Oh What A Day!

Well, she made it. 90 years old, and what a day she had.

Actually, what a couple of days she has had. Diane Mikan and her daughter Rebecca from CT came in to visit with pictures and DVD of Diane's mother, Mom's dear cousin Lilyan who passed away a few years ago. While sitting in Heartland's day room Art, Nancy & Bruce arrived from Ohio. It was great. She had such a great time visiting with everyone and everyone enjoyed getting to know each other. We left to dine at Pasquales while Colleen worked on her hair, made sure she ate and got to bed.

Dinner was fun, with some great conversation and food. On the way back to their hotel, Val pointed out to Diane (who was driving) and Rebecca Ray's Ice Cream on Coolidge. Diane immediately made a U-turn and the three of them enjoyed some Ray's for dessert. Damn, I wished I had known.

Today started with an early call from mom asking for a piece of attire that was overlooked. Val and I assembled the needed item, found a handbag (wrong color, woops) and I went out to Heartland to get her dressed and ready for church. Val called as I was walking in to report that she was on her way to Heartland as well with yet another piece of attire that mom was sure she needed. 

We arrived at church in time to block the aisle for the choir as they entered. The service was very nice, mother enjoyed the music and message and I was able to back her out of the sanctuary and into the social hall before services ended.

There was some concern about her heart when she entered the room. Standing there to greet her were her grandsons Justin and Rob & Rob's partner Rebekah Winters. Wish I could have seen her face.

The day just got better.

The queue to greet her was rather long but everyone waited patiently to greet her and share kind words of love, support and encouragement. Not many people signed the guest book, but Colleen & I guess that with people coming and going, there were about 120-125 people that stopped by the pay their respects. Neighbors, relatives, friends enjoyed watching her hold court, reminicsing and enjoying the fact that so many people came.

Thank you all.

A rousing acappella Happy Birthday was sung, she blew out the candles and we cut yet another cake, and she kept talking and reminising.

The paparazzi came out and the obligatory photos were taken. Forever. Hopefully some of them will find their way to this blog, I'd like to see them!

And she kept talking and reminising.

As we were cleaning up, deciding what to do with the leftovers, putting away tables and chairs, she continued to hold court and enjoy herself to the last minute.

Colleen offered Vacuuming for Dummies to me so I could do it later at the house.

Mom kept talking.

We finally got in the car and made the journey back to Heartland. She was quiet, but did express her happiness about seeing everyone, especially her extended families and ALL her many friends, for a while. Then she was quiet.

Once back at her new residence, I got her into her room, the CNA was alerted to help her change and get some pain medication. She kept talking, telling me where to put things and reminding me to use my inside voice so I didn't disturb her roommate and husband.

I kissed her good night, told her I'd see her tomorrow and left.

Val & Rebekah were stopping by to drop off cards and presents and then head back to Grand Rapids, and I've since learned they were there and are now on the road back west.

She had a full day on top of another full day. She was tired, wouldn't admit it, but feeling blessed. She's such an inspiration to me. Thanks Mom.

Saturday afternoon observations

I got here around 11:30 this morning. (Note to self: avoid M59 -- a prime example of how lousy Michigan roads are.) She was sitting in her wheelchair looking glum and sad.

During the last few years Mom has gradually given up doing some things -- getting on a ladder to wash windows or walls, shoveling snow, etc. Gradually being the operative word.

The hip fracture was sudden. In an instant everything changed. Just a few weeks ago she was telling me how grateful she was that she could still take care of her personal hygiene and laundry. It's not the case any more. It's hard to see her so sad (and her hair looking so unkempt). Hopefully having her visitors later today will help cheer her up.

She also tried to get out of bed unassisted a few times last night, according to her roommate. We're lucky her roommate is there; she called for assistance and they were able to prevent a repeat of the other nights' situation. They put a couple large bolsters that will deter her from getting out of bed by herself.

