Visitors
Hi Friends,
Today was a day for visitors for mom, and I think it really tired her out but at the same time was good for her and she really enjoyed it. I got to her around 12:15pm or so (I had gotten to bed super late last night because the movie Pam and I went to see got out late...I don't know why I feel like I need to make excuses for not having arrived earlier, but I feel I do), and she said she was feeling okay. Shortly after my arrival, her boss at Coyne came for a visit, and came bearing a beautiful bouquet of flowers (just in time as I had JUST thrown out her older, slightly crispy ones) and a decoration she'd had in her office at work. He didn't stay long which I think was for the best as she gets overwhelmed even when I'm there for too long at a time, but I think he was very happy to see her, and she was glad to see him as well.
An hour later or so, one of her best friends, Loyce (you may recall her from earlier blog entries) drove in all the way from Iowa City to see her for the day! :) Mom was very happy to see her, and they had a nice visit...Pam came down to the hospital as well, and when she arrived, the two of us went out for something to eat and let Loyce and mom visit just the two of them. When I talked to Loyce later this evening, she said toward the end of the visit, mom kept insisting Loyce should go because she probably had better things to do, kept asking her if she was okay and whether she was having a good time, and even kept saying "I'm a pain in the ass," and sort of laughing. She seems to be worried that she is a burden to others, which I wish she didn't think. But of course, that's just like her. Loyce kept reassuring her this was not the case, but finally mom was so insistent that she left to drive back (which had been the original plan anyway). I'm SO glad she came for a visit, though...mom really enjoyed seeing her, and vice versa.
When Pam and I were out getting food, I also picked up some satsuma-scented shower gel from Body Shop and some more lilly-of-the-valley lotion and even some shower gel. So now she doesn't have to use the hospital stuff that doesn't smell all that great (it's not bad, just not good like this stuff). We came back and visited with mom for awhile longer...she was really talking and trying to communicate stuff, and when we didn't understand her, she was getting really mad and frustrated...I kept apologizing to her, but I know it must be so awful for her not to be able to express herself adequately and be understood. But one thing about when she gets mad like that is that she really enunciates her words...sometimes this makes her speech very clear, and other times I think the wrong words are coming out and we still don't understand. Tonight though was the first time I've ever heard her enunciating that much, so I'll be sure to communicate that to her speech therapist. At one point, she was saying something, and we kept having her repeat it and weren't understanding because the words weren't coming out right, but finally figured out that she (we think) was asking us to put on some music. I put on a Norah Jones song first, and she didn't want that song, so then I put on Enya's "Orinoco Flow." She used to love that song, and when it was playing, she was doing the most bizarre thing that we couldn't quite figure out. She was bopping her head back and forth to the beat of the song, and then she would raise her hands and start "conducting" in time to the music...we began laughing a bit, and so did she, and she was smiling...but then all of a sudden she would get all mad and act like she hated the song and wanted us to turn it off. It was clear that she recognized the song and was listening to it, but it was a lot like she was being sarcastic when she was conducting along, and that she was thinking the song was really stupid. We let it play out until the end, and then she wanted us to turn off the music altogether. We didn't quite know what to make of it, but it was fairly comical at the time, especially since she herself was laughing at times. Perhaps her music tastes have changed considerably...which means I'm going to have to figure out what she does like now. I'm just trying to be glad she was showing some emotion, and that she was clearly aware of her surroundings and was paying attention.
Shortly after this, Pam and I left for the night to let her rest. They're giving her a new medication tonight for the first time to see if it will help her sleep at night...she has NOT been sleeping at night despite an increase in dosage of the other med, so please hope and pray that this one works. I also just need your support, love and prayers for her continued recovery and for my own sanity and ability to get through the days. This is really hard. Love you all.
Today was a day for visitors for mom, and I think it really tired her out but at the same time was good for her and she really enjoyed it. I got to her around 12:15pm or so (I had gotten to bed super late last night because the movie Pam and I went to see got out late...I don't know why I feel like I need to make excuses for not having arrived earlier, but I feel I do), and she said she was feeling okay. Shortly after my arrival, her boss at Coyne came for a visit, and came bearing a beautiful bouquet of flowers (just in time as I had JUST thrown out her older, slightly crispy ones) and a decoration she'd had in her office at work. He didn't stay long which I think was for the best as she gets overwhelmed even when I'm there for too long at a time, but I think he was very happy to see her, and she was glad to see him as well.
An hour later or so, one of her best friends, Loyce (you may recall her from earlier blog entries) drove in all the way from Iowa City to see her for the day! :) Mom was very happy to see her, and they had a nice visit...Pam came down to the hospital as well, and when she arrived, the two of us went out for something to eat and let Loyce and mom visit just the two of them. When I talked to Loyce later this evening, she said toward the end of the visit, mom kept insisting Loyce should go because she probably had better things to do, kept asking her if she was okay and whether she was having a good time, and even kept saying "I'm a pain in the ass," and sort of laughing. She seems to be worried that she is a burden to others, which I wish she didn't think. But of course, that's just like her. Loyce kept reassuring her this was not the case, but finally mom was so insistent that she left to drive back (which had been the original plan anyway). I'm SO glad she came for a visit, though...mom really enjoyed seeing her, and vice versa.
When Pam and I were out getting food, I also picked up some satsuma-scented shower gel from Body Shop and some more lilly-of-the-valley lotion and even some shower gel. So now she doesn't have to use the hospital stuff that doesn't smell all that great (it's not bad, just not good like this stuff). We came back and visited with mom for awhile longer...she was really talking and trying to communicate stuff, and when we didn't understand her, she was getting really mad and frustrated...I kept apologizing to her, but I know it must be so awful for her not to be able to express herself adequately and be understood. But one thing about when she gets mad like that is that she really enunciates her words...sometimes this makes her speech very clear, and other times I think the wrong words are coming out and we still don't understand. Tonight though was the first time I've ever heard her enunciating that much, so I'll be sure to communicate that to her speech therapist. At one point, she was saying something, and we kept having her repeat it and weren't understanding because the words weren't coming out right, but finally figured out that she (we think) was asking us to put on some music. I put on a Norah Jones song first, and she didn't want that song, so then I put on Enya's "Orinoco Flow." She used to love that song, and when it was playing, she was doing the most bizarre thing that we couldn't quite figure out. She was bopping her head back and forth to the beat of the song, and then she would raise her hands and start "conducting" in time to the music...we began laughing a bit, and so did she, and she was smiling...but then all of a sudden she would get all mad and act like she hated the song and wanted us to turn it off. It was clear that she recognized the song and was listening to it, but it was a lot like she was being sarcastic when she was conducting along, and that she was thinking the song was really stupid. We let it play out until the end, and then she wanted us to turn off the music altogether. We didn't quite know what to make of it, but it was fairly comical at the time, especially since she herself was laughing at times. Perhaps her music tastes have changed considerably...which means I'm going to have to figure out what she does like now. I'm just trying to be glad she was showing some emotion, and that she was clearly aware of her surroundings and was paying attention.
Shortly after this, Pam and I left for the night to let her rest. They're giving her a new medication tonight for the first time to see if it will help her sleep at night...she has NOT been sleeping at night despite an increase in dosage of the other med, so please hope and pray that this one works. I also just need your support, love and prayers for her continued recovery and for my own sanity and ability to get through the days. This is really hard. Love you all.
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