I felt tremendous relief Monday when Mom did not fight with PT Marty, but instead worked really hard. She sat on the edge of the bed and did leg lifts. Once she is sitting up Mom can maintain her balance very well until she gets tired, then she drifts off to the right. Mom did some crying while she was sitting on the bed, but she did work through it. Sometimes I think the tears are the realization of how far she has to go to find some sense of normal in her life. Yesterday the weeping was simply sad, certainly not pain or fear. I am learning the difference.
After sitting on the bed and working out, she allowed us to transfer her to the chair. I was secretly doing back flips in my head. The chair is key to recovery. Building up the time Mom is in the chair is critical for everything else she needs to do.
After Mom was up and mobile, Marty was ready to go. Mom pointed to her hat hanging on the hook near the door, and I fetched it for her. Then she pointed to her scarf. OK Mom wants to go outside. Nice. It was a bit chilly out, so I bundled her up, laid down the scooby ramps David built and we were off to the park.
Virginia Lake is right around the corner from our house, and the park is at the other side of the lake. About half way down to the park it started to rain. Just a sprinkle or two, but I could feel the wind coming up, so I wondered if we should turn back. I asked Mom and she wanted to keep going, so we did for another five minutes, then it really started to rain. Not a downpour, but hard enough I could feel the drops hitting my face, and the wind was downright freezing. Mom was babbling the whole time, but I could not see or hear her very well. I stopped to look her in the face and tell her we needed to go back. She was shaking her head yes, and making the brrr sound, which cracked me up.
We turned back and I was walking as fast as possible so we did not get too wet. Once we got back home, Mom kept wanting to go back outside, pointing to the door, then the gate. I think she wanted to escape, but since that was not an option, I brought her back in the house.
Willie made a fire for us and we watched part of Day After Tomorrow while we warmed up.
Mom did not want to go back to bed. I was extremely grateful again, but she was done being in the living room, I would not let her go outside, so we went in her room and looked at photo albums for about an hour till mom was really tired. I could see it in her face. It was after one and she had been in her chair since about 10:30, so I was pleased.
Nurse Lyn was supposed to come around noon, but she texted me from Stead at 1pm and Mom was just about ready to go back to bed, so I told her it was too late, she needed to come Tuesday. Once Willie and I got Mom in bed, I changed her and she slept the rest of the afternoon.
I wondered if she would be awake all night, but no. She was snoring when I got home and did not have the heart to wake her up. I keep the baby monitor next to my bed and I tend to wake up fairly regularly in the night, and each time I could hear her snoring. She slept till about 7:30.
It's a new day starting out happy. No fighting this morning, She is in having breakfast and playing Yahtzee with Monica. I am about to take a nap.
Have a great day, Mom's people. Keep sending the love....
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