Help from Others

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June 8, 2010

“Probably not today, but I could be wrong.”

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Hospice, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping, Relationship Issues, Sources of Strength | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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I called the Hospice Nurse when I saw Mary Ann shivering at bedtime last night.  She suggested I take her temperature, and if it was over 100 degrees, she told me to give her some Tylenol (rectally, since she can’t take oral meds any more).  Her temperature was below that.  I covered her to help with the chills and eventually they subsided.

When I got up this morning, the first thing I did was take her temperature.  When taken under the arm it is necessary to add a degree to get the actual internal temperature.  It measured 102.8 plus the added degree, 103.8.  I gave her the Tylenol and phoned the Hospice Nurse.

When Hospice Nurse Emily came over, she checked Mary Ann’s vital signs.  The fever was a little lower than earlier this morning, but not much.  Mary Ann’s blood pressure was fine, her oxygen level was fine (she is receiving oxygen), her lungs were clear, her heart rate was up some.

Nurse Emily said that her heart is beginning to work harder.  The fever is often a part of the process.  Mary Ann clearly has begun actively dying.  Emily said it this way, “Probably not today, but I could be wrong.”  She added later in the day that she expects Mary Ann to be gone by Friday based on her assessment of her condition.

Those words were very difficult to hear.  Lisa, Micah and I keep telling each other how much we just don’t like this.  It is, of course, a good thing for Mary Ann to move to the next leg of her journey, free of all the problems she has endured here.  With that said, we still don’t like it.

The good news is that Mary Ann continues to appear very comfortable.  The fever has edged down a bit.  Mary Ann is not particularly pleased when we jostle her around and poke things in her bottom, but that is just part of it.  Other than those times, she rests peacefully.  Her breathing is not labored.  Her heart rate continues to increase.  Her normal is about 60.  When Emily checked it this morning it had risen a little over 80.  The last time I took her pulse this evening it was about 100.

We have spent the day talking about the funeral, whom to call, what to do back in Northern Illinois where we both grew up and still have family and friends.  The words come out of my mouth as if we are just making funeral plans for someone.  My gut is doing flips while wearing cement overshoes.  (I have no idea what that means other than that it hurts like Hell.)

I have had to finally start thinking about the afterlife.  Hers will be great.  Mine, not so much.  I started making a list of things that I will need to do.  Discontinue Lifeline, let the Bath Aide know not to come — very many more things like that.  What will we do with Mary Ann’s clothes (I can hardly stand writing this) and when.

As I am writing this I am trying to move inches along the path of coming to terms with what is happening.  This morning, long time friend, John from KC, called and offered support.  Later today, Volunteer Coordinator Mary and Parish Nurse Margaret stopped by, brought cookies and spent a little time with Mary Ann.  She, of course, does not respond at all any more, but it is very likely that she hears what is being said to her.

Son-in-Law Denis and the girls headed back to Kentucky.  Lisa has stayed for a few more days, depending, of course, on what happens when.  Micah, Becky and Chloe spent the afternoon and evening here.

We are in a time warp.  There is no sense of what this day is in relationship to other days.  Minutes seem like hours.  Days seem like an eternity — but not long enough to be with Mary Ann.  Sometimes we wander around the house.  Sometimes we eat.  Sometimes we talk.  Sometimes we sit.

We now have all the elements of the Comfort Kit that Hospice talks about.  We have Morphine if there is respiratory distress or severe pain.  There is none so far, other than the heart pain that subsided with the oxygen and one tiny dose of the Morphine.  We have Tylenol tablets for the fever and will receive Tylenol suppositories tomorrow from Hospice.  We have Ativan tablets and will receive Ativan suppositories tomorrow.  Ativan will be used if and when the agitation hits that often comes and the dying process moves along.

I just glanced at the last few posts on this blog.  I can’t believe how fast things are moving.  There are some things that are helping us as we move through this time in all our lives.  I have probably said them before, but I just can’t remember at the moment.  One thing that helps is that there is not so much as a hint of wondering about Mary Ann’s secure connection to a wonderful future.  We don’t have the tools to form a picture of it, but we have no need to do so.  Our faith life as a family allows us to relax and accept the gift of a future given freely by a Loving God.  There is no time that we need to spend with any distress about her future.

We have a strong family with no baggage, no unfinished business to complicate the process of letting go.  We accept that we are not perfect.  I have not given Mary Ann perfect care, but there is a forgiving Lord who frees me from that guilt.  Mary Ann has an estranged Brother, whom I have promised to tell that she forgives him.  The result of all that is that we have the privilege of feeling the pain and sadness, celebrating her impending freedom, all with a peace that winds through our grief.  There will be tears, sometimes uncontrollable, but no despair. We don’t have to like it, but will will live through it, hopefully stronger than before, more compassionate, free to live meaningfully no matter what comes next.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

June 7, 2010

Zandra’s Tears — Freda’s Food

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Help from Others, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping, Sources of Strength, Therapeutic Activities | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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As Bath Aide Zandra was leaving this morning, I caught out of the corner of my eye that she gave Daughter Lisa a lingering hug.  When she left, Lisa said that she was in tears.  Mary Ann has such a presence that it doesn’t take long for her have impact on people.  Zandra has come to help Mary Ann with her shower, wash her hair and get her dressed in the morning twice a week for maybe four years now.  Zandra was absolutely shocked when she came last Wednesday and saw how much Mary Ann had declined in just a week.

