This hasn’t exactly been a week of revelations. Mom has been rising near lunch time and eating less and less, also taking fewer fluids. She drifts in and out of consciousness but is quite alert when she is awake. So, allow me to take you through her week (for what it’s worth).
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| Mom about a year ago... |
Monday - Mom arose late, drank juice, and then had much of her shake - but not all. She had eaten about 50% of her chicken the evening before (my brother fed her), so she may have been full, still - or so I was assuming (as she really hadn’t eaten much previously). She did not engage in any activities, but to be around for lunch, lounge afterward, and then to bed early.
Tuesday, Mom arose late, again. They were attempting to encourage her to eat and drink, but she kept putting her shake down after taking a few feeble sips - finally, after nearly an hour, she did finish. That was about all she ate that day, with a little coffee and some juice (never any more than 2 glasses).
Morina decided Mom needed more stimulation, so she took her in her Geri chair to the garden where the sun was wrapping everything in 80-degree warmth. The photo is Mom actually enjoying herself! It seems unflattering, but that’s just because her shirt is now too big, and she slouches.
Wednesday was pretty much the same as the previous days. Connie and Jean came for a visit and Mom was a little responsive. Jean tried to get her to eat some of the lunch, but Mom pursed her lips after a couple of tiny bites. She did drink some of her shake, but no more than half.
As she was rather reticent to stay awake and converse, the ladies stayed with her and helped some of the other residents while the staff was busy with others (they have their hands full!). They left after an hour and fifteen minutes, somber.
I must note that due to so many unforeseen events, the ladies were not able to provide me with their usual recollections; I'm sure I'll hear about what I omitted, but I believe I gave you the gist.
Thursday, Mom woke late and drank very little of her shake. She did drink some juice, though, but her activities were limited - however, she was alert enough to speak with staff when necessary.
Friday, Mom ate even less - that is her shake. She simply refused to ingest anymore stating she was fine. No matter how much coaxing and encouraging staff attempted, she wouldn’t.
Saturday was a repeat of Friday.
Today, Mother’s Day, I brought a couple of bouquets to brighten up her room and put them in the window. As I entered I discovered they were to have the Mother’s Day Tea this afternoon! There were hats galore waiting for the ladies to wear. How fun!
I found Mom with her shake and lunch. She had no interest in the lunch, and after a couple of sips of the shake she quit. She wasn’t responsive at all. When I was leaving, she asked where I was going.
“I need to run some errands.”
“Oh, are you taking them with you?”
I repeated what I had said. She gave me that ‘You’re a very naughty boy’ look, then put her head in her hands and went back to sleep.
Her shake had been snatched up by another resident who then proceeded to gulp it down. We tried to stop her, but she just looked at us curiously, and smacked her lips as she helped herself to the final gulp, and licked the straw clean. Oh well….
When I touched her, she felt cool, and she started. She wouldn’t let me hold her hand, either. This was quite different from the previous weeks.
I checked her eating stats - one day she actually ate 10% of a meal (if that means her shake, then wonderful!), the rest were either 0% or 5% - which was the majority of the week.
After doing some research, this is quite normal. Her heart is quite strong, so she’s able to continue for a bit longer - unless she rallies again, then we’ll have something interesting to chat about!
The normal time for a person to be able to continue in this manner is 2-3 weeks - less if they’ve a compromised immune system or other ailments such as a weak heart.
No one is predicting anything, as with Mom, this is a crapshoot (but this is the worst we’ve seen her). So, stay tuned, and hopefully, I’ll have something more to give you next week.
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