Update on Grace, Saturday, Sep 4

Saturday. Latest update 10:00 PM.

12:30 PM - It's an ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS day here in middle Mississippi. The sky is so blue it almost hurts your eyes to look at it; there's not a cloud to be seen; the temperature, when we went to walk this morning, was a delightful 68°, and as I write this, it's only about five degrees warmer. There's a very light breeze blowing, and it's the kind of day you want to get outside and enjoy God's creation.

Jan and I went to visit Grace this morning, arriving about 9:23 AM, and found Grace up and dressed and bright and alert and sitting in her wheelchair reading a library book.

As a matter of fact, Grace looked so happy today, I just had to take this picture of her and share it with you.

When I posted a picture here before, several people reported they could not see the picture on their computer, so if you cannot see the picture to the right, try clicking here, and you'll be taken to the site where I have that picture hosted. I hope at least one of these works for you.

Grace wanted me to tell you that her hair really isn't that grey, that's just the reflection from the light over her bed.

Jan had brought Grace's purse, as she asked, and gave it to her as we came in. Grace started digging inside, looking for something. Jan asked what she was looking for, and she said, "I thought I had tweezers in here."

But they weren't there, so I added them to our shopping list. We were headed for our weekly shopping after visiting with Grace.

Then Grace related a problem she'd had early this morning. Let's suffice it to say, for the purposes of this blog, that the problem involved a bedpan, a nighttime attendant who was badly and actively shirking her duties, and a significant (hours-long) delay in a very uncomfortable position. The attendant told Grace, who because she is new there didn't know any better, that she (the attendant) couldn't do the necessary cleanup duties because it was just about to the 7AM shift change (it was before 6AM at this time). She lied. When the shift change happened, the new people weren't aware what was needed until Grace pressed the call button to ask. Then one of the people on duty, it might have been a shift supervisor, got bawled out for the delay, and Grace said, "And it wasn't even her fault!"

Of course, we are very concerned that this happened at all, but somewhat heartened because it seems the staff there is on top of these things and determined not to let it happen again. That it happened at all is simply because of one person's duty-shirking, and is not a prevalent thing there.

Grace said she had a very good therapy session yesterday, and she got to be good buds with therapist. She didn't say exactly what they did with her, but she did say it was some effort for her, and she was glad they were pushing her a little bit.

Then Grace said she will make a hair appointment soon with the beautician who comes in three days a week. "However," she said, "this lady has just recently gotten a divorce, and only a day or two later, her husband, newly ex-husband, died. I don't know if that means she'll keep her working schedule or want to take some time off."

About this time was when I thought about how alert and happy she looked, and decided to take that picture to share her improvement with you. Grace didn't mind a bit, and she even smiled for you.

Jan noticed her library book, on the bed beside her. "Wow, Mama," she said. "You're just zooming through your book. We're going to have to get you some new ones soon."

"Well, I've got one more," Grace said. "I'll start that one when I finish this one."

We had a bit more chat about this and that, then Jan said, "Do you want to play a game this afternoon? We could bring in Yahtzee and play that with you."

Grace looked at her, then smiled and said, "What football game would that be interrupting?"

We all laughed. We can see where her priorities are.

Jan said, "It's probably only college games today. The pro games probably start tomorrow."

I added, "Yes, and the Gators are playing Miami of Ohio today. I don't think they're broadcasting that at all, so there won't be anything worth watching."

They both laughed and agreed.

During this conversation, Jan was sitting on the edge of the bed, and I pulled the sitting chair from its position beside the door, so I could sit while being close to the conversation. When I pulled the chair away from the wall, I saw a small-size shoe on the floor.

"There's a shoe on the floor," I said.

Jan looked. "Not one of ours," she said. Indeed, it was too small for any of us.

Grace said, "It might belong to my roommate. Or maybe the person who was in here before me."

"That's more likely," I said. "I could just leave it in the middle of the floor, where they'd find it." I looked around. "Or I could just put it out in the hall."

Jan said, "They'd be sure to find it there."

Grace grinned. "They'd say, 'Oh, we had that for lunch!'"

We all laughed. See? Grace still has her sense of humor, as sharp as ever.

Not long after that, Jan said we better head on out to get our shopping done, and asked Grace if there was anything we could bring her.

Grace asked us to bring her beige sweater, not the one with the leaves on it.

When we saw her after therapy yesterday, she was tired and had just had her medication, and because of this, there was quite a bit of confusion, as I reported in yesterday's posting. This morning, we were delighted to find her alert and tracking the conversation just fine.

There is definite improvement; only a small bit each day, but it's there, and over a period of a few days, it adds up.

We continue to pray for her, and we'll go back and visit with her again this afternoon.

Have a wonderful Saturday, everyone.

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10:00 PM - We went back to see Grace about 5:30, and she was still up and in her chair.

We arrived and greeted, then notice a new card on her roller table from a visiting neighbor-friend, so we read that, then we read the FIVE MORE cards that arrived for her in today's mail.

Grace really enjoys receiving these cards and hearing from you, so to those of you who have sent her cards, thank you so much!

Then we showed her we had brought her some fig Newtons, which Grace really enjoys. We each had one.

Near the end of this session, we noticed Grace seemed a bit uncomfortable. We asked what was wrong, and she said she didn't know what to do. About what, we asked. She said she needed to use the toilet and didn't know what she could do about it, she couldn't get up.

We told her just push the call button.

She said she thought she pushed it, but when I checked the light outside her door, it was out. I said she should push it again, and this time the light came on.

We spent a few minutes going over with her the mantra that whenever she needed to do anything at all ... push the call button.

