So as you have seen and read below, it has been a fun filled several months. Johnny and I have worked hard with her....especially Johnny. I only take her to and from adult daycare 3 days a week and get her on Friday nights....Johnny spends every morning and evening with her of every day working with her. Though she still has a way to go, she has come a long way. All we can do is continue to work with her, enjoy her, make new memories (documenting as we go), and pray/wait for her continuous recovery. :).

Stay tuned for more frequent updates



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Whoops, forgot to add this picture too


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Before Christmas Amelia, Brent, Mom and I all went out to Roseland where you walk around and look at all the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations. Also, Amelia got to meet Santa and tell him what she wanted for Christmas....a dollhouse :)











- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A few evenings we decided to do our traditional Christmas baking and had a blast doing it.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

What's a awesome girls night without manicures and pedicures





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The fair was another fun excursion.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

October brings pumpkin carving time in which Amelia, Brent, Mom and I put our skills to the test and had a great time doing it.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I have been having girls night with Mom mostly every Friday night since she has been home but if not a Friday than 1 other day of that week. We like to have activities planned and I have been bad about documenting them. So I will begin with her birthday in which Amelia and I made a cake and had her and Johnny over.










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mom is doing better! I pick her up and take her to adult daycare 3 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)and she is not trying to leave there anymore so they are no longer trying to kick her out lol. Friday and Saturday she is at home with a home health person that works with her on her memory and Friday nights I get to spend with her just her and me (and brent and amelia sometimes too). :) Sunday and Monday she is at home with Johnny on his days off. He is great about working with her memory and having her exercise on these days as well in the evenings during the week. They say the exercise really helps with her brain function.

She is doing better as she is about 90% better physically and about 65% mentally. At this point she is kinda like an Alzheimer's person but a little different and better. The other evening Johnny was able to have a 15 minute conversation with her!!!! She has gotten better with her name and age and sometimes her address. She gets really confused still that she has children to watch (I guess that comes from watching amelia prior to all this happening) which is hard bc she becomes ADAMANT about it. She also will say things like "Oh angie said the funniest thing the other day" (to me) and I will say, "Mom, I am Angie". She will immediately say, "No, my daughter Angie". These things sting but I have to remember she has come a VERY long way from someone in a coma and on a ventilator just a year ago. She has a bit to go but we very strongly think she will just keep getting better and better and better. Thank you God for us still being able to have this phenomenal woman in our lives. Love you Mom!!

July 12, 2010

Ok guys...SHE IS HOME!!!!!! Johnny brought her home today and she is doing soooooo good! Amelia and I stopped by there and she was calm and smiling. :) She is still rambling but she is easily redirected. OMG, we can not express just how happy and excited we are that she is actually home! It is about time things go right and that she is doing so so so good! She made herself a bowl of cereal and knew exactly where the silverware was. :) Johnny meets with the daycare people tomorrow at 1:30 so I will keep you posted.

June 28, 2010

Mom is still in the Red River Behavioral hospital trying to get her medication straighten out. She has been having a tough time being aggravated and recovering from a fall. She fell this past weekend and goose-egged and blackened her eye as well as scraped up her forehead, nose and cheek. Apparently she tripped on her shoestring and fell face first. She is healing up pretty fast from it though. I had a rough day today bc I got told by another Dr. (her new main Dr)that she will not get any better than this. It takes a toll on you to hear these things and thankfully Johnny was there to help me say "screw what the Dr's say"! We choose to have high hopes and pray. Plus, not long after I told him what her Dr. had to say to me.....he received word from the adult daycare waver people....they will be coming to access Mom THIS Thursday! This is great news and timing bc the current nursing home that is holding her spot gave Johnny Mom's notice to vacate bc 'they don't have room' (whatever) and bc she is a handful. After the assessment, the time frame is VERY SHORT to get approved to go the daycare! We are almost there guys!!!!

June 15, 2010

Sorry I have not been keeping up with this very well. Keeping up with my toddler has been keeping me busy when I get off work lol. Mom was moved back to the nursing home a few days after being at the Red River behavior bc she was doing so well. However, we think they let her go a little prematurely. We say this because only a day after going back to the nursing home, she seemed super confused and agitated again (and still is some of the time). We think, and the nurses agree, that her medicine should be constant and never a lull in it. About 3pm every day she seems to get extremely agitated until she gets her medicine and she seems to level out. She also is pushing her jaw out and in (almost like grinding) which seems as a result of her medicine. So, we are in the process of trying to get her back in there to get her meds correct.
Last Thursday she had chest pains and numbness in her left arm. They rushed her to the hospital and luckily it was just an anxiety attack (not that an anxiety attack is good....but it is better than a heart attack). Again, she should not be having anxiety attacks with proper medication.
She is doing great in therapy when she is in the therapy room and focused. However, she has big problems when applying this logic to outside the therapy room (like her room etc). She is going around to others rooms...taking their things like stuffed animals, dentures, food and clothes. One wife of a patient got onto Johnny for Mom taking all his food. She thinks that is her house and all those rooms are hers. She can't hardly be swayed from this. And it is super frustrating to walk in and see her in clothes I have never seen before and have her argue blue in the face that she brought them from home that day. SIGH.
Other than this, she is still sweet as anything and has moments of clarity. She has come a long way and will continue to in her fight.
We are still trying to get her into adult daycare....what a SLOW PROCESS! It is amazing to me how we are trying to save medicare money by wanting her at home/adult day care $70 (monday-friday) a day=$1400 a month vs. round the clock nursing home probably ~$4k a month and they are still not approving it.

Anyways, this is what is going on. Please continue with your prayers.

June 5, 2010

Ok, this couldn't wait til tomorrow.....Mom had a fantastic day today! Yesterday and the day before were hard bc she was arguing with us a lot. Her brother, Tony, came into town along with Michael and kiddos. She was happy to hang out/talk to Tony but was still arguing that she was in Amarillo and seeing Dr. Jenkins(her Ama Dr.). Not sure if her medication is getting straightened out and making her less cloudy, if today was an earlier visiting time making her less tired or if she is just finally clearing up. We don't know but are certainly celebrating this fantastic day. She was not arguing and was listening to what we were telling her. She was asking questions about her surgeries and understanding! She would say things like, "Oh wow....so let me ask you this...." and the answers were getting in! Actual conversations without random talk thrown in. She is clear on her JOB....which is to get better and not worry about Amelia (which is a HUGE difference even from yesterday. We are not saying that tomorrow will be as clear as today....BUT we are celebrating today's clarities.

OMG Mom, we are so proud of you and how far you have come!!! What great conversations we had today (me and you and you and Johnny). We love you sooo sooo much and hope to get you home soon!

June 2, 2010

Things are the same as in we visit every day (with the exception of me taking a break being gone for 2 days to Amarillo) and Johnny he goes everyday. Even when it is our girls night, he will go in the beginning of the evening to see her :). She is doing fantastic physically but still chugging along in getting better mentally. Johnny spoke to the head nurse and she suggested Mom go to this place called red river behavioral hospital to get her medication straightened out. Mom has been talking to Johnny about how she isn't quite right and wants to be. She seems a tad cloudy and aggitated these recent days. Johnny spoke to me about the place, I spoke to my friend Heather (who works for a branch of Red River so is very familiar with them) and he told them to evaluate her yesterday. They took her yesterday and Johnny said she seemed very at ease and okay with it. They will take keep her for a week-2 weeks depending on how quickly they get her medication straightened out.
We are still waiting to hear back from the state on the approval for the adult daycare (SIGH) Praying that won't take much longer.
Will keep you posted.

May 23, 2010

Yesterday was a doozy for Mom as she was very agitated and insistent on going home. She was fine before Johnny left and then about 9pm they called him and said she was trying to run out the door and was very agitated. He was so sweet in going back up there to calm her down and staying with her until she went to sleep. She was much better today and Friday night for girls night...confused but happy and easily redirected so. But, it is getting harder and harder for her to be there as she becomes less pleasantly confused. Although she is still a good bit confused, she is starting to understand that isn't her home and that she doesn't really like it there. We are PRAYING that the acceptance letter comes in this week for the adult daycare so she can come home. It is almost 4 and a half weeks since he sent it off so crossing our fingers and putting in our prayers.

May 20, 2010

Mom is still doing really well everyone. She has a list she follows every day as "her job" to keep her busy and does pretty well with it. She is still confused and def has short term memory problems but she is getting better and better about not arguing and accepting. She is walking no problem, playing cards no problem (she kicked my booty 5 games on our girl night last Friday). We still have not heard from the state about her acceptance into the adult daycare program and are hoping to in the next week or two so she can come home. Johnny and I truly believe she would be less confused at home.
Oh, and just a little interesting bit of info.....guess how much the brain specialty Touro in New Orleans charged for her 28 day stay? How about 75K! Johnny received an itemized statement from them and luckily insurance covers it but WOW.
Bye for now

May 9, 2010

Happy Mother's Day Mom! She is still trucking along in her progress everyone with a few laughable moments of course. She lost her robe, 2 jackets, and her prescription glasses (and gained some new sunglasses lol sigh). When we got there today to celebrate Mother's day, she had all her stuff (and I do mean ALL) packed up and ready to go home. :) On Friday night, I gave Johnny a much deserved night off while giving me a very much wanted/needed night with just me and my Mom. She and I played cards and she kicked my booty. I told her, 'let's play one more game so I can redeem myself". Her response was, "If you think you can". lol It was a really fun evening. :)

She is getting better and better all the time!