It is probably good that I didn’t see it.  I am beginning to feel as if my intentional denial is only a thin veneer.  I am not ready to allow the dull pain to break open.  I suspect that the illusion that I actually have anything much to say about when and where it breaks is only that, an illusion.  Enough of that!

Then there is Freda’s food.  Lisa was putting some clothes in the dryer.  As she walked out of the laundry room, I was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  The door to the garage was between us.  As I was standing there, I was eating some of the Chicken Tetrazzini that Tamara had brought the other day.  I said to Lisa, “You know, I think we are running out of food.  I need to get to the store and pick up something.”  Lisa said that she certainly could cook something.

Seconds after Lisa finished that sentence, the door to the garage opened between us, and Lisa’s Husband, Denis, who had been sweeping out the garage, said, someone is here with food.  Neighbor Freda walked in with a bucket of beef and noodles, a package of salad, a loaf of bread and a freshly baked chocolate cake, announcing, “I brought supper.”  It’s all in the timing.

Today there was resolution to some minor annoyances that in our circumstances have seemed like adding insult to injury.

On Friday, I got the summons from the County Courthouse to jury duty.  Today, I picked up the note from the doctor excusing me from serving and got the form and the letter ready to put in the mail tomorrow.

There had been a leak at our gas meter we had reported a couple of weeks ago.  I called today to check on when they would come to repair it.  The truck came this afternoon, dug up a section of our new landscaping, and put in a new meter.

Yesterday, the waterfall stopped running.  Today, Brad came, pulled out the pump, covered with calcium deposits, took it with him, and later returned with a new one.  He had to talk long and hard to convince the vendor to honor the three year warranty.  Since Brad’s Dad has also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he has always been very good to us.  Actually, what he told the vendor was that he could not bring himself to charge this customer for a new pump and if he had to he would pay for it himself. Brad said he would come back in two or three weeks to add some stone to cover places where the liner is exposed.  He also will search from some bird friendly chemical to keep the calcium from building up again.

Today my mind has wandered a variety of places.  First of all, my gut keeps reminding me just how much I do not like what is happening to Mary Ann.  I won’t try to describe that feeling.  It is too big for words.

As I was driving out to run some errands a couple of thoughts wandered through.  One is how much of a relief it is not to be dealing with decisions on medications, how much to give and when, what to give and what to remove.  There was always the sense of responsibility for Mary Ann’s survival weighing on me, as if that depended on my making the right decisions.  I know I did not have that much power, but it did make a difference what we did and when.  There were good choices and bad choices to be made.  Those choices are no longer mine to make.  In that regard, it feels as if a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders, only to be replaced by a heavy pain in my gut.

Then, just for a moment, as I was driving from the Wild Bird place where I got some more peanuts in the shell for the birds favorite feeder to the Barnes and Noble to look for a reading light so that I could be in the bedroom with Mary Ann reading without having to turn on a light that might disturb here — just for a moment, I had a flash of being out running an errand by myself, without have Mary Ann at home to return to.  It was almost more than I could tolerate.  Have I mentioned how much I don’t like this???

On a more positive note, it continues to be a marvel how many people here and in other places are praying for us.  One of the images used by some of the New Testament writers, is that of myriads of people cheering from the stands.  The imagery comes from the sporting events of the time.  We feel as if there are many people cheering us on as we are in the home stretch, winded and in pain, buoyed by the good will of so many.

Mary Ann has seemed very comfortable today.  We were concerned about the possibility of sores starting, but there were only a couple of red spots.  Bath Aide Zandra confirmed that her skin looked very good.  Nurse Emily came by and confirmed that Mary Ann is still not in need of changing to the special bed and mattress.  She also said that Mary Ann is probably much more comfortable in her own bed than she would be in a hospital bed if one was brought in.  We can get one within a couple of hours if it is needed.

Hospice Chaplain Ed came over for a while.  Again, that is more just a chance for two pastors to chew the fat, as they say, than anything else.

Mary Ann did not eat anything today, but she did drink some water.  She has had her eyes closed almost all day.  One eye opened for a bit when the girls (our 5 and 7 year old Granddaughters) sat on my bed next to Mary Ann and read her some books.  Mary Ann said “okay,” when Nurse Emily told her she would be back tomorrow.  When we changed Mary Ann tonight, there was very little redness in a couple of places.

It felt good to see her comfortable today.  Somehow that helps make dull pain more bearable.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

June 6, 2010

Denial and Funeral Planning Don’t Mix Well

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping, Relationship Issues, Sources of Strength, Therapeutic Activities | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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What will she wear, what songs will be sung, what passages read.  We talked about some of those things years ago when we filled out forms for a Pre-need plan at the local funeral home.  The major decisions are already made.

