14th February 2012
Mum seems ok at the moment. Still good days and bad - seems dependant on her medication. Her legs are apparently getting better so hopefully the dressings won't need doing soon. A bit of see air on them will help things. She has been very demanding with visits and phone calls recently. Deb has been supporting me very well by popping into St Nicholas as often as she can buit mum is very quick to let us know if she hasn't seen anyone for a few days. I'm sure everyone has had the endless stream of phone calls which mum seems to be doing now. We get 3-4 calls a day usually. Poor old girl is obviously desperate to keep in touch. It must be horrible for her there everyday with hardly any mobility, so we'll have to do our best to make her as happy as we can and give her time (when we can).
22nd Jan - An update on Judy
Mum came
to lunch today. Taxied both ways - we had a 3 course Sunday lunch - prawn and
avocado, roast pork and then apple crumble. Good old girl tucked into it with
gusto.
She has been very sleepy these last few weeks, sleeping during the day
and in a lot of discomfort from her legs by night. These last few days though
she seems to be coming through the worst. Some hefty painkillers have zonked her
out and now she is taking a smaller dosage. Bit of a worry when it was reported
that her legs have got an infection - though thankfully not a return of an MRSA
bug.
Deb organised a meeting with mum, staff from St Nicholas and a chap from
a voluntary visiting service. Seems they will arrange for someone to visit mum,
maybe take her out in her chair and get more involve in activities around the
home. She has started to take her lunch in the dining room and has made some new
"friends".
Hopefully, as the days draw out, it won't be too long before we
can get her down on the prom for coffee and up into town for chips and a pint.
08/01/12
She has been very sleepy these last few weeks, sleeping during the day and in a lot of discomfort from her legs by night. These last few days though she seems to be coming through the worst. Some hefty painkillers have zonked her out and now she is taking a smaller dosage. Bit of a worry when it was reported that her legs have got an infection - though thankfully not a return of an MRSA bug.
Deb organised a meeting with mum, staff from St Nicholas and a chap from a voluntary visiting service. Seems they will arrange for someone to visit mum, maybe take her out in her chair and get more involve in activities around the home. She has started to take her lunch in the dining room and has made some new "friends".
Hopefully, as the days draw out, it won't be too long before we can get her down on the prom for coffee and up into town for chips and a pint.
2 visits to Sheringham today to see mum. She has been a little worse for wear with a chest infection for a few days - nasty cough etc. Sue and John visited on Friday and she was too poorly to get out and about in her chair. Today I called in early and she was a bit like Lady GaGa - couldn't get any sense out of her at all, so we went back this afternoon and she seemed quite a bit better.
She does seem to be down at the moment - probably post Christmas blues and being more unwell than usual. Talk of maybe not being too happy about being at St Nicholas Place but, to be honest, she isn't going to be very happy in any nursing home. And the thought of getting her moved again - be it round here or back south, is just too much to take in.
I will need to spend more time with her this week, geeing her up and encouraging her to get more involved with some of her fellow residents. We all forewarned her that she may not get as many visitors as she hoped when she moved so the onus has to be with her to get stuck in locally. Deb has found a local charity who are happy to visit folk such as mum, to give a bit of time, someone different to talk to and befriend.
Hopefully she will feel a bit better in a few days and realise she is in a good place with caring people around her.
30/12/11
Since my last post, mum has been able to enjoy a comfortable Christmas time in Sheringham. She really is too immobile and in need of more "professional" care than we can offer to make it possible for her to spend a whole day with us, so she has had to rely on a stream of visitors to St Nicholas. her room has become full of cards and she has a little lighted tree too.
We spent a while with her on Christmas morning before she tucked into what she tells us was a very good lunch indeed - which is great to hear from her.
Graham, Debbie, Sam and Jess visited on Boxing Day - unfortunately mum was clearly whacked out and struggled to stay awake for their visit.
Bill and Lynn spent time with her on Tuesday and I've popped by for the each of the last couple of days.
She still seems to find an endless stream of things for visitors to do for her, whether they need doing or not. She has been given the all clear to eat anything she fancies - so no more peg feed or mushed up lunch. However - while she has a current craving for biscuits, I am getting a bit concerned that she could be doing herself more harm than good by munching away all day. We (me and the home's staff) have told her to take it easy. With so little mobility and a packet of custard creams we can all guess what that will do. Perhaps I'll get her to come for a jog along the prom with me to burn off some calories.
So if you are visiting and she asks you to get her some comfort food, best check just how much she has in stock already. Cruel to be kind - she doesn't like me telling her that but I guess if you haven't been able to eat a square meal for 6 months or more she feels she needs a bit of catching up.
She was weighed yesterday - 11 stone 6 I think she said. It'll be interesting to see which way that goes over time
18th December.
Granny doing well!
Busy few days with visitors to see her - including cousin Ben - good boy. Also visitors to sing for the residents, including Rosie's school choir. Mum said they were very good.
Eye test day on Wednesday - took a couple of hours but they were very thorough.
She got a special taxi today to our house for lunch. £10 each way door to door - not bad. She had a good couple of hours with us and seemed to really enjoy her first visit to Bessingham for a couple of years. She even got to play 10 pin bowling with Rosie on the Wii
Managed to woof down a large lunch (Corned beef hash with sprouts (parp)) and a glass of wine. It was fairly painless all round so we would be happy to have her come over more in the future. It must be great for her to get out. It's so cold and dark all the time at the moment up here, that it is difficult for me to take her for a trundle round Sheringham or along the prom
11th December
Just off to visit the old girl. It's been very cold up on the coast this week but she is usually nice and cozy in her room. She has a great view (not quite of the sea but alomost) but she doesn't seem to spend too long looking out as happy seaside visitors wander by. She even has a view up onto the golf course and cliff tops beyond.
The home's manager tells me her legs are getting much better. I don't expect them to gain any extra strength but if the dressings could come off and the pain go away, mum would be a lot more comfortable.
Mum has been a bit of a tinker with choccy and biscuits. She CAN have the odd bit of choccy but she CAN'T have biscuits. There is a draw in her room full of both!
We have an exciting trip later this week to the opticians (whooo) and if time permits, a trip to the Christmas tree festival in a local church.
Jez
1st December
Spent a couple of hours with Mum on Tuesday. She must be on the mend as she found lots for me to do. Had to agree what she can and can't "snaffle" from Sainsbury's - not that she's taken to shoplifting - more what she can snack on without doing her lungs any harm. Just in case you are visiting and she sends out requests for food....... she can have soft things, like soft cheeses, bananas, very small amounts of chocolate etc. Not biscuits! Hopefully the Dr will asses her (they have speech and language therapist to help) and she can move back to a more regular diet.
DG spent a long time with her on Sunday sorting Christmas things in her room and by and by she is in good spirit. Yesterday was a cracking early winter's day - clear blue sky and not too cold. I think she was disappointed that we couldn't find time to take her out for a walk along the prom but she has to get used to seeing us when we can fit it in (and not every day - that is too exhausting). Having said that, she has a run of visitors through to the end of the week so that should put a smile on her face
Taking mum for a spin round the shops in Sheringham today. If you usually are in receipt of a Christmas prezzy from Mum, this year it may well be a stick of rock or an ice cream or a crab
18 November
Mum has been on the phone lots today - much excitement.
Seen a physio, been taken off peg feed and is MRSA free for the first time in ?????
She has seen skin specialists who have looked at her wobbly legs and hope to come up with a plan to make them better. Usain Bolt she will never be, but lets hope they can take away the pain she feels all the while.
We are going to visit on Sunday so if there are any messages to pass on.........
Seen a physio, been taken off peg feed and is MRSA free for the first time in ?????
She has seen skin specialists who have looked at her wobbly legs and hope to come up with a plan to make them better. Usain Bolt she will never be, but lets hope they can take away the pain she feels all the while.
We are going to visit on Sunday so if there are any messages to pass on.........