So proud of the best Mom ever :)

May 3, 2010

Mom got to celebrate Amelia's birthday too! Brent, Amelia, George, Wilma and I all went up there with Mickey Mouse shaped rice crispy treats in hand along with 2 candles for Amelia to blow out as we sang Happy Birthday. Mom LOVED it (and the rice crispy treat too lol)! She recognized Wilma and Dickey right away, as well as, recognized Chelsea and Sunni when they came with me earlier that day. She is in good spirits and doing so well but is till a tad confused. Every once in awhile she will get caught napping in someone else's room, wearing or toting someone else's belongings or leaving her own things in someone elses room. However, she is doing great in her therapies (6 days a week) and is able to hold a conversation now...with only a little added elaborate (false) ending. Her and Johnny spend every evening together and he helps to redirect her and work with her. (amazing job Johnny) Even though Amelia and i visit every day....we can't spend as much time as I would like so it makes me feel better to know how well she is taken care of by him..and the facility when he leaves.

Keep up the good work Mom :) Love you!

May 2, 2010

Ok, so I am super tired from this weekend (Amelia's birthday) so I will have to send a post tomorrow but I wanted to let you all know that Mom is doing SO great everyone! Johnny is doing such a great job with redirection and bringing her things to keep her busy. She is doing great guys and I will have more details tomorrow.

Bye for now!

April 27, 2010

Mom is doing sooo well everyone! She is participating in therapy 6 days a week and keeping the nurses busy with keeping up with her lol. She goes in and out of rooms, leaves her shoes, takes some books lol. We worry about her doing this but the ppl at this new place are soooo very nice and are completely unphased about it. They just say, "let her do it....it will help her learn". So, Johnny showed up today and she had all her stuff packed up in boxes lol. Despite her being a little confused, she is getting better and better with being able to have a conversation and understanding more. She reached out for Amelia today and when Amelia didn't want to go to her or hug her....Mom pretended to cry (which is a pretty complicated brain function) and then Amelia said "sorry Mimi and hugged her. :) Johnny has filled out more paperwork for us to be able to get her into adult daycare which means one step closer to her coming home. YAY! Will keep you posted :)

April 23, 2010

Oh my goodness guys! She is doing soooo great. As soon as Amelia and I walked in she instantly reached out for Amelia and said "oh, Amelia I missed you"! She told me a number of times how much she missed me too :) Her and Johnny were getting all her things settled in her NEW room since she was complained on by the lady in her last room for talking too much lol so she was moved). Oh and Johnny found her wandering into someones room and putting on their robe (whoops). Although her memory is still poor and her rambling is still there, she is doing better and better. And...even when she does ramble, a very slight verbal redirection is all that is needed because she is so calm and passive. Also, her sweetness did not go anywhere either :) I can't count the number of times she hugged or kissed us.

WAY TO GO MOM!!!! We knew you would work hard to get this far....and we know how hard you will continue to work too!

Love you so much!

April 22, 2010

Mom had a long trip yesterday from New Orleans back to here and although tired, she was in good spirits! It was a driver and nurse that went to get her and bring her back (which was really nice of them). She didn't get into town until almost 9 pm and Johnny met her up there to get her settled in and situated. He said she looked great....her color was good and even though she was tired....she still ate a dinner before bed. I spoke to her on the phone for a good while and she sounded great. Amelia and I plan to go up there here in a little while to visit and then Johnny will be up there too after he gets off work.
The new place for now is:

HERITAGE MANOR OF BOSSIER
2575 AIRLINE DRIVE
BOSSIER CITY, LA 71111

318-746-7466

Will add to this later tonight to let you all know how she is adjusting to her new temporary home. Bye for now

April 18, 2010

Just got off the phone with Mom as she is about to turn in for the night. Physically she is doing GREAT! She is also doing well with her continence...however, she is still really really confused. Tonight she told me that the darn raccoon bit her again on her leg and that is why it hurts so bad and why she is so sleepy. We are really hoping she will cognitively get better once she gets back here.....which will be next Wednesday. sigh. Don't get me wrong....I miss and love her very much but also believe Touro is the place she needs to be but unfortunately her insurance disagrees. They will deliver her to us if she goes to a nursing home.....so we are trying to find her one for a short period of time to where in the meantime we can try to get her into an adult daycare facility. She has already been approved for the EDA LA adult daycare program....thanks to Johnny for signing up for it. There are 2 places here in town and I have already been to one that a friend of mine Aunt goes to and was pleased. I will go by there again tomorrow to get the paperwork for Johnny and I to fill out. The social worker will get back in touch with me on what she found out about the new list of 5 nursing facilities tomorrow (as Mom has already been denied to 4 places on the old list so far). Willis Knighton actually said, "we do not feel that Pamela Rosado will ever cognitively get better". I was so angry and hurt.....so was Johnny. I hope they are not right and that Mom SOARS with improvement to prove them wrong.

She is so sweet and told me to tell everyone "not to worry about her bc she is A ok" :)

April 13, 2010

Wow do I have a lot to post! Mom is doing sooooooo well guys! Johnny and I drove down there Sunday morning and she was excited to see us. Although still mixed up, answering a ton of questions....even ones right before the aneurysm. Like, what street do you live on....what is the address! How about THAT for short term memory! YAY MOM! We went and stayed with Mom and Dad Dooley in Baton Rouge (thanks again guys...love ya) and drove back out to New Orleans Monday morning for me to take a class on brain injury (all components including her leaving Touro). Johnny dlearned all about what items they need for the house, how to use them and helped her with all her therapies. Let me tell you, from the little I saw and everything he was telling me....they WORK THEM OUT! Very intensive yet very warm and friendly environment. These therapist love their job and their patients. I was SUPER impressed! Oh, and get this.....on the fourth floor they have a 'mini town' that has a real car (for patients and families to practice properly getting in and out of it), a half bus, curbs, bridges, a mini diner, movie theater steps and seats, a mini grocery store and a fake bank". I am sure there a few more but these are the ones that stand out. All of these are used to simulate 'real life' situation and they are played out as if they were out in the world. This place is amazing and we can tell just how much it has helped her in the 3 weeks she has been there (she is walking on her own, with barely any balance problems). So here is where the bad news comes in. Sigh. She needs to stay there a little longer (even a few more weeks would be nice) because her cognitive part is still a lot lacking and needs to be there for the cognitive rehabilitation. Problem is.....insurance doesn't care about that part. They want her out April 21. She needs 24 hour supervision. Johnny can take FMLA (which will allow him to take the time off without losing his job....however.....it is unpaid leave. I can't take leave bc I am up for promotion and have already taken SOOOOO many days. So, it is looking like our options are: We bring her home and Johnny takes his leave when there is a mortgage to be paid still, or she goes into another nursing home. SIGH!
He and I are checking into options and programs to sign her up for (he has already made a ton of phone calls) but these programs take time and there is usually a waiting list involved. We still don't know what we are going to do but will keep you posted!

One thing to keep in mind (even with all this stress part) she is doing really really good guys! What a blessing that is! We are so proud of you Mom! LOVE YOU

April 6, 2010

Sorry for the long delay in updating the blog y'all! Mom is doing well and me, Brent and Johnny got to spend time with her this past weekend. (Amelia stayed at her Grandma and Papa's house in Baton Rouge). Both her Saturday and Sunday were filled with us hanging out with her talking, playing cards, doing laundry (she helped :) and strolling around to the observation area. She is in good spirits and adjusting well to and participating well with her therapies. She is still a good bit confused /rambling but we really really hope that improves as time goes on. I showed her video footage of Amelia as well as a ton of pictures....she really enjoyed this as you can imagine. They tentatively have her release date as April 21 (as in a few weeks) but from what I gathered from the nurse, it's a normal insurance thing to set a release date and then do an extension. Not sure what the next step will be after Touro....home health care? Not sure yet...but you can know one thing...she is getting better all the time and working her tail off to come home. Muwaahh Mom....we are so dang proud of you and love you sooooooooooooooo very much. It was great seeing you and keep up the good work. See you next weekend!

March 31, 2010

The nurse said Mom is is doing really well and was worn out from her therapies. When Amelia and I talked to Mom, she was in good spirits even though you could tell she was tired. She is still rambling quite a bit but Johnny and i think it has much to do with her being tired at the end of the day when it is okay for us to call and not interrupt her therapies. Can't wait to see her this weekend!!!!

March 29, 2010

Talked to the nurse and Mom tonight :) The nurse said she is a lot less anxious than last week and that she is doing well. :)
Mom was excited to talk to me, Brent and Amelia as well. Amelia told her "Miss you MiMi". :) I love it. She is still rambling a bit and keeps talking about "Cathy helping me with this and Cathy and I are doing this and that". Does anyone know of any Cathy's from her childhood or lifetime that she could be speaking of? Despite the rambling, she is doing well and we are excited to see her next weekend. :)

March 28, 2010

Mom is adjusting very well to her new digs. The nurses tell us that she has done really well with all her therapies and is usually worn the heck out at the end of the day. In fact, when we called the other night at 6:30 she was heavily sleeping. We usually get to speak to her in the evenings and she seems in good spirits and is ALWAYS excited to talk to us. We of course tell her to keep up the hard work and that we miss and love her VEEERRRRRYYY much.

We are very proud of you Mom!

mwuuaahhh love you!

