Mom Update 11/18/2008 (OT)

It's been pretty much an all-day ordeal, but Mom's home. When I met her at
the door and the guys with the gurney got her inside I said, "You're home,
Mom!" She replied, "It's about time!"

Before she arrived the social worker from Tidewater Hospice sat and talked
with me at length. Then the RN arrived. Then the CNA from Right At Home (a
caregiver assistance agency) arrived just before Mom did. The EMS guys
showed up and got Mom into her bed. They left me some "turn sheets", some
bed pads and 3 extra bed pillows. (I guess that makes up for her personal
pillow the *last* EMS guys took off her bed and the hospital managed to
lose!)

The nurse (Cat... heheh) and the CNA (Shay) got Mom settled in. She said
she wanted to rest before changing into her bedclothes. She seemed pretty
darn lucid to me. But it was obvious she's exhausted.

A minute later her doctor showed up. Yep, I had the whole crew in here at
once. The nurse had a copy of Mom's discharge instructions and a list of 30
(THIRTY?!!) prescriptions for her! The doctor went through the list and
eliminated everything but two he'd already prescribed, one additional
something and a chewable baby aspirin to act as a mild blood thinner. This
is to prevent clots post-surgery. He told me to get liquid Tylenol to give
her if she says she's in pain. (I can't take Tylenol so I had no idea they
make it in liquid form!) Right now she's not in pain. She's resting.

The hospital sent over a ridiculous low sodium/low fat "cardiac diet". Low
fat for an 80 lb. woman?! Her doctor said at this point there is absolutely
no reason to tell her she can't eat something if she wants it and will eat
it. Lord knows we were already concerned about how little she eats. He
said the emphasis right now is to make her life better any little way we
can. If she wants fried chicken, let her have fried chicken. If she wants
eggs, let her have them. If she wants a pound of bacon or hunk of chocolate
cake, who cares?

He examined her, talked briefly with me again to reiterate a few things,
then he left. The nurse left; she'll be back on Friday. (The hospice
nurses are on call 24/7 if I need help or advice between now and then.) The
social worker from the hospice - a strapping yet very knowledgeable man -
moved a comfy chair (no way I could move it) from the den into Mom's room.
The CNA is sitting in there reading a book next to a standing floor lamp,
keeping an eye on her and making sure she's comfortable. She'll be here
until 7PM unless I tell her I need her to stay longer or get in a 2nd shift
person.

She'll be back at 8AM tomorrow and the schedule can be adjusted as we figure
things out over the next few days. I think during the night things will be
okay without anyone here. Shay will try to get Mom's "diaper" changed
before she leaves and get her into her bedclothes. She may not permit it.
It's been a tiring day for her and she doesn't like to be fussed over. It's
been a tiring couple of days for me, too.

At this point we don't know if she'll actually use the wheelchair that was
delivered. I think it's best to have it on hand just in case. She'll
probably be pretty much bed-bound from here on out. Only time will tell.

The hospice nurse is going to to order a pressure mattress (topper). It
alternates pressure points to avoid bed sores since she's only comfortable
lying on her right side. It will be tricky to get it on the bed since
she'll have to be gotten OFF the bed. They told me the medical supply
delivery guys will help me and the CNA get her into the wheelchair (she's
dead weight) while they put it on. Then we'll remake the bed and get her
back into it.

I'll [we'll] just have take it a day at a time over the next few days and
see how things go.

OB CATS: Mom asked meb where Persia is while the doctor, the CNA, the nurse
and I were in the room with her. I laughed and said, "You know she's hiding
from all these strange people!" Again, she seemed pretty darn lucid to me
for someone who has gone through what she's gone through. And getting her
off those 30 prescriptions certainly won't hurt.

I'm a little concerned about the CNA, Shay. Oh, she's wonderful. She has a
great and caring disposition. She's very sweet and Mom doesn't seem have a
problem with her. But she'll be here 10-12 hours tomorrow. So I asked what
she likes to eat. I'll be able to go to the grocery store tomorrow while
she's here. I asked is there anything I should buy that she likes, maybe
make her some lunch? She assured me she'll bring some crackers or apples or
carrot sticks from home, she'll be fine. That's a long shift; I feel like I
should feed her! LOL It's something I never even thought about until
today.

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to her
quality of life and comfort care.

Jill

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to her
quality of life and comfort care.

Jill

The purrs are continuing. I can't imagine the strain you must be under.

