General Update #215 - Saturday, November 14, 2020

Dusty arrived at farmhouse ~9:30 a.m. after adventuring at Les Schwab. Joyce found awake and alert in her recliner without oxygen line in place, sorting through magazines and putting them into a paper bag. Joyce claimed that she had already taken herself to the bathroom earlier in the day, passing urine only. Joyce expressed concerns about being showered today and attempted to bargain out of it. Dusty assured her it would happen this afternoon and not in the morning. Joyce became irritated when asked to put her oxygen line in place, "everyone tells me to do this or do that! I need to be allowed to live my life!" Dusty worked on calming Joyce down, she sat sulking and unresponsive for nearly 20 minutes and refused attempts at changing subject. Joyce stared at coloring book that she pulled onto her lap to ignore Dusty. Joyce finally consented to eating breakfast but had no preferences for food other than to state she was not very hungry.

9:53 a.m. - Breakfast (1 leftover biscuit, 1/2 banana, nutritional shake). Morning medication (Carvedilol, metformin, 2 Tylenol, decongestant, potassium, iron, multivitamin) administered. 

10:51 a.m. - Craig arrived to visit, read weekend newspaper. Departed ~11:10 a.m.

11:14 a.m. - Bathroom trip without incident. Urine passed and bowel movement (type 5). Joyce experiencing some comprehension issues and confusion, extremely hostile.

12:35 p.m. - Dusty visited with Joyce to discuss her feelings and behaviors toward him. Joyce took a while to form and articulate her thoughts but eventually was coxed to share, though she remained emotional through the exchange. Joyce feels like the family isn't telling/showing her that she is loved (she needs reassurance that she is not a burden) as she perceives from some family members that it is that way "based on her observations." Joyce explained that she is unhappy about having her television muted (when Dusty is on phone calls and doing online meetings) or turned off (when it goes to sleep/standby mode) and having her naps interrupted (woken for bathroom trips, having people come in and wake her up to talk with her, woken to have meals, woken by phone calls, etc.), or having her coloring stopped (was unable to cite specific incidents of this occurring), or being put onto schedules when she is trying to live her life (Dusty or Jess informing her that Joyce has to do "X" before they leave for work instead of letting her do things on her own schedule). Joyce expressed concerns over her toileting and how she often can take herself to the bathroom but "everyone is concerned if I will fall or if I will make a mess" or on how well she cleans herself. Joyce expressed concerns over Dusty openly talking about her mental deterioration with other family members (Joyce called them "strangers," but context seemed to imply she was thinking of the last family meeting that occurred in her house) when she does not feel she has mental deterioration and is concerned that she cannot recall what really happened vs. what family members tell her she is doing. Joyce was very sad that she is not allowed to drive anymore, she understands it, she just is sad that the option is no longer there to her and she feels the loss of freedom and independence - not that she wants to go anywhere, but that the option is gone now as a possibility. Joyce expressed feelings of loss at thinking up things she would like to do (projects, activities, etc.) but cannot do - family won't let her, she has no energy, she feels like she cannot do "X" project because she does not know where to start or where to find something that is missing. Joyce requested more physical contact from family members (hugs, head pats, hand holding). Joyce expressed that when she wants to visit with family care givers they are often "busy doing other things" and "not here with her" (Dusty doing work on computer, Craig reading newspaper, etc.). Joyce felt better after being allowed to talk about her worries with Dusty and her mood improved.

1:18 p.m. - Lunch (leftover fish filet and biscuit). Joyce ate her fish and half of her biscuit before setting tray aside. Dusty brought out some of Joyce's recently washed laundry to fold, which excited Joyce as an enrichment activity.

2:36 p.m. - Joyce woke from napping, telling Dusty "Good morning." Joyce stated that it was lunch time. Dusty reminded Joyce she had already eaten. Joyce confirmed that after remembering, stated that she meant it was lunch time due to the time of day on the clock. Began folding laundry.

2:56 p.m. - Derik arrived to use basement bathroom.

