Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2006. Mattie was about four years old and this was a VERY unusual sight in our home.... Mattie napping! Even as a baby Mattie did not like napping. Which was why whenever I saw this happening, I knew Mattie was running a fever and was ill. In fact Mattie napping was so rare that I clearly decided to photograph it that day.
Quote of the day: I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. ~ Maya Angelou
Before leaving for the hospital around 11:30am, I made a big pot of homemade chicken soup. It turns out to be a wonderful thing to have on hand especially after a long day at the hospital, when I come home and don't feel like cooking. The soup has all the important food groups in it and plenty of vegetables.
When we got to the hospital today, I found my dad in his wheelchair, with the tray table in front of him. He had NO idea whether he ate breakfast or whether he received lunch. Basically on the fact that the tray wasn't in the room, I deduced lunch hadn't come yet. In rehab, meals are scheduled for 7am, noon, and 5pm. Since we moved the clocks forward an hour today, I think the hospital's kitchen missed the memo and lunch was served at 1pm. In any case, since my dad was so confused, I went to track down his nurse.
I asked her whether he received breakfast and she rattled off what he ate! All the things I pre-ordered for him, so I knew indeed he did eat and that lunch hadn't arrived yet. But it is a sad commentary, that my dad can eat a meal one minute and then literally 5 minutes later has NO RECALL at all that he ate, much less can he tell you what he just ate.
While in the hospital, we are also keeping a calendar and daily log for my dad. The idea is, like at home, he can refer to them to jog his memory! Of course he needs a lot of prompting and cueing to remind him that the logs/calendars even exist. In any case on the calendar we outlined his admission into the hospital on March 3 and then highlighted each day that he has been in the hospital. So that he knows for example that on March 3 he was admitted through the ER, on March 4 he had a pacemaker placement and then recovered on the sixth floor of the hospital until March 9, when he was admitted onto the second floor of acute rehab.
For 45 minutes today my dad asked me about March 3 and to recount that day for him. Then he was confused about how March 3 led to his need to go to acute rehab. I have a lot of patience but after 45 minutes of this, I was besides myself. So again I pulled out the calendar, had him hold it and to recall what happened based on what was written in the calendar. All I can say is it takes an inordinate amount of patience.
Being that it was Sunday, my dad had NO therapy today! Honestly I feel for all the patients on a Sunday because they are isolated in their rooms. Unless family comes to visit, it feels like lock down. My mom and I stayed with my dad from noon until 6:00pm. By 6 my dad was exhausted. However I never leave unless he has his pajamas on and is tucked into bed. Though there was no therapy today, I kept my dad busy with brains games such as Numbrix, word finds, and other puzzles. Not to mention thinking about his last ten days!
My mom wanted to go out to dinner tonight, to give me a break from my usual cooking and cleaning routine. At first I did not want to go, but when I was there, I was glad I broke my usual task and work cycle. We ate at Mattie's favorite restaurant and many of the people at the restaurant know us. When my mom and I walked in they wanted to know where my dad was, so we told them that he was in the hospital. They wanted to know more and wished him well. One of the hosts then told us that her husband died from diabetes and her mom recently had a stroke. She is young, therefore, you wouldn't expect her to be dealing with such losses! I listened and admired her upbeat personality, her positive attitude, and her commitment to help and love others around her. I would like to be more like that, but frankly that ship has sailed long ago.
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