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

I'm a little concerned about the CNA, Shay. Oh, she's wonderful.
She has a great and caring disposition. She's very sweet and Mom
doesn't seem have a problem with her. But she'll be here 10-12
hours tomorrow. So I asked what she likes to eat. I'll be able to
go to the grocery store tomorrow while she's here. I asked is there
anything I should buy that she likes, maybe make her some lunch?
She assured me she'll bring some crackers or apples or carrot sticks
from home, she'll be fine. That's a long shift; I feel like I
should feed her! LOL It's something I never even thought about
until today.

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to
her quality of life and comfort care.

Jill

Settling purrs on the way.

I know I don't like to be a bother as far as having food available
when I go to take care of my granddaughter for the day. But I do
appreciate there is always bottled water and soda's, regular and diet
in the refrigerator.

I usually toss a Lean Cuisine and a yogurt into my backpack for the
day.

And I always pick up my weekly latte on the way there.

Jo

jmcquown wrote:
It's been pretty much an all-day ordeal, but Mom's home. When I met her
at the door and the guys with the gurney got her inside I said, "You're
home, Mom!" She replied, "It's about time!"

Before she arrived the social worker from Tidewater Hospice sat and
talked with me at length. Then the RN arrived. Then the CNA from Right
At Home (a caregiver assistance agency) arrived just before Mom did.
The EMS guys showed up and got Mom into her bed. They left me some
"turn sheets", some bed pads and 3 extra bed pillows. (I guess that
makes up for her personal pillow the *last* EMS guys took off her bed
and the hospital managed to lose!)

The nurse (Cat... heheh) and the CNA (Shay) got Mom settled in. She
said she wanted to rest before changing into her bedclothes. She seemed
pretty darn lucid to me. But it was obvious she's exhausted.

A minute later her doctor showed up. Yep, I had the whole crew in here
at once. The nurse had a copy of Mom's discharge instructions and a
list of 30 (THIRTY?!!) prescriptions for her! The doctor went through
the list and eliminated everything but two he'd already prescribed, one
additional something and a chewable baby aspirin to act as a mild blood
thinner. This is to prevent clots post-surgery. He told me to get
liquid Tylenol to give her if she says she's in pain. (I can't take
Tylenol so I had no idea they make it in liquid form!) Right now she's
not in pain. She's resting.

The hospital sent over a ridiculous low sodium/low fat "cardiac diet".
Low fat for an 80 lb. woman?! Her doctor said at this point there is
absolutely no reason to tell her she can't eat something if she wants it
and will eat it. Lord knows we were already concerned about how little
she eats. He said the emphasis right now is to make her life better any
little way we can. If she wants fried chicken, let her have fried
chicken. If she wants eggs, let her have them. If she wants a pound of
bacon or hunk of chocolate cake, who cares?

He examined her, talked briefly with me again to reiterate a few things,
then he left. The nurse left; she'll be back on Friday. (The hospice
nurses are on call 24/7 if I need help or advice between now and then.)
The social worker from the hospice - a strapping yet very knowledgeable
man - moved a comfy chair (no way I could move it) from the den into
Mom's room. The CNA is sitting in there reading a book next to a
standing floor lamp, keeping an eye on her and making sure she's
comfortable. She'll be here until 7PM unless I tell her I need her to
stay longer or get in a 2nd shift person.

She'll be back at 8AM tomorrow and the schedule can be adjusted as we
figure things out over the next few days. I think during the night
things will be okay without anyone here. Shay will try to get Mom's
"diaper" changed before she leaves and get her into her bedclothes. She
may not permit it. It's been a tiring day for her and she doesn't like
to be fussed over. It's been a tiring couple of days for me, too.

At this point we don't know if she'll actually use the wheelchair that
was delivered. I think it's best to have it on hand just in case.
She'll probably be pretty much bed-bound from here on out. Only time
will tell.

The hospice nurse is going to to order a pressure mattress (topper). It
alternates pressure points to avoid bed sores since she's only
comfortable lying on her right side. It will be tricky to get it on the
bed since she'll have to be gotten OFF the bed. They told me the
medical supply delivery guys will help me and the CNA get her into the
wheelchair (she's dead weight) while they put it on. Then we'll remake
the bed and get her back into it.

I'll [we'll] just have take it a day at a time over the next few days
and see how things go.

OB CATS: Mom asked meb where Persia is while the doctor, the CNA, the
nurse and I were in the room with her. I laughed and said, "You know
she's hiding from all these strange people!" Again, she seemed pretty
darn lucid to me for someone who has gone through what she's gone
through. And getting her off those 30 prescriptions certainly won't hurt.