I have to admit that it is painful even to talk about such things.  It was fine to do so many years ago — not now.  I am refusing to allow it to sink in and touch my gut.  The pain is there, but it is an aching now.  I have tasted it enough to know that the pain will sharpen and overwhelm when it breaks open.  Certainly I will survive as have tens of millions before me.

Friends Mike and Judy came over to spend time with us today.  As always it was a good and meaningful time.  Mary Ann connected with their presence and appreciated it.  Since Mike is the Pastor who will preach at the funeral when it comes, we needed to talk some about that.

Later, Pastor Jim, who followed me as Senior Pastor of the congregation I served for a dozen years, came over to celebrate Holy Communion with us.  There were enough of us to feel like a congregation.  Pastor Jim provided a meaningful ministry through a service of Scripture, prayer and song.  With three Pastors, two Spouses of Pastors and one Daughter of a Pastor, we surprised Jim by knowing the words to the songs (multiple stanzas) by heart.  He didn’t have to sing solo.  We were a choir.

One of the songs we sang is “Beautiful Savior.”  Both Mary Ann and I grew up in the same congregation in Aurora, Illinois.  Every Sunday worship through all the years we were growing up ended with “Beautiful Savior.”  As we gathered around Mary Ann’s bed and worshiped, sang and shared the bread and wine of Holy Communion, there was a peace about what is happening.  Mary Ann was a part of it even if she was not able to sing out loud with us.

With that said, as Son Micah commented later when he arrived, “this is hard.”  It hurts.  It just hurts.

Mary Ann seemed to have a comfortable day.  Last night, I was up a few times to listen for her breathing.  I tried to move her a little to minimize the pressure sore problem.  This morning when Lisa and I changed her, she did not show much evidence of the first stage of pressure sores — just one red spot on her ankle.  It was a relief to me that she seemed to fare well last night.  She does not move at all other than a foot moving a bit once in a while.  That is a formula for bedsores.

One happy surprise was that while Lisa and I were rolling Mary Ann this way and that to change her and check her, it just caught our funny bone.  We started laughing and so did Mary Ann.  It was not audible, but had it been, it would have been a belly laugh.

Lisa headed off for church and a local Art Fair.  I read a bit, then started a new book, titled Broken Open, by Elizabeth Lesser.  It is subtitled “How difficult Times Can Help Us Grow.”  How is that for timely.  It was recommended by the online Lewy Body Dementia Spouses group.

I decided to move into the bedroom to read, just so that I could be with Mary Ann.  It was a pleasant experience.  She seemed comfortable.  I asked how she was doing and she responded audibly that she was okay.  We just had some quiet interaction.  I gave her some water.   I realized just how wonderful it is to be able to spend this time in our lives together at home.

Later in the day, Son-in-Law Denis, arrived to provide Lisa with support and help with the girls.  Denis and the girls will be going back to Louisville on Tuesday.  Son, Micah and Granddaughter Chloe arrived at about the same time as Denis.  This was around the time Mike, Judy and Pastor Jim left.

Lisa and I changed Mary Ann again, examined her for red spots and turned her.  It was disappointing to see some red areas, indicating the potential of pressure sores beginning.  I plan to phone the Hospice Nurse tomorrow about the possibility of a hospital bed with the self adjusting air mattress on it to help avoid the worsening of those spots.

One annoying element in the day was the waterfall simply stopping.  It just stopped.  No one did anything to it.  It just stopped.  I was able to get hold of Brad (through his wife since they were driving) who promised to come after his work tomorrow afternoon to work on it.  Brad installed the pondless waterfall.  I certainly realize just how important a role that addition to our home is now that it is not working.  We built the sun room so that we could see the waterfall!

While Mary Ann is, of course, very vulnerable, and anything could happen at any time, she still seems fairly strong.   She ate a small dish of ice cream this afternoon while lying in bed. The Orthostatic hypotension has been so bad that it is pretty much impossible to sit her up for more that a moment.  Her blood pressure drops and so does she.

We continue to take things as they come, grateful for what we have, hoping for a peaceful release when the time comes.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

June 5, 2010

Heart Pain Returns, Oxygen-Morphine Help

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Hospice, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping, Relationship Issues | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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The oxygen is now running.  It took the oxygen and only one very small dose of Morphine to relieve the heart pain this morning.  Since then Mary Ann has been in bed 100% of th time.  She did not want to sit up any of the times we asked her today. She seldom moves at all, but just lies still, with her eyes open most of the time.

Daughter Lisa and I changed her while she remained lying in bed.  At this point it is not so much how difficult it is to help her in the bathroom but how hard it is on her for us to drag her around that has led us to that approach.  Each thing in its time.  We now have briefs that tape on the sides.

Mary Ann did take some sips of water at various times.  Earlier today, she ate a single serving container of tapioca.  That has been the sum and substance of her nourishment today.

