31st January, 2011 ...... MUM'S 96TH BIRTHDAY

31^ST JANUARY – MONDAY … Mum’s 96^th Birthday

Today was another scorcher, and a shame that we were unable to arrange a proper party for Mum’s 96^th Birthday.   Pauline organized some beautiful colour balloons (mum’s fave colours), and chocky cakes, and I mixed three big bunches of all different coloured carnations for her.

Mum had visitors all day long, and countless phone calls.  My brother and one of my nephews, Tod, were there when Michael, Pauline, Midge and I arrived.

I got ticked off by an officious 12yr old nurse (being facetious here), because I checked out mum’s sugar levels on her chart to make sure if it would be ok for her to have a little bit of her cake.  She snatched the file off me, snapping ‘’You have no right to touch this file!!’’,  and I said ‘’it’s ok, I can see her levels are 6.6’’  She retorted ‘’They were 6.1!!!’’….. I felt like snapping ‘’well enter the correct reading then!!!!’’, but I didn’t want to cause a fuss…… the bitch took the whole folder away with her.  I made a point of going out to ask for a COMPLETE UPDATE on Mum’s obs, and condition, and I refused to leave the nurse station until I got the update.

I had rung earlier about taking balloons in for Mum, and told that would be perfectly ok, but then got told ‘’NO BALLOONS’’ because they are latex (could cause allergic reaction)…… yet  right beside Mum’s bedside is a box of LATEX rubber gloves used on her all the time  !!!???!!! …… and needless to say, we were not allowed to light even one tiny candle, so we had to pretend.

One good thing is -  Clots are dissolving, and blood pressure is good and they are happy with the blood sugar readings now, so it’s a matter of the legs going down a bit more and another report on the clots, then they may send her to rehab to see if they can get her up on her own feet again (but she doesn’t have any confidence in that …….  No balance or strength at all).

Called in to Mt.Eliza to see my nephew and wife, then back to Pauline’s for dinner.  We held a special ‘’toast’’ for Mum, and here are a couple of the shots

from today –

Mum and Michael

Mum and Me

Mum and her balloons before we had to take them out.

Our own celebration for Mum's dinner.

Tomorrow morning, we will repack our Van, then spend rest of our time until we have to leave for ‘Spirit of Tasmania’ with Mum.

We are hoping to goodness that the cyclone across from W.A. will not still be heading our way, but just in case, we have sleeping tabs, and seasick pills to zonk ourselves out if it’s a rough crossing of Bass Strait.  Rain and squalls are predicted !!!!!

Bye for now, keep safe all, hopefully will get short message away before we land in Tassie

x x x x and hugs

Saturday 29th January - update on Mum

Woke late, and spent morning trying to clear some video tapes so we can re-use them.  Had late 'brunch' and headed off to visit Mum again in the hospital.  She was asleep when we arrived, so we just sat and read until she started stirring.  She had been having nightmares about being int he hospital,  and thought all the stuff in them was actually happening, or had happened.  Took me a while to realize that it was dreams she had.  (Think it's some of the new medications she is on, so if it's the same tomorrow, might have to talk to her doctor).
They are expecting over 40 degrees tomorrow, so going to be a scorcher.

Took these two pics with the mobile phone yesterday.  Poor Mum's face is all swollen also because of all the cortisone,  but her legs are 50 times worse than her face. 

May not get anything entered tomorrow depending on how we go, but I'll give it a try. x x x x

In Melbourne with Mum - 24th Jan to 28th Jan. 2011

Mon. 24th
Arrived at Mt. Martha, at my sister Pauline's house around Midnight, and rang hospital to get an update on my Mum.   They didn't tell me a lot apart from that she had been uncomfortable, but was sleeping now.   Left message for her when she woke, and both staggered off to bed with cuppa.  She had spent first two days on a Emergency Dept. gurney in E.D. as no beds were available.
Tues. 25th
Got to hospital around 11am. Mum had been moved to a ward, sharing it with another young girl.  Mum was very pale, and sitting up in chair with legs raised. Her poor legs are swollen to bursting, with dry skin and plasma all over both.  She was pleased to see Michael and I, but quite confused, not knowing why she had been plucked from her own bed at 6am and bundled into ambulance.  She has been on intravenous anti-biotics since her arrival, and doctor had said she could maybe go on oral anti-biotics tomorrow and maybe even go back to her residence.   When Michael and I went back later in afternoon, she had been moved again to a 4 bed room with 3 dementia patients. Mum was in much brighter spirits, and we thought she was on the mend.  Fascinating watching the 2 male patients trying to fly the coop the whole time we were there, and the female bed fellow, going off her brain at everyone.....  was quite funny, but I was concerned as it was obvious that mum would not be getting any proper rest (and we were right !!!)
We drove down to West Rosebud later to have dinner with Pauline (sister) and Midge at their caravan campsite right on the beach front, and came home again around midnight again.
Wed. 26th
Australia Day !!!!!   oi, oi, oi ....... Michael and I went into Mornington to get turbo charged dongle so we can have wireless internet while away (gotta have something so we can type this  blog,  duh!!!)   Love Mornington ....... markets, music, fashions, watching the world pass by..... just a real feel good place.  It's got a real cosmopolitan feel about it and hustle, bustle.
    After dropping shopping back to Pauline's house, we went back to hospital to be with Mum.
Seems one of the old guys had tried to get into bed with mum !!!!!  and he had a habit of dropping his pants !!!!   The other one was telling everyone to ''bugger off!'' or ''F off''....... So we pulled mum's curtain around her bed to try and give her a little privacy.
Thurs. 27th
Mum not so happy this morning.  She has blood clots all through her swollen legs and has been started on hipren injections and warfarin to try and dissolve them all before they get to her lungs.
The IV drips are still in place, and her legs are still really tight swollen.   I have been helping her with feeding, as she gets the shakes, and sometimes its hard for her to keep her food on fork.
Also very hard trying to get her to eat much at all.   Her status is up and down all the time. Just when you think she is responding well, ....... boom ....... nose dive..............
Friday 28th
Got up really early today so we could get to hospital to see the specialist in case he came and we missed him.  We got there just after 9am,  and found that Mum had been violently sick not long before we got there.  She was pale and weak, but I managed to get a little bit of electrolytes into her, and her pills, which she managed to keep down that time around.
When doctor came, he told us there was no way Mum was going back to her residence for her 96th Birthday.  He immediately said he wanted her in a room on her own, and has changed many of her medications again.   Poor Mum was so pale and exhausted, so we left her to nap a little at 11.30.

Michael and I went to restaurant right on the Frankston beach foreshore.  Glorious day, beautiful food and so nice to be just gazing at the water and sand.  Walked along the pier and the foreshore before returning back to hospital to see if Mum was awake.
Mum was a little more rested when we returned.  We took couple of shots with her, but didn't stay for more than an hour because she really needed to catch up on her sleep. (meant to add the pics we took to this, but darn things wouldn't load for me.  Will try next time I blog.
Tired now, and need to get to bed soon as I can clean up a bit around me. 
Hope to get organised and start some pics flowing on here soon, but in the meantime,
Blessings to all.
Loz and Michael xxx