Archive for August 15th, 2010

Today’s Business: 2010-08-15

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Today’s Activities

  • Shower.  DONE.
  • Cat duty.  Sister Jojo performing this until I return home.

Log

08:00 AM: I’m up. 

10:00 AM: Mom’s friend Debbie called; wanting an update.  So I chatted with her for a half hour. 

10:15 AM: I’m walking to the hospital now to be with Mom.  Back later.

10:50 AM: Recorded audio journal episode   AJE-2010-08-15-10-27.

06:15 PM: I’m home again, and am very sleepy. I’m taking a nap.

10:00 PM: I’m back up again, and blogging about today with Mom.

01:00 AM: Watched several episodes of   Whale Wars   on the   Animal Planet  channel.  Yes, save the whales.

01:05 AM: Heading to bed now.  Good night, and there will be more content posted on this blog tomorrow.  Take care. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

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Mom’s Status: 2010-08-15

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Summary

Mom seemed significantly improved today; still feeling pain but less “tortured” by it.  She’s resting more peacefully, and her skin color is better.  She’s a bit stronger and required far less repositioning than previously, and she’s able to accomplish more of the shifting in bed on her on, without as much assistance from the nurses and family.  She’s more content to lay still, and she’s more alert; I had small conversations with her.  Finally, she’s eating more soft food.  Her legs are still hypersensitive however.  She still cries out when repositioned.  But her overall attitude seems more positive and she seems to better grasp the necessity that she remain here in Pittsburgh for a little while longer to get the best care for her pain and the most complete resolution of her heart issues. 

Pending Objectives

  • Get council on results of the 2010-08-13 mid section CT scan and arterial doppler study. 
  • Find out if that “flapping object” was present in Mom’s heart in her 2008 echo cardiograms.  DONE.  It was not present.  This is a new development since 2008. 
  • Monitor Mom’s overall pain status.  We’re looking to get her pain stopped. Less pain noted today.

Log

10:15 AM: Leaving for the hospital.  Details of the visit follow:

  • 10:55 AM: I arrived to find her room door closed.  Mom was sleeping.  So I went into her room and pulled up a chair; waiting for today’s nurse to come in and give me a status update.
  • 11:05 AM: Mom’s IV machine started beeping.
  • 11:07 AM: Her nurse just entered to flush her pick line.  This nurse just came on duty.  So she hasn’t spent any time with Mom yet today.  But she says that she received no reports of problems overnight.
  • 11:10 AM: The doctor from palliative care just arrived.  He woke Mom up to quiz her, to see if she’s more alert.  She appears less delirious to him. 
  • She says the leg pain is still intense; a ten.  But she’s better able to withstand it at present.
  • 11:22 AM: The palliative care doctor left.
  • 11:55 AM: A nurse entered to read Mom’s blood sugar.
  • 12:15 PM: Mom asked me calmly to reposition her legs, and says that having this done every couple hours would raise her comfort level immensely.
  • 12:45 PM: Helped her reposition in bed again.  She’s still excited to go home. 
  • 01:10 PM: Nurse arrived to give meds.
  • 01:30 PM: She enjoyed a half-cup of chocolate pudding for lunch along with a bit of ice.
  • She seems better able to cope with her leg pain.
  • 02:20 PM: The palliative care doctors came by again, and were careful to stipulate that when they talk about discharging Mom, they’re just making plans for when she’s ready to be released.  But they’re not “rushing” her out, and they agree that she’s nowhere near ready to be discharged at this time. 
  • 02:50 PM: She seems to experience relatively little pain as long as she remains relatively still.  However, her legs are still highly painful when she moves them.
  • 05:10 PM: Blood sugar: 239.
  • Sisters Christine and Jojo, along with friend Deb visited for much of the afternoon. 
  • 06:00 We’re leaving now.  Mom is resting.  I’ll visit again sometime tomorrow AM.

Tom Hesley

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Today’s Diet: 2010-08-15

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

I keep this food diary to stay aware of just how many calories I’m eating daily, with the hope that it decreases the likelihood that I’ll overeat.    It seems to work, so here we go with another day…

Today, I consumed the following items:

  • Diet pop and herbal tea throughout the day. 0 calories.
  • 10:10 AM: 1 bowl of lime-flavored cream cheese Jello.  400 calories. 
  • 01:00 PM: 3-egg omelet with cheese and bacon.  500 calories.
  • 01:00 PM: Mashed potatoes and gravy.  300 calories.
  • 01:00 PM: 1 small slice of white-meat turkey.  100 calories.
  • 01:00 PM: 4 Oz. cranberry juice.  90 calories.
  • 06:25 PM: 2 bowls of Cheerios cereal, skim milk, and organic sugar.  800 calories.

Total calories: 2190.

Tom Hesley

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