As I type she's in occupational therapy, having completed a rigorous session of physical therapy. The OT asked me what she liked to do--did she like to do puzzles, or paint, or knit? None of the above. The first thing that came to mind was that she likes to clean. So they have her cleaning a counter in the practice kitchen area. It'll be hard, though, because they probably don't have what she likes to use to clean counters. But I think it'll be a good sign if she complains about it.

Dave, you really need to vacuum.

Party On!

Val is on her way to Heartland from Grand Rapids. She is going to tell her Art, Nancy et. al. are coming to visit her along with Diane and her daughter. Sort of give her a heads up. Colleen & David are headed to COSTCO around 11ish to shop, sample foods and then head to the church for setting up at 1, then we'll be coordinating dinner plans and other festive events.

Moms spirits were better last night when I got back to visit her. Having a roommate makes a difference because she doesn't feel all alone. She misses staff checking on her every couple of hours, and is being reminded she's not in a hospital. I feel that as she adjusts to her enviornment her attitude will improve and as she continues with PT/OT she'll start thinking about how she'll handle things when she gets out. I suspect she's thinking she'll not be able to return home, but since she's not near that point, not persuing that train of thought.

She really appreciates all the cards she has been receiving, every day she gets more and more and expresses surprise at how many there are. Keep those cards and letters coming folks.

B&C had a great time at the Mudhens last night, they won. I tried to stay up and watch the final Leno, but felt uncomfortable laying on the couch so I went to bed.

Bathroom is cleaned.

Still haven't run the vac.

Later y'all

May 29th - An Update

Apparently while trying to straighten out the cords associated with her TV controls, call button and phone Ruth fell out of bed, around 4 a.m. Thankfully, she did not reinjure her hip, and she did not suffer any additional injuries. Byron & I visited her and after several questions she finally admitted she fell out of bed. Not wanting to talk about it, she got pissed. Thankfully PT came in to take her out for an hour or so. While participating in that activity Maggie visited for a while and chatted with mom while she was waiting for OT and I ran out for more Kleenex.
I also learned that she will not be able to get her hair done as hoped tomorrow (Saturday) and having exhausted plan B, we're moving on the plan C. Colleen volunteered her services along with her sister Sheila and hopefully mom will be property coifed tomorrow to receive anticipated visitors. She was reluctant to talk when she got back to her room, she has a new roommate, but did share she was feeling sorry for herself. She was pretty tired, having had two sessions of PT today and was nodding out. I left for a couple of hours, had something to eat and will be heading back shortly for the remainder of the evening. Tomorrows plans include getting her hair done, shopping and setting up for the party and dinner with visiting relatives. Yippee!!!! Should be real interesting.

She doesn't sound good.

Her voice is very weak

I still haven't run the vacumn.

Later y'all

Dave's Update

Finally got a decent connection so I can get a posting out here. It's been fun at Heartland. When I got there yesterday she was in the PT gym, nice facility with lots of attendants for all the patients, so I waited until she was brought back to her room. I spoke with her PT about what their plans were for her rehab, agreeing that it is too early to make a prognosis. The primary goal right now is to build her strength. She has been walking, assisted with a walker and aides, short distances and getting around in her room without help.

Dr Raj (MD over rehab/PT and all that stuff) visited yesterday and gathered some information. He asked Mom if she was using her cane when she fell, how many times recently she has fallen etc. It was a fun conversation. As many of you are aware, questions must be very specific in order to get some semblence of the truth from her.

Cousin Maggie came in to visit so I left for a while and came back with some flowers from Joyce, and her items on her list. Byron & Colleen came to visit and I left for the evening, with another list of things to bring/do.

I'll be going out this afternoon and spending most of the day with her and will post again when I get back. I've got to find someplace else to get online free. Maybe the parking lot here--would I be suspicious hanging out here at 11 at night?

The party is ON

Since Mom was able to get in and out of Dave's car, we've decided that holding the party at her church following the Sunday worship service should work out okay. We anticipate the festivities will begin around 11:30 a.m. So, at this writing, the original plan is in effect. We anticipate that she will be attending the church service, which begins at 10:30, with Dave.

A couple things that may be useful to know. While she knows about the party, she does not know the entire guest list and there will be a few pleasant surprises for her. Please help us keep that a surprise.

Also, I've been asked about gifts. She's trying to get rid of stuff, not acquire more. Your presence is your gift. If you feel it wouldn't be a birthday party without bringing a gift, maybe a book would be appropriate (but remember this recommendation is coming from a librarian). 

(picture above is from February of this year)

Not a granny dump

Greetings from cloudy Grand Rapids. I spoke with Dave earlier this evening and he relayed the following for me to post, as he didn't have internet access and quite frankly is beat. So Dave, hope you rested up for a few more days of taking care of Mother. And don't forget to vacuum.

Despite pleas by her roommate for her to stay another day at Beaumont so they could continue their conversations about pierogi and other things Hamtramck, Mother slipped out of her lovely hospital gown, got dressed (even though we brought the wrong shoes),  and was discharged from Beaumont Hospital this afternoon.

Dave successfully loaded her into his Buick and ferried her to Heartland Health Care Center (in Timbuktu). They were met there by Byron and the two boys got her settled in. Understandably she is apprehensive about being someplace where she's never been,  so far from home (a little over 15 miles via highway, 12 miles via surface streets), not having control over things, etc. Who wouldn't be? However, Colleen's mother stayed at this facility not long ago and they were quite pleased with how it is managed and her mother's outcome and recommended it. It's a newer facility, quite clean, and as Dave observed, by this time next week she'll be running the place. (Plus, I just discovered Heartland is fairly close to Nino Salvaggio. Added bonus!)

I am so proud of her, too. Yesterday the gastroenterologist stopped by her room and recommended she have an upper G.I. to see if they could uncover the cause of her bleeding (what I've termed a slow leak), and she refused. I've often told her medical procedures are optional--they're not going to arrest her for not agreeing to have something done (although I did sign the consent form for the hip surgery as she was too loopy from the pain meds, and she really needed to get that fixed). Let's get through this hip thing and then we'll deal with the other stuff, if needed.

She's in room 103, 2nd bed. I tried calling her shortly after 9 p.m. but apparently they don't answer the phone at that time. So if you talk to her before I do, tell her I tried!

Moving On Out

I spoke with the care coordinator this afternoon, following a nice lunch with Byron, and learned that a bed is being held until 4 p.m. 052709 at Heartland, located at 925 W South Boulevard in Troy MI 48085. The phone number is 248-729-4400.

Mom is worried because it's all the way out in Timbuktu.

She asked if I've vacumned the house.

She sounds good

Hugs all around

Dave

May 26th - Morning Update - She Walks!

Our girl has had a busy morning, in addition to having a good nights sleep, she ate a good breakfast, spoke with Dr Kazmi (?) who cleared her for surgery last Friday, learned that hospital staff is working on getting her placed in rehab as soon as possible. She also was visited by the surgeon who checked her incision, the chaplain and a PT.

The PT assisted her in getting out of bed and walking, with a walker, to the bathroom where she had a successful trip, got cleaned up and is sleeping again. It wore her out.

We're now waiting for the case manager or discharge planner to contact us regarding when she's leaving and where she's going.

Hope PT comes back this afternoon.

Enjoy your day, I'll update things when I learn more.

On The Move

When I returned from running around, thanks for the graves Maggie, they look great! I learned that mom had been told she'd be leaving today. Interesting since discharge planning said they hadn't called anyone due t the holiday and no one had been notified of any changes. I was able to check with her nurse, Mayet and learned that 6 north is a "progressive" floor, meaning patients are monitored and stabelized and then moved on. I guess that's what happening here. Some time tonight she will be moved to 8745, an ortho floor. It's my understanding that room is in the central wing. Guess I'll find out later.

Don't know if this will affect discharge planning, getting into rehab or what, but the fact that she is being moved to an ortho floor/room leads me to think she may get some PT. Would be nice.