The biggest problem with this is that such an interval elapses from button push to response is that with the anesthesia-induced confusion and all else that's going on there, patients in Grace's condition sometimes forget they have - or have not - pressed the call button.

She pushed the call button at 5:35, and it wasn't an unreasonable delay until an orderly arrived at 5:42. Grace told him she needed help to use the toilet, and he looked a bit uncomfortable. He turned off the call light and said he would see if he could get the girl who could help her, then he left.

We chatted a while, and during this time, Chad called and chatted a bit. Grace was still in need of help, but fortunately the need wasn't horribly urgent, so she did okay with the wait.

On the other hand, I was not pleased at the ongoing delay. At 5:57 (fifteen minutes after the orderly left to find someone), I asked Grace to push the call button again.

She did.

While we waited, Jan told Grace about a call we had from Shelley earlier today, in which Shelley told about a baby shower she had in Tulsa today, and had an overnight visit from long time friends Rhonda and her daughter Rachel from Texas.

Then we told her about getting to watch a preseason football game today, and Grace remarked she was ready for football season to start.

Jan had brought along a Yahtzee game, so we got it out and started to play a game. We got through one round, and I was winning! Then Grace's help finally arrived.

They arrived at 6:05, about half an hour after the initial call. I don't imagine that's an unreasonable time to have to wait, except for when someone either forgets to push the call button, or doesn't realize they haven't pushed it until things become uncomfortably urgent.

While the helpers took care of things, we went to walk in the park across the street.

We came back about 6:20, and just as we arrived at Grace's room, the nurse was coming out. "We're all done," she said. "Y'all can go on in."

So we did, and we finished the Yahtzee game. Grace got the bonus AND she got a Yahtzee, and she won in a romp trouncing Jan and me 316 to 196 and 212.

Mostly, making decisions is still a challenge for her. She could follow the game just fine, and when we would suggest something ("Wow! You've got three fives. Do you want to try for fives this time?"), she went with it and did fine, but if we asked her to make a decision ("Do you want to try for threes, or go for a full house?"), the question would be a problem for her.

This was one of the big indications we had tonight that she still has quite a bit of residual anesthesia-induced confusion.

Another indication came not long after that, when she said, "I just don't know how I'm going to get from here to there," gesturing to the bed.

Jan said, "It's not time for that yet."

Grace replied, "I need help to get in my pajamas, and to get over there, to the bed."

Jan said, "But Mom, you haven't even had dinner yet. They'll be bringing supper around soon."

Grace seemed confused. "But how can I get into bed?" she asked.

I said, "You should ALWAYS push the call button when you need do do ANYTHING, remember?" I continued talking while she reached for the call button and pushed it. "But you probably want to stay up and in your chair until after dinner."

She looked at me. "Why?"

I said, "Because you always like eating at the table, don't you? It's much better than having your meal in the bed, right?"

"I suppose so," she said, as if she weren't convinced.

We chatted a bit more, then I read Proverbs 4, and Grace enjoyed that. It seemed to settle her somewhat.

After that, Jan said, "How about another chapter from the dog book?" I agreed that was a good idea, and so I started reading chapter two of the book I started reading to her while we were back at the previous hospital, waiting for transport.

I hadn't gotten far into the chapter when dinner came.

As Grace started to examine the food they'd brought, I noticed her hands were shaking, and I asked if she was cold. She said, "No, I'm nervous. I just don't know what's going on around here."

I felt so bad for her, and wished I could do something. But all we can do is continually reassure her and be there for her.

We joined hands and I asked the blessing for the meal, also asking God to put his arms of protection around Grace, not to let anything bad happen to her, and to reassure and comfort her.

Then Grace finished looking at what they'd brought. She lifted the dome off the dinner plate, and I was aghast. Where I was expecting to see, well, FOOD, what I saw instead on the plate was a scoop of cottage cheese and some slices of canned peaches and pears.

Fortunately, I swallowed my reaction, and more fortunately, Grace was pleased by it and ate it all.

I guess it must be a guy thing, thinking it's not really DINNER unless you have meat, or some suitable substitute. Cottage cheese just ain't it.

The rest of the meal was some pretty good looking vegetable soup and crackers, and a cookie in a small white paper bag.

Grace dug into the soup and crackers first thing, and really enjoyed it. Then she attacked the cottage cheese and fruit, and ate every morsel of that as well.

When she was more than halfway finished with the cheese and fruit, she said, "I'm not going to eat that cookie, so it's up for grabs."

Jan picked it up. "It looks like a good cookie!"

"Help yourself," Grace said.

I looked at it. "Looks like a snickerdoodle," I said.

Jan tasted a chunk of it and said, "It's a really good cookie."

But Grace didn't want any.

Curious. She usually enjoys a good cookie. Oh, well. This is a strange season for her.

While Grace was finishing her meal, I finished reading the chapter in the dog book.

We then chatted a bit more, reassuring Grace that the attendants would definitely be along soon to take her tray, to turn down her bed, and to help her into her pajamas and into bed.

She accepted what we said, but we could still see the uncertainty in her expression.

Jan asked if Grace would like to read or watch some TV, because it was our dinnertime and we had to go eat, too. She said she wanted to read, and I suspect she is still being super considerate of her roommate.

Then we left, bidding her a good night and passing out hugs.

On the way out, we discussed how concerned we are that Grace still has trouble remembering she needs to call the attendant for ANYTHING. With her leg still in that soft cast, we're not worried she'll try to get up on her own, but we are worried that she won't use the call button when she needs help for urgent personal needs.

I'm not sure what we can do about that, if anything, other than just continue to be there for her and reinforce the "always use the call button" teaching.

And pray.

We will continue to pray for her, and we all very much appreciate your continued prayers as well.

More tomorrow. Have a blessed Sabbath.

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