I'm a little concerned about the CNA, Shay. Oh, she's wonderful. She
has a great and caring disposition. She's very sweet and Mom doesn't
seem have a problem with her. But she'll be here 10-12 hours tomorrow.
So I asked what she likes to eat. I'll be able to go to the grocery
store tomorrow while she's here. I asked is there anything I should buy
that she likes, maybe make her some lunch? She assured me she'll bring
some crackers or apples or carrot sticks from home, she'll be fine.
That's a long shift; I feel like I should feed her! LOL It's something
I never even thought about until today.

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to her
quality of life and comfort care.

Jill

Sounds like getting your mom of the hospital's drug regimen (no wonder
there are so many addicts around - the hospitals practically spoon feed
it to them!) is certainly helping.

She may or may not be bed-bound, but only you (and you mom, of course)
will be able to determine that. And there is someone there to help if
she decides to try and get up - it may happen since she is home and will
probably start to feeling better.

I am so glad that you found a Dr. that actually seems to CARE. That is
so rare, and you might want to tell him so!

And Persia may even help, just by being there. she may decide that
Mom's cool, and hop up on the bed to warm her tootsies (this time of
year, I love having a (or several) fur-bearing critter(s) near me as I
snuggle under the covers & try to get warm). I just hope Persia doesn't
lay ON you mom's feet and cut off circulation!

--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's been pretty much an all-day ordeal, but Mom's home. When I met her
at the door and the guys with the gurney got her inside I said, "You're
home, Mom!" She replied, "It's about time!"

Before she arrived the social worker from Tidewater Hospice sat and talked
with me at length. Then the RN arrived. Then the CNA from Right At Home
(a caregiver assistance agency) arrived just before Mom did. The EMS guys
showed up and got Mom into her bed. They left me some "turn sheets", some
bed pads and 3 extra bed pillows. (I guess that makes up for her personal
pillow the *last* EMS guys took off her bed and the hospital managed to
lose!)

snip
Jill

Hospitals and nursing homes *always* seem to lose personal pillows. I took
a goose-down pillow for my mother to the nursing home, and it disappeared
the next day. Then I took another one and used a black marker to write her
name in huge letters all across the cover. That one lasted for two days!
So, I had to give up on nice personal pillows. I even had difficulty
leaving candy for her. A one-pound bag disappeared overnight. I solved
that one by buying a small lock chest (combination numbers), printed her
name on it in bold letters, and kept it in one of her dresser drawers. I
shared the combination with a close friend who visited often, but no one
else. So, she always had candy when either of us visited. It sounds
ridiculous to "lock" candy, but that was the only way I could keep any for
her. She was not able to get her own candy, so that system did not prevent
her from doing anything -- it just kept "the wrong people" from developing
sticky fingers. Very sad commentary.

Like you, I was always pleased with anything my mother could or would eat.
It doesn't make any sense to place people on a restrictive diet when the
problem is that they are getting very little nutrition at all. I even faced
a problem when nursing home staff insisted that my mother needed to be kept
on oxygen. It was very uncomfortable for her and seemed to do no good at
all. I told the doctor the percentage that the nurse insisted was needed in
order to keep her off oxygen, and he said the only people who would be able
to meet that standard were young people at the peak of physical condition!
So, he ordered the oxygen discontinued, and we were able to maintain that
until shortly before she died.

That's great news that your mother even thought about Persia. I think that
shows a great deal of cognition after such a long and stressful stay in the
hospital. I hope you are successful in caring for her at home. It is a
difficult and daunting assignment.

MaryL

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's been pretty much an all-day ordeal, but Mom's home. When I met her
at the door and the guys with the gurney got her inside I said, "You're
home, Mom!" She replied, "It's about time!"

Before she arrived the social worker from Tidewater Hospice sat and talked
with me at length. Then the RN arrived. Then the CNA from Right At Home
(a caregiver assistance agency) arrived just before Mom did. The EMS guys
showed up and got Mom into her bed. They left me some "turn sheets", some
bed pads and 3 extra bed pillows. (I guess that makes up for her personal
pillow the *last* EMS guys took off her bed and the hospital managed to
lose!)

The nurse (Cat... heheh) and the CNA (Shay) got Mom settled in. She said
she wanted to rest before changing into her bedclothes. She seemed pretty
darn lucid to me. But it was obvious she's exhausted.

