Chapter 405 - Bright Beginnings
Our youngest Grand Daughter from Pivot City arrived on New Year's Day, staying two nights and the intervening day. What a fantastic way to begin the year! Here's hoping the year continues in the same manner. I was rejuvenated, definitely waffled too much and she experienced several good days. I look forward to more visits like that. We turned her sewing room into a temporary bedroom and spring cleaned the house as if royalty were visiting; well almost.
Yesterday, Tuesday, she seemed to suffer for the good weekend. Her leg shakings, which I notice are initiated by even mild stress, continued most of the day, especially the right leg. She had great difficulty making any sit-stand actions; at the physio session in the afternoon no exercising was done, I began using her slider board for transfers from wheel chair to toilet, becoming quite concerned by early bed-time about 2045. She seemed to have no "power" from her waist down. The transfers into and out of the car were almost impossible when we went to the physio.
Yet this morning she is quite bright, needed no prompting to stand up onto the transfer trolley, and began sewing after breakfast making new bags for her Duodopa pump because she finds the supplied bags uncomfortable. She made a trial version last week. Our lives are returning to normal; the kitchen table, these days where she sews, is being covered in pins, threads and fabric scraps. And I don't mind, for she is enjoying herself.
The bright pink rash, mostly on her right leg, that began during the hot days last week, has faded away.
She frequently complains of poor eyesight, unable to read easily or thread sewing needles. I'm unsure whether to take her to the optometrist or wait till next month for her checkup with the eye specialist.
Early in December I obtained a referral for her to see a visiting geriatrician. Not having been contacted about a consultation date I rang yesterday. A return call gave an appointment time on the 13th of this month. I hope a geriatrician may provide her with an overall assessment of her condition, a sort of project management function, but maybe I expect too much. A case in point is the comment by her neurosurgeon that she should investigate an AFO (Ankle Foot Ortho-"something") to control her "dropped" left foot which makes me wonder why the number of OT's and physios she has seen during the last few months at two hospitals failed to make the suggestion. A call this morning from a local physio (recommended by her podiatrist and referred by our GP) asked approval to order a $150 AFO in readiness for her appointment Tuesday next week.
During the hot days and nights last week she tended not to use the remote controlled fans I have mounted on the walls of several rooms, especially the bedroom. During winter the bedroom fan was operating for each of most nights, causing me to protest if she inadvertently allowed the fan to swing onto my bed. Now with warm nights she does not use the fan at all. Her body temperature control system seems to wired back to front!
Yesterday, Tuesday, she seemed to suffer for the good weekend. Her leg shakings, which I notice are initiated by even mild stress, continued most of the day, especially the right leg. She had great difficulty making any sit-stand actions; at the physio session in the afternoon no exercising was done, I began using her slider board for transfers from wheel chair to toilet, becoming quite concerned by early bed-time about 2045. She seemed to have no "power" from her waist down. The transfers into and out of the car were almost impossible when we went to the physio.
Yet this morning she is quite bright, needed no prompting to stand up onto the transfer trolley, and began sewing after breakfast making new bags for her Duodopa pump because she finds the supplied bags uncomfortable. She made a trial version last week. Our lives are returning to normal; the kitchen table, these days where she sews, is being covered in pins, threads and fabric scraps. And I don't mind, for she is enjoying herself.
The bright pink rash, mostly on her right leg, that began during the hot days last week, has faded away.
She frequently complains of poor eyesight, unable to read easily or thread sewing needles. I'm unsure whether to take her to the optometrist or wait till next month for her checkup with the eye specialist.
Early in December I obtained a referral for her to see a visiting geriatrician. Not having been contacted about a consultation date I rang yesterday. A return call gave an appointment time on the 13th of this month. I hope a geriatrician may provide her with an overall assessment of her condition, a sort of project management function, but maybe I expect too much. A case in point is the comment by her neurosurgeon that she should investigate an AFO (Ankle Foot Ortho-"something") to control her "dropped" left foot which makes me wonder why the number of OT's and physios she has seen during the last few months at two hospitals failed to make the suggestion. A call this morning from a local physio (recommended by her podiatrist and referred by our GP) asked approval to order a $150 AFO in readiness for her appointment Tuesday next week.
During the hot days and nights last week she tended not to use the remote controlled fans I have mounted on the walls of several rooms, especially the bedroom. During winter the bedroom fan was operating for each of most nights, causing me to protest if she inadvertently allowed the fan to swing onto my bed. Now with warm nights she does not use the fan at all. Her body temperature control system seems to wired back to front!
posted by Kilpike | 11:32 am
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