Margaret is much the same. She still has fluid leaking from her legs which makes it very uncomfortable in bed. She is still confused and expects me to stay and have dinner with her and she still believes she is coming home "tomorrow".
She tries to read but is not getting very far with her latest book. I sit with her for four to five hours a day and read while she is resting.
I haven't seen her specialist since last Thursday and am not really aware of her actual medical condition. Physically she appears stronger.
I shall drop in early today on the way home from shopping to see if I can catch her specialist.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Another Skin Tear
Thursday night Margaret was being helped to the toilet when she stumbled and hit her right arm against the striker plate of the door latch which has resulted in another large skin tear.
Here you can see the clean dressing on the one she did at home near the wrist band and the new one, still bleeding above it. This photo was taken 15 hours after the event. The bruising is from the new skin tear.
Margaret was now also leaking fluid from both her arms and weeping fluid from from another mysterious dressing on her left shin. She is decidedly unhappy with life at present as she hates being "dirty" and lying in "dirty bed clothes"
She only had one walk with the physio on Friday because she didn't feal well and I took a video of it and placed it on my Facebook page.
I dropped in this morning to see Margaret and she was a bit brighter but still leaking from her left arm and right leg. She has been given Endone to help with her pain and has also been fitted with a new sling which holds her arm closer to the body.
I stayed and cut up her lunch for her. She is going to rest this afternoon having sat up all morning.
I shall see her again at dinner and assist her if she needs it.
Margaret was now also leaking fluid from both her arms and weeping fluid from from another mysterious dressing on her left shin. She is decidedly unhappy with life at present as she hates being "dirty" and lying in "dirty bed clothes"
She only had one walk with the physio on Friday because she didn't feal well and I took a video of it and placed it on my Facebook page.
I dropped in this morning to see Margaret and she was a bit brighter but still leaking from her left arm and right leg. She has been given Endone to help with her pain and has also been fitted with a new sling which holds her arm closer to the body.
I stayed and cut up her lunch for her. She is going to rest this afternoon having sat up all morning.
I shall see her again at dinner and assist her if she needs it.
Friday, July 2, 2010
A Down Day
Margaret had a lot of pain in her arm Wednesday night and was given Morphine. During Thursday her lower arm was weeping copious amounts of fluid which messed uo her bedding and gown. She only had one walk with the physios as she felt really down all day.
I bought a little video camera and took a few shots of Margaret in her room and a video of her walking with physios.
I bought a little video camera and took a few shots of Margaret in her room and a video of her walking with physios.
Sitting Up in Her Chair
A General View of Her Room
Big Ted
The View From Margaret's Window
Helen's Get Well Card
I will post the video later.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Margaret is Improving
Yesterday Margaret had two sessions with the Physiotherapists who are getting her up to walk for a few minutes. Her breathing difficulties have reduced but her swollen feet/calves are still bad. The broken arm is incredibly swollen and last night she was weeping fluid from the back of her hand, It was dripping like a leaky tap.
In the morning we were interviewed by an occupational health therapist who is worried that Margaret wont be able to cope at home after the arm heals. Apparently after healing it will take up to a year for the arm to regain its full strength. Using a wheely walker or safety rails to steady herself will be difficult. she also has to use both arms to get herself up from chairs and the toilet. A Nursing Home was suggested which upset Margaret and she was also more upset when I told her that her GP, A, had also said that this was now the time for residential care. Fortunately her dementia is so bad that she had forgotten about it an hour later. I shall seek an Aged Care Assessment before she is released from hospital and take their advice.
Today she will be visited by an Orthopaedic Surgeon to check how the arm is going. It is likely that they will be able to start manipulating her shoulder in a few days to stop it freezing up.
I am back in my normal routine for when Margaret is in hospital. Up at 5.00 am, shower shave and breakfast. Walk Louis between 6.00 and 7.00 am. Odd jobs including Blogging and shopping between 7.00 and 9.45 am. Visit Margaret between 10.00 am and 12.30 pm including cutting up her lunch. Rest after lunch at home. Walk Louis between 3.30 and 4.30 pm. Visit Margaret between 4.45 and 6.00 pm including helping her with dinner, Prepare and eat my own dinner between 6.15 and 7.30 pm then snooze in front of TV until 9.30 pm and off to bed.
