A Question for Meghan

Hi Meghan. Hope you are enjoying your Nook Color. Can you tell me how it is? Do you like the way it works? I would especially like to know how you use it the most and what you think it is best for. I am thinking of getting a Kindle Fire next week since Leo sat on my original Kindle and broke it. Wasn't that when you were with us?

Anyway, if you or your mother, or anyone else, has an opinion about it I would like to hear it.

btw, we celebrated Tet last week with Maggie, her family, and about a dozen little Vietnamese kids.

See you all in March (with my new reader, whichever one it turns out to be(

See my comment to last post for update

Friday Update

Got Mother a pair of slippers and when I took off the socks they were soaking wet. Her ankles swollen and so they were "leaking" out of any cut/bumps on her legs. This has happened in the past at home so it wasn't a shock/surprise to me. Got the nurse & told her that she needs to have her legs elevated more. Sitting in the wheel chair reading all day with legs hanging down when not at therapy or the dining room not good. Nurse put in a call to doctor to get a diuretic (you know what I mean). Good thing I'm taking her to heart doctor Monday...hopefully.

Updates

Update for Mother:  Meghan and I saw her yesterday on the way out of town for a volleyball tournament in Orlando and we saw her on the way back late this afternoon, but only for a short while.  She was in good spirits bot times.  We wheeled her down to the dining room both times and left when she got ready to eat as you cannot stay in there with her.  It is the "helping" dining room and they watch them and remind them to chew good and swallow twice so they don't choke.  No family visitors allowed.  She was restin in bed when we got there today but had already rang for help to get up.  She likes to take an hour or so rest in bed during the afternoon because they get her up so early to go down to the dining hall in the morning...like 6:00 a.m.

This was Meghan's first tournament of the season and though they did not win any matches they did win one game and steadily improved wtih each game they played.  She played awesome (yes I know I'm her mother).  She seemed to have a really good time.  We are only just begining though and will have many more tournaments to go to....more in Orlando, some in Tampa, one in Atlanta and one in Kansas City.

Wed Update

Mother looking good! But this morning as she lay sleeping the lights suddenly went on & a lady got her up, got her dressed & wheeled out & left by the desk next to the little dining room. It was 5:45am ish. She hadn't been warned that they get you up early for 7:30 breakfast in the "theraphy dining room". I told Tanya that 7am would be so much better. Leave her for the last to get up & ready. While I was there Karen from the office came to go over a bunch of stuff like insurance, rules, etc and left copy of all she signed with other info in a blue folder that I put on the nightside table. This weekend I want to see about that little hair dryer & her rollers for the next time they shower/wash her hair. Norma left today & a new roomie will be brought in this evening sometime.

Blaine's update for Monday

Miranda, the speech therapist, came at breakfast and watched Mother eat. She is also working on adding some more solid foods to her diet. She brought a muffin that Mother ate most of with a lot of butter. It turns out that is what we have been trying to identify as the blob of sweet stuff that she gets with meals. She had some therapy in the morning and afternoon and that seemed to go well. She did not eat a lot for supper and said that her blood sugar had tested low in the late afternoon and they had "forced" her to eat applesauce and pudding. So she said she was not that hungry. The man that Elizabeth said was fighting with the nurses in the morning tried to come into the room at supper time. When I kept him out he started yelling that that was his room and I shut the door on him. When the man across the hall came back from supper his wife told me that the fellow was over at his bed and saying that was his room.

Sat Mother Update

She ate well today and NOT in the bed but in wheelchair. Meghan took her for a twirl up the hall yesterday & I didn't today. Hoping that this week, at least at lunch time, she'll go to dining room. She's been saying not yet & Elizabeth thought because she thought she'd have to sit with others & talk during meal. I bought the supject up & that was the reason. I explained that she can sit with someone who has relative feeding them like Walt with David or (as nurse April said) she can sit by herself and that many just can't talk. Explained that it's not a crowded dining room and she can sit where she's comfortable.

Spam Trash Can

I looked thru all my posts and the earlier ones don't have the little trash can at bottom of the "infiltrator" & the stuff still there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH!!!!!

The youngest Jessee is a year older!

Thursday - from Blaine

Was by this morning. She ate well for breakfast and wants them to take her for a walk in the hall. Alice said they now have a room at Bayshore Pointe and will try to set up a move at 2 PM.

Wed Update

Mother was released today BUT Bayshort Pointe had no "female" bed for her so HOPEFULLY tomorrow. She was a bit miffed as she was in bed all day & no walk.
I did not order the spagetti she got at lunch but meat loaf. The best laid plans. But she did get hot tea with lemon/sugar.

Tuesday Evening Update

Mother look really good & in good spirits. I was there with Meghan & left when Elizabeth arrived & dinner hadn't but then it was only 5:40pm. The plan is to send her back to Bayshore Pt. tommorrow. I'm interested to see how much she's gained as she been putting it away both pureed & Ensure & thickened tea.

Meghan's Basketball Game

Meghan in her game.

She hauls in the pass!

She turns and shoots.

SHE SCORES!!!!