4:07 p.m. - Craig arrived to visit.

4:19 p.m. - Bathroom. Joyce dry until she went to sit on toilet riser and released her bladder early, causing diaper and diaper pad insert to be changed. Remainder of urine passed. Joyce visited with Dusty while using the bathroom, stating that she wanted to watch a "real movie." Dusty asked for clarification and Joyce said that she wanted to watch something besides NCIS on television at some point. Dusty reminded Joyce that she just has to tell him that she wants to watch something different and he will assist her in making that happen. Joyce clarified that she wanted a to watch a film, she did not know what, but to watch it and not go to bed. Returned to recliner by 4:35 p.m.

4:37 p.m. - BP 160/95, pulse 82. BGL @ 123. Joyce self-initiated coloring as enrichment activity.

6:46 p.m. - Dinner (butternut squash ravioli, spaghetti squash). Joyce ate about 1/3 of her dinner before stating she was finished.

7:15 p.m. - Evening medication (carvedilol, metformin, 2 Tylenol) administered. Bathroom trip declined. Joyce concerned over quantity of pills being given, "must be a gallon of pills here!" Dusty insisted it was only a "half-gallon" which got Joyce laughing. 

10:19 p.m. - Bathroom trip without incident. Urine passed. Joyce having difficulty walking but managed to return to her recliner under her own power.

10:50 p.m. - Joyce settled in for the night. 

Dusty departing farmhouse ~11 p.m., returning tomorrow morning ~8 a.m.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

General Update #92

07/24/2020 Dusty missed calling Joyce due to personal schedule conflicts. 07/25/2020 Dusty called in to check with Joyce at 1 p.m. following a training session he attended for Scouts BSA. Lunch today was spaghetti "with a delicious meat sauce," a side of veggies and dessert was vanilla pudding. Joyce confessed that she might not have remembered it had the tray not still been sitting beside her with the remnants of the meal. She had today off from physical therapy but did have speech/mental therapy. She said that some of the questions that the speech therapists ask her are "laughable" because they ask her if she has lived in rural areas and then ask her about what she thinks living in the rural areas are like after already verifying she lives in the country. Dusty suggested that the therapists are trying to use something basic, like knowledge of Joyce living in the country, to then ask questions about living in the country to see how Joyce recalls information or rela...
Read more

General Update #95

07/27/2020 Dusty called Joyce to check in and wish her a good night while he was preparing dinner for Jess. Joyce was alert and quite talkative. Dusty reviewed the plan for the telehealth appointment scheduled for tomorrow and Joyce stated that no one had told her that was occurring. Dusty suggested to Joyce that they were going to visit with her tomorrow morning ahead of the appointment based on what Rachael had told him and Joyce concurred. Dusty questioned Joyce about her decline of participating in the urinary incontinence therapy as well as her reported lack of performance with physical therapy. Joyce stated that she had been looking forward to the urinary incontinence therapy work but according to her they only spoke to her once about it and then never again approached her about it.  Joyce felt like they don't do enough PT with her even though she wants to do more PT. She cited today that they only had her walk back and forth using parallel bars for a few minutes before givin...
Read more

General Update #85

Dusty and Jess called Joyce in the evening on July 4 to wish her a happy Independence Day.  Joyce reported that her pain levels were fairly low, even after doing upper body physical therapy work earlier in the day. She was a little disappointed with her meals served. She had been hoping that they would serve hot dogs and potato salad for lunch or dinner but none were to be had. Joyce could not recall what she ate for any of her three meals she was served. At the time of the phone call Joyce had not seen any fireworks out her north facing window but she could hear several concussive blasts of fireworks being set off near Dusty and Jess' apartment.  Joyce said that she did not see or hear the Let Freedom Ring Tour (a B-25 Mitchell, a F-7F Tigercat, a P-47 Thunderbolt, a P40N Warhawk, and a P51D Mustang), which was sponsored by Hangar180 , fly overhead around 5:45 p.m. but she might've missed it most likely owing to having been napping at the time. She stated that she was excited...
Read more