Words are few and far between and barely audible when they come.  We have given up trying to give her any medicine.  She just can’t/won’t take it.

Daughter Lisa was due to leave tomorrow.  She has decided to stay longer.  Our Son-in-Law Denis will be arriving tomorrow evening.  He will stay a day and then take the girls with him back to Louisville, KY.  Gratefully, he has a huge, very close family there, with lots of Sisters and Nieces waiting in line to help with the girls while he is at work.

Needless to say, I am relieved that she will be here at least for a while as this new reality sets in.  Lisa has been a Certified Nurses’ Assistant [CNA] and later an Administrator of a large multi-level Senior Care complex.  She is checking carefully for any red spots that could develop into pressure sores, making sure her Mom is shifted regularly.

Son Micah opted to come for the day today. He dropped out of a BBQ contest in which he was enrolled to spend the day here.  This is hard on both of the kids.  We are all helpless to do anything about this, so we just hang out together, staying close to Mary Ann.  This could go on for some weeks.  The kids will have the challenge of determining when to be here and when to be taking care of their primary responsibility to their respective families (who are wonderful and understanding).

I was planning on attending a wedding this evening and offering the mealtime prayer at the reception.  In fact, that was one of the reasons Daughter Lisa had planned on returning home on Sunday rather than Saturday, so that she could stay with her Mom, allowing me to be away from the house for the wedding.  When all those plans were made, none of us had a clue about what would be happening.

We  have seen a Guiding Hand in the way things have been playing out.  Mary Ann’s decline came on suddenly only days before Lisa’s scheduled visit.  The girls were scheduled for a sleepover with friends, so they were not here last night to be disturbed by the Hospice Nurse and the oxygen delivery.  When there are huge things that are out of control, it is not unusual to notice little gifts that come along the way.  They are signs that we are not alone in this journey.

Tonight’s wedding was the wedding of Christine and James.  Chrissy will soon be an ordained Pastor.  I have enjoyed watching her grow in her commitment to that service.  On occasion when she was in town, as she began and continued her training, we would talk over coffee.  Those conversations always stretched me intellectually and Spiritually.  She has been in Africa a couple of times trying to make a difference for good.  She has a view of humanity that is not limited by national boundaries or ethnicity.

I didn’t like missing the wedding, but, just as I mentioned in an earlier post when I had to miss Katie and Jacob’s wedding, while they spoke their vows I was doing what they were promising.

Time for some rest.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

June 5, 2010

Oxygen and Morphine Coming Tonight

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Hospice, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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We may or may not use them since the pain has now subsided.  Mary Ann had some heart pain tonight.  At first, one nitro pill seemed to take care of it.  Daughter Lisa was with her while I had a couple of hour break at a church event.  When I returned, Mary Ann said her chest still hurt.  We used two consecutive nitro pills about ten minutes apart.  She still said she had the pain.

At that point, I phoned the Hospice Nurse.  She suggested trying a third nitro pill.  She also said she would call the Medical Director.  She thought he would probably suggest the oxygen and Morphine.  The third nitro pill seemed to work, but the wheels are now in motion for us to receive the oxygen and Morphine tonight.  It is about 11:30pm as I am writing this.

Today had some tough times and some good times with Mary Ann.  The first activity this morning was at least a half hour of intense physical exertion in the bathroom.  It exceeded the terrible Saturday morning bout a couple of weeks ago.  There was a lot of production this morning when on the toilet stool (a good thing), but the fainting and form of seizure that results in her stretching out and stiffening all combined to make it harder than ever to handle.  I was dripping in sweat by the time it was over.  I did not call Daughter Lisa for help since I wanted to determine whether I would be able to do it by myself — probably not much longer.  I will need to figure out a way to take care of those tasks while she is still in bed.

The good times included a thorough cleaning by the Hospice Aide.  It was a bed bath with the addition of hair washed with shampoo and water in an inflatable basin for that purpose that I bought at the Munn’s Medical yesterday.  Sonya got her dressed and brought her out in the transfer chair.  She had the best hour or so we have had in many days.  She greeted Lisa and Granddaughters Abigail and Ashlyn.  She drank Cranberry juice, she ate tapioca and yogurt, drank water.  Then we rolled her outside to join Lisa in watching the girls use the little slippery-slide Lisa got at Target yesterday.

Neighbor Carol came by and spent time with Mary Ann, as well as Lisa and the girls.  After a while, Mary Ann needed to lie down again.  Friend Jeanne came by for a few minutes to see Mary Ann, as well as Lisa and the girls.  Mary Ann stayed in bed either resting with her eyes sometimes open, sometimes closed for the rest of the day.

At one point in the afternoon, she seemed to want to sit up, so Lisa helped her get up on the side of the bed.  Shortly, she fainted and shifted into the stiff as a board mode.  We got her back lying down.  Later, just before I left for the Youth Fundraiser, Lisa and I took her to the bathroom.  It went reasonably well, but ended with the stiff as a board mode.

…It is now about 12:30am.  The oxygen is here.  Hospice Nurse Lisa brought the Morphine and explained how and when to use it.  Her vitals are so good (other than the blood pressure) including the oxygen saturation percentage, that it seems unnecessary to use the oxygen right now.  If the chest pain returns, I will start it.  That is in accord with Nurse Lisa’s counsel.  The same is so with the Morphine.  I will give the lowest dose if she gets agitated, has trouble breathing, or the chest pain returns.

It was quite a flurry of activity, maybe not actually necessary at this moment since the pain subsided.  It is comforting to have helpful options available for the time that those options are needed.  Things seem to be moving both up and down pretty quickly.  Knowing Mary Ann, I will make no predictions on how things will proceed from here.  I am just along for the ride.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

June 4, 2010

Kids and I Meet with Hospice Nurse

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Hospice, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping, Sources of Strength | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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We are really not liking this!  The four of us, Mary Ann, Lisa, Micah and I are in limbo.  Now we know more about the landscape of limbo, at least this one, but it is still limbo.

Mary Ann has not yet begun actively dying.  Vital signs are not falling into the pattern of those dying of physical illnesses such as Cancer.  That could be comforting, especially to kids who live out of town, hoping to have time to get back when the end is near.

Of course, it is not likely to work that way with Mary Ann.  Apparently, dementia patients often don’t play by those rules.  They may have solid vital signs up to the moment they die.  When the mind precedes the heart or other organs in precipitating death, it can just happen whenever it chooses. There may be no warning.  It just goes with the territory.

I have become accustomed routinely to listening carefully when Mary Ann is sleeping or unconscious.  I listen to see if she is still breathing.  There is a new level of awareness of how easily my listening could reveal that the end has come.  Even after Hospice Nurse Emily said that, I still expect there to be more preliminary signs that the end is nearing. Many of those in the online group of spouses with Lewy Body Dementia, have described a traditional shutting down when their Loved Ones died.

When Son Micah asked if Mary Ann was now on a trajectory of probably weeks, Nurse Emily said that what has been happening suggests that that is a correct assessment of her condition.  She quickly added the disclaimer, that things could change and Mary Ann could bounce back to better health for a time.

We talked about how much of what is happening might have more to do with the medicine than the disease process itself.  Nurse Emily reviewed what has been happening in these past days, noting that Mary Ann has not had many of her pills on a regular basis.  While the meds may be having some impact, the trajectory of the decline seems pretty clearly to be the disease process bringing her to the last stage of the disease.

In responding to my request for either some form that is easier to administer or permission to drop Mary Ann’s Crestor for cholesterol, the doctor suggested discontinuing it.  He said we could crush it if we wanted to continue administering it.  The truth is, I haven’t yet tried to give her any of her night time meds.  At this point in the process, Mary Ann’s comfort is the prime issue.  Any of the meds that will help keep her comfortable, have priority.

Even food is optional.  If Mary Ann wants some thing to eat, or will take it if put to her lips, she will eat.  If she indicates she does not want the food, that is her choice to make.  If she will take water or juice, we will be sure she has all she wants.  If she will not, that’s that. When at this stage in life, the body needs very little to sustain itself.  She will know what she needs and when — and if she wants to have it.

While she would not so much as take a drink of water most of the day today, late this afternoon, whe she started moving around in bed, Daughter Lisa got her up, helped her with personal needs, and started feeding her applesauce.  She ate about a cup of applesauce followed by a small piece of ice cream pie, followed by some water.  Lisa fed her the applesauce and I fed her the pie.  She was up for a couple of hours.  We are suspecting that the Granddaughters’ activity helped stimulate her to stay present with us for such a long time. I took her in to lie down when Nurse Emily came for the family meeting.

There is absolutely no predicting how this will go.  Mary Ann is not about to follow anyone’s expectations for the path she will take.  This will happen on her terms, and no one else’s.  God’s role was making her, not telling her how and when to die.  Gratefully, God’s love for her is without limit, just as it is for the rest of us.

With that said, those of us who love her certainly are in limbo.  It is too soon to begin grieving her loss.  She is not gone.  It was sort of odd to hear Nurse Emily speak to us words that I have spoken to hundreds of others in forty years of ministry.  She urged us to work through our feelings and when we are ready, to share with Mary Ann our love for her and let her know that we will be okay when she decides she is ready to go.  It is not urging a person to die, but giving permission to go when the time comes.

Mary Ann took a few sips of water when I went in at about 11pm.  I gave her a heart med and one that helps her sleep.  She seemed to manage swallowing them.  I will be very interested to see if leaving out so many meds will affect her sleeping pattern.  I hope we can find our way to restful nights as often as possible in what time we have left together.  That would be good for both of us.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

June 2, 2010

Almost No Food in Four Days!

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping, Relationship Issues, Therapeutic Activities, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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She ate one six ounce container of Yogurt for breakfast.  That was the biggest breakfast in four days.  Then she didn’t even eat the ice cream pie for supper.

