I headed up to Wisconsin last week to help Brad get our new home ready. (painting etc..) I stopped to see Cathy on Sunday night & then again on my way back through on Friday morning... it is a little bit out of the way to stop & see Cathy... but I can't imagine not making the trip. On Sunday night she was in bed... it was only 7:30. She smiled at me from under the covers... but she had that glassy eyed look. For the first time I thought to myself, "I am not sure she knows who I am??" She greets everyone with a smile & I remember how my Grandma was when she started forgetting me... you think they know you by the smile... but then you see them greet everyone that way & realize they do not know who you are. But then again, it may be the medicine. Her meds have been increased because of her increased agitation. She has been sneaking outside & at one point 2 weeks ago she attempted to get into a van in the parking lot... and then when the staff was trying to bring her in she took off towards the fair grounds (just next door to the NH). I have no idea how often the staff has to chase her outside... I know they are not staffed for that & that has made us all uneasy. We don't like the idea of increasing her meds... but we know with this disease that it is necessary for her safety & the safety of others. (catch 22) She also continues to have problems with choking... they switched her to a pureed diet last week & she HATED it!!!! (I am sure it doesn't look very appetizing!) I have talked to a few of the nurses (Who once again are... AMAZING!!!) & they share the same concerns that we do... I am sure they don't tell us everything that happens... but we know the basics. When I stopped through on Friday I brought her some pistachio salad I had made for her (one of her favorites) & some puffed popcorn & Cheetos (idea from one of the nurses). I thought these things might be safe for her to have to snack on... since she can no longer have candy bars, cookies, or twizzlers & she Loves to snack!!
I talk to Gayle & Jean quite a bit... you can hear it in both of their voices... things are tough & not getting any better. On one hand she is in good care at the NH and things could be much worse as far as her not settling in there... but on the other hand, the issues with her choking & the 'numbness' from the meds make things harder. Uffda. As Gayle said to me this week, "The last year and a half has been hard... but the next 6 months looks like it is going to be even harder." *sigh*
Toby & family will be visiting this week from North Dakota... I am sad that it is this week, with her declining, but I am hopeful that having them around may perk her up a bit..??..
The kiddos & I are moving out of my parents & up to Gayle's this week also.... until our house is ready to move into. I am hoping to help him a bit with things.
When I was visiting her Friday she had less things packed up again & she also had a coloring of a horse hanging about her bed. I had thought that maybe Toby or Ryan's daughter had colored it for her & was impressed that it was still hanging on the wall! But when the nurse came in she said that Cathy had colored it! (Oh how I wish that she could talk to us again... it is so hard picking up her signals & pointing.)
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Hi Beth and family, Thanks for the
update on your new address and
phone numbers... Your going to be
one busy person this summer..
Happy your coming to town
for awhile, we'll have a swim party
when you and the little ones get
settled in...I'll be going to visit Cathy in a minute, but nothing new
to report on her... Gayle brought
Cathy over for a bit yesterday, but
she doesn't want to sit very long...
I've been taking her applesauce or
something similar to that as her
treat, no more candy, in fact the
nurses are saying the same... she
chokes so easily now, even on
liquids... I haven't even been taking her to the DQ, I let Gayle do
that...Like I said before life is not
fair......Have a safe trip to Wisconsin..
Jean
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