The Long-Overdue Mom Update - Part 4
Mar. 3rd, 2011 07:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eurodancemixFEBRUARY 2011
Overall, the month of February was rather calm: I called Mom almost every day, we had fairly good conversations, and things were good.
Calling her can be a little tricky becuase I've had to make some adjutsments to my calling pattern. Mom doesn't have a phone in her room, so I end up calling the nurse's station on her floor. Quite often, they don't answer and my call goes to voicemail. That's OK because I know the nurses and aides are attending to the patients and they can't always be there to answer an outside line (but I know they have pagers and cell phones for internal communication in case of emergency, so they can always be reached if it's work-related). The best time to call is between 4:45 PM and 5:00 PM because that's when Mom is usually on her way to the dining area and she has to pass by the nurse's station to get there. So that's what I've been doing. Sometimes I'm unable to get ahold of anyone and I miss her completely and, by the time I finally get to speak with someone, Mom's already back in her room asleep. I usually then ask the nurse to let Mom know I called the next time she wakes up. It's not a big deal...and fortunately for me, Mom doesn't remember that she hadn't spoken to me the day before.
One problem that resurfaced, though, is that her anemia continues and is still considered severe. Just a few weeks after her blood transfusions in January, her hemoglobin levels are back to where they were. Not a good sign. The doctor asked if I'd be willing to have Mom undergo additional transfusions and testing, including bone marrow tests, but I declined. At 85 and in the mental condition she's in, I just don't see the point. When I asked the doctor for her personal opinion, she agreed with me. Having Mom go back and forth to the hospital, and possibly spend several days there, would only aggravate her dementia. Not worth it. So we decided that they would do nothing to resolve it, other than to monitor her hemoglobin levels, and ensure she has enough iron and B12 in her system. As time progresses, the anemia will get worse, Mom will have to use a wheelchair, and she'll eventually have to remain in bed. Further progression will include vital organ failure, but that's all very much a way down the road. When it gets to that stage, they'll make sure she's comfortable and in no pain.
Not a pretty picture, but that's the reality of getting old.
Still, I'm thankful I have my mom and that we're still able to talk. She still recognizes me over the phone and I'm always grateful for that.
Before I conclude for today, I received a call yesterday from the director where Mom lives...it actually made me smile: she told me that they'd have to start locking Mom's closet doors because she's gotten into the habit of taking the clothes out of it and leaving them all over her room -the floor, the bed, the chair, etc.- It's become a tripping hazard so they need to take care of this issue quickly. As she told me this, I had a mental picture of Mom with her head in the closet and her arms flailing as clothes shot out of the closet.
Ok, that's all for now. Thanks for reading.
Overall, the month of February was rather calm: I called Mom almost every day, we had fairly good conversations, and things were good.
Calling her can be a little tricky becuase I've had to make some adjutsments to my calling pattern. Mom doesn't have a phone in her room, so I end up calling the nurse's station on her floor. Quite often, they don't answer and my call goes to voicemail. That's OK because I know the nurses and aides are attending to the patients and they can't always be there to answer an outside line (but I know they have pagers and cell phones for internal communication in case of emergency, so they can always be reached if it's work-related). The best time to call is between 4:45 PM and 5:00 PM because that's when Mom is usually on her way to the dining area and she has to pass by the nurse's station to get there. So that's what I've been doing. Sometimes I'm unable to get ahold of anyone and I miss her completely and, by the time I finally get to speak with someone, Mom's already back in her room asleep. I usually then ask the nurse to let Mom know I called the next time she wakes up. It's not a big deal...and fortunately for me, Mom doesn't remember that she hadn't spoken to me the day before.
One problem that resurfaced, though, is that her anemia continues and is still considered severe. Just a few weeks after her blood transfusions in January, her hemoglobin levels are back to where they were. Not a good sign. The doctor asked if I'd be willing to have Mom undergo additional transfusions and testing, including bone marrow tests, but I declined. At 85 and in the mental condition she's in, I just don't see the point. When I asked the doctor for her personal opinion, she agreed with me. Having Mom go back and forth to the hospital, and possibly spend several days there, would only aggravate her dementia. Not worth it. So we decided that they would do nothing to resolve it, other than to monitor her hemoglobin levels, and ensure she has enough iron and B12 in her system. As time progresses, the anemia will get worse, Mom will have to use a wheelchair, and she'll eventually have to remain in bed. Further progression will include vital organ failure, but that's all very much a way down the road. When it gets to that stage, they'll make sure she's comfortable and in no pain.
Not a pretty picture, but that's the reality of getting old.
Still, I'm thankful I have my mom and that we're still able to talk. She still recognizes me over the phone and I'm always grateful for that.
Before I conclude for today, I received a call yesterday from the director where Mom lives...it actually made me smile: she told me that they'd have to start locking Mom's closet doors because she's gotten into the habit of taking the clothes out of it and leaving them all over her room -the floor, the bed, the chair, etc.- It's become a tripping hazard so they need to take care of this issue quickly. As she told me this, I had a mental picture of Mom with her head in the closet and her arms flailing as clothes shot out of the closet.
Ok, that's all for now. Thanks for reading.