Monday Morning Update

Just spoke to Brandy, Mother's night nurse, and she's doing well. Only up about 3 times to use bedpan which sounded good to me. Blood sugar dipped a bit but went up again. Orders for 3 Ensures daily which will be to much, I think, so we can set aside & stock pile. Can put in patient-only frig with her name on them. I'm going over a little later.

Sunday Mother Update

Well Elizabeth & I both called Blaine to tell him to check on Mother as when Elizabeth went about 11:30 ish she said she was just soooo sleepy and didn't know why. Blaine got there & they checked vitals. she passed out, unresponsive, 911, woke up, back to Memorial ER and finally back to same 213 room about 6 ish something. She knows where she is & asked even about Meghan's volleyball game.

This time 1800 calories as opposed to 1500 & no caffeine no sugar last week. Pureeed but off the menu of what she picks out. Thicken in all liquids, And after over a week without tea it seems she can have her beloved hot tea with sugar & lemon. But I'm expecting to find the hated, never order coffee on her breakfast try. Oh yes, Ensure, chocolate, in afternoon. After a week with no chocolate it will be good for her. We know how she likes her candy and ice cream.

Blaine's update on Mother

Was by to see Mother near the end of her breakfast. Miranda, the speech therapist, was with her and had seen about what she was eating and what she will eat. Mother ate the cream of wheat that she had gotten for her and eggs and yogurt. She will be on the pureed over the week end, and Miranda will start working on getting her on more solid foods next week when she is back to work. She knows Wendy the speech therapist over at Memorial and when I told her that had run the tests on Mom she said that she would call if they didn't have copies and get them. I told her what I knew about the results. They have thickened liquid in containers that they will bring for Mother and one was there on the table this morning. Oh, Miranda said she would order the "Magic Cups" for Mother twice a day. Mom said that she liked those.

Mother

They transpoted Mother from the hospital to the "rehab" center this afternoon.  Scheduled at 3:30 and she got there about 4:10.  In a different room then before.  Jackie stayed until her dinner came which was good as there was a mix up and she had some other person's gluten free meal of cottage cheese and fruit.  They found mother's which was pureed and even though she doesn't have to have pureed, she likes it and wanted it.  Jackie has tomorrow off and plans to go in the morning and talk to the physical therapist.  I think her room is bigger this time and the view from the window is better....not that she cares I don't think.  We will wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Tomrrow Transfer!

When I left 4pm this afternoon she was looking forward to dinner. She brushed her teeth after having to remove the oxegen hose as it was falling out. Think they will perhaps removed tonight or for sure in a.m but not sure. CPN didn't know what still on her. She wants her nose spray as thinking her drainage is main reason for the choking sessions. She's to be transferred tomorrow back to Bayshore Pt. Hopefully during sun light hours and not at 8pm. I was told at Memorial "oh we like to move during the day as that's the best time". hummmmm. I didn't laugh out loud.

Update on Mother

When I got to her room a bit after 3pm to see how the transfer going her nurse was checking her pulse and on the phone (with dr. I guess). Seems that around 5am there was some more irregularity with her heart beat. Both heart doctors had been there and felt that the "regular & then a-fib" didn't look good & they didn't want to transfer today. She's back on soft food due to sometimes chokin Tonight having roast pork, mashed pots, peaches, cherry italian ice. All purreed we hope (sp?) except ice which will be probably melted by the time she's ready to eat it.

At least they're not moving her with 29 degrees & windy conditions.

Mother Update

Elizabeth reported that Mother could have been released today but no social workers nor administration working so sometime tomorrow she should be transferred back to the rehap place. Anxious to hear if she actually got the dinner that was ordered as she didn't get the lunch...no red meat/soft diet and she was served a hamburger which Meghan said was delicious!

Mother A.M. Report

Sore throat better but sneezing & voice sounds abnormal. I just spoke to Kelly at 2nd fl desk and she had checked on Mother who's doing good. She was up with bedpan several times which is normal. We joked that they could provide me with a mask.

Mother's grandchildren

Here is a Christmas photo of my children, Marshall and Jenifer, with their "little" cousin Meghan between them. (Jenifer, the stylish lady from New York, gave Meghan the hat for Christmas.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well, Meghan and I staid up past midnight to see the ball drop in Times Square and wondered if Jenifer was there.  We had sparkling grape juice, poppers and sparklers.  I think I got a 5-min nap but with Meghan I don't get to rest much.....too many things to do.

Update on Mother - saw her at lunch after many visitors left.  Jackie had been there at breakfast, Blaine and Judy were there, Vickie was there, and Father Donlon came by.  Meghan was hungry (didn't like the free lunch that I got in the cafeteria - I thought it was delicious), so we didn't stay very long.  Now we are going to go do the laundry.

I don't think mother had a very good night.  Something she ate at dinner choked her and she said it bothered her throat all night.  Plus she said she was on the bed pan a lot last night and felt she had UTI but doctor told her just to drink more fluid.  So, she is drinking the water and I got her cranberry juice at lunch.  She told me her heart doctor said her heart beat was back to  normal and they could probably release her in the next day or so.....hope they don't decide to do that tonight at 8:00 like before.  They always tell you at the last minute and never give you any warning or time to prepare.  I'm a planner.....

Anyway, hope everyone has a wonderful year in 2012....safe, prosperous and good health.