Now I am off shopping,
In the morning we were interviewed by an occupational health therapist who is worried that Margaret wont be able to cope at home after the arm heals. Apparently after healing it will take up to a year for the arm to regain its full strength. Using a wheely walker or safety rails to steady herself will be difficult. she also has to use both arms to get herself up from chairs and the toilet. A Nursing Home was suggested which upset Margaret and she was also more upset when I told her that her GP, A, had also said that this was now the time for residential care. Fortunately her dementia is so bad that she had forgotten about it an hour later. I shall seek an Aged Care Assessment before she is released from hospital and take their advice.
Today she will be visited by an Orthopaedic Surgeon to check how the arm is going. It is likely that they will be able to start manipulating her shoulder in a few days to stop it freezing up.
I am back in my normal routine for when Margaret is in hospital. Up at 5.00 am, shower shave and breakfast. Walk Louis between 6.00 and 7.00 am. Odd jobs including Blogging and shopping between 7.00 and 9.45 am. Visit Margaret between 10.00 am and 12.30 pm including cutting up her lunch. Rest after lunch at home. Walk Louis between 3.30 and 4.30 pm. Visit Margaret between 4.45 and 6.00 pm including helping her with dinner, Prepare and eat my own dinner between 6.15 and 7.30 pm then snooze in front of TV until 9.30 pm and off to bed.
Now I am off shopping,
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
A Brief update
Margaret was seen by her normal Specialist Physician on Monday and, no, he hasn't bunked of with his girlfriend. He said that her kidneys were still bad but stable and the arm should heal in 6 to 8 weeks and that she will have to stay in hospital until it does. He is worried by the continuous fluid build up in Margaret's legs and lungs and the subsequent load it places on her heart.
Margaret is still utterly confused but is actually quite happy. She has no concept of me living at home while she is hospital and last night rang the nurses to find out why I hadn't come home for dinner. I actually visited her at 5.00 pm as usual to help her eat her dinner. While there I showed her a set of photographs of our our great nephew's wedding taken by my brother. I set up a sideshow using her laptop computer and she loved looking at everybody and making up tales about them. I have now transfered them to her Electronic Photo-frame so she can watch them along with the other personal photos in it's memory.
Margaret is still utterly confused but is actually quite happy. She has no concept of me living at home while she is hospital and last night rang the nurses to find out why I hadn't come home for dinner. I actually visited her at 5.00 pm as usual to help her eat her dinner. While there I showed her a set of photographs of our our great nephew's wedding taken by my brother. I set up a sideshow using her laptop computer and she loved looking at everybody and making up tales about them. I have now transfered them to her Electronic Photo-frame so she can watch them along with the other personal photos in it's memory.
Monday, June 28, 2010
What A Difference A Day Makes
On Saturday night Margaret was barely conscious when I left her. The nurses called in the Physician who doubled her drip rate as she was severely dehydrated. When I visited her at 9.30 am on Sunday she was up sitting in a chair having just been showered and dressed in a clean gown. She was still on her drip but was talking on to our daughter Helen on the phone. The conversation was a bit weird and when she hung up she began talking to me in much the same way. i think she was remembering things from her past and somehow or other relating then to her present condition. She was talking about her sister, V. in the present tense while actually V had died just on a year ago. She told me about her imagined visitors yesterday which included another person who had died earlier this year. More amusing she said that her normal Physician was not visiting her because he had run off with his girl friend. We did have a Doctor depart suddenly for this reason 11 years ago but Dr. H is happily married with two small children and I am assured he will in today following his weekend off.
The weekend Physician dropped in to see Margaret and said that he had been worried the night before but was pleased to see Margaret bright and cheerful. He asked if she was normally as confused and I had to tell him that, while she had occasional confusion, this continuous stream of confused thoughts was new. He has continued with the higher drip rate but has had to increase her Frusimide as she was a bit gurgley. He said that she in on a fine balance at present. Too much Frusimide and she has kidney failure too little and she has congestive heart failure.
