Mom Then and Now

We need all the help we can get! December 14, 2009

We started with help 24/7 on Friday.  I contacted an Agency that supplies Carers who sent me 2 lovely women who are each working 5 shifts a week, 7 to 7.  Jenny is taking the 4 open shifts that are left.  I think mom is really enjoying all the fuss made of her and loves having someone in her room at night while she is sleeping.  I am also enjoying my sleep now that I am not lying half awake in case mom wakes up and calls.  I still need to learn to relax as I still keep the monitor on in case there are any problems in the room.  My friend, Judy, who lives in the USA is looking for a monitor for me with a camera so that I can be sure mom does not get up with low blood pressure as she is bound to collapse again.  I cannot believe these monitors are not sold in South Africa!!

Anyway, life is much easier with all the help although mom is still very confused and at times cries out that I must please get help for her because she is all alone and has not seen a soul all day.  Yip…some things never change!!

The extra help has been employed for a months trial as Sarah goes on holiday this week.  Its working out so well that I am sure this will now become permanent.

A few days in the hospital! December 14, 2009

Saturday, the week before last, mom collapsed in the bathroom.  Luckily Jenny was next to her and caught her.  We went to the doctor but he was not too worried and sent us home saying we just need to watch her.  In the garage as we got home she was dizzy again and could not walk.  The doctor then suggested we put her in hospital to be watched for the weekend!

I still have no idea why the physician at the hospital thought she might have clots in the lungs.  Anyway, being weekend, very little could be done and the tests started on Monday.  They did test after test after test and could find nothing wrong with the lungs but her blood pressure was low and she was dehydrated.  Because of these 2 problems, she had to be taken off her kidney medicine.  In the hospital she was incredibly drowsy and slept all day long.  We could not even wake her to eat properly.   The physician said she must get half her sleeping tablet and only half her tranquilizer in the morning.

When we got home she was back to normal but on the lower dose of medicines as prescribed. 

The first night we got up 8 times.  Twice to go to the toilet and 6 times I got to the room to find mom with an evening jacket on, no bra but with a nappy and her highest heels.  When I asked what is going on she said we going out.  This happened 6 times…6 different evening jackets!!  Needless to say the full sleeping tablet was given the next night.  As for the tranquilizer, I put her back up to her full dose of that as well as she  became aggressive again, kept on worrying about her money and it felt that besides her health that was now worse, we had turned the clock back 6 months.

Her feet are now starting to swell and I can see the kidneys are not behaving.  I have made an appointment with her physician tomorrow and will take it from there.