A minute later her doctor showed up. Yep, I had the whole crew in here at
once. The nurse had a copy of Mom's discharge instructions and a list of
30 (THIRTY?!!) prescriptions for her! The doctor went through the list
and eliminated everything but two he'd already prescribed, one additional
something and a chewable baby aspirin to act as a mild blood thinner.
This is to prevent clots post-surgery. He told me to get liquid Tylenol
to give her if she says she's in pain. (I can't take Tylenol so I had no
idea they make it in liquid form!) Right now she's not in pain. She's
resting.

The hospital sent over a ridiculous low sodium/low fat "cardiac diet".
Low fat for an 80 lb. woman?! Her doctor said at this point there is
absolutely no reason to tell her she can't eat something if she wants it
and will eat it. Lord knows we were already concerned about how little
she eats. He said the emphasis right now is to make her life better any
little way we can. If she wants fried chicken, let her have fried
chicken. If she wants eggs, let her have them. If she wants a pound of
bacon or hunk of chocolate cake, who cares?

He examined her, talked briefly with me again to reiterate a few things,
then he left. The nurse left; she'll be back on Friday. (The hospice
nurses are on call 24/7 if I need help or advice between now and then.)
The social worker from the hospice - a strapping yet very knowledgeable
man - moved a comfy chair (no way I could move it) from the den into Mom's
room. The CNA is sitting in there reading a book next to a standing floor
lamp, keeping an eye on her and making sure she's comfortable. She'll be
here until 7PM unless I tell her I need her to stay longer or get in a 2nd
shift person.

She'll be back at 8AM tomorrow and the schedule can be adjusted as we
figure things out over the next few days. I think during the night things
will be okay without anyone here. Shay will try to get Mom's "diaper"
changed before she leaves and get her into her bedclothes. She may not
permit it. It's been a tiring day for her and she doesn't like to be
fussed over. It's been a tiring couple of days for me, too.

At this point we don't know if she'll actually use the wheelchair that was
delivered. I think it's best to have it on hand just in case. She'll
probably be pretty much bed-bound from here on out. Only time will tell.

The hospice nurse is going to to order a pressure mattress (topper). It
alternates pressure points to avoid bed sores since she's only comfortable
lying on her right side. It will be tricky to get it on the bed since
she'll have to be gotten OFF the bed. They told me the medical supply
delivery guys will help me and the CNA get her into the wheelchair (she's
dead weight) while they put it on. Then we'll remake the bed and get her
back into it.

I'll [we'll] just have take it a day at a time over the next few days and
see how things go.

OB CATS: Mom asked meb where Persia is while the doctor, the CNA, the
nurse and I were in the room with her. I laughed and said, "You know
she's hiding from all these strange people!" Again, she seemed pretty
darn lucid to me for someone who has gone through what she's gone through.
And getting her off those 30 prescriptions certainly won't hurt.

I'm a little concerned about the CNA, Shay. Oh, she's wonderful. She has
a great and caring disposition. She's very sweet and Mom doesn't seem
have a problem with her. But she'll be here 10-12 hours tomorrow. So I
asked what she likes to eat. I'll be able to go to the grocery store
tomorrow while she's here. I asked is there anything I should buy that
she likes, maybe make her some lunch? She assured me she'll bring some
crackers or apples or carrot sticks from home, she'll be fine. That's a
long shift; I feel like I should feed her! LOL It's something I never
even thought about until today.

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to her
quality of life and comfort care.

Good to hear it, Jill. I know you weren't ready, but hey, you're as ready
as ever!! And I'm so glad you have all of the help. Your mom is much
better off being home with you and Persia and the familiar surroundings!!

Thanks for the update (and support you gave me too)!

--

·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
Laurie
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ·.·

*~*LiveLoveLaugh*~*

All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.
~Abraham Lincoln




Jill

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:41:55 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:

It's been pretty much an all-day ordeal, but Mom's home. When I met her at
the door and the guys with the gurney got her inside I said, "You're home,
Mom!" She replied, "It's about time!"

snip

Glad she's home, and purrs being sent that all goes well.

--
Steve Touchstone
Little Bit, Sammy, Spotty, Princess, Furby
and Rocky (RB)
Pix at http://tinyurl.com/22pfn8
Vids at http://tinyurl.com/4yb6nj

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's been pretty much an all-day ordeal, but Mom's home. When I met her
at the door and the guys with the gurney got her inside I said, "You're
home, Mom!" She replied, "It's about time!"