Margaret ate a good lunch with my help and was put back in bed to rest for the afternoon. She still requires two people to help her while out of bed and even then is very wobbly.
After lunch I went home for a break, to feed Louis and put my feet up before Louis' walk.
Back at the hospital Margaret was still on a high and prattling away about imagined events for the day but she decided that she didn't like me. I stayed to help her with her dinner but when I left to go home to have mine she got upset.
Helen phoned her later and had a forty minute strange conversation during which Margaret told her that I had put two chairs together and hidden under a sheet before taking my dinner home with me!! I wonder what today will bring.
The weekend Physician dropped in to see Margaret and said that he had been worried the night before but was pleased to see Margaret bright and cheerful. He asked if she was normally as confused and I had to tell him that, while she had occasional confusion, this continuous stream of confused thoughts was new. He has continued with the higher drip rate but has had to increase her Frusimide as she was a bit gurgley. He said that she in on a fine balance at present. Too much Frusimide and she has kidney failure too little and she has congestive heart failure.
Margaret ate a good lunch with my help and was put back in bed to rest for the afternoon. She still requires two people to help her while out of bed and even then is very wobbly.
After lunch I went home for a break, to feed Louis and put my feet up before Louis' walk.
Back at the hospital Margaret was still on a high and prattling away about imagined events for the day but she decided that she didn't like me. I stayed to help her with her dinner but when I left to go home to have mine she got upset.
Helen phoned her later and had a forty minute strange conversation during which Margaret told her that I had put two chairs together and hidden under a sheet before taking my dinner home with me!! I wonder what today will bring.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Margaret Has A Quiet Day
The title says it all. Margaret spent most of Saturday asleep. When she woke up she was quite incoherent except from between 11.45 am and 12.30 pm when she actualy woke up and allowed me to feed her some lunch. This was the first food she has eaten since Tuesday.
I visited her at 10,00 am and stayed till 1.00 pm. The nurses did not get her out to bed for a shower but cleaned her up in bed. She barely stirred during the whole procedure. The weekend specialist physician examined her just before lunch. He said that by withholding her Frusimide her kidney function had stabilised but there were now signs of fluid accumulating in her lungs so he would have to re-instate them. She is on a drip all the time.
I visited from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm but she didn't really wake up. I tried to get to have some dinner but she wouldn't or couldn't open her eyes. She didn't event notice me kiss good night when I left.
Later in the evening Helen phoned me to say that she had spoken to the RN in charge of Margaret who said that Margaret was now severly dehydrated and her drip flow rate had been doubled.
Margaret is not in pain and normally sleeping peacefully. I don't think that she has urinated in the last couple of days. If not she is in a very poor renal shape.
They told Helen that Margaret will be moved to an area where she can be monitored more closely but not to the High Dependency Unit. Really they are just providing palliative care which is all that Margaret wants.
I shall visit in about an hour.
I visited her at 10,00 am and stayed till 1.00 pm. The nurses did not get her out to bed for a shower but cleaned her up in bed. She barely stirred during the whole procedure. The weekend specialist physician examined her just before lunch. He said that by withholding her Frusimide her kidney function had stabilised but there were now signs of fluid accumulating in her lungs so he would have to re-instate them. She is on a drip all the time.
I visited from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm but she didn't really wake up. I tried to get to have some dinner but she wouldn't or couldn't open her eyes. She didn't event notice me kiss good night when I left.
Later in the evening Helen phoned me to say that she had spoken to the RN in charge of Margaret who said that Margaret was now severly dehydrated and her drip flow rate had been doubled.
Margaret is not in pain and normally sleeping peacefully. I don't think that she has urinated in the last couple of days. If not she is in a very poor renal shape.
They told Helen that Margaret will be moved to an area where she can be monitored more closely but not to the High Dependency Unit. Really they are just providing palliative care which is all that Margaret wants.
I shall visit in about an hour.
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