Monday May 25th 2009

Good morning all. Arrived this morning around sevenish. Mom was awake and breakfast had been served. Assisted in getting her tray positioned to her liking and adjusted her bed to please her. She said she slept well, room was very quiet and she looked good. After my breakfast we talked about selling her car for a bit and then she decided it was time to use the facilities. Avoidance? After she was cleaned up and out of bed, cousin Patty came for a visit so I relocated to the family waiting area. I did stop by the nurses station and asked about PT today. No promises were made, and I'd be surprised if anyone shows, but it was worth a shot.

More on the car later as things develop.

What about the party?

We're still planning on a gathering for Mom on her birthday, May 31, but it'll likely take place wherever she ends up for rehab. It will be posted here as soon as we know.

The background, beginning Wednesday, May 20

En route to an early morning visit to the commode, our mother fell and couldn't get up. And her left hip hurt. A lot. She wasn’t wearing her alert button (didn’t wear it at night because it would sometimes go off if she turned in her sleep), but was able to pull the phone off its perch in the hallway and pressed the speed dial for Dave -- calling 911 not being an option as she felt it would create too much of a disturbance in the neighborhood at 5:30 a.m. Besides, all she needed to do was get into bed and rest and the pain would go away, right?

It takes Dave over six hours to get from his home in Ashland, KY to Mom's house, so he called Byron and Colleen, who live, oh, maybe 12 minutes away, and they drove over and dealt with the situation at hand. She was transported by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where she spent the better part of the day in the ER, having the usual pokes, prods, and x-rays one endures in an ER when presenting with a broken appendage. Besides the broken hip, though, she was found to have a very low hemoglobin count (in the 6 range; 12 to 15 is considered normal). Often hemoglobin counts this low are indicative of internal bleeding, and medical team concerns shifted from the broken hip to uncovering the cause of the bleeding.

Mom had been on the anticoagulant Coumadin (warfarin) for a blood clot found in her left leg in March of this year, and was being monitored by her internist. Following her blood draw on May 18, she was told to discontinue the Coumadin for a few days as her clotting factor was too low. Being on Coumadin may have contributed to low hemoglobin, along with her chronic G.I. issues. Because of this, though, gastrointestinal/hematology docs were consulted and she received two pints of blood while in the ER.

Byron and Colleen were with her when she was admitted. Colleen, who teaches dental hygiene at University Detroit, needed to leave for her classes. Byron called me while they were en route to the hospital, so I did what I needed to do at work (I’m a unit head in the libraries at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, a little more than a two hour drive from Mom’s) and headed over to SE MI, arriving at the hospital around 11 a.m. Byron then left to attend to his law practice, and I kept Mom company until she was transferred to a room around 3:30 p.m. At least they didn’t have to put in the dreaded N.G. tube, which happened a few years ago when she was hospitalized for liver failure.

Mom would need surgery for the hip, but the medical team did not want to attempt it until her hemoglobin levels were up. Another factor contributing to the delay was a heart arrhythmia. During all this she was in considerable pain, for which she was receiving morphine and Vicodin, which didn’t settle well on an empty stomach and she had a difficult night in the wee hours of Thursday. When Dave and I walked in her room around 7 a.m. Thursday morning, she had an N.G. tube, which had been put in place to keep her from aspirating on vomit. She looked absolutely miserable. FFP (fresh frozen plasma) was ordered to help with the blood thing, and because it wasn’t known when she would have surgery, she couldn’t have anything to eat.

Thankfully the N.G. tube was removed Thursday afternoon. Finally, after everyone had their say and signed her off for the surgery, she went under the knife late Friday afternoon. She made it through the surgery well, and began eating “real” food (well, as real as hospital food is) on Saturday. She's been able to enjoy visitors and looks a lot better than she did just a few days ago (except for her hair -- had to miss her standing appointment on Saturday at the Persnickety Beauty Salon).

She now sports some hardware in her left hip (pins). As I type, she's watching the end of Meet the Press from a chair and just had her IV removed. It’s anticipated that she’ll be transferred to a rehab facility on Tuesday, where we will likely move the birthday festivities on Sunday.