March 24, 2010

We left out of Baton Rouge at 6:30ish am and called to check on Mom about 7. She slept through the night and was out of bed and starting the routine. :)

Oh, for those who want the address to send her letters or whatever it is:

Touro (W6 Brain Injury Rehab Unit) ATTN: Gaye Rosado
1401 Foucher
New Orleans, LA 70115

Also, you can call the nurses station to check on her if you like 24 hours a day and possibly be able to talk to her if it is between 5:30pm and 8:30pm
504-897-8334

More details on the place tomorrow for I am SUPER tired tonight. But, Johnny and I talkd to the nurse this evening to find out that she did really well the routine and therapies today and were able to talk to Mom to congratulate her for doing so well on her first real day and tell her how much we love her. :)

March 23, 2010

I picked Johnny up at 6:15 and we picked Mom up at 6:30. They had her all ready to go...she had taken her meds and eaten her breakfast. We loaded her in back of the car (child locks on the door and window with Johnny sitting back there with her). I was soooo worried about her anxiety on the trip but to our surprise....she was calm the ENTIRE 5 HOURS! She did SO well with the drive! She did the ramble talk and "where did so and so go" but nothing too bad. We kept her busy with seek and finds and she stayed so calm.
Touro was very thorough and is EXACTLY where she needs to be. She is in the brain trauma unit so she is surrounded by people in similar conditions and Dr.s and nurses spealilized in it as well. They get the patients up at 6 or 7am every morning and give them their showers like in a normal routine and they can not return to their rooms until 4 that evening....like they would a job. They treat getting better AS their job. This is intensive rehab, designed specifically for brain injury and they will adjust her meds accordingly with brain injury type drugs. We met her Dr personally and watched him give her a series of test and answered questions for us.
She did really well with all of this....until it was close to us leaving.....she freaked out! They had to restrain her with a vest while we left to go get her remaining toiletries...she was trying to get out over and over and wanting to leave. We tried to calm her down when we got back 30 mins later and she did somewhat. We explained her needing to be there and she would almost cry and why again and then seem to understand....and then 5 minutes later forget and then the whole emotional topic would have to be explained again. This was tough on all three of us. We left her at 7:30, finally grabbed us some food and then drove to Baton Rouge to stay with Mom and Dad Dooley. Phew. We HATED seeing her and LEAVING her in that anxious and scared state but we know it is the best place for her to be able to come home sooner and have the best brain injury recovery.

We love you Mom and we really hope you know we want the best for you!!! Hang in there!!!!

March 21, 2010

Saturday she and I walked the hallways and did our game playing and her seek and finds. In the beginning she was arguing with me quite a bit about where she was and that she needed to be at work and that the room wasn't her room and someone stole her keys etc. sigh. But once I raised my voice and told her that I have ZERO reason to lie to her and she needs to trust me and Johnny...she did less arguing but still some lol. We had a good time until from 1-3:30 and then Johnny got there and they had a good evening too. They did their normal routines of walking the hallways, eating dinner in the main dining area (Mom had a long conversation with another lady there and she was smiling the whole time). He put her to bed that night and at 1:00am she decided to wander the halls and give the nurses a scare. She apparently she got up and walked down the hall, walked into the laundry area and couldn't get out so she sat down and waited for them to find her I guess. They were looking in closets, rooms, and even had a nurse circling the building outside to find her. WHOOPS

Sunday: Mom and Johnny had a great lunch and dinner together....she ate ALL of her dinner and was less anxious too. He had her walking the halls and having a great conversations. The nurses told Johnny how far she has come thanks to all his hard work with her and mine....but really....it was all Mom.
Goooo Mom we are sooo proud of you.

March 20, 2010

Friday was a great day and evening. She and I ate our lunch together and she ate almost all of it. We played games after that in which she was with it!! She wasn't missing a beat with beating me :) She got upset with me when I insisted on taking her to the bathroom and informed me that she can do it by herself "thank you very much". lol. That evening we ate dinner in the main dining area and she wasn't anxious very much at all. Amelia and Brent came by to see her as wel as Johnny and she was smiling from ear to ear.....she LOVED it. She and I walked the hallways, played more games and did manicures and pedicures. It was really fun and an great mom and daughter night. :)

March 19, 2010

I will post today's lunch date and tonights girls night in tomorrows post....tired. I just wanted to log on and let everyone know that...SHE WAS ACCEPTED TO TOURO and Johnny and I will be taking her on Monday or Tuesday. Oh, and she had a good day and night guys.
Post again tomorrow afternoon....thanks for the prayers and crossed fingers everyone!

March 18, 2010

Today was a much better day....much much better. She ate a good lunch with me today (and yesterday....I didn't update yesterday...oops) and was less anxious. She answered questions correctly and was just all and all more with it. I guess that medicine was all it was. whew. She walked well again today and was able to focus and play cards :). This evening was a good evening for her and Johnny (despite a few arguments and eye rolls from Mom over not getting out of the wheelchair lol).

HEAVY SIGH...we still don't know if she has been accepted to Touro yet. They were still requesting info again today and supposedly we will find out tomorrow. Please put in your prayers this evening for her to get in (and us to find out tomorrow and not be so stressed about what happens if she is denied).

Still so proud of you Mom! We are wanting the best for you and trying our hardest...love you sooooo much.

March 16, 2010

Oh goodness today was another doozy but I do have a funny story to share later in this update. Mom was so impulsive and out of it again today...we could not play cards bc she would ask for the "naked Ace" and just could not grasp the concept you had to have three of the same card to lay down or that you didn't discard. She would just keep saying "okay" and keep doing whatever she was doing...this was with anything today...like getting out of her chair etc. "okay" while still continuing to do it. argh. Ok funny thing: The speech therapist asked her how old I was and she said, "ohhh around 5 or 6 I think" and then she asked her how old Amelia her grandaughter was and she said, "she is 2". The therapist said, "Now Gaye, how can you have a 5 year old daughter and a 2 year old grand daughter"? Mom's response? "SIgh> I guess I should have watched her better". LOL.
Johnny's evening was a little of the same but she did walk the hall for him twice, eat a good dinner and do their routines. She is starting to get back to herself again slowly. WHEW! No news from Touro yet. They requested a little more information today and supposedly good news...so we are praying and crossing our fingers and toes. We encourage you all to do the same. :)

March 15, 2010

Today was not such a good day. She was soooo out of it and we assume it is the medicine. She was not making sense and barely knew who and what was going on and was super impulsive. We couldn't even play our card games or memory games so we just colored. I called the Dr and had it discontinued and he said it will take her a few days to get back on track. She did eat a good lunch for me and a good dinner for Johnny and is looking better so hopefully she will get back to feeling better soon too. We have not heard anything back from Touro other than they are requesting all kinds of things from her file....not sure if that is a good thing or bad but it feels like a good thing...so we will see.

March 14, 2010

Johnny took care of Mom all day and said she seems to be having a little more trouble with balance and with cognition....we are wondering if it might be her new medication causing this. She also has a loss of appetite and just seems to be more confused so I will be calling her new Dr. tomorrow to let him know. Also, I will contacting Touro tomorrow hopefully we will find out everything tomorrow....as in if they will be accepting her and how transporting her will be done. On one hand, she would be less anxious if Johnny or myself brought her but on the other hand, what if she tries to open the door while driving, or grabs the wheel, vomits, seizures, freaks out...anything. It makes sense to have someone used to transporting and possibly CPR certified. We have so many questions for Touro that I can't even type them all right now. If I get a chance tomorrow I will type some of the questions .
Bye for now.

March 12, 2010

Mom had a great day today! My friend Missy came with me to see her and Mom really enjoyed our visit. She is walking so great and she was making good sense today. The therapist said that she had a fantastic day!
This evening was girls night so Johnny left when I got there at 4:30 when we started our manicures and pedicures. It was dinner time after that and she ate a really good dinner in the dining area and then it was off to playing cards (yes she beat me again). She walked the hallway 3 times with no help tonight!!!! She is there...I am telling you....she is there! So proud of you Mom! She was pretty worn out after that and it was off to bed after brushing her teeth.
Whew...big day....a good day and night :)

March 11, 2010

So, let's see Mom got denied to Willis Knighton for a 3rd time. ARGH! The reason...because the Dr. that is assigned to Mom that makes his rounds to the nursing homes/rehabilitation places said that she needs to be at Touro a specialty brain institute. This is the same place that Dr. Nanda mentioned when we went to his appt the other day. It is a great place but the problem is....it is in New Orleans 5 hours away. Sigh. Here is the website.

http://www.touro.com/content/braininjury.htm

Johnny and I talked about it and after thinking long and hard....we decided to try to get her in there. It sucks that she will be that far away but we want her to get the best possible chance to get better. We would be able to visit her every weekend or almost every weekend. We are not 100% that they will accept her but we will know Monday or Tuesday. We were thinking that we would rather her be a specialty place for a few months rather than a nursing home for a year or longer....and at this point I am not sure of what places would take her due to her impulsivity. Please check out the website.

We will keep you posted.

March 10, 2010

What a big day for Mom and Johnny both! He took her to her Dr. appt in which they evaluated her meds and added one to help her be less impulsive and not looking for Amelia/other people. So we will see....her follow up is in 2 weeks. Johnny said the Dr.was really nice and I spoke to him on the phone while they were there and he seemed thorough and really nice. Mom was pretty darn anxious there and looking for Amelia in front of him...which is good for him to see first hand. So, we will keep you posted on how she responds to the medication.
This evening her and Johnny did their routines (since routines are good for her) and so they laid down for a bit after the appt, worked on the puzzle, ate dinner, did the teeth brushing, dance steps and walking (which she did FANTASTIC again tonight).

Everything was faxed to Willis Knighton and waiting to hear back tomorrow....

March 9, 2010

Today was another good day guys! When I got there she was playing Wii bowling and having a good time. Again, she was excited to see me and she ate a good lunch accompanying a good conversation with some nonsense talk thrown in. We went and played our normal card games and memory games before heading off to her therapy. The therapist say she is doing GREAT!
This evening she ate a good dinner with Johnny with only minimal anxiousness. She didn't argue when she is told someone isn't alive anymore like she usually does...she understood. PROGRESS! She walked the entire length of TWO long hallways with zero help before getting tired!! Major progress! She is doing soooo good and Willis Knighton will probably come and evaluate her tomorrow....hopefully...and hopefully accept her.
Also, Johnny will be taking her to her new Dr. tomorrow (yes, they were able to fit her in this week) and hopefully that will go well too.

She is doing so well! Keep your prayers coming guys!

March 7, 2010

I was able to get her a new Dr. and an appt asap (as in this wednesday at 1:30). Johnny called Willis Knighton personally and they almost said they were not even going to come out until he stopped them and pleaded his case, her progress and they will be coming out one more time with new info providing her progress. Fingers crossed and prayers please!
She was playing Wii when i first got there and doing a little better than the last. Her face lit up when she saw me....followed by a "Hey Baby"! She and I had a great lunch (in which she ate ALL of her meal) and great conversation. We played cards and memory after that and she did great. Her evening with Johnny was equally great and her occupational therapist said she is doing FANTASTIC!

Sooooo proud of you Mom!!!!

March 6, 2010

Johnny took care of Mom all weekend on his own since we were out of town and said that she had a great weekend and mainly talked nonsense when she was tired. She ate good meals and walked by herself holding onto the rail and walking behind the wheelchair. Toni and Rod came into town to visit her in which she thoroughly enjoyed. Her memory is improving a little and she is doing sooooo well guys! Now, if we can only get her into a good place where she can continue to shine and impress us.

March 5, 2010

The Dr. Nanda appt went well as far as him saying she was doing well and that he thinks there is no reason for her to not be 100% in like 6 months. He provided no help with the Willis Knighton and in fact almost acted like that isn't where she needs to be. He managed to avoid my 3 mentions about it and Brent's 2 mentions about it. His suggestion was for us to contact her Dr. to have a neurological test done as well as review her meds. Here lies a problem....her Dr. is no longer there and they have not filled his spot. Also, none of the other Dr.'s there are accepting new patients. The referral Drs are either self pay or don't have any openings until June. That Dr.s referral is 65 and older only. She has to have a certain type of Dr. so it makes it difficult. I am still working on finding her one and trying not to become utterly discouraged bc of it and the fact that she is getting booted from her current residence too. ARGH. We might have to ck into out of town neuro places again but don't want to bc we want her to be close....yet want her to have the best care. sigh. If anyone reading this can help or has suggestions or connections....now is the time???? I am still waiting for some call backs and Johnny is checking into having Willis Knighton come out yet again and obtaining information on one of the out of town places.
Please pray, cross your fingers, wish us luck....all that good stuff....we will keep you posted.

March 4, 2010

Today provides both good news and bad news. The good news: It was a great day with conversation with her. She seemed way more relaxed today and focused when we played cards....like she truly understood.what the rules were and what she was doing. YAY. This evening, the walked down the hall without help from Johnny and without holding onto the rail!!!
The Bad news? They are kicking Mom out of the facility! They are giving us 30 days to find another place for her due to her "needing constant care that they are not able to provide". The way they let US know? They told Johnny in a meeting of 8 people and him without them telling me about the meeting...even though the main director and the main administrator saw me at lunch and failed to mention such meeting. Anyways, so now we need to figure out what to do and where she needs to be. We have the the Dr. appt on Friday that perhaps will shed light on our situation...like get us into Willis Knighton??

Here are some questions I will be asking:
What are we to expect in the continued healing process as per rate that she has been healing?
Is everything working properly with her shunt?
Did her falls have an affect on her?
Are some of the things she says and does normal? give examples and make sure we are redirecting and answering her properly.
What are our options with where she should be....Willis Knighton?
Confirm Speech therapist thoughts on her brains inability to process memories and what we can do to help the brain fix that.

This is what we have so far. Pray that it goes well and please feel free to add some questions in the comment area and I will ck it before the Dr. appt.

Thanks and sorry to just now be getting these questions posted.

March 3, 2010

Today was another good day for her guys! She was playing Wii tennis again when I got there for lunch and not doing too shabby! Her reaction time is delayed but can certainly volley a few times back and forth. AWESOME MOM. :). When she got her lunch she told the nurse, 'how much do I owe you hon'? and the nurse replied, "not a thing". She looked at me and said, "Now listen...you are not gonna buy my lunch or my beers...you promise me"? I went ahead and promised hee hee.
Heather came to visit her and so we went back to her room and chatted for awhile and played some memory. She was doing soooo good! In fact, the occupational therapist said she was having HER BEST DAY YET! Soooo proud of you Mom. :)
This evening she did great for Johnny too. When he and she walked the hall like usual...he let her hold on to the rail and walk without him holding onto her...only keeping his hands in front and behind her in case she needed him....in which she didn't! She walked the entire hall holding onto the rail with no help. YAY! She said something to shock him too. She said, "I miss Maleia May" (their dog). Oh, and she remembered Jessica and Mark visiting the day before and the street she currently lives on! I am telling you...she is doing soooo good.
I will post the list of questions I have for Dr. Nanda tomorrow at some point and I would like you all to look that list over and add questions that I may have missed.
All your prayers and her hard work is paying off :)

March 2, 2010

What a great day it was for Mom! When I got there for lunch she was in the silver spoon area playing Wii tennis!!!!! This helps with her reaction time and she was doing pretty good with it too. We ate our lunches before heading back to her room to play memory and cards. She is still pretty impulsive and tries to get up several times during the visit....but it is MUCH better than it was before which was CONSTANTLY. The evening started out fantastic and the more tired she got...it went downhill. Johnny went to a brain injury support group (in which I am so proud of him for...Go Johnny) so it was a girls night. Well, in the beginning it was a big group. Amelia came with me and Jessica and Mark came by to visit with her too. Which she really really enjoyed. Then Brent came by to say hello and get Amelia. It was a good time....she does well with having company...she eats it up. :) SHe even walked with me to walk Jessica and Mark out to the front door. After everyone left, we went and had dinner in the main dining area. This is where it took a turn for the worse. She all of a sudden became obsessed with finding the baby..."oh no...we gotta look for the baby....where is she....where is Michael Jay (my brother who passed before I was born)....have you seen him"? Loudly asking people around her as her knee was bouncing with anxiety. Phew. It is hard to say that someone who passed away 35 years prior was already picked up by someone...or that I have already put them to bed. However, any other response results with argument and more anxiety. sigh Anyway, she would not eat much of her meal bc she worked herself up but she did drink a whole ensure so.... Anyways, we went back to the room, played 2 hands of cards and then she brushed her teeth before bed..as she was super exhausted. She was so sweet when we were talking as she was laying in bed. She is such a kind loving person and I am soooooo proud of her. Keep it up Mom. :)

March 1, 2010

Mom is doing good guys. Her anxiety is still pretty high but she is hanging in there. She has no problem with being given tasks...keeping busy. So, we have her walk the halls with us or play games and she does it no problem. She likes to be kept busy....bottom line. She is complaining a lot about her back pain and I wonder if it all this exercise she is doing now between the physical therapist working with her and Johnny and I working with her. Whew. Nothing much to report except she is better and better guys!

February 27, 2010

Today was another good day. Mom and I played several games of memory (as suggested by the speech therapist) and a few games of go-fish (she beat me 2 out of the 3 games :).
We walked the hallway twice and she did a great job...almost there mom. I left her with the nurses next to the nurses station at 3:00 today since Johnny was coming at 3:30...should have waited the extra 30 minutes bc she fell 5 minutes after I left. ARGH. I thought they could handle that half hour..but...anyways, she fell on her bottom and did not hurt herself but still. sigh.
This evening she did great for Johnny too as he is so good with her. They talked about why she is there and what she and they need to do to get her better to come home. They walked the hallway and did the side stepping dance thing again. It was a good evening.
Still wanting questions to ask Dr. Nanda on Friday and takers for this up coming weekend.

February 26, 2010

It's ladies night, oh what a night!
What a great time we had this evening together! I brought Amelia with me and we all colored together and talked until Brent got there to pick her up. Mom and I then played cards before heading off the the main dining area to eat dinner. She didn't eat a great dinner...but a good bit of it. She was a little anxious with always needing to do something, "oh, I gotta leave Jim a note...Oh, we need to head out of here so I can go feed the dogs....I need to call the girls to tell them what to work on....oh no...where did that lady go...she was just here a minute ago". These type of things. It is exhausting when she is like but luckily it didn't last too long. We walked the long hallway twice and I was barely holding on to her...she is able to walk by herself but her balance needs to be corrected every once in awhile. She and I went back to her room for manicure and pedicures. I painted her fingernails and soaked her feet and painted her toenails. Very pretty :)
By this time it was 7 and she was super tired so she brushed her teeth before getting into bed. She is doing great and I am sooo proud of her as I know you all too.
Oh, before I forget....her Dr. Nanda appt is next Friday so if any of you have questions you would like me to ask...please send me a comment. I have started a list of questions but would like to make sure i don't miss any questions.
Also, I will be going out town next weekend and so it would be a great time for anyone who has been thinking about coming to come on in so to rest Johnny up. Just let me know or put it in the comment area. Thanks. love yall.

February 25, 2010

When I first got to Pierremont at 8 and she was still in the bed, clothes not changed, and had not eaten breakfast I was irritated and worried we not make her appt at 9. But, I was able to get her to the bathroom and diaper changed while the aid went to get her breakfast. While she was eating her breakfast I was able to wash and brush her hair to save time. We were out of there at 8:40 at at the Dr.'s office at 9:04 whew! We even got her teeth brushed in that short time too. The waiting room was RIDICULOUSLY over packed and Mom's knee started bouncing as her eyes were darting all over the room. Until, I had her REALLY pay attention to this flashcard game I had downloaded on my phone for Amelia in which you call say what the object is. Not only did she completely focus on that game without letting the waiting room get to her one bit, she was getting all the answers right. :) And, before we knew it....they were calling us back. I was soooo proud of her. I mentioned to them that she gets ill from being anxious from waiting and sure enough they came in within a few minutes to ck her out. She did embarrassingly tell the cute Dr that was asking about her bite that she "likes to though....you know....bite people...when I am sleeping I like to go around to the rooms and bite people". WTH? Lol. He told us everything is perfect with her bite but to keep her from eating hard food for a little while longer. We were in and out of the Dr's office in 40mins! Then we went to McDonald's t get her a diet coke before surprising Johnny by going up to his work to say hello to him (we stayed in the car). The evening was a good one for her and him as well. They did the side step dance thing and walked the long hallway 3 times! She did great!
Keep it up Mom!!!! Whoooo hoooo. We love you!

February 24, 2010

Hey everyone! Mom had a fantastic day today! She was in silver spoons when I got there to eat with her and she ate a really good lunch. We had good conversation and she was less anxious and seemed to remember things from the previous day!!!!! It was really neat. From there we went to her room to play cards....in which she kept beating me ;) and then to physical therapy. The occupational therapist said she did GREAT for her....she was less impulsive and worked hard. As she is telling me this, Mom spouts out, "wow, that sounds good to me, okay so if you will just let sherlock holmes know too". :)
This evening she was chatting with the ladies at the nurses station when Johnny got there and she and him chatted for awhile themselves in the room. She remembered "why she was there and that the goal is to get her brain and balance better to go home". Amazing and Bravo Mom! They had dinner, walked and did the balance thing side to side (like dancing) and did well. She has her oral maxillary appt tomorrow again so I will be picking her up around 8ish....AND I will remember to bring her dentures for them to ck her bite bc of that jaw being fractured. Will post again tomorrow to let ya know how it goes.

February 23, 2010

The morning and lunch time were higher anxiety for whatever reason. The whole lunch time her knee was bouncing, she was constantly looking around for a baby she was supposed to be watching. (I am assuming these are memories coming out of taking care of Amelia)? She didn't eat as much of her meal because of this and bc a backache and could not be persuaded into eating more. I spoke to the therapist and they said she had been doing that in the morning too and gave me some tips on how to redirect it. You don't say "there are no babies here" you have her answer and repeat "where are you, why are you here and what is the goal" or you say things like, "Oh, I took care of that". Type thing. She and I played some card games after lunch and strolled around a bit before she went off to her therapy session. This evening, Johnny was able to get into her head about her knee bouncing anxiety and she was responsive, concentrated and "made her brain" stop it. The physical therapist came in and had Mom side step back and forth while keeping her balance, throw and catch the ball and bean bag tossing all while keeping her balance. She did GREAT. He had her doing the same later in the evening as well as walking around the room several times....she is getting stronger and sturdier. We really think it will not be long before she is walking no problem.

Keep it up Mom, we are all cheering you on.

February 22, 2010

Mom had a pretty good weekend everyone. Since their staff isn't as great on the weekends, on Saturday I was there from 12-3:30 and Johnny was there from 3:30-7ish when she went to bed. On Sunday Johnny was there almost ALL day from 11-7ish with only a little break when Amelia, Brent and I stopped by to see her and drop her clothes off. On Saturday she did a lot of physical therapy and did some walking with me and Johnny both....a good longer distance. YAY MOM! She has gained some of her weight back too...as she was really thin there for awhile and she is now weighing 113! YAY MOM! It seems as long as you keep her busy she doesn't complain as much about her headaches. She said something clear as a bell yesterday when I mentioned how she and Mike and Toni and Rod used to play cards. She said, "yeah, when we would play poker...you would bug us so much that Toni would let you help her with her poker hands". LOL. It made me laugh.
So today provided some good news and bad news. Good news being that a friend of a friend was able to move her Dr. Nanda appt up to March 5th! YAY! I will have a million questions for Dr. Nanda when I take her that day....like...why was she denied for a 2nd time at Willis Knighton? Yeah, that's the bad news we found out today...they came and evaluated her on Friday and denied her today. They claim she is unable to perform the 3 hour therapy they provide at their rehab....even though she does it now at Pierremont...and the therapist have let them know. Sigh. It sounds like a generic excuse they give when someone is considered high risk for falling or high maintenance to keep busy. In any event, I will be asking him March 5th.
Meanwhile, I met with all three of her therapist today and they all said said she is doing great! In physical therapy they worked on throwing and catching the ball and balance. If there is a lot of noise or people in the room Mom becomes WAY too distracted and doesn't do well. But, when they take her back to her room and work on it where it is quiet...she does pretty good. Occupational therapy said that she is doing great but is still considered a rancho level IV because of her impulsivity, anxiousness and poor memory but that her conversation has improved a lot. Speech said the same thing....that her memory is what is lacking but that her concentration is getting better and longer. Speaking of concentration, Johnny walked her a LONG distance tonight and as long as she was concentrating...she did really well with her balance! YAY! They had a great evening together.
P.S Today after we ate our lunch we played several games of memory (using 6 cards total) and go-fish...she kept beating me at go-fish over and over and even joked with me about how I kept losing ;). She is getting back on track everyone....keep up the good work Mom...we love you!

February 19, 2010

Today she and I ate in the silver spoons dining area and she ate a GREAT lunch. Then we went and played some card games before she went on the Speech Therapy. Occupational therapy went really really well today they said. :) She has still been complaining a ton about her headaches but it seems a little better. I called Dr. Nanda's office at LSU and his office on Greenwood road through Willis Knighton. Left 2 messages and spoke to his nurse. She said she would move Mom's appt up but that she needed to obtain the CT scans from the ER visit to show him and would call me back. I also told her that we would like him to sign off on Mom being moved to the Willis Knighton facility as he had said in the past. I didn't hear back from her today but hope to on Monday.....if not...I will call them again.
She was doing well this evening too with Johnny, they ate dinner in the main dining area and worked on the puzzle while watching some tv and talking. She has def gone backwards a little but seems to be trying to get back where she was....we all know you can Mom. We love you.

February 18, 2010

Oh my goodness today was a mess. I had to take Amelia to a Dr. appt and so I couldn't take Mom to her Dr. appt....which was fine because the aid was there to take her with the van. Then I would take Amelia to her Dr. appt, daycare and then go up to Mom's appt to relieve the aid. whew. Well, the oral surgery appt was to check her bite using her top dentures because of the jaw fractures. Johnny reminded the nurses last night and I called at 7am this morning. See where I am going with this? Yeah, the dentures were left and the appointment was pointless. She basically spent from 9am-12 something up there for nothing and was in tremendous pain and was hungry. So, by the time I got her to the car in the parking lot and back to the place....she got sick. She started throwing up all over and we had to get her clothes off and cleaned up. Bless her heart....not sure if it were the head pain or being hungry or both. She was cleaned up and put in bed for a nice long needed nap. sigh.
This evening she was feeling better and her and Johnny worked on a new puzzle he brought for her. They ate in the dining room area...and she ate a great dinner. Johnny and I have a lot of questions for Dr. Nanda (who I called today and will call again tomorrow) because we truly feel she has gone backwards just a tad. Hoping she gets back to where she was quickly.

Something funny did come out of this crazy day....the Oral Dr. was from India and while he was writing she pointed at him (without him seeing) and said, "I don't like Gene....he is that Eskimo and a whole different Enchilada than us". WTH? LOL!

February 17, 2010

Mom was having a better day today. Whew and Yay! They started giving her Darvocet instead of tylenol which seems to touch her pain a little better and allow her to think and function better. She didn't complain much about them today....so that is a great plus. She doesn't mind wearing her helmet when people are not sitting with her to watch her. Another plus. :) She and I ate lunch together today in the silver spoons area before going to the vending machine to get some chocolate to share. Then we went back to her room and played cards before it was time for her to go off to physical therapy. Her and Johnny ate in the main dining area this evening and wheeled all over the facility including getting some coffee :). She wanted to and did call her brother Tony last night and Terri her cousin tonight. They went and visited the directors dog which comes up there sometimes....Mom LOVED petting on the dog. Her and Johnny played around with the puzzle in her room for awhile and talked before her bedtime. She had a better day today guys....:)

February 16, 2010

Although today started out rough because of headaches, it turned out to be a better day. When I got there around lunch she was sooo in pain that she wasn't answering her own name correctly and was talking a lot of random things. She said her name was Ronald McDonald and was very serious when she said it. She talked about 2 dogs named Tipsy and Topsy and was calling out to Joanne. We ate lunch together and she ate a terrific lunch even with her headache. She laid down after and took a nap. This afternoon she seemed in a little less pain and more herself. She smiled BIG when she saw Amelia as always :) and Amelia sat in her lap for a little while. Mom ate that up. Johnny, Mom, Amelia and I all had a sit down meeting with several (like 10-15) staff members such as administration, therapy people, etc to consult with what to do about her falls so that everyone is happy. They will provide a sitter in the morning time, do therapy after the sitter time....I will come for a 2 hour lunch (and stay at work an hour later) she will take her afternoon nap, go to more therapy and by that time Johnny will be there when he gets off. Long and short....she will have her days occupied with people being with her almost all the time so that she has less of a chance to fall. Also, they changed her wheelchair and have given her a helmet.....yes, you read that right....a helmet. But, it a soft padded boxing type not a football type...although, the football type is what the initially brought and we said.....ummmm no. Also, Johnny and I have contacted several facilities and support groups to find out where she needs to be and what steps we need to do to ger her there. Willis Knighton North (which once denied her) specializes more in brain injury and they are more of a rehab rather than nursing home/rehab so we have requested her to be evaluated again. Now, this may present a problem since she is all bruised and stitched up but we will see. Mark my words though....if they do deny her again....I will call Dr. Nanda, whom said she would be able to go there after LSU, every day until he signs off on it. We will keep you posted on what happens.

This evening she ate a good dinner, played cards with Johnny and brushed her teeth. She was still in a good bit of pain but was being rational and doing well. She at first refused her helmet until Johnny told her she was gonna get him in trouble by her not wearing it. Her response was, "Okay, give it to me....tighten it up for me". :)
We are still checking into options and have messages and emails out. You better believe we are doing whatever it takes to get Mom better and back home. We love you very much Mom!

February 15, 2010

Mom was complaining of a major headache again today and I took pictures of her sutured up chin, bruised cheek, goose egged brow bone and black eye. No harm in documenting I suppose. They gave her some tylenol and we tried to take her mind off of it by going to get some coffee and playing go-fish. She went to speech therapy, came back and laid down for awhile until lunch came. Johnny got there shortly after lunch was served and was there all day long....and it was a long one. We decided to have Mom taken to the ER again today because her headaches were just so bad they were causing dizziness and nauseousness (if that is a word). Plus, just to get her checked out again since she had another fall after her stitches fall. Turns out, she has 2 small fractures bottom of her chin and her left jawbone. We were trying to get her back into Promise until she got her balance more but bc of insurance she can't go back. We called several places today and all of them are restraint free. We are checking into some places that specialize in brain injury but they are all out of town or state. We will know more tomorrow.

February 14, 2010

Okay everyone, Johnny and I are at a loss on what to do... So after Mom's fall Thursday the solution was to put an alarm on her and to watch her better right? Well, since then they have left the alarm connected to her yet not attached to anything else?! Why even use it if it isn't going to be attached appropriately to actually work. She fell again by the way and has a black eye! Unbelievable! Also, they called Johnny at work yesterday and asked him to leave work to come and take care of Mom bc she was a handful. Then today, they called him at 7 am to ask him when he was going to be there and when he said noon they asked him, "you can't be here sooner than that"? WHAT THE HECK? Last I checked, medicare was paying their facility to do their job....not for Johnny to do their job. Unacceptable. She likes the place it seems and all 3 therapies are fantastic and working but, how can this place have ZERO responsibility for these falls? It seems like if a person in their care fell several times...one resulting in an all day ER room visit with 6 stitches....they would....do whatever to ensure it didn't happen again. Yet instead they leave alarms unconnected, let her fall again and call family to do work for them. UGH. She was throwing up a few days, sleepy and has seemed to go backwards a little bit...talking to people not there and being confused. I will be up there all day until Johnny relieves me at 3:30 to make sure no falls happen tomorrow. Johnny and I will both be putting our all into checking into other options. Will keep you all posted.

February 11, 2010

Today was not a good day....not a good day at all. Mom fell yet again and this time she did hurt herself. sigh. She split her chin open today and was rushed to the LSU ER to get 6 stitches and scans of her head, jaw and neck....which were all fine. She was there in the ER from 7am to 4pm. Radiology took her back to get the scan while Johnny went to eat a quick 30 minute bite. They brought her back without letting ER staff know and dropped her off. We came back in the nick of time to find that she had climbed over the railing of the bed, pulled her neck brace off, and pulled her monitors and bandages off. She was standing there almost naked...taking off her her gown. SOOOO glad we got there when we did. We have spoken to the nursing home about her falls and the options we have. Apparently there are none bc they do not do restraints....and we can't afford a sitter. We are trying to figure out what to do. We really like the staff and so does Mom and LOVE how well she is progressing from the the physical, occupational and speech therapy. However...she keeps falling!!! ARGH! They are putting a body alarm on her that has a pin connected her and to either the bed or wheelchair when she tries to get up the pin will pull and the alarm will sound. So, that is something....we will see...but are still checking other options.

Anyways, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and there will be no more falls.

February 10, 2010

Mom had another fall today but she is okay. She constantly forgets that she just can't get out of the wheelchair without help. That has got to be frustrating for her. She did great in physical and occupational therapy. In physical therapy they started off throwing the ball and catching....but that was short lived bc she can't think quickly enough to respond yet and she doesn't know when she is falling backwards...her balance isn't quite there yet. So they switched to side stepping and front and back stepping. She did really well! I mean, of course they will continue with the ball catching to quicken her reaction time...but a little a day i suppose. The occupational therapist said she was extremely cognitive today and very eager to work with them and do well. :)

Amelia and I came by there in the afternoon and she was BEAMING when she saw Amelia and wanted nothing more than to hug and kiss her. :) We walked her around for awhile and she is barely needing help at all....just balance really. Her and Johnny had a good evening working on the puzzle, going to get coffee (twice bc Mom gulped down the first cup buy the time they got back to the room lol), talking, then it was teeth brushing and bedtime. She seems to really enjoy the staff up there and so do we. Keep up the good work Mom.

February 9, 2010

Mom was just finishing ALL of her lunch in the dining area today with other people when I got there See, there is a thing called 'silver spoons' in which people that sorta need help eating or staying focused eating all gather together and nurses sit with them. She seemed to enjoy the company of the others and was very anxious to get back to them when we left to go to the room to work on flashcards. It was almost like she couldn't focus because she 'needed to be be somewhere'....but i think all it was just her wanting to be around a group. They are going to continue with silver spoons bc it will be good for her...we think so too. She did well with her flash cards except arguing with me a few times saying pictures of her were not pictures of her. She was extremely anxious and wanting to stand up and get out of her chair (over and over and over) but honestly, now that i have had a chance to look back on it....I think she was just anxious to get back to the people because she felt like she needed to be doing something with them or around them

When Brent, Amelia and I showed up this evening Johnny had already washed her hair and she had eaten a really good dinner. They were working on a puzzle that he brought up there for her. She REALLY enjoyed hugging and kissing on Amelia, who sat in her lap for a good bit. :) She is doing really well...really well! It has changed from her talking to people in the room to her having memories of people being in the room like, "where did Norma go" as she points to an empty chair or something instead of her 'speaking to Norma'. I think that is progress and it is gonna get better and better. The speech therapist told Johnny that Mom is doing fantastic! She is staying focused and really wanting to do well. :)

I am so proud of you Mom...we all are

February 8, 2010

Today was a cloudier day for Mom. She was working well with the occupational therapist when I got there and was just finishing up her lunch (which she ate a good bit of). Usually she is cloudy in the aspect of saying she is still in Amarillo but for some reason she was saying Florida! Weird huh? She worked hard in her sessions today and was extremely tired for her and Johnny's time together this afternoon/evening. She was cloudy, irritable and repeatedly asking to go home....bless her heart. But, Johnny met with about 6 people at the facility (administrators, therapist, etc) to access her progress and they think she is coming right along. :)

February 7, 2010

She was super excited to see Amelia, Brent and I yesterday and walked with me from her room into a common area and back again just great. She was smiling at Amelia and Amelia was smiling right back...it was soooo sweet. We got her an eye patch to put over her right eye to make her use that left one more (the make shift gauze one we had wasn't working so well anymore) lol. We hung out awhile and then Johnny showed up and her smile got even bigger :).

February 6, 2010

She had a great day! When Chelsea and I got there at lunch time....she opened her eyes wide and said, "CHELSEA"! We all hung out and talked while she ate a fantastic lunch. She was making good sense with only occasionally talking random stuff. While we were there, the administrator came by for a good long time chatting with her and us and she thought Mom was doing great too. :) We walked her around and Johnny walked her around when he got there too. He wheeled her around the place a few times and they ate some of the snacks he brought up there. They had a great date night evening together! :)

Keep up the good work Mom!

February 5, 2010

She had a not so great day but a VERY great night. During the day she had a terrible headache but that night was another girls night of walking around, hair washing, teeth brushing, lotioning up, wheeling around the facility, going through flash cards (which she did great), playing cards and eating snacks (reese's peanut butter cups). She is walking with only needing a little help. It amazes me....she amazes me. Although hazy with period of time and still saying some random stuff...she is doing better and better. She mentioned a Robert and Wendy and said she met them the day she had Michael Jay? We sat there and played go-fish while eating our peanut butter cups. We had so much fun and she did sooooooo well with her game playing skills!
We are all so proud of you Mom!

February 4, 2010

She is adjusting to her new 'for now' home really well. She was sitting in her wheelchair, chatting with a nurse out in the common area. The nurses are really nice, and even painted her nails! :) She had a really bad headache again today and therefore she didn't want to eat as much. I massaged her head as I washed her hair to help but it didn't quite work. I know this is a common name, but she mentioned Larry Smith a few times. Ring any bells....? After her lunch, she took a nap. This afternoon in the speech therapy room, Johnny and I witnessed her speech therapy in progress...it was really neat and she did really well from the little bit I saw (Amelia and I didn't stick around...a bit distracting room trying too). After speech, Johnny wheeled her around the facility before dinner. Then after that they took the night easy and watched tv while holding hands. Although she is still rambling quite a bit and calling out she is making progress....keep it up Mom....love you!

February 3, 2010

Mom had speech therapy right before I got there around noon. They had a sitter with her all night and all day to ensure she didn't hurt herself by getting out of the bed. She ate every single bite of her lunch and half of an ensure. She walked pretty well with me to the bathroom and sat on the side of her bed (that takes balance ya know) while she ate. She went through a few flash cards with me but wasn't doing too well bc she was easily distracted so we stopped for a bit and I just talked to her (sneakily quizzing)lol.
Johnny spoke to the therapist this evening and she informed him that everything Mom is going through is completely normal including the seeing people not there. Over time these things will get less as the brain heals. She evaluated her to be at a ranchos brain injury level IV. Google it if you get a chance. Johnny wheeled her around the place a few times and let her wheel herself too. The even stopped off to get Mom some sweets from the vending machine. :) He said she was kinda making sense and kinda not and she called out to Terri a few times. They played cards for awhile and just talked. Instead of a continuing with a sitter again this evening, they moved her mattress to the floor....the one she was snooozed out in when he left. I think she is settling in to her new TEMPORARY :) place just fine. Keep up the good work Mom!

February 2, 2010

Today was a very busy day for Mom. She had physical and occupational therapy, then lunch at 11:15, then moved to the new place at 12. Johnny and I were backwards today. He was the one who had lunch with her, we both went with her when she moved to the new place, then he spent the afternoon with her until I got there this evening.
As soon as she got to the new place...she was super tired and had a headache so she went straight to sleep for 2 hours. Restraints are not allowed at this new place so Mom has already fallen from a chair and bumped her head....she is okay though. They have her bed close to the ground and a sitter in there with her until tomorrow when they can get a bed with an alarm (they were unaware she was restrained at Promise). Despite her crazy day and headache, Mom was doing really great this evening. She was making sense, able to have a conversation and was able to walk well with assistance. Seriously though, she is getting stronger and stronger and it will not be long before she is walking unassisted. She was sooo sweet and herself and it was fantastic to spend the evening with HER her.
I love you Mom....you are doing great!

February 1, 2010

Mom did well with her physical therapy today, walked another time and pushed herself in the wheelchair. She really enjoyed having her brother Tony, Michael, Zack, Cord and Victoria visiting again today. Tony gave her a manicure and played card games such as go-fish and crazy 8's with her. She stayed awake as long as she could and then she finally gave in to her nap. Though it didn't last long. She is such a busy body and can not sit still (sounds like the normal Gaye huh? lol). She ate a great lunch and dinner and was excited to hug and hold Amelia. Bless her heart...she seems to get her feelings hurt when Amelia doesn't want to stay in her lap :(

She was still a quite a bit hazy but hopefully this move tomorrow might be the something different she needs? She will be going to Pierremont Healthcare at the corner of Line and Pierremont tomorrow at 12, (since lunch is 11:15)

Pierremont Healthcare Center
725 Mitchell Lane Shreveport, LA 71106.
Phone: 318-868-2789

January 31, 2010

Today was a great day, this evening was a different story. Today she really really enjoyed her brother Tony, Michael, Zack, Cord and Victoria being in town to visit. She LOVED it! She knew who they were and was cuttin up being funny. They brought a digital picture frame (brillant idea btw) so that she can constantly see pictures and you can quiz her as the pictures come up. She did great with the quizzing too. Johnny and Tony got her up walking and had her right eye covered again to make her use the left one. She ate all....every bite of her lunch and ate a great dinner. She was being so sweet too. Johnny and I took a backseat this afternoon to let her spend time with them...as we left, she was grinning ear to ear and loving the company :)
This evening....not as great as the afternoon just because she was so tried. Brent, Amelia and I were only there for a very short time so it was Johnny who had a heck of a time. She was so super tired that she was rambling nonsense A LOT, seeing things not there, fiddling with her blankets (like constantly looking for something) and just repeatedly trying to get out of bed and do this and do that. It really does seem that the more tired she is the more she tends to be like this. Hopefully she will get a good nights rest tonight.

We love you Mom!

January 30, 2010

Mom was really tired when I got there around lunch time today but as soon as Amelia and I walked in she said the sweetest thing ever....she said, "AMELIA, I was needing you". She ate ALL of her lunch except for the bite of bread she so sweetly gave Amelia. :) She went to sleep almost as soon as she finished her lunch.

This evening she was soooo excited to see Johnny and said, "HI HONEY" as soon as he walked in. Then she proceeded to tell him how much she missed him while hugging his neck. :) He put a patch over her right eye again to get her to use and strengthen her left eye that tends to want to stay closed. He got her to walk around 2 different time....both of which she did really well with it. Oh, and she asked for some coffee and really enjoyed sipping on that too.

She is doing better and better everyone!

January 29, 2010

Today Mom was ready to go home and she didn't mind telling you over and over and over while bouncing her knee, complaining of being tired, having a headache and having a backache. She was outdone, anxious and agitated and had been all day the nurses said. Once she got some lunch in her and was calmly explained to over and over that she needs to relax and concentrate on getting better, she started to calm down a bit. Oh, she mentioned something about, "bad news about Cody, Beverly's son". Does this ring any bells with anyone? She also made me laugh by saying, "Do you know John? He works for a painting company but he talks like one of those people from Louisiana". lol. She ate a great lunch and did fantastic with her physical therapy. She is able to do her physical therapy in the gym now, whereas before she got too distacted so they kept it either in her room or walking down the hallway.
This evening was our girl night, Amelia was there with us at first before Daddy picked her up a little after 5. Her and Amelia were sooooo cute with each other this evening!!! Mom kept talking to her and Amelia kept grinning and saying "MiMi". There was one delicious cookie left of the cookies that Jessica and Mark brought her, and she was sooo herself by making sure to either try to feed it to me, the nurses that walked in, or to Amelia.....and Amelia was a taker on the offer. :) Amelia actually sat in MiMi's lap while she was in the wheelchair sharing a cookie with her. Oh my goodness, if only I had had a camera. :) After Amelia said her goodbyes with hugs and blowing kisses..... we then proceeded with girl night. :) I washed her hair and lotioned her up, she brushed her own teeth, settled into bed and talked. She was much more calm, sweet and super tired (she did not take a nap this afternoon at all). For those of you who know my mother very well, this will make you laugh. I had got her into bed and I was putting her clean clothes up, gathering her dirty ones, straightening up etc.....Mom was totally tired yet still trying to get out of bed while saying, "Ok, I'm ready, what do you need me to do...just tell me and i will do it". lol. We started watching tv and it didn't take long before she was zonked out.

January 28, 2010

Mom was just finishing up downstairs at the gym when I got there. Apparently she walked a whole lap with her walker and is getting stronger and stronger. YAY MOM! Her anxiety and agitation were less but unfortunately she is still talking to people not there.....calling out to Terri and Co mostly. After you tell her there is no one else in the room and have her look about the room to see if she sees anyone.....she then says they are under the bed and continues to call out to them loudly. This is what Johnny had to deal with much of the evening. She was doing it more than any other day with me also. Sigh, patience patience patience.....she will get there! She did eat a GREAT lunch and a GREAT dinner and knows she has to become healthy in order to come home. She lit up when I brought Amelia by this afternoon (even though she was calling her Josh lol). Also, and she did great with color recognition and brushing her teeth with the occupational therapist. Oh, and when I was wheeling her to her room for lunch she said, "are you going to eat too honey"? When I told her no, my Mom was very much her by responding, "Well, you need to eat baby, I don't want you having an empty tummy so comeon now...let's eat something". :) Her sweet little personality shows through more and more.
I miss you so much Mom and I know all of these people do too....we are all your cheerleaders.

January 27, 2010

Today was kinda ehhhhh. Her anxiety level was up and so was her agitation. When I arrived she had just finished folding wash cloths (a task they give her almost every day bc she hates to sit still and she enjoys it). As soon as I walked up, all in a huff she said, "are you about ready or what"? We wheeled around the facility to keep her mind off of her lunch that had not been brought to her room quite yet. She was grumpy as we all tend to get when we are hungry. She ate ALL of her lunch...and informed me that "although it was a good lunch, I DID NOT care for those peaches"! She was more confused in the afternoon and in the evening. She was calling out for Co and Terri both. When looking at old pictures Toni and Rod sent (thank you guys) :) she said Mark Cross was "randy williams"? She also mentioned "travis glass"? Ring any bells? Oh, and when quizzing her about those pictures she got the picture of Debbie and Dennis right. One minute she knew who I was and then the next she called me Renee and wanted me to take the cookies over to Norma and remind her of the NB's. When I asked her what the NB's were she informed me they were nudie pictures with birds in them. Yeah. For some reason she said a lof of things like this today....just not making much sense. Perhaps not enough sleep?? Not sure. She LIT UP when Jessica and Mark brought her some yummy cookies (you all know what a sweet tooth she has...so thanks Jess;) she also was happy to see them. She was sure giving Johnny a hard time this evening too.....although she smiled a huge smile when he said, "hey good lookin". She smiled at Amelia this evening too....very real and genuine. I love that smile. Tomorrow is another day for her to shine. Hang in there Mom, we all have our cloudy days. Love you!

