September 20, 2020

My mom is still in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) that is associated with her memory care program. She hasn't had another covid test since she tested positive, but I'm wondering if she's over it by now. She hasn't had a fever since the first week, and when I talk to the care givers, they always say she's 'stable'. They've had her on oxygen much of the time because her pulse oxygen level drops below 90. She fights the oxygen tubes, and since it bothers her I've asked them to leave the tubes out. They don't follow my request, so I'm assuming their policy is to keep patients on oxygen. As a SNF they take a more proactive approach than we prefer. Previously Mom was on palliative hospice care, which focuses on comfort care. Last week, when Mom was fighting them because they were replacing the oxygen tubes she took off, her blood pressure was high. So they put her on high blood pressure medication. That annoyed me, so I requested to speak with her doctor. After 5 days of repeated calls on my part, I finally got someone who was responsible and she had a doctor call me. He agreed to take her off the medication once I explained our position (that she wants comfort care, not proactive care, and that another ongoing medication isn't necessary after an unusual blood pressure spike.) He also agreed to stop another medication that she'd been taking for some time that was no longer needed (a med given for combative behavior some time ago when she was more active and agitated). In general, covid has taken a lot out of her. They say that whenever they enter the room, she tells them to leave her alone. Or she shuts her eyes and acts like she's asleep. She's not eating, but she drinks Boost or Ensure so she gets some nutrients. I sent cookies for her, but they weren't letting her have them because they were concerned she'd choke. I pitched a bit of a fit about that, so they had her evaluated and then allowed her the cookies. Cookies seem to be the one thing she likes, and also the one thing she'll eat, so I want her to have them. Maria (our favorite care giver) is back to work at the memory care floor, so she went across the parking lot to visit my mom last week. Maria said mom didn't turn her head to look when Maria walked into the room calling her name (like she always does) "Gail Marie Buegler!" Mom was looking out the window. Maria walked up to her face and spoke to her for a few minutes before she had to head back to work. I'm hoping mom will be moved back to her regular room in a couple weeks so Maria can keep and eye on her, and hopefully we'll get clearance to visit soon. It's been 6 months now since I've seen her... John had an appointment with his neurologist this past week. It was uneventful except his MMSE test showed improvement. The MMSE is a simple 30 point test that provides a very quick overview of his cognizance level. John's score was unusually low last time, 6 months ago. He scored 11. This time he scored 15. We chalked the improvement up to dementia medications that he's on now, and maybe this time it was a good day, and the last test was given on a bad day. I forgot to bring up driving for him. John hasn't driven in about a year and a half, and he remains angry about it. He wanted to discuss it with the doctor, but we forgot. John believes that if the doctor had a better undertanding of his situation, a better understanding of his abilities, then the doctor would let him drive. Of course that's not true, but I prefered that John yell at the doctor about it rather than me for a change! A weird thing happened twice last week. John thought people on a zoom meeting, then people on TV, were in the house. I discussed that with the doctor since it was fresh on my mind, and the doctor explained it's a problem of orientation. In the first incidence, John was on a zoom call with friends from high school. They do an online happy hour each weekend and it's really nice to see John connect with him. It always makes him smile. Well last week, he came out of the room after the call ended, and expressed surprise that the guys had left, when he thought they were just there. The next day, we were watching tv, and when the show ended, he wondered where the people had gone. The people on tv. It was kinda spooky to observe his confusion about reality. The other weird thing that happened this week - twice no less - was John took things home that belong to Edna, his 'person' at Easter Seals. On Thursday he picked up her cell phone, thinking it was his, and brought it home. The next day he came home with her work keys! So we're teasing him about stealing Edna's stuff! I guess we need to check his pockets before he leaves Easter Seals every day!