I made the mistake of taking her blood pressure when she was lying in the bed this morning.  I thought it would be up some since I restarted the Midodrine yesterday to see if we can reduce the fainting spells.  Her BP measured 280/130.  That is frighteningly high.  Here is the kicker: twenty minutes later, while sitting at the table I measured it again. It was 95/75.  In the mid-afternoon, while she was lying down, I took it again.  It was 245/115.

Since we have few options, I plan to continue the Midodrine at some level.  She has still been fainting, in fact there is a new twist.  After being out for a while, twice shen stiffen like a board in a mild seizure-like event.  She wouldn’t bend — in the middle or at the need.  She was stretched out full length, locked in that position.  It happened once when trying to get her back into bed.  It happened a second time while on the toilet stool, dealing with a messy BM.  The good news is neither did I become frustrated or get upset.  I just laughed.  I waited until the stiffness seemed to soften a bit and just picked her up and repositioned her.

I am tired of being upset about what is happening.  It is time to just deal with it.  I am grateful that our Daughter, Lisa, and Granddaughters, Abigail (7) and Ashlyn (5) arrived late in the afternoon.  It has been good to see the girls and have Lisa to talk with.  Just as Son Micah got to experience the challenge of bathroom duties on Monday, Lisa got to experience that challenge today.  Mary Ann responded a bit a couple of times to Lisa.  Whether she is able to respond or not, it is clearly meaningful for Mary Ann to have them here.

I did get to talk with someone on the Staff at the Senior Diagnostics Center at a local hosptial today.  The person was a bit abrupt and on hearing that Mary Ann had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia two or three years ago, she responded that LBD folks go quickly.   While I do not wish to ignore the harsh reality of our situation, it was no fun to have it tossed in my face in such a matter of fact way.  I explained the situation, adding that her vitals are still pretty good.  She did not dismiss us out of hand, but seemed genuine in saying that she would check with the doctor and call us back tomorrow.

I have very low expectations of any meaningful option emerging when she calls back.  There are some hints that the Midodrine raising her BP is allowing a little more mobility — at least for a few moments before fainting.

It was good to have an extra set of hands and arms when the heavy lifing came.  Lisa was a CNA for some years while in high school.  She ended up Administrator of a large multilayers facility for the older population.  She has been parenting full time since the girls were born.

Tomorrow evening, Son Micah will join us as we look at the rapid developments these last few days.

There is more that I could say, but I am struggling to keep my eyes open.  It is time to sleep.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

June 1, 2010

Last Ditch Effort

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Hospice, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Her vital signs are still good.  It is too soon to give up and simply wait.   Her lungs are clear, her blood pressure is within her normal wide range, heart beat is steady and normal for her, oxygen saturation percentage is good.

She managed to swallow most of her morning pills with a little juice.  She was in bed the rest of the day.  Every two hours I got her to take meds I couldn’t get her to take yesterday.  Tonight, she indicated again that she would eat some ice cream pie.  She ate a small piece.

Then came the dreaded bathroom battle with some messy BM.  The difficulty is at a 10 each time now.  I will do it as long as physically possible.  I can only hope that my muscles will respond by strengthening to match the task. I got her back in bed and shortly thereafter gave her the nighttime pills, which she did manage to swallow, with difficulty.

The last ditch effort is this.  I mentioned it in last night’s post.  I am giving her less Seroquel in hopes she will be able to sleep less during the day and be more alert.  I have begun the Midodrine again to raise her blood pressure to a level that months ago seemed to control the fainting.  I recognize that these changes not likely to make much difference at this point, but the options are simply slipping away.

I managed to get hold of the office of the Psychiatrist that was recommended as one capable of handling this complex a combination of problems.  I was informed that he does not take outpatients.  There is a Physician’s Assistant that works with him who does.  An appointment with her would be at least a month out.  At this point a month is an eternity.  We are focusing on hours and days in determining what to do. The only access to that doctor would come through the inpatient Senior Diagnostics program at the hospital.  I may call and go through the process that determines eligibility for admittance. We are running out of options.

The Hospice Nurse is going to check with the Pharmacist to see how many of the meds might be available in liquid or some other form that would be easier to take.  She is also going to have the Pharmacist see if there are any meds that can be eliminated since they are for long term issues.  For instance, the cholesterol medicine, which is a fairly low dose seems superfluous at this point.

Volunteer Tamara stayed with Mary Ann for a while this afternoon.  I was able to get out and run a couple of errands.  One resulted in the added frustration of replacing a broken wireless network adapter on the computer we have in the living room so that Mary Ann can see pictures of the Grandchildren.  Of course, I can’t get the new adapter to work properly.  The stress of trying to phone someone and spend an hour or two trying to follow directions is just not something I can deal with at the moment.  At this point, little frustrations become huge quickly.  My lack of computer skills is impressive.  I will leave that problem for another time.

