I am leaving for a well deserved one week vacation today. We are going to Yellowstone and it feels a little weird because we will often be out of cell phone reception. However, my brother seems to be doing "well", except for a nasty infection in his arm that comes from him picking at his skin. Now he is taking antibiotics for it, and it seems to have helped his coughing too. Friday, he saw the cardiologist and my brother claims he got a clean bill of health. ( I need to verify that today before I leave). Next, we are in the middle of scheduling cataract surgery for him in September. Then he needs to be taken to go get new glasses. There's always something on the agenda.
At breakfast the last few times, he has told me that he treasures our moments together. That was nice.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
going outside is a good thing
I visited my brother last Wednesday night. He was in a very good mood because the nursing home had taken around 6 residents out for lunch (at the patient's expense).
He urine is being tested because he is urinating a lot. The first test was contaminated, they are doing it again. I called them to let them know that he used to be on medication for this, but they took him off it because it contributed to low blood pressure.
When I see him on Sunday, I will try to find out what the results of the cardiologist visit were.
He urine is being tested because he is urinating a lot. The first test was contaminated, they are doing it again. I called them to let them know that he used to be on medication for this, but they took him off it because it contributed to low blood pressure.
When I see him on Sunday, I will try to find out what the results of the cardiologist visit were.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Guessing what my brother likes
On Sunday, July 3, we took my brother out for dinner and the movies because it was a holiday weekend. The nursing home was having a bar b que on July 4, so I figured rather than showing up for that, which would boring, that it would be better to show up a different day and then he would have two events to look forward to.
We took him out to Potbellys for sandwiches. My father used to take him there a lot and he always used to order a meatball sandwich. This time he wanted a turkey sandwich. I asked him why not meatballs, and he told me he never really liked them, he did it to please my father. Who would have known?
The movie was kind of stupid. We saw "Bridesmaids". I made some kind of comment that the movie wasn't very good but it was still kind of fun to go out. He said something about "actually, it wasn't that much fun". So then I told him that he needed to tell me what he would like to do to get out of the nursing home for excursions, and I would try to arrange it. Of course, he never can articulate anything. It's pretty frustrating, but I think I am in a place where I don't feel bad about it, it's just something I can't control and I have to accept. He's just not a guy who can tell you what he likes.
Meanwhile, he looks like he is beginning to put on fluid again (although the nursing home staff doesn't think so (but I think they look at his ankles and because of his cerebral palsy, it's really difficult to tell. I look at his face and his torso) , and he has developed a cough with fluid, but doesn't appear to have a cold. I am guessing he is about to have a congestive heart failure episode. I called his cardiologist today to see if someone could visit him at the home (the practice actually does this), but the nurse hasn't called back yet. I am worried that if they try to start taking off the lasix, that his blood pressure will drop too low and we are going to have another crisis. The timing is not good, because my husband and I are supposed to go on vacation to Yellowstone the last week of July. It would not surprise me if my brother's health spoils yet another vacation, but it is what it is. I can't blame him, because I have started not telling him when I am going out of time until the day before so he doesn't get too stressed out and make himself sick.
We took him out to Potbellys for sandwiches. My father used to take him there a lot and he always used to order a meatball sandwich. This time he wanted a turkey sandwich. I asked him why not meatballs, and he told me he never really liked them, he did it to please my father. Who would have known?
The movie was kind of stupid. We saw "Bridesmaids". I made some kind of comment that the movie wasn't very good but it was still kind of fun to go out. He said something about "actually, it wasn't that much fun". So then I told him that he needed to tell me what he would like to do to get out of the nursing home for excursions, and I would try to arrange it. Of course, he never can articulate anything. It's pretty frustrating, but I think I am in a place where I don't feel bad about it, it's just something I can't control and I have to accept. He's just not a guy who can tell you what he likes.
Meanwhile, he looks like he is beginning to put on fluid again (although the nursing home staff doesn't think so (but I think they look at his ankles and because of his cerebral palsy, it's really difficult to tell. I look at his face and his torso) , and he has developed a cough with fluid, but doesn't appear to have a cold. I am guessing he is about to have a congestive heart failure episode. I called his cardiologist today to see if someone could visit him at the home (the practice actually does this), but the nurse hasn't called back yet. I am worried that if they try to start taking off the lasix, that his blood pressure will drop too low and we are going to have another crisis. The timing is not good, because my husband and I are supposed to go on vacation to Yellowstone the last week of July. It would not surprise me if my brother's health spoils yet another vacation, but it is what it is. I can't blame him, because I have started not telling him when I am going out of time until the day before so he doesn't get too stressed out and make himself sick.
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