First I have to play a little catch up! On New Years Eve, mom took a turn for the worse. The home called me & said mom was having some stomach issues. But that was all they said. I was going in later anyways for New Years, I would check on her then. Amanda then called & told me that she was there at moms, & that mom was completely non-responsive. She was only saying, "Yes-Yes-Yes-Yes" to anything you said to her. I came later to find that she was now only saying, "Whoa-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba." Kevin and I were trying to figure it out, when it hit us...this was exactly how she responded to a siezure that she had had years back. That siezure was caused from an underlying infection (U.T.I) that went undetected. From that siezure, she also was incoherent, weak, unresponsive, and seemed to have stomach flu also. We were positive that is what it was. Mild stroke was mentioned a couple of times, but mom was running a fever. I called Hospice & told them what I thought. The nurse came out & put her on a strong antibiotic, Doxycycline, for 10 days. Ibuprofen/Tylenol were given at 2 hour intervals to help combat the fever. LOTS of liquids. We were to give it 72 hrs to see if it helped. She recieved 2 Prieshood blessings. I was in constant contact with the nurses all weekend, and her condition remained the same. Fever going up, then down, then up again...speech still gone...very weak. I was concerned when the fever was still present after 48 hours, even though it was low grade. It still had not been 72 hours since the antibiotic was started. But they started her on a 2nd antibiotic for bowels; I can't remember the name. The ward & our family had a fast for her on Sunday. By sunday, she was coherent and speaking again, although it was slurred...we'll take it!
To this date...she is still coherent. We will never know if it was a siezure or a mild stroke. She is on Hospice care & they won't do a diagnosis, because they are there to relieve physical & emotional suffering, not rehabilitate...totally understandable. Her speech is slow, as well as her chewing, but she is able to have a good conversation with you! She is still making fun of whiney people on TV (they annoy her!) :) So her personality hasn't been affected! Her body though...it is very weak. Sounds funny to say a quadriplegic with MS for 30 years is weak, but it is visible weakness. Her body has been so stiff for so long. Example: her hands: they have always been curled in a grasping motion & stuck that way; very hard to open to do her nails. But now, her hands are floppy, even relaxed...like yours & mine! And Leo...her awesome aide that takes care of her showers...he always could shower her sitting & leaning on the shower wall, & she would just kind of sit there. But now she collapses, so bed baths are the way to go. She still has not gone to church...a fact I hear about often!!! Heck sakes...it's only been 2 weeks! She's so funny! But I am worried about the drive. The stop & go motion of the car; I don't know if her body would stay upright in her chair or not. So for now, the sweet ward is bringing her sacrament in! They are wonderful! As are the caregivers at the home! Enna took such good care of her during all of this. It makes us as her family feel so grateful for the opportunity mom has had to live in such a great home...not a nursing home that would've given up by now!
On to her birthday...mom recieved cards, cookies, flowers, balloons...you name it, she got it! Lucky Lady! Obviously loved by alot of people. I know we love her!
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