5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Mossy was in the kitchen while Rose, Dr. Vesper, and Kemper were napping in the bedroom.  While we were discussing the day’s events, Dr. Vesper emerged and I got Rose out of bed shortly after.  Rose was quiet, but far more alert during my shift today than yesterday.  Mossy had already set the table and Dr. Vesper requested a light dinner, which allowed me a few minutes to just visit with the two of them.  Rose was mostly non verbal, but laughed occasionally whenever we laughed.  Once dinner was served, Dr. Vesper enjoyed his usual hearty appetite and Rose surprised me with a good appetite of her own!

7:00-9:00     After dinner, Doctor and Rose returned to the living room to watch television while I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I gave them both their evening medications before taking Rose for her night time toilette.  Things continued to run in routine fashion beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  She continued to be more alert and responsive, which afforded me the opportunity to be more thorough with her oral hygiene.  She began to fade rapidly, however, which made changing her clothes difficult.  She became very rigid and leaned severely to her left.  While on the commode, I changed her wet Depends and she produced a very small stool. When we were finished, I took her to bed and applied her eye drops easily.  She was falling asleep as I said good night to her.  Dr. Vesper was in the living room when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Soup and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  Rose drank kefir milk and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7 up.  They both had ice cream (Lactaid) for dessert.

Visitors:     None

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Sandy and Rose were finishing in the bathroom and Dr. Vesper at church.  Sandy brought me up to speed on things and helped me get Rose’s feet on the ottoman before leaving.  It was a quiet, uneventful late afternoon as Rose slept while I set the table and began dinner prep.  When Dr. Vesper came home, we tried several times to rouse her in hopes of getting her to cheer on the horses during the Kentucky Derby.   I bribed her with a few bites of mango, which helped, but she remained completely non verbal and unfocused until bedtime.  After the race, dinner was ready and I had Rose and Doctor seated and eating by 7:00.

7:00-9:00     Dr. Vesper enjoyed his usual hearty appetite.  Rose did not eat a lot, but consumed a greater variety than I anticipated.  I did not have to coax her to chew, however, she seemed to be sated early in the meal.  Mossy arrived as we were finishing to do some prep for Mother’s Day brunch, and offered a few good tips on getting her to eat.  After dinner, Rose and Doctor returned to the living room to watch TV while I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I gave them both their night time medications, then took Rose back for her evening toilette.  I washed her face and hands, then brushed her teeth.  I attempted to floss, but she pursed her lips tightly and would not open at all.  She was extremely rigid while changing her clothes, leaning heavily to her left.  I got her on the lift easily and removed her wet Depends.  She had a moderately large, normal BM while seated.  I then took her to bed and applied her eye drops.  She did mutter a few words while in the bathroom, but I was unable to understand her.  Dr. Vesper was already in bed when I tucked her in and said good night.  Mossy was finishing her work and we walked out together.

Dinner:     Tossed salad, pasta salad, chicken cordon bleu, glazed carrots, green beans, and wild rice. (Leftovers night!)  Rose drank kefir milk, and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  They both had ice cream (Lactaid) for dessert.

Visitors:     Mossy

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Sandy and Rose were finishing in the bathroom while Dr. Vesper was in the bedroom napping.  As always, Sandy spent a few minutes bringing me up to speed on the day’s events and helped me to get Rose’s feet onto the ottoman.  She expressed concern over Kemper’s ear and applied ointment per Mossy’s instruction.  After she left, I set the table and prepped the dinner salad.  When Dr. Vesper emerged, I took his dinner order and began cooking.  Rose napped until it was time to eat.

