Sunday; she had a good night, but a little headache crisis. But then a good day, made better w/Mandy & haircut.
Created: 2023-03-12
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2023-03-12 (Sunday) - good night, but headache crisis, then good day (and a new haircut)
- Melissa slept better, no night terrors
- Even though leaving her was a little rough yesteday, she slept pretty well, doesn't remember any night crisis.
- She woke and had a little bit of a headache, and reduced vision, was causing a little bit of a crisis for her. (She is afraid of another stroke just as she's getting her life back a little). But reassurances and tylonol quickly got past that.
- Her vision was less strong (and blurrier). But the CBS (Hallucinations) have reduced substantially. When we brought that to her attention, she was happy. And she seemed better able to make out things close, even if she couldn't recognize objects as far away as before. Assuming this is just part of the process. There's still some frustration that an iPad Mini is too small for her to use yet. But she is able to use the Nurse Call button by herself, even if the TV remote is too small/complex.
Accomplishments
- Dry eggs for breakfast (she ate those). I got them to add cheese on top tommorrow.
- She likes Dave's foot rubs (daily, more than once). (Helps with the cramping). "I'm the best foot massager, ever".
- She had a good chat with Debi (while Mary and I grabbed lunch). Melissa felt bad about the depression she's been having -- but that's a natural reaction to pain and a lack of control. And she knew Paul (Debi's Dad) became an invalid after his stroke, and Debi reminded Melissa that she is not an 80 year old man at the end of her life (and is already on a better baseline+trajectory).
- Melissa wanted to try writing when I said we were going to get her some books to work on that later (got that idea from Greg/Neighbor whose father or father-in-law had strokes). M was able to sign her name and print it -- both poorly and shakily. But better than you might expect for someone who lost a lot of fine-motor skills and who can't see the paper.
- She didn't have any Lidocaine Patch, or the Chalky stuff (Zinc Oxide) they put on her feet, and was doing good without it. (Her pain is getting better, and her ability to not just focus on it, also reduced).
- Dry eggs for breakfast (she ate those). I got them to add cheese on top tommorrow.
- She likes Dave's foot rubs (daily, more than once). (Helps with the cramping). "I'm the best foot massager, ever".
- She had a good chat with Debi (while Mary and I grabbed lunch). Melissa felt bad about the depression she's been having -- but that's a natural reaction to pain and a lack of control. And she knew Paul (Debi's Dad) became an invalid after his stroke, and Debi reminded Melissa that she is not an 80 year old man at the end of her life (and is already on a better baseline+trajectory).
- Melissa wanted to try writing when I said we were going to get her some books to work on that later (got that idea from Greg/Neighbor whose father or father-in-law had strokes). M was able to sign her name and print it -- both poorly and shakily. But better than you might expect for someone who lost a lot of fine-motor skills and who can't see the paper.
- She didn't have any Lidocaine Patch, or the Chalky stuff (Zinc Oxide) they put on her feet, and was doing good without it. (Her pain is getting better, and her ability to not just focus on it, also reduced).
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Mandy Visit
Mandy came by after lunch, and took over, and acted as underpaid Hospital staff:
- She brought scissors, and hacked at the giant dredlock in the back, until Melissa got an assymetric bob. Inverse mullet: Party in the front, business in the back. (Looks cute -- and perfect tactics to combat bed-head!)
- Mandy also played OT (Occupational Therapist) and got Melissa to (a) Brush her own hair (b) brush her own teeth. It's wonderful to show Melissa she's going to get her life back, one independence assisting step at a time.
- They also figured out when Melissa starts to fade and go slurry, it's a blood-sugar/calorie thing. Mandy got her to drink some high-calorie shake stuff, and Melissa got a second wind with a lot more mental acuity/energy.
- She brought scissors, and hacked at the giant dredlock in the back, until Melissa got an assymetric bob. Inverse mullet: Party in the front, business in the back. (Looks cute -- and perfect tactics to combat bed-head!)
- Mandy also played OT (Occupational Therapist) and got Melissa to (a) Brush her own hair (b) brush her own teeth. It's wonderful to show Melissa she's going to get her life back, one independence assisting step at a time.
- They also figured out when Melissa starts to fade and go slurry, it's a blood-sugar/calorie thing. Mandy got her to drink some high-calorie shake stuff, and Melissa got a second wind with a lot more mental acuity/energy.
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