The good things in life speed by in the blink of an eye, while the pain and anguish seem to drone on for ages. Such is life, though, I suppose.
This week saw some changes - not necessarily for the good or bad, but nonetheless, they were present.
Mom was thought to be over her cough with the crud, but HA! It had only maneuvered itself into the center of her chest and lay in wait - it grew into an infection. So, Leddy, alert and attentive, called Noel, the hospice nurse. Noel came quickly and prescribed a ZPak for Mom - Azithromycin, and other good drugs for these things. Mom began her regimen that evening.
On Wednesday, I came in to find Mom up late, waiting for her shower, but able to eat a full breakfast. By the time I arrived, Noel was waiting, and Mom was in and out of consciousness. When I kissed her ‘hello’ she looked at me with confusion - not knowing who I was.
Her current state, we agreed, was probably from the crud, but I also asked whether or not we could lessen the dosage of the Depakote in the morning as she seemed rather overmedicated. Noel thought it a good idea to try (my idea was 3x a day, rather than 2x, with one dose higher than the rest, but she reduced it to 2x a day with no higher dosage). She also explained that Mom should be perkier and more herself within a few more days. If not, then we just needed to watch and wait for whatever comes next.
Mom wasn’t very chatty - she mumbled a great deal and her voice was weak - until Jean arrived for her visit. “Jean!” Mom called out with a force I’d not heard in months! Well, Mom certainly began engaging a little more now that her buddy was there. Jean began painting Mom’s nails, and Mom seemed to acknowledge this act - she didn’t protest, that’s for sure.
We had a nice chat, and then Noel and I finished up after discussing other meds, etc., and we both left.
The following is what occurred during Jean’s visit:
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| Jean tries to help Mom with her meal |
Hi, Tony,
It was nice to see you at St. Anthony's today. I'm glad you and Noelle, the hospice nurse, could confer and share information.
After you left I tried to engage Norma in any kind of conversation, but she was so sleepy and unresponsive that it did not happen. Several times I moved the beautiful blue blanket to keep her better covered. Beth, the RN, who said she has been there for two months, stopped by to say Hello and tried to get Norma to answer her.
I wondered, from the way Norma was moving slightly if she had to go to the bathroom. I guessed her answer was Yes, not sure. I told Elsa. Soon she moved Norma into her room. Iofina went in there, and I stayed out of their way. When Norma came back she was wearing gray slacks with her purple and blue Paisley shirt. (The other shirt had juice spilled on it.) No stockings then, don't remember what color her toes were (sorry).
The ladies were hoping Jennifer, the Hospice CNA, would be there soon, help with showering Norma. My comments on today's mild weather went unanswered, maybe unheard.
Soup was presented at the table, and I was successful in getting Mom to take three small bites of beef cubes in the soup. Soon came a beautiful, colorful complete dinner! It was lasagne with lots of white cheese and hamburger. Broccoli and slices of yellow cooked carrot, plus a piece of bread, made for a meal quite nutritious, I'm sure. But that's only if the "customer" eats it. I heated it up after a while, then slowly Norma took three small bites of the main course. But then her mouth was firmly shut as she either dozed or did an excellent imitation of nodding off, chin on her chest.
Iofina said Norma had eaten her full breakfast today; I did not ask when. Maybe you know that.
Elizabeth, a new resident, sat next to me. She ate her full meal, and we introduced ourselves. She said something I could not understand, so I said "Really?" my noncommittal response to a remark I cannot hear. She seemed pleasant. Later I saw her eating a sandwich. Iofina said Elizabeth had asked for more to eat.
I told the ladies I was giving up for today. And then in came Jennifer! So I knew it would be shower time, if possible. Maybe that would be a happy awakening for Norma.
Connie might have been more successful than I was in "alerting" Norma today.
I did check in most days this week, but Mom seemed more alert, but not much better. So, my hopes were high when I dropped in today for our visit.
Mom had arisen rather late and was, according to reports, anxious to ready herself with no help. This is good. She did receive help, though, and was in the mobile recliner at the table when I arrived, having had some juice and coffee, but very little yogurt - she hadn’t eaten any breakfast.
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| Mom actually smiled for me, but it was so fast there was no way I was going to catch it |
I helped her with a few spoonfuls of yogurt, but she wanted no more, telling me she wasn’t hungry. Barbara, another resident, was sitting at the table opposite of Mom. Now, Barbara is a shopper, and you need to keep your eyes on your things. When I put my coffee down on the table, Barbara reached for it and told me it was hers. I offered it to her, but she began knocking out a rhythm on the table and wiping it down with her hands. Mom tried to have a conversation with her, but they both mumble so it would have been quite fascinating if they’d actually engaged that way.
Soon, Mom kept nodding off and there seemed no reason to be there but to stroke her arm and try to keep her in conversation - but it was hopeless. So, I left for a bit to run some errands for her, then returned and tried again. It was a repeat, but this time, she was very much out of it.
Her cough, they told me had lessened, and she was through with the ZPak. However, there was still something there, but that remains to be seen.
So, here we are. If the antibiotics/drugs cannot stop the infection, then we are on a journey toward the finish, most likely. If Mom isn’t able to rise up anymore from her dopiness and continues to refuse to eat, then the same is true.
We are at a crossroads, of sorts, it seems, but only time will tell. Who knows?! She’s rallied before, so there may still be some fight left in the old gal yet!
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