Before she arrived the social worker from Tidewater Hospice sat and talked
with me at length. Then the RN arrived. Then the CNA from Right At Home
(a caregiver assistance agency) arrived just before Mom did. The EMS guys
showed up and got Mom into her bed. They left me some "turn sheets", some
bed pads and 3 extra bed pillows. (I guess that makes up for her personal
pillow the *last* EMS guys took off her bed and the hospital managed to
lose!)

The nurse (Cat... heheh) and the CNA (Shay) got Mom settled in. She said
she wanted to rest before changing into her bedclothes. She seemed pretty
darn lucid to me. But it was obvious she's exhausted.

A minute later her doctor showed up. Yep, I had the whole crew in here at
once. The nurse had a copy of Mom's discharge instructions and a list of
30 (THIRTY?!!) prescriptions for her! The doctor went through the list
and eliminated everything but two he'd already prescribed, one additional
something and a chewable baby aspirin to act as a mild blood thinner.
This is to prevent clots post-surgery. He told me to get liquid Tylenol
to give her if she says she's in pain. (I can't take Tylenol so I had no
idea they make it in liquid form!) Right now she's not in pain. She's
resting.

The hospital sent over a ridiculous low sodium/low fat "cardiac diet".
Low fat for an 80 lb. woman?! Her doctor said at this point there is
absolutely no reason to tell her she can't eat something if she wants it
and will eat it. Lord knows we were already concerned about how little
she eats. He said the emphasis right now is to make her life better any
little way we can. If she wants fried chicken, let her have fried
chicken. If she wants eggs, let her have them. If she wants a pound of
bacon or hunk of chocolate cake, who cares?

He examined her, talked briefly with me again to reiterate a few things,
then he left. The nurse left; she'll be back on Friday. (The hospice
nurses are on call 24/7 if I need help or advice between now and then.)
The social worker from the hospice - a strapping yet very knowledgeable
man - moved a comfy chair (no way I could move it) from the den into Mom's
room. The CNA is sitting in there reading a book next to a standing floor
lamp, keeping an eye on her and making sure she's comfortable. She'll be
here until 7PM unless I tell her I need her to stay longer or get in a 2nd
shift person.

She'll be back at 8AM tomorrow and the schedule can be adjusted as we
figure things out over the next few days. I think during the night things
will be okay without anyone here. Shay will try to get Mom's "diaper"
changed before she leaves and get her into her bedclothes. She may not
permit it. It's been a tiring day for her and she doesn't like to be
fussed over. It's been a tiring couple of days for me, too.

At this point we don't know if she'll actually use the wheelchair that was
delivered. I think it's best to have it on hand just in case. She'll
probably be pretty much bed-bound from here on out. Only time will tell.

The hospice nurse is going to to order a pressure mattress (topper). It
alternates pressure points to avoid bed sores since she's only comfortable
lying on her right side. It will be tricky to get it on the bed since
she'll have to be gotten OFF the bed. They told me the medical supply
delivery guys will help me and the CNA get her into the wheelchair (she's
dead weight) while they put it on. Then we'll remake the bed and get her
back into it.

I'll [we'll] just have take it a day at a time over the next few days and
see how things go.

OB CATS: Mom asked meb where Persia is while the doctor, the CNA, the
nurse and I were in the room with her. I laughed and said, "You know
she's hiding from all these strange people!" Again, she seemed pretty
darn lucid to me for someone who has gone through what she's gone through.
And getting her off those 30 prescriptions certainly won't hurt.

I'm a little concerned about the CNA, Shay. Oh, she's wonderful. She has
a great and caring disposition. She's very sweet and Mom doesn't seem
have a problem with her. But she'll be here 10-12 hours tomorrow. So I
asked what she likes to eat. I'll be able to go to the grocery store
tomorrow while she's here. I asked is there anything I should buy that
she likes, maybe make her some lunch? She assured me she'll bring some
crackers or apples or carrot sticks from home, she'll be fine. That's a
long shift; I feel like I should feed her! LOL It's something I never
even thought about until today.

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to her
quality of life and comfort care.

Jill


--
Purrs on the way-- Glad you have her home again.


Theresa and Dante
drtmuirATearthlink.net

Stinky Forever: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh

On Nov 18, 5:41 pm, "jmcquown" wrote:

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to her
quality of life and comfort care.

Jill

Purrrs for you and Mom and Persia on the way.

–
Will in New Haven
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Mousies acting cheeky like we weren't even there.
I watched birdies dancing and singing right by our front gate..
All those critters will be gone soon, like dew in sun..
Time to pounce.

