I'm sorry that I'm not very good at keeping up posts about Rick. I will try to catch you up on his progress.
Basically he is doing about as well as can be expected in his home at Heritage Healthcare. The people there are caring and seem to love him. He lost 20 pounds in the first few months he was there. I think they just didn’t know how to feed him or didn’t have the time to feed him. They have changed his diet to pureed now and it seems that he doesn’t get tired of chewing and he is able to eat faster. Therefore they are able to get him to eat all of his food. He has gained back about 13 of the 20 pounds he lost in the beginning.
They have finally started him on a toileting program where they are supposed to take him to the bathroom every 2 hours. Sometimes it works well and other times not so good. They say they have a hard time getting him to sit on the toilet long enough to use it. I have tried to give them suggestions for getting him to sit down and relax. There is more than one who works with him on this so I’m sure that some can get him to go better than others. Yesterday he didn’t have any accidents as far as I can tell. No wet clothes or bed clothes. That was pretty good. But other days he goes through 2 or 3 sets of clothes and sometimes just as many sheets at night. I think this is the thing that frustrates me the most. I know he can be kept dry, because I did it and continue to do so when he is with me.
It seemed as though they were fighting everything I wanted to do for him. I wanted to be able to give him is morning medicine while I was feeding him breakfast. But they say their nurse has to give them so that she can chart them as given. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. At the hospital, the nurse will bring his pills to me and let me give them. She charts them as given. It is just so much easier to give him one pill at a time and let him chew them up with each bite of food, than trying to give them crushed up in pudding in a couple of bites. I’ve just had to give up on that fight.
Another thing that they didn’t allow is: I made some protein bars out of the protein mix I have, fiber, peanut butter, oatmeal and honey. They are very good and nutritious as well. I had given him one at home one Sunday afternoon and he really enjoyed it. So I thought this would be a good way to increase his nutrition as well as giving him a tasty snack. So I took them in asking that they give him one mid morning, mid afternoon and after supper. They refused saying because he is on a pureed diet they can’t give them to him. I spoke to the doctor who works that nursing home and she said she watched him try to eat one and he had trouble with it. So she said they couldn’t be responsible for the possibility of him choking on it. How ridiculous! I was very mad. It just seemed like they were fighting me at every angle. I threatened to go to the ombudsman about it.
Well, I was complaining about this to my sister, Cindy. She listened graciously and then said, “Joyce, take it from your little sister. You don’t want to make them mad, so that they take it out on Rick. Maybe you just need to let it go.” I believe that God used her to speak to me. I have stopped trying to get this to work out. I have apologized to the supervisors for my bad attitude and I’m am really trying to focus on the positive. Thank you, Cindy, for allowing God to use you to speak to me. I love you.
So, other than these things, I think Rick is doing well. Some days are better than others, as can be expected. Sunday, March 18, I brought him to church. He stepped into the car without difficulty. He heard people talking to him and responded with a smile and nod. He would make eye contact with them. He seemed very alert that day. It was so good.
The next Sunday, March 25, he was just the opposite. He couldn’t figure out how to sit down in the car. I ended up having to turn him around backwards, push him to sit on his bottom, and then pull up his knees and push him into the seat. Then turn him around to face the front of the car. That was a struggle. Then he was out of it all day, not responding much to others or to me either. I could get a smile occasionally. He ate good, even non pureed food. I don’t puree it at home.
I guess that is to be expected – good and bad days. I know I have not been as tired as I was when he was still at home. I sleep all night and that is a blessing. I have more time and availability to do things in the evening. I have started a new business with Arbonne International, a Swiss pure, safe, and beneficial anti aging skin care product. I have really enjoyed doing this.
I go to see Rick every morning and feed him breakfast. So I keep up with what is happening with him. I wash his clothes and sheets. This helps me know how he is doing with his toileting. Most of the time I believe he still knows who I am – when I can get him to focus on me. Sometimes I ask him if he loves me and he answers with a resounding, “YES!” That is always a great feeling.
I thank all of you for your prayers. I know it is only by God’s strength and grace that I have been able to deal with this situation. He promised never to leave us or forsake us and to give us the strength to handle the issues of life. I am so thankful to be a child of the King!
Blessings to each of you…until next time.