7:00-9:00     The remainder of the evening was quiet and uneventful.  Dr. Vesper enjoyed his usual hearty appetite.  Rose started well, but I had to coax her a bit to finish.  I attribute this to being full rather than to her lack of focus.  After dinner, Doctor went outside to sow some grass seed, while Rose helped me clean the kitchen, wash the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  When he returned, I gave them their evening medications, then took Rose to the bathroom for her night time toilette.  We followed our usual routine beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing her teeth.  I was able to brush thoroughly, but she would not allow me to floss at all.  Before changing her clothes, I turned on the classical music station on my phone, which seemed to help her demeanor.  While working to put on her pajama top, she told me, “I am trying to help you.”  I got her on the lift easily, but she listed heavily to her left.  Her Depends were damp and she had a small bowel movement and excess gas while seated.  Her bowel started to prolapse, but corrected itself with no intervention from me.  We finished in the bathroom and when I took her to bed, I asked how she felt.  She replied, “Better!”  I applied her eye drops easily and said good night.  Dr. Vesper was in the dining room using his glucose monitor when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, ham steaks with pineapple, and peas.  Rose drank kefir milk and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  Rose had a small scoop of ice cream, but Doctor declined dessert.

Visitors:     None

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Rose, Dr. Vesper, and Raejeanna were in the living room.  Rose was napping in her recliner, but we woke her in order to perform an assisted transfer to her wheelchair.  Raejeanna spent a few minutes updating me on things before she left.  Dr. Vesper stated he was hungry, so I set the table and began dinner prep right away.  Though non verbal, Rose seemed more alert and focused than yesterday.  She ate fairly well, but filled up rapidly.  Dr. Vesper enjoyed his usual hearty appetite.

7:00-9:00     The remainder of my shift was quiet and uneventful.  After dinner, Dr. Vesper went outside to check on the pool and generally poke around while Rose and I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  When he came back in, I gave them their evening medications before taking Rose to the bathroom for her night time toilette.  We followed our usual routine of washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Once on the commode, I changed her saturated Depends.  She produced no more urine or stool.  Thank goodness for the lift as Rose suddenly and completely “faded” at this time.  She leaned heavily to her left with her head nearly touching the sink and both legs splayed straight out in front of her.  She would have come off the seat without it.  I was able to finish her toileting and get her back into the wheelchair uneventfully.  Once in bed, she seemed very comfortable and I applied her eye drops easily before saying goodnight.  Dr. Vesper was watching television when I said goodnight to him.

Dinner:     Salad, crab cakes, peas, and sweet potato fries.  Rose drank kefir milk, and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  They both had ice cream (Lactaid) for dessert.

Visitors/workers:     Sandy H. (yardwork)

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Sandy was in the bathroom with Rose and Dr. Vesper at church.  Sandy brought me up to speed on the day’s events before leaving.  Rose’s toileting was going slowly and I offered to finish up so Sandy could make it to her next client on time.  Rose was very unfocused and leaning forward heavily.  She did not seem to have any pain and produced a small stool.  When finished, I took her to the living room and propped her feet on the ottoman where she napped until dinner.  I then readied the bathroom for Rose’s night time routine, cleaned the microwave, set the table, and began preparing dinner.  When Dr. Vesper came home, he stated he was hungry, and they were seated and eating by 7:00.

7:00-9:00     Though the going was slow, Rose ate fairly well.  She was more alert and required fewer prompts to get through the meal.  Dr. Vesper enjoyed his usual hearty appetite, though he declined dessert.  Sandy was mowing and he was very concerned about her whereabouts whenever the mower could not be heard.  He checked outside for her several times during my shift.  I did not observe any episodes of vertigo tonight.  When Sandy left, he and Rose settled into the living room while I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I then dispensed their evening medications before taking Rose back for her night time toilette.  Things began in usual fashion with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Rose allowed me greater access than usual and I’m pleased that overall her mouth still presents well.  She was rigid while changing her clothes, but I got her into the lift with no difficulty.  Her Depends were wet and she had a large, normal BM while seated on the commode.  She did not appear constipated, but her bowel prolapsed again.  Though significant, it was not as large as I had seen in the past, and I was able to treat it successfully.  Once in bed she appeared comfortable and I applied her eye drops easily before saying good night.  Dr. Vesper was at the kