Still No Answers....

I haven't felt like posting lately! My mother's condition isn't any better, in fact in could be considered worse. She is still in the same hospital, same bed and at times seems the same position.

They still have no answers!

She's passing every test, although some concerns have risen along the way....but still no answers! There's been no stroke, although she speaks as if she has had one. She's off all narcotics....Valium, Vicodin, Dilaudid, etc. that they were giving her for pain. They had to because it was making her breathing compromised and she would stop breathing for 8-9 secs. at a time. She now gets Tylenol....plain old Tylenol. That happened at my first all day visit with her! We actually had her doctor come in her room about 7 p.m. that night (I had never met this doctor....her primary) and the first words out of his mouth were that we had 2 choices....they could keep giving her the strong pain killers and IF she stops breathing let her go....OR....we can choose to just give her Tylenol and "let her" feel the pain, but she would breathe better!!!! Hello.....let's talk about WHY she is in soooo much pain....not IF we want to make a "life choice" at this point! It didn't go over well with me at all and I ended up basically telling this Dr. that he needed to change his tone in my mother's room because she...in case he didn't know....was listening to EVERY word he said even though she appeared to be sleeping!! She turned her head and opened her eyes (which isn't common these days) and looked right at him when he mentioned....let her go!! Apparently he doesn't know his patient very well....

My mom's a fighter!!!

She loves life and it will take more then narcotics to bring her down!

She still has moments of talking about things that didn't happen, but are very real to her. She see's people...family members she hasn't seen in years, people that are no longer with us, those sorts of things. She's traveled the world....in the world she's in now! But, then she may perk up and have a conversation with you that makes perfect sense! This happens later in the day, I have not wittnessed this.

This as I have been told is called Sundowning!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sundowning/hq01463

The physical therapist has gotten her out of the bed to the chair. She has spelled all six of us kids first and middle names....correctly! She gets very mad when we disrupt her sleep and/or we don't understand what she is saying! Not good to get mom mad, lol! So she is there, she is listening, she knows everyone that visits....she's NOT ready to leave this world!

Today they are going to be doing a blood transfusion, they said this would make her feel better! She went from Friday to yesterday (Monday) with no solid food, no liquid in her mouth except for a wet swabbing, because they weren't sure she was swallowing correctly....she has pnuemonia in her lungs and alittle congestive heart failure. She's not happy that she had to wait until today for the blood transfusion....she let us know that! And she said that she doesn't want to hurt again....that tells me she isn't feeling as much pain! That's so good!

She passed her swallow test well enough to be able to have very soft foods only in small amounts and only if she is sitting up very straight. She took only a bit and then wasn't hungry and wouldn't swallow....did I tell you my mom is stubborn too? LOL

Tomorrow, unless there is a miracle, she will be moved to the rehabilitation/nursing home! She may never come home again! She made us promise years ago that we would never put her in a nursing home....this is hard for us. What else can we do?

Choices are not always fair to family members!

Today is my Dad's 80th birthday! We have a party planned for him, as a BIG surprise, for Saturday! We now are at the point of what do we do....have the party as planned or cancel! There are people planning to come from out of town, some have plane tickets. Some of us feel it would be a good thing, some of us feel it should be canceled! I was one for cancel, but now am thinking maybe it would be a good thing! What would Dad want us to do? Mom would probably want us to still have it, even though she won't be there....but then, maybe she will....in her world!

I asked/told her last night before I left her that she was fighting and in her way of trying to talk she told me she is trying....she sure is! Dad took a cloth to church on Sunday and had them pray over it. He then took it to the hospital and put it in my mothers pillow, under her head for her to sleep on. I have to believe that those prayers will work, as will all of the prayers from you in blogland!

I Thank each and everyone of you for those prayers and your time in reading about my Mom! I appreciate it so very much! Thank you!