The Case of the Sudden Therapy

This past week, something strange happened. It started like this: Dad and I were just going into Mom's care center when a woman stopped on her way out and lit up. "OH, hi! How are you guys?? Leo, you look great!" She looked so familiar, but for a second I couldn't place her (I have trouble recognizing people out of context). Anyway, it turned out to be a lovely woman named Megan who was Dad's in-home occupational therapist when he first left rehab. She only worked with him for a few weeks before he was cleared to do outpatient therapy where we are now.

ANYWAY, Megan happened to be doing some fill-in work for the therapy team at Mom's care center. The weird thing was, she told us, "I just finished working with Teddie." HUH? Dad and I were so surprised, we just went with her conversation. She said she'd been helping Mom with her arms (Mom has no strength and can't really lift them) and then told us this would help Mom 'cause she'd heard Mom was getting a new wheelchair. (This is a long strange story, the upshot of which is that her current chair is falling apart, but the care center just keeps patching it. After about a month and a half of them dragging their feet about getting her a new one, Becky finally figured out they thought the chair was THEIRS and didn't want to spend the money. In reality, it's hers and Medicare will pay to replace it! Say it with me people: OY!)

We were quite surprised that even with the new wheelchair the care center was doing therapy again (in theory, they shouldn't because it's not covered anymore under insurance). Mom of course has no idea why it's happening, she just goes along with whatever they tell her. The funny thing is, it's not just OT, but they've actually been making an effort to help her work on walking and getting in and out of her special chair. Just out of the blue.

Dad and I suspect the real reason is that the care center wants to get Mom out as soon as they can. Not that they don't like her or anything, but because of her special needs, she's forcing them to spend money in ways they don't wanna and didn't expect (they figured she'd be out in a few weeks...last winter!). It's all about the $$$, isn't it.

Oh well. It's good for Mom! :)

Giving thanks

Yesterday Mom's care center had their Thanksgiving celebration. Everyone's families were invited at lunchtime to enjoy a holiday meal together. Since she has been there, we have really appreciated how hard the folks at her facility try to make life there as good as they can, especially for the holidays. They have an incredibly sweet recreational therapy team who just work their booties off constantly. And yesterday was their best event yet. The food was quite good, and they made every effort to accomodate our big group (four generations of women and our sweet patriarch!) by giving up the center's conference room. Becky put the icing on the cake by bringing in some soft music and autumnal-colored Hershey's Kisses to scatter around the table. (That last part was much appreciated by TCBitWtm, who took great delight in unwrapping -- and eating as many as Mommy would let her! -- "chocolaties.")

One of the ladies who works in the office at the care center came in to welcome us and told us that on such a day of gratitude, they feel themselves grateful that our family and others entrust our loved ones to their care. It is a difficult place for Mom to be, and certainly things do not always run smoothly, but we do appreciate that overall they are doing their best to not just give Mom what she needs, but care for her as a person. That is something for which we give thanks.

(Just as a side note, I did have a family picture from this event I was going to include, but I have always felt uncomfortable posting pictures in this public forum -- open to everyone on the planet -- of TCBitWtm's face. But I am always eager to show her off to friends and family, so if you ever want a glut of my family photos, please go to Facebook and friend me [if you don't know what I mean by that, please ask your kids or grandkids and they can explain and get you set up].)

...and a Mom update

Since I finally got my lazy butt to post an update on Dad's blog, I figured I'd give y'all the complete rundown on Mom, too.

About a month ago, Mom moved to the long-term care wing of her care center. She stopped receiving therapy in September because they had taken her as far as they could. At this point she is able to walk the few steps from her chair to the bathroom using her walker, but she still needs at least two aides to help her in and out of her chair and is still using a lift to get in and out of bed. The aides are occasionally able to work with her to practice walking down the hall, and they are trying to help her get stronger so she can get in and out of bed on her own. We hope that an assisted living facility is in her future, and possibly home, but that seems pretty far in the distance at this point.

In happier news, since Becky and I both have birthdays in October, Mom was able to get out a couple of times last month so we could have family dinners together for each occasion. And a couple of Sundays ago Mom was able to go to church! For Halloween, her care center invited residents' young family members to come trick-or-treating and Mom smiled so much passing out candy. It's good to see those moments when she's engaged.

We are trying to encourage Mom to seek out some mental health help, but she's pretty much eschewed that since summer. Please, please continue to pray that she will want to take advantage of every opportunity to get better.

In my tummy...

...is where this tiny tomato now resides. Yum

Tomayto/Tomahto

Those of you who know me well, know I have a notoriously black thumb. But I have wanted to grow some veggies (hope springs eternal!) for a couple of years now. I had given up on the notion until we were visiting family in California a few weeks ago and somehow Becky finagled a tomato plant from my Aunt Marian and Cousin Sue. And can you believe that after the trip back in the car, a little lack of water (hey, you can't get rid of a black thumb overnight), and a hail storm a couple of days ago, we are a couple of days away from yummy tomatoness?!?!?!

LOOK!

Thanks Aunt M. & Sue!! We'll tell you how it tastes!!

Enough about me, let's talk about you...what do you think of me?

I had such a lovely weekend, I just wanted to share.

Friday, I finally got to donate my hair! I've been waiting to do this for awhile, so it was a great relief. And I'm enjoying the short new 'do. (Yay for Locks of Love!)


Can you see my short hair?


Saturday, Joe and I spent the evening at the SLC Jazz Festival and had so much fun. We got to hear Debby Boone (yes, THAT Debby Boone) sing the songs of her MIL Rosemary Clooney. She did a wonderful job (although we could have done without her encore of "You Light Up My Life" -- when she first started, I thought, eh, maybe it's been long enough since I heard it, it might be okay...it wasn't...bleah). Anyway, the evening ended with a performance from The E Family (including Sheila E.) that was as exuberant and as sternum-crashingly percussive as one could wish. Yow.







Today, Joe and I were able to get away for some hiking and a lovely drive. I can actually feel my soul drinking up the satisfaction of this rare time together...I'm feeling good.

Improvements

Mom is really working hard. I confess, I'm impressed with her willingness to keep trying. The therapists have been throwing more obstacles in her way (literally) to get her to move more easily when walking, and she has been wheeling herself back to her room after every meal. Her biggest concern right now is her knee (not the one she ended up in the care center for, but her other knee which is not doing well from overcompensation). She has an appointment next Tuesday for a cortisone shot and we will see if that helps -- please pray.

It's just really great to be able to engage with her again. Dad and I went to visit her this evening and we chatted away (I showed her pictures from our CA trip) and she took such good care of Dad. So sweet.

I even got her to (sorta) smile for this: