Alison's Hair

I bought an inflatable hair wash basin. I am going to attempt it tomorrow when I visit.  Should be an adventure!!  I hope it works.  

Tuesday and Thursday End of Feb

I got a call from Mary Pat that she had seen Alison on Tuesday. She said that Alison was alert and very together. Alison asked to eat the rest of the lobster bisque and the Aluete cheese spread I had left at my last visit. She and Mary Pat talked about Stella and cried appropriately. Mary Pat was very happy to find Alison in such stable and good shape.

Today I visited Alison. On the drive up, I talked to nursing and they said that Alison had slept through the night. As well they started using a Jerry chair with Alison yesterday. This is good news as it will get Alison sitting up again. But Alsion is not strong enough to sit upright in a normal chair plus faces the risk of throwing herself out of it, so they have started back with the Jerry chair. And they have to use a sling to move her to and from the bed - no more pivoting off the bed.

While I was with her, Alison got visits from both PT and speech. They have her moving her right leg and arm, although it is only modest movement. And they are asking her to move her left limbs as well. There are signs that Alison will be able to regain some left side movement. Speech therapy watched me give Alison more lobster bisque and herb cream cheese. They said to remind Alison with each bite to swallow strongly and to remind her twice with each bite to make sure nothing is left in her throat. Alison said the floor staff is not feeding her any food because "she did not earn it". I have asked speech therapy to follow-up to make sure that withholding Alison’s “pleasure food” is not being used as a punishment for Alison. Alison still gets peg tube feeding. As well, this is the third time I have requested a real shampoo for Alison!! It will require work on their part to get her into a real shower. Maybe now she is again using a wheel chair?

While Alison was very cognizant and able to participate in a dialogue with me, she has returned to saying "I want to die". She does this when she is asked to do something for herself like wipe her own mouth or exercise her own limbs. Perhaps it is due to the realization of how far she has to go? Not wanting to do the work? I just remind her that a) she needs to work on her own recovery, b) it will take work and c) she can get better.

As always, please come visit Alison. I am finding the best time is after 1130. I call ahead to make sure they have gotten her up. Alison also asked if somebody would contact Phillip and ask him to come for a visit. If you want to feed Alison, I have left more food in the 4th floor refrigerator with her name on it (the staff can get it for you). There are cups, spoons, salt and pepper in the top right-hand drawer of her dressers. Remember, she can NOT drink plain fluids; they need to be thickened with a powder which is at the nursing station - honey (glop glop) vs nectar (drip drip) consistency please.

Sunday

I did see Alison yesterday. I will try to get a more detailed post up soon. 

I signed her up for a hair cut (Alison's request) through the activity director. By signing up, I mean I wrote Alison's name on a scrap of paper the woman handed me.  Someone might need to follow up on this. I got the impression that it could be a few weeks before the hair guy would be back around. 

She was lucid/normal/alert but sad about Stella. 

All Stable

Alison has moved back to her old room, 407A. While it is more cramped space, she does have her old roommate who watches over Alison and creates activity. It is still a pain to try to crank Alison's bed given the limited space. Let's see how the roommate situation goes....

After talking with Amy, I shared with Alison that Stella was in distress and was going to see a vet today. I explained that Stella could not move and it would be best to let her go. Per input from Amy, I shared how happy Stella had been these last few months with fellow dogs. Alison said that Stella would be happy to see K....(? a dog that had already passed). But she did cry. So we got up the courage and facetimed Stella to wish her well on her jounrey. Both Alsion and Amy are taking it bad.

They say Alison is eating her honey thick food PLUS getting a stomach peg feeding. When I saw Alison, she first asked if I had brought her butternut squash soup (a fav) or chocolate. I told her I brought lobster bisque and we still had aluette herbed chesse. Alsion would eat a bit of each, then her back would hurts so we would crank her bed flat, then she'd ask to eat again so we'd crank her back up. After about 5 of these up and downs, I told her more food would have to wait. I did raid the kitchen in the basement and have stocked the top drawer of Alison's chest of drawers with salt and pepper - please season her meal food whenever you have a chance. I got them to give me a container of the thickening powder to turn drinks into honey thick fluids -- the container has to be kept at the nurse's station and the cups are in her top drawer. Get OJ from the medicine cart or I squirrelled away 3 ginger ales into "an Alsion special foods paper bag" that is kept in the nursing area's refrigerator, ask for it. That is also where the aluete chesse and chocolate syrup are kept. As I left today, Alsion asked if she could "have some more?" Very Oliver Twist.