Volunteer Tamara asked if the Hospice Nurse had checked Mary Ann for pressure sores.  Now that she is lying in bed all day long every day, that is likely to become a problem soon.  Daughter Lisa has suggested that I turn Mary Ann when she is in bed for a long period of time.  I realized that the Hospice Nurse probably should have picked up on that concern checked for problem areas and offered a hospital bed again.  I will phone and ask about that since I need to ask the Hospice Aide to bring more wipes and chux.  At the Nurse’s suggestion, I am using chux to catch what has almost constantly been coming from Mary Ann’s mouth these last three days.

Since Mary Ann has been sleeping all night long the last few nights, I am not sleep deprived.  I still feel as tired as when the nights were difficult.  I have little doubt that has do to with the mental and emotional drain of accommodating the recent changes and their implications along with the frustrating search for adequate medical support.

One piece of good news is that Daughter Lisa and Granddaughters Abigail and Ashlyn will be arriving tomorrow afternoon.  They plan to stay for a few days.

We have been in uncharted territory for most of the time the Parkinson’s has been around, and certainly since the dementia has joined the fray.  The distance to the end of this uncharted journey seems to be diminishing at a frighteningly rapid pace.  I will continue to search for options, at least while those vital signs stay strong.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

May 31, 2010

Scary Day!

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Hospice, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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I simply could not get her pills into her mouth and swallowed this morning.  It is the first time this has happened other than many weeks ago when she slept through a few days.  She drank a couple of ounces of Cranberry juice as I prepared to give her the pills.  Then her lips sealed shut and she ceased to be responsive at all.  I was going to try to force the pills into her mouth, but when I determined that she could no longer drink the juice or water, I knew that I could not risk her choking on the pills.

Yesterday she stopped swallowing after swallowing her pills and eating a few spoons of yogurt. At lunch yesterday, she stopped swallowing after a few bites of food.  Last night she managed to swallow her night time pills.  Today, she stopped swallowing anything, including water for the entire day.  She got no pills, no food, no water.

She sat up some, with the saliva coming from her mouth much of that time.  Our Son, Daughter-in-Law and Granddaughter arrived in the late morning to spend the day with us.  For a while after they arrived, Mary Ann remained in the chair.  She was pretty much unresponsive, even to our Son, who can always get a response from her.

After a while I took her into the bedroom to lie down.  It became apparent that we needed a trip to the bathroom.  Our Son has been through helping his Mom with bathroom duties, so he helped with the project.  It was a comforting to me for him to have a first hand experience of just how difficult that task is.  It was hard even with two of us doing it.

After that, Mary Ann settled into bed for a long time.  I enjoyed the time with Son, Micah, Daughter-in-Law, Becky, and Granddaugher Choe (11yrs old).  We spent most of the day watching the large screen wildlife display provided by the sun room and waterfall at the back of our house. I realized I have little to talk about other than Mary Ann and the birds.

We talked about the current change in Mary Ann’s situation.  It has profound implications.  We have both signed Living Wills excluding a feeding tube.  If Mary Ann is no longer capable of swallowing food, we have just come to the end of a long journey.

Son Micah and Daughter Lisa (in Kentucky) talked on the phone for a while so that Lisa would be fully aware of what is going on.  She and the girls are due in this Wednesday evening to stay for a few days.  This scared all of us.  We are not ready for things to move to the last stages.

I phoned Hospice to talk with the on-call Nurse.  When she responded to the page, I explained the situation, voicing special concern that Mary Ann was not able to take  her morning meds.  The Nurse mentioned that in some cases meds could be given rectally (whoopee!).  She said she would phone the Pharmacist and check to be sure of that. When she called back, the Pharmacist had told her that the meds Mary Ann is taking are not ones that have been shown to be effective when taken rectally.  We could do it, but it would not be likely to do much good, if any.

It seemed reasonable to accept one day of no meds, but that certainly could not continue.  I concluded that I would make one attempt at giving them to her orally, and if that didn’t work wait until morning.  I asked the Nurse to connect with our Hospice Nurse in the morning so that we could talk through options.

It has been a pretty tough day contemplating what might be coming sooner rather than later.  I went in regularly whenever we saw on the little video monitor that Mary Ann was moving at all.  Each time I asked if she wanted some water.  At this point I am not sure of the time, but around the supper hour or a little later, she was moving some.  I went in and she took some water and swallowed it — the first time since the few swallows of juice first thing in the morning.

When I asked her a couple of questions, she was able to answer, “no” (more water? get up?).   Not long after that she stirred again and this time was willing to get up.  I asked if she was hungry.  She said, “yes.”

Then came a very pleasant surprise.  I should have known!  On a whim, when returning from getting some coffee, I picked up a Baskin and Robbins Grasshopper Pie.  Mary Ann ate every bite of a good-sized piece of that pie.  She swallowed every bite, and drank lots of water afterward.

She responded a bit to Micah after that.  The Kids headed back home.  Mary Ann soon went back to bed.  I decided I would act as if she had no trouble swallowing and follow the usual routine of telling her what I was doing, sitting her up on the edge of the bed, putting the pills in her mouth and giving her water to drink through a straw (the norm for how she drinks).  She swallowed the pills!