January 26, 2010

Mom is doing great! She ate her breakfast and an ensure. Then at 10, she drank another ensure....before eating ALL of her lunch. We told her she needed to eat to get healthy and strong....so I guess she is certainly listening. Go Mom! The physical therapist said she walked the entire 1-way length of the hall today with the walker! He said today was her best day yet. I love to hear that and hope to hear it every day. :) She is still confused but she is getting better about the random talk and past talk. She is still her sweet self and her actions are soooo her....it makes us so happy.

This evening she ate ALL of her dinner and Johnny had her wheeling herself around a little with her own strength! He also taped some gauze over her right eye to make her use her left eye....and she did! She read the poster with her left eye and didn't even want to take it off before bed. Does this amazing lady want to get better or what? She is doing so well and we are so proud. Keep it up!

January 25, 2010

After looking at 10 nursing homes.....I am soooo done. Johnny went with me today to look at the last 3. Whew. Oh, I forgot to tell you all that a really good friend of mine had bad things to say about the care at Pilgram Manor (as in catching a nurse yelling at her friend) so we started looking at places again. I think we found a place....we will keep you posted.

Mom was doing great today and she was smiling ear to ear. The physical therapist said it was her best day yet. She went through her flash cards with no problem! She ate a great lunch and a great dinner and she was opening her left eye more today too. Johnny got her to brush her own teeth and she was ready to go to bed after that.

She is doing great guys....keep the prayers coming.

January 24, 2010

Wilma, Amelia and I walked in this morning after she had just finished her coffee (the nurse said she would take a sip and say mmmmmmmmm, over and over) and was sitting there in her wheel chair. Again, I asked her, "you ready to do some walking"? she answered sure and away we went. She tied her own shoe lace and she and I walked halfway down the hall and back again. She is unsteady but did held almost all her weight on her own. She went through the deck of cards separating them by suit then she went through and counted each suit. She did great. She read the sign for me and when I quizzed her she did pretty well this time. We also went through the flashcards of pictures and got most of them right. She thinks she is in jail for some strange reason and then later thought she was she was sleeping in Great Grandma's room (who has been deceased for a long time....like 20 years I think). She is always worried about someone (we think Amelia) bc she is always asking if she is okay, if she is eating too, if she is warm enough or too warm). Very interesting stuff. She ate a great lunch for Johnny and did well with the recognition with him too. She was all lit up while he was there and even patted his face :) awwwww. This afternoon she told me she wanted to "talk" and so we did. She would not believe I was married and I blew her mind when showed her pictures from my wedding and pictures of her at my wedding. Johnny said she really wanted a coke and was wired afterwards lol. She didn't want to sleep and was too tired to walk too much for him. She did not want to be in bed though so he wheeled her all over that place. Oh and she is steady working on her seek and find and finding hard words in harder puzzles. She is doing soooooo well. Keep it up Mom. We love you!

January 23, 2010

Mom had another great day! She knew exactly who me, Brent and Amelia were when we walked in to see her and when I said, we are gonna get you out of that chair and walking around....she replied "I think I can handle that, let's do it"! She tied her own tennis shoes and Brent and I walked her from her room up and down the hall. She was putting most of the weight on herself rather than on us....it was exciting. She read her poster board but when I stood in front of her and quizzed her she got a little confused. She also got confused when looking at the picture flashcards and when I asked her brother's name she said "Brent Barnet"? Ring any bells? No worries though bc when I asked her again she said, "Tony Michael". :) She also answers who is your favorite cousin as "Terri" with a smile. She ate a good lunch and circled a lot of words correctly in the word search. After lunch she passed out for a few hours.

This evening, she ate ALL of her dinner for Johnny and some powdered donuts too (she had been telling him she wanted something sweet). She read the poster a few times and tied her shoes for him too. He had her sort the playing cards again and she whipped through them. She even brushed her own teeth. They had good conversation. :) She is trucking right along isn't she? Thank you all for all the sweet encouraging words for us and for Mom. We love you all too and keep the prayers coming. GOOOOOOOOO GGGGAAAAAAYYYYYEEEE!!!!!!!

January 22, 2010

Man, what a GREAT day Mom had!!!! She was up and walking with the Physical Therapist today....about the same distance as yesterday which is down the hallway. After that, the Occupational therapist was working with her. So exciting. When she saw me come into the room while they were working with her she said, "hey baby" like she knew EXACTLY who I was. Then I said, "you guys keep going, I am gonna go talk to the nurse and be right back". When I came back they were finishing up and she looked at me and said, "we are done now". It was so clear like she was 100% again. When then started looking through the flashcards she would try to not answer by just answering "a nice looking couple" or "that one guy". But, if you don't let her get away with that and have her focus and look again she would get a lot of them right. She is still talking to invisible people and talking about random things....like putting words together that do not make sense which I think is normal....but would to check into it to make sure. She ate a great lunch and was exhausted from her activities so took a nap almost as soon as she finished lunch. This evening Johnny got her to sort a deck of cards by suite (one of the tips from the speech therapist to get her mind working). At first she had a hard time, but after she got going....oh man....she was going to town going faster and faster. Johnny was amazed and so was I when he told us. She also read the poster board 3 times. This woman was so worn out from working so hard today that she was PASSED out when Brent, Amelia and I went this evening to see her and Johnny. We were all talking and laughing and she didn't even budge. Keep it up Mom! We are sooooooo proud of you!

January 21, 2010

Mom walking down the hall with her physical therapist is what I saw when I got there today! She was doing so good. Much better than the past few days. She ate a great lunch with me and knew who I was. She was able to have somewhat of a conversation with minimal random talk. The nurse said she had her out of the bed in her wheelchair folding wash cloths and she seemed to enjoy being given this task. I kept her in her chair as well and when I left I had her doing a word search......in which she had already found 2 words (one was backwards)! This afternoon and evening went really well. I showed her pictures and she did great with recognition and she is reading just fine by the way (a lot of people who survive have to relearn that). She ate well for Johnny as well as read the poster board (twice) we made for her. (Thanks Tony for the great idea). It says: my name is....my birthday is...I was born in..... but now I am living here in....my husband is.....my daughter is.....etc. She was calm and they had a conversation with minimal nonsense talk. She was worn out but I think she enjoyed her day and we certainly enjoyed seeing her more like herself.

January 20, 2010

I am happy to say that not only is she having a good day, but we found out why she was having the bad days. She is supposed to be on anti-anxiety medication prescribed 1x per day and instead it was prescribed 3x per day. I know what you are thinking.....what the hell is going on with this place she is at. Here is the deal....the Dr that was assigned to her doesn't seem to give a hoot....she is another patient he needs to hurry and see before leaving for the day. The nurses on the other hand are fantastic....and they are the ones that take care of her all day. unfortunately they have to follow the Dr.'s instructions which is give what he prescribes. This was definitely the cause of her sleepiness and possibly the cause of her altered mood/personality. We want to reiterate that she IS in good hands....just as long as the Dr. doesn't get his script pad out. ugh. But, that situation is taken care of and her meds are what they are supposed to be so hopefully no more of those cranky days lol. She ate a good lunch and at first didn't know who I was but it didn't take her long. This afternoon was a a totally different story. She knew who me and Johnny both were. She was more like herself....more gentle and calm and then became sweet. She was eating a really good dinner and then she stopped and took Johnny's hand and rubbed it and said, "I want to thank you for everything you did for me tonight and I love you". Johnny tried not to cry and said, "well, I don't do it because I have to, I do it bc I love you! Angie loves you too and she is doing a lot too". she replied, I know she is and i love her too". She also said she wants to get better and go home. :) Oh we so do love you too and want you to get better to come home too. :)
Before I forget, I am putting together some flash cards of pictures of family and friends. If you don't mind, could you find a few and send them this way? Thanks. :)

January 19, 2010

So, if you only want to hear about good days of Mom's...do not read any further bc today was another doozy. Although she was talkative today, she was barely opening her mouth to speak....almost like mumbling. The things she said were negative and almost down right hateful. She would shrug her shoulders like "whatever", roll her eyes, and even said she didn't want me there. Not sure if the lorotab is still kinda in her system from yesterday or what. She did eat a good lunch for me and a good dinner for Johnny.

Johnny got her out of bed and pushed her around in the wheelchair. She wasn't understanding simple commands like she usually does like, "put your arms around my neck to help me get you out of bed" type things. She was also talking more to people not in the room esp Tracy. She would call out to her over and over "Traccy"? She also argued with Johnny that he wasn't her husband...the man over there was pointing at no one. It sucks when she has a bad day and she is almost like a stranger...its tough to take. But, when she is having a good day....you can see the Mom and Gaye we all know and love....so we are hoping for one of those tomorrow.