Post Vacation Update

Mom riding down the beach in the Camaro

 Well Mom made it to Florida. I had debated about cancelling the trip, but the family and I thought we should try it. Mom continued to have major swings in her symptoms. The plane ride was a little rough on her but she did bounce back. And she said she had a good time. We rented a convertible. We took a few rides along the beach with the top down, and let mom's hair fly in the wind.

Breakfast at my Wife's Brothers House

The first night we stopped to visit with my wife's brother, sister, niece and nephew. They were so sweet, and made us a few great meals and made mom a birthday cake. She ate pretty well the rest of the week. I had to continuously hound her about drinking and eating, but she was a good sport. I probably drive her crazy, but I just worry. She had a lot of seafood. We ate at a marina restaurant that was over the water on a pier, and at Bubba Gump Shimp. We also ate a racer cafe, where you sat in an old stock car from NASCAR.

Mom watching the dolphins.

Mom really liked the Shamu Show

We spent a day at Sea World. Mom did well, and I think she really enjoyed it. She went to the Dolphin show, and the Shamu Show. Everything was handicap accessible. All the shows had an area set up for wheelchairs, that was close to the front row and shaded. I was impressed with how nice the park was setup.

The Condo was beautiful, and mom had her own room. For once she didn't spend much time in her room. She did spend time out on the patio with us. It was a beautiful view, even thought the beach was on the other side of the condo.

Sunset from the Patio

 
I know the trip really tired her out, but I know she had a good time. The kids, mom, my wife and I, all made some great memories on the trip. We had a few nights riding in the car just being silly and we had mom laughing so hard she could barley catch her breath. Hearing mom laugh is a rare occurrence nowadays. That alone made the trip worth it.

I will never understand this damn disease!

After a really good day yesterday, I wake Mom at 6AM for her morning meds, and I can tell before she even gets up that something is off. I help her get out of bed and she is extremely stiff and moving very slowly. It feels like we went through a time warp, because Mom is exactly how she was 4 days ago. She is having difficulty walking, speech is slurred and almost incomprehensible, and her eyes are fixed staring upward. It took us over an hour to get her to the restroom and back to bed. After I helped her into bed she says to me, "Danny, you have the patients of Jobe." She also said she doesn't understand why she cant make herself move faster. I just don't understand how one day can be so good and in less than 24 hours she is back to a bad day.

Its still early today, and I can only hope that when she wakes back up, it will be a better day.

Good Day

Today Mom has bounced back to her baseline. I would even say she seams better than usual. She has been scaring me all day. Every time I go in to check on her, she is up walking around doing something. I think she is excited that she is so much better today, and just doesn't want to sit. Her speech is much more clear today also. We've had some good talks today.

I'm so glad to see her doing so much better! What a good day!

New Day same Symptoms

Late last night I picked up Moms prescription that they called in. They gave her Zofran ODT 4mg. She took one before bed and said they did help the nausea. I think mom slept a little last night. She still can't walk. She spent most of the day in bed. Later in the afternoon she did eat and drink a sports drink. She had a milkshake after dinner. I do think she is a little better.

The nurse got here within 15 minutes of my call. She checked mom out and all her vitals are good. She thinks maybe mom is getting the GI flu that has been going around. One of the kids had it this week. She was concerned with the major decline in her gait. Mom definitely can not get up today without help from someone. She just cant walk even with the walker. The nurse called Mom's doctor and she said she will call later.

The nurse and I talked about how she has a history of bad days. We both hope that its just another bad day and tomorrow will be better.

Long Night

Mom and I had a long night last-night. She started paging me around 2-3AM. She said she was nauseous, and asked for a bucket or something. She never did vomit but was up and down the rest of the night. 6AM finally rolled around and I got her pills ready. She wouldn't take them. If you know Mom, you know that she obsesses over her medication and never misses a dose. So I knew she must really fell bad. She wanted to get up and use the restroom, and attempted to get up and go. She got to her feet with the walker in hand, but could not get her legs going, especially the right leg. I had to help her into the restroom. This is the worst I have ever seen her. She went back to bed. It is now lunch time and she is in the same state, and will not eat. I called the nurse and left a message to have her come out and check Mom out. Maybe she has caught a bug or something. We'll see.

Vacation Planned for Mom

After much debating, we decided to do something Mom has said she wanted to do. We made plans to take her to the beach in Florida. Mom will have her own bedroom with a view of the Atlantic. I am so excited, because this is one of the only things she has ever said she wanted to due since she has been ill. I didn't think it would be possible. I called her best friend, who now lives in Florida, and planned a few days for them to visit. Her friend is close to the condo we rented. I told Mom about the planned visit and she just lit up. Its the first time in a long while that I felt like we could do something for her and bring her some happiness.