I did choose to reduce the Seroquel from the 150mg she has been taking since January, to the 100mg she was taking before that.  Since it has become absolutely clear that the Seroquel exacerbates the problem of hallucinations, and since one of its main purposes is to produce sleep (too much daytime sleep in the last days) it seems reasonable to try reducing this.  In some folks who have taken Seroquel, it has produced a powerful drugged state.  We are living pretty much at the end of our options, so I am giving it a try.  Of course I may regret doing so depending on what happens.  There is just no clear and standard approach to this form of dementia.  It is just too unpredictable with no consistent responses to medications.

One characteristic of forms of Lewy Body Dementia is that people can present with symptoms that cause Hospice or whoever is doing the medical care to suggest that the family be notified that the end is days or hours away.  Then the patient can turn around completely for no apparent reason and return to relatively full functionality.  With some folks in the online LBD Spouses group that has happened more than once.

I don’t know if we have just come back from the edge to have lots of time yet, or if tomorrow will bring us back to the edge.  When I got out of College and Seminary at 26 years of age, I knew so much.  Now at 67 I know so little.  What happened??

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

May 30, 2010

Losing Ground?

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Family, Help from Others, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping, Therapeutic Activities | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
[5] Comments 

I am just not sure how to assess the day, but I am sure I don’t like it.  The signs pointed to the hallucinations firing up last night.  She was restless at first.  The hallucinations fired up between 3am and 4:30am.  Then she slept for a while.

She did try to get up early, but when I took her to the bathroom, she fainted.  I had to put her back into bed and she slept for a while.  There has been a pattern that has played itself out all day.  When she is lying down, she has often been talking apparently about or to the hallucinations.  I described that before. She often has her eyes open when she lying there talking.

When she became alert enough to sit up, usually wanting to go to the bathroom, after a short time her eyes would slam shut and it would cease to be possible to communicate with her.  She simply could/would not respond.  I had to put her back into bed since there was really no other option.

She did manage to get up for breakfast, but then and most of the rest of the time I tried to talk with her, she could not speak intelligibly.  Once this evening when the words she used were recognizable, they did not match what she wanted.  She said she needed to cook a meal, when it became clear that she intended to say a drink of water.

[WARNING — GROSS CONTENT] I was barely able to get food into her mouth for the little bit she ate. At breakfast, she did get her pills down with much difficulty.  I fed her a few spoons of yogurt before she just didn’t take any more.  I found out shortly thereafter that the last bites had not been swallowed.  As she sat in her chair for a while, I had to get napkin after napkin to deal with what had not gone down, along with lots of clear fluid.  Sorry to include such unpleasant stuff, but it I have passed the will to be delicate and I am too tired to try to think of some cute euphemistic way of saying it.  This matter of not swallowing food and uncontrolled saliva production is a new and unsettling issue for me.

The difficulty in dealing with the once or twice a day intestinal activity really is pretty close to being unmanageable by myself.  To hold up her weight with one arm, as she is pulling away from me while I am cleaning with the other is just barely doable.  That has been continuing for many days now with no sign of improvement.

All of this is becoming a very old story to those of you who read these posts regularly.  What seems different to me is that we appear to be losing ground at a pretty rapid rate by comparison to past declines.  It seems that every few days something worsens.  The changes seem too rapid to me to be a normal part of the disease process.  In my mind the evidence still points to medication issues for the rapidity of the decline.  The trouble is that there seems to be no clear and definitive approach to medicating those with a form of Lewy Body Dementia that produces consistent results.  The same med can produce opposite results in different patients.

I may simply be in denial and the rapid changes may just be a function of the disease.  As our Parkinson’s Speicalist once said, after 23 years of the disease and the meds, there is no telling what problems are caused by side effects of meds and which the progression of the disease.

Volunteer Elaine came over to spend time with Mary Ann this morning while I went to the lake to sit and read and ponder and look for birds.  Today, it was hard to leave, and I couldn’t let go of concern for Mary Ann lying in bed talking to the hallucinations.  Mary Ann ended up sleeping (or just lying there) the entire time I was gone. I just don’t like how much more difficult this is getting and how fast it is moving.  It is not so much life threatening as it is that our system here at the house is being threatened.

One bonus this morning was that Elaine surprised us with a Quiche she made for us while at the house.  Not only that, but Volunteer Tamara had asked yesterday if she could bring food to us again.  When I answered her question about what Mary Ann liked, what popped into my mind was, Quiche.  This morning while Elaine was making her Quiche for us, Tamara brought two more.  Mary Ann ate a piece of one, although the same thing happened that had happened with the yogurt earlier in the day.  I ended up eating a couple of pieces of one and one piece of another by the time the day was over.  They all appear to have home made crusts.  They are wonderful.  One will end up in the freezer in pieces to be heated in the microwave later, but I suspect two of them will be long gone before that happens.

I am hoping for a better day tomorrow since our Son, Daughter-in-Law and Granddaughter are coming over for a while for Memorial Day. The menu will be Quiche — and Glory Days pizza for those who are not into Quiche.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

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