves so much and misses like crazy. Today my husband is bring Lucky, Mom's dog, to the hospital and I will get her up in a wheelchair and take her outside so they can spend some time together. Another rule of that area in the hospital that Mom is in that I will be breaking. They say I am not allowed to take her outside. I so hate that place. I can't wait to get her home.
     I need to go get started on getting this house and her room ready for her to come home. Have a good day.

                                                                         April Whitehair  

August 30, 2013

     Good morning. Mom was able to walk to the shower and back with one person assisting her yesterday. She had a shower and was doing very well. That is until she was transferred to a new room, in the UTCC, a transitional care area of the hospital. She will be getting physical therapy twice a day. And hopefully be going home soon. The room change made her very confused. And I quite frankly did not like being here. It is such a change from being in the regular part of the hospital. But like my brother-in-law said as he was trying to calm me down last night, I think we had gotten spoiled by the staff where we were. They were truly exceptional, very caring, kind, and understanding. We have moved to a place in the hospital that is more like a nursing home than hospital. I was very disappointed in the service and the care given. I also disagree with some of their rules. I did however like the physical therapist, she seemed nice and understanding. One thing here that I did not like at first has actually turned out good for us. She is in the last room, I am concerned that no one will be passing by and looking in on her but this negative is a positive at night because it is very quiet, no one passes by making noise. We both slept very well. So I guess with every negative there is a positive. I just need to calm down and deal better with change. I was very upset last night, now I think I may have been over stressed and overreacted. Now with sleep I think I feel better. We shall see how today goes.
     Have a good day.

                                                             April Whitehair     

August 29, 2013

     Good morning. We are still at the hospital. I have noticed something crazy, when I am at home I feel sick, I have a headache, I am on the edge of  tears, I have trouble sleeping, I could bite off my poor husband's head for making any sound, and I am just an all around grump. But when I walk in Mom's hospital room and see her, safe, smiling about something, bright eyed and doing well all my problems just disappear. All I can think of is 'look how well she looks.' I am right next to her if she needs anything. I am right where I am suppose to be. Then as morning nears and it is time for me to leave and my sister to take over I get all stressed again. It is like I am leaving a part of me here. I know that she is being very, very well taken care of. My sister does a better job with her than I do. And my brother-in-law is wonderful with her. And I know she is safe. I still have great anxiety issues with leaving her. I haven't done enough. I haven't made her all better. Why isn't she sitting next to me in my car on the ride home? When I get home and Mom's little dog is waiting inside all excited then I walk through the door with out his Mommy it just breaks his heart and mine. I am so sorry Lucky! My husband wants to bring him up to visit Mom this weekend, she has been able to go outside in the wheelchair for fresh air with my sister during the day. So hopefully this weekend we can surprise her with a special visitor while she is outside. I hope it makes her happy. It will definitely make Lucky happy to see her. 
     I must go tend to Mom. She is hungry and its not time for breakfast trays. Graham crackers and peanut butter, grapes, and milk is what I will get ready for her. Last night I got her a piece of pecan pie and she loved it. Her doctor is less concerned about what she eats than if she eats. We were told to feed her anything she wanted just as long as she ate. And she seems to be getting her appetite back.
     Have a good day.

                                                                     April Whitehair 

August 28, 2013

     Good morning. I am still on this roller coaster of Mom's hospital stay. Everyday brings something good and something bad. Everyday I smile a little and cry a little. I left the hospital crying yesterday because she didn't do very well in therapy but when I returned to the hospital they said she had done great and would hopefully be moved to the rehab area of the hospital today. Which is our goal, get her in rehab so she can learn to walk so I can take her home soon.
     Oh how great it would be to be home again. I have a garden that I am missing growing. And lettuce that has probably already went to seed and have been blown away. Oh well seeds, pumpkins, and gourds are not as important as Mom. Plus there are some things I would like to do around the house to get it ready for her to come home. My poor husband will have a long honey do list soon. He is already keeping things going at home. Taking care of the animals and laundry. Now if I can just get him to learn to use the dishwasher... He is such a great support to me. I don't know what I would do without him.
     Have a good day.

                                                             April Whitehair

August 27, 2013

     Good morning. Yes we are still at the hospital, we will be here probably around 3 weeks. Most of that time will be spent in the rehab department, trying to get Mom walking again. She took 5 steps for physical therapy yesterday. She is having a lot of pain when trying to walk and move around. Hopefully she gets better and stronger each day.
     She actually slept last night, this is after 2 full days and nights being awake. They had to give her blood due to low hemoglobin levels. And they gave her a Benadryl because they said that getting blood makes you itch sometimes. Well she never complained about itching all she has done is sleep except when she wakes up to tell me she wants to go home. I hope this good night of rest will help her be refreshed and ready for physical therapy today.
     Well I am going to go. Have a good day.

                                                                     April Whitehair

August 26, 2013

     Good morning. I feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster. I am very positive and sure things will be ok one minute then I will feel like she will never recover the next. I think I am expecting to much to soon. Mom just had her surgery the day before yesterday. Right? I keep getting the days mixed up. They got her up and walked a few steps to the chair yesterday, then walked back to bed, then up a couple of times to the potty chair. They all say she is doing good for just having surgery so soon ago. It hurts her quite a bit but she does it. Then last night I fell asleep around midnight and Mom somehow climbed over the bed rail to go to the potty the nurse seen her and ran in to help her, that's when I woke up. I may never sleep again. And I didn't. Mostly because she would yell for me every 20 minutes to use the bed pan. She is on iv fluids and it keeps her going, constantly. She didn't sleep a wink, even after a 3 am dose of Morphine. She will tire out soon and probably be to sleepy to do a good job at her therapy session today. My sister will be coming in to be with Mom today and I hope they have a good day and have a positive report for me when I get back.
     Change of subject for a little bit. I got my second set of seeds from the seed of the month club. Yeah! I got Parsnips, Kale, Melon, and Zucchini. Those are all new to me. I have never grew any of those before and I don't think I have ever ate parsnips. My garden next year will be an adventure that's for sure. I miss my garden, even though there wasn't much of it left. I do have several birdhouse gourds growing and a couple pumpkins. I will check on them when I get home today.
     I am going to go. Have a good day.

                                                                      April Whitehair

August 25, 2013

     Good morning. Mom's surgery went well yesterday. They were able to use the pin to fix to break instead of having to do the hip replacement. The doctors are very positive about her recovery. If she tries really hard to get up and moving she will hopefully be accepted in to rehab and get back somewhat to her old self. I was able to go home shortly after she returned to her room and we seen she was ok. My sister and her husband is staying with her until I get back this morning. I talked to them last night and they said she was doing great.  I was able to sleep last night. And I slept. I haven't slept that well in years.
     Yesterday was my birthday. My sister and her husband got me a gift card to IHOP and my husband and I went to breakfast to celebrate my birthday. While waiting when Mom was in surgery my family went to get lunch and they sung Happy Birthday to me in the lunch room. Thank goodness there wasn't many people in there or I would have been really embarrassed.  I got my canner! Though I won't be able to try it for a while, I opened it and looked at it and am very excited to use it. I am now reading the book that came with it so I will know how to use it when I get the chance.
     I am running behind already this morning. I should be on the road to the hospital. I will get there soon enough. I hope that Mom does well with her therapy. Today she should be getting out of bed and up in a chair.
     Thank you everyone who said prayers for her. We will need them to keep coming to help her get through the therapy she will need. Have a good day.

                                                                     April Whitehair