Other things: I have escalted my request to get Alison a real hair shampoo. Her scalp really needs a cleaning as it is now very crusty. Please also push teh facility to do this. Alison said that PT has been working with her. She showed how PT had asked her to lift her left arm with support from her right arm, and move her right leg. I suggested to Alsion that she wiggle her left toe even if she could(not yet) lift her left leg. Good news that PT is having Alsion work. BUT, Alison does NOT have a wheel chair yet. I am not sure if PT thinks that Alsion cannot sit in one because Alsion does not have the coordination to release a needed lap belt used to keep her from falling from the chair). Can someone talk on Monday with Lakshmi who runs PT to see how to move this forward? Alison, as I left, became frantic that they would not let her out of bed....

Amy plans to go Sunday afternoon. Mary Pat either Sunday or Monday. Sorry to be late with my blog from this morning!

The room needs a wall clock, she could do with socks. You know that LVOE is most important!

Alison's Move Back to BridgePark

Alison got moved back to BridgePark last night so I went to see her today to get her resettled. She is now in room 311 and has the more spacious and sunny window bed. She was awake and cognizant when I arrived. And immediate asked for my “Help”. When I asked her to tell me what she needed, she imediately was able to tell me what and responded with “Heel”. Turns out she had lain on her back in bed so long without foam heel pads that her heel hurt from pressure on the airbed. So I put a pillow under her legs and massaged her heels. Tada, no more “Help”!

I did spend time today massaging and moving Alison’s limbs as they have stiffened from lack of movement during her 2-3 week stay at U of MD without rehab. As I was doing it, she would say “Ouch”. I would ask if it was #1 (right hand) or #2 (left hand) that caused the pain and she would tell me which. I would aask if it was big or little pain and she’d say little. I did share with her that she was becoming like the Princess and the Pea, feeling everything! When I also shared that Kim (my twin sitter, a physical massage therapist) would do it sooo much better than me, Alison said that I should not be “Self Deprecating”. I then commended her on her great choice of words, and she in turn said “It runs in the family”. So overall, we had a good time working with each other and playing.

Alison did beg for me to take her home with me. I explained that she still needs 7x24 hour care that I cannot do. I explained that she can and will grow stronger. She should set a goal to be able to move around with a walker or wheel chair. When asked, she said she understood. At one point later, she then said she wished she would be able to go home with Aaron and Amy.

Of course, when I asked the rehab unit for Alison’s belongings, they were nowhere to be found. After much searching, we found some of them under piles of clothes in the closets of her old room. In her new room's closet there are many T shirts, 3 long sleeved warm shirts, 3 pretty shirts, 2 leggings, one short, and 2 pairs of shoes. Some are dirty so I have asked nursing to get her dirty laundry washed so she can wear those clothes. We also found her photos, Raven hat and xmas decorations. No bras or socks. What else are we missing? Bring old sports bras if you have them IF they hook in the front or back. And socks. And thumb tacks….

Alison is yearning to eat! I asked for Speech Therapy to see her today to re-evaluate whether Alison is ok to eat honey thick food and drink. They have to do it each time she comes back to the unit. Until they do that, she can only use the stomach peg. I put a bag of Alison treats in the fridge for her – coffee Greek yogurt with chocolate, aluette creamed cheese and chocolate syrup to make drinks tasty. She asked for creamed butternut squash soup and liver too (she knows me too well)!

Alison's Address

BridgePark Health Care Center 
4017 Liberty Heights Ave
Baltimore, MD 21207 
410-542-5306

Back to BridgePark

Alison was set to return to BridgePark this evening. I haven't heard anything but assume she has made it. No room number as of yet. Her peg tube is in and the doctors say she is alert. 

I got a call from Claudette (Harford Terrace neighbor). She intends to visit soon. 

I know Andy hope to get there this week and so hopefully we will get a thorough first hand account from her.