Mom was pretty miserable when I arrived at Walker this morning. She is relaxing now after getting morphine for pain and Ativan for anxiety. I was texting Jimmer to say I didn't know if it made sense to move mom when Nixon (the nurse manager) came in to say it was up to us, but he thought it was best if mom stayed at the Walker. The Walker team will continue to care for mom, but hospice will be on call to make sure she's comfortable.

Mom's health diminished greatly after our last meeting with the staff. She was fidgety on Sunday morning and when I asked if she needed anything she said "I don't know". She said "hi" to Gemma at dinnertime on Sunday, but she has not spoken since. She ate only 25% of her meals on Sunday and it still took over an hour to eat. She could not swallow at all Monday or Tuesday. Mom has a DNR (do not resuscitate) and her health care directive states no life saving measures, so we will not use feeding tubes. She got morphine yesterday and some anti-anxiety medication. She looked relaxed and more herself after the morphine. She will come home Thursday, rather than today, so hospice has time to get things in place.

Mom has been tired and weak and the residents of Walker have been worried about her. Margaret, another resident, took mom's hand and asked the nurse if there was anything she could do for her.  

Mom's lab results and x-rays show congestive heart failure, continued issues with her lungs and low albumin, which is protein in the blood. She continues to eat well, but her body is not absorbing the nutrients from her food. She is not bouncing back for more than a day or two before becoming weak again. 

I will take her back to our house next Wednesday for hospice care rather than rehab therapy. 

I will meet with the hospice team tomorrow or Tuesday and they will set mom up with a hospital bed, a lift and anything else she might need to remain comfortable. She rarely complains about pain, but she will also be given comfort medication in the event it becomes necessary down the road.

The doctors have been hesitant to give a prognosis, but the doctor today said she most likely has about six months before her heart just gives out. 

Mom had an appointment with her neurologist on Thursday. It was a beautiful day and she was alert and happy on the drive to and from the hospital. 

She answered all of the nurse's yes or no questions and appeared to pay attention to everything the doctor said.

The seizure activity has cleared up, but mom's medication will remain the same for now. There is still a small spot on mom's brain, near her eye, that has not cleared. She would ideally have a neuro-opthalmology exam, but while mom can answer simple questions, she is not be capable of participating in such a long and thorough exam.

We will follow up in a few weeks with Dr. Worley.

Mom walked and stood well with assistance yesterday. I am surprised she was willing to try, she was so quiet and weak at breakfast. I am hoping the weakness was nothing more serious than exhaustion from missing her Thursday afternoon nap.

Mother's Day was quiet at The Walker, there are no therapy sessions on Sundays. Piper was sick so she couldn't visit, but Gem and I brought mom some chocolates. She took one and asked "now how are we going to replace that?"

Mom is eager to get back to our house and install the bird feeder, her Mother's Day gift from Kathy. Unless there is something awesome in the mailbox today, Jimmer is feeling crappy right now.

Mom was walking with assistance again today and she's alert, sitting up straight and making sense. 

I hate to write about mom's bad days until all of her test results are in. I was convinced she would snap back again after last week, I have never seen her so weak and tired if she wasn't fighting something, but some of her team wasn't so sure. They reminded us that mom has many underlying health issues and wanted me to be prepared if she couldn't find the energy to stand and walk again. I was relieved when the x-rays showed that the pneumonia hadn't completely cleared, it explained the weakness. It looks like mom will be back to her baseline soon, which is walking with a walker and a little assistance from me, sitting, helping to transfer, and feeding herself. She is easy to care for then and I only need help from Heidi when we leave the house.

Mom was up and walking a little before she became weak again last Sunday. She was tired, confused and couldn't do much in therapy this past week. Here she is putting the ring on her head rather than the peg.

A follow up x-ray showed the pneumonia was lingering, so mom was started on another round of antibiotics. She looks and sounds much better today and she stood up for a bit. The plan is to meet with her team again in a week or two to discuss a new discharge plan. 

I'm going to miss this place.