God bless you, Jill. I can only hope that my daughter has the same kind of
love and patience for me and her dad if we
ever need her in our old age. You are truly a 'good' daughter.

Lily & her mama


"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's been pretty much an all-day ordeal, but Mom's home. When I met her
at the door and the guys with the gurney got her inside I said, "You're
home, Mom!" She replied, "It's about time!"

Before she arrived the social worker from Tidewater Hospice sat and talked
with me at length. Then the RN arrived. Then the CNA from Right At Home
(a caregiver assistance agency) arrived just before Mom did. The EMS guys
showed up and got Mom into her bed. They left me some "turn sheets", some
bed pads and 3 extra bed pillows. (I guess that makes up for her personal
pillow the *last* EMS guys took off her bed and the hospital managed to
lose!)

The nurse (Cat... heheh) and the CNA (Shay) got Mom settled in. She said
she wanted to rest before changing into her bedclothes. She seemed pretty
darn lucid to me. But it was obvious she's exhausted.

A minute later her doctor showed up. Yep, I had the whole crew in here at
once. The nurse had a copy of Mom's discharge instructions and a list of
30 (THIRTY?!!) prescriptions for her! The doctor went through the list
and eliminated everything but two he'd already prescribed, one additional
something and a chewable baby aspirin to act as a mild blood thinner.
This is to prevent clots post-surgery. He told me to get liquid Tylenol
to give her if she says she's in pain. (I can't take Tylenol so I had no
idea they make it in liquid form!) Right now she's not in pain. She's
resting.

The hospital sent over a ridiculous low sodium/low fat "cardiac diet".
Low fat for an 80 lb. woman?! Her doctor said at this point there is
absolutely no reason to tell her she can't eat something if she wants it
and will eat it. Lord knows we were already concerned about how little
she eats. He said the emphasis right now is to make her life better any
little way we can. If she wants fried chicken, let her have fried
chicken. If she wants eggs, let her have them. If she wants a pound of
bacon or hunk of chocolate cake, who cares?

He examined her, talked briefly with me again to reiterate a few things,
then he left. The nurse left; she'll be back on Friday. (The hospice
nurses are on call 24/7 if I need help or advice between now and then.)
The social worker from the hospice - a strapping yet very knowledgeable
man - moved a comfy chair (no way I could move it) from the den into Mom's
room. The CNA is sitting in there reading a book next to a standing floor
lamp, keeping an eye on her and making sure she's comfortable. She'll be
here until 7PM unless I tell her I need her to stay longer or get in a 2nd
shift person.

She'll be back at 8AM tomorrow and the schedule can be adjusted as we
figure things out over the next few days. I think during the night things
will be okay without anyone here. Shay will try to get Mom's "diaper"
changed before she leaves and get her into her bedclothes. She may not
permit it. It's been a tiring day for her and she doesn't like to be
fussed over. It's been a tiring couple of days for me, too.

At this point we don't know if she'll actually use the wheelchair that was
delivered. I think it's best to have it on hand just in case. She'll
probably be pretty much bed-bound from here on out. Only time will tell.

The hospice nurse is going to to order a pressure mattress (topper). It
alternates pressure points to avoid bed sores since she's only comfortable
lying on her right side. It will be tricky to get it on the bed since
she'll have to be gotten OFF the bed. They told me the medical supply
delivery guys will help me and the CNA get her into the wheelchair (she's
dead weight) while they put it on. Then we'll remake the bed and get her
back into it.

I'll [we'll] just have take it a day at a time over the next few days and
see how things go.

OB CATS: Mom asked meb where Persia is while the doctor, the CNA, the
nurse and I were in the room with her. I laughed and said, "You know
she's hiding from all these strange people!" Again, she seemed pretty
darn lucid to me for someone who has gone through what she's gone through.
And getting her off those 30 prescriptions certainly won't hurt.

I'm a little concerned about the CNA, Shay. Oh, she's wonderful. She has
a great and caring disposition. She's very sweet and Mom doesn't seem
have a problem with her. But she'll be here 10-12 hours tomorrow. So I
asked what she likes to eat. I'll be able to go to the grocery store
tomorrow while she's here. I asked is there anything I should buy that
she likes, maybe make her some lunch? She assured me she'll bring some
crackers or apples or carrot sticks from home, she'll be fine. That's a
long shift; I feel like I should feed her! LOL It's something I never
even thought about until today.

Please continue your purrs. At this point our only thought is to her
quality of life and comfort care.

Jill



--
Irulan
from the stars we come
to the stars we return
from now until the end of time.