Well I know family and friends out there are reading this because I get sent a report detailing the number of views each blog receives - which is excellent to know. However, a bit disappointing is the fact that people can't leave comments and messages of support if they don't have 'gmail' accounts. If I can find another site that allows comments I will transfer - but for now, this will have to do. But thanks for taking time out to read about Dad's progress.
Today Mum went to see Dad at 2pm, (it's the norm isn't it), myself and Dawn arrived just after 3pm. Dad was dressed and had been put in to a small wheelchair just before Mum arrived. The physios hadn't been to see Dad today and we were told he had refused breakfast and lunch again. The hours until 2 pm must really drag for Dad - what's he doing all this time apart from lying in his bed alone with his thoughts? I mentioned to one of the Nurses that Dad had been in bed all day yesterday and that he hadn't done anywhere near the amount of physio he had done last week - she said she would speak to the Carers as we had agreed Dad would always be sitting out at least for when we arrived, and advised us that Dad should only be getting physio once or twice a week and not every day...
When we arrived I could see Dad was sitting with Mum at a table in the dining room - I could tell he was concentrating...he was reading a golf magazine. He also read several pages from my diary - he read out loud at first, he was slow but was able to read and understand what he read, asking for help on words where my writing wasn't so great. The pages he read were of when he was in hospital in May and fighting pneumonia. We forget just how far Dad has come in nine weeks, and it reminded us of what a scary time those early days were for us all.
I asked Dad to write something in my diary - he wrote keep shining and sing and dance. I asked him to draw an arrow on the paper to each of us round the table as I said our names - he correctly drew an arrow to each one of us matching the correct name. Mum said write down how you are feeling Alan - Dad wrote I FEEL FINE, Up & down, main up few dones (sic).
Dad again complained of the pain in his left armpit - it is the muscle tone tightening. He used his hand held massager to ease the pain and I also gave him a mini hot water bottle - we were advised previously by the physio that heat was good for the pain. Dad started getting tired after two hours in the chair and the Carers got him back in to bed shortly after 4pm.
Dad ate all of his tea again this evening. Soup to start and a jacket potato (minus the jacket) with cheese, Dad said it was dry so I went and got some more soup for him to put on the potato - he ate it all. We reiterated to Dad how important it is to eat and that he should eat his breakfast and lunch. We have noticed that Dad becomes more engaged and alert after he has eaten food.
To look at, although Dad has lost some weight since he was admitted to hospital on 10th May he does look quite well. Lying in his bed, his disabilities are hidden by a sheet, and it is only when you engage with Dad that you get an appreciation of the cognitive issues caused by the stroke. Dad has a long way to go in his recovery, but when you look back to the early days and the milestones he has achieved - beating pneumonia, learning to swallow again, speaking, knowing when he needs the toilet, and much more - it is then we realise how far Dad has come in a short space of time considering he has suffered a 'massive' stroke.
For those that haven't been able to see Dad - I've attached a photo of Mum with him last Saturday afternoon. Also attached below is a photo taken on the 17th May, a week after Dad was admitted to hospital and the day he had has MRI scan. Dad had just been diagnosed with pneumonia.
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