Vicky has been at the acute care facility for about a day. My brother is visiting this weekend so I was able to get his report on how she is doing. He echoed what I had been hearing from Neil. She is very confused, doesn't always understand why she's where she is and is very anxious.
She recognized our brother this morning but then later in the day asked who he was. Worst of all she asked my brother who the other man was; it was her husband.
Today she was breathing on her own; they closed up the trach with a little thing sort of like a cork. She could speak through her mouth rather than through the amplifier they had on the trach. She does not have any IVs, which is fabulous and she can move her arms. When she needs meds they are either given by injection or orally through her nasal tube.
Big event tomorrow is having her sit up on the edge of the bed and dangle her feet. I hope they hold on to her because she tried to escape once before.
My brother says it's much harder to be with her when she is awake. Today she asked about people who have been dead for more than 25 years. When told they were dead she said she remembered that.
I really want to be there with her, but I'm worried about how to deal with some really hard stuff. I'm considering bringing some family pictures so we can talk about them. I want to find a way to have a dialogue, limited though it may be, with her rather than just re-identifying who I am.
Once again, Kerry will be there to help me through this process. Vicky really likes him so I'm hoping she will recognize him.
An even dozen
2 days ago
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1 comment:
the photos might be of great help. it might help her remake connections to old memories. i worry some about her short term memory if she's unable to recognize her husband, but that might be a temporary thing.
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