Having David around the last four weeks or so has been a Godsend and truly enjoyable. Mom misses him; we all miss him. THANKS, DAVE! I should have sabatoged his car so he couldn't get back to Ashland.
Mom continues to make due around her house. I hesitate to say adjust. She is distraught (my wording) over news that her youngest sister, Doris, has been transferred to hospice care where she is at in California. Nephews Jeff and Steve (2 of brother Art's boys) are apparently looking over this situation, and she spoke with Art Saturday. Mom is in a down mood as might be expected. She wants to take care of Doris, but realizes she can't travel there. This is not good news in any event. Aunt Doris has been a dear sister to Ruth, and a great aunt to all of us. It is sad that she is so far away.
Over the weekend, she mentioned to me some soreness in her right shoulder. She put an ice bag on it yesterday and was going to do that today (after I was there about noon). I asked her if this was a new thing, or something that has been around a while. She told me Saturday it was a new thing, meaning it starting Friday, but today (Sunday) she told me it has been painful to a lesser or greater extent for several days including Tuesday when she had her ortho apt. She said she didn't mention it to her ortho surgeon on Tuesday since he operated on her hip and she didn't think he could deal with the shoulder. Alas. Another Dr. apt. will have to be set up. She did cancel plans for church on Sunday, though which is bothersome. The thought here is that she is using her right arm largely to grab on to railings and such and maybe has strained it OR even pulled a ligament or something. These things heal with rest, something in short supply with Ruth as you know.
The shoulder soreness bothered her so much she wanted to go to an urgent care center. Later, Mom told Colleen that she was okay. (On Saturday morning, while talking with Colleen on the phone, she apparently dropped the phone: Colleen heard sounds consisteant with that and other sounds like a walker falling; Mom got back on the phone (maybe picked it up with the claw?) and told Coll that she (mom) momentarily lost her balance. ) She didn't try to get her mail on Saturday (which is fine with me: I need something to do!), but she did get down the stairs to the side door to get her Tribune this morning. Curiously, she didn't balk at me taking our garbage on Saturday or getting something from the Basement. It may be courious but it is encouraging that she is letting us assist her.
The coming week will be interesting. With David gone, she will need some help with laundry and that sort of thing I suspect. On Saturday, though, she was trying to get bend over/down to wipe up a spill on the kitchen floor so she must, to some extent, be feeling better. David mentioned the "assisted living" considerations. When I brought up that topic on Saturday, it appeared that was not on Ruth's Radar at the moment.
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Thanks for the udpate Byron. I suspect she strained it doing what you suggested. when going up & down those stairs to her side door she supports herself by putting a lot of strain on her shoulder, not trusting her stability and strength. Ricky, the PT, mentioned she needs to quit pulling herself up and use the handrail for support. The arrangement in the bahtroom seems to have helped as well. She diagnosed herself with bursitis and felt she just needed a shot to take care of it, that's what took care of it the last time it flared up 20 or 30 years ago. Thanks for taking out the trash, she could do it, with assistance but I'm afraid if she gets into the garage she'll grab a broom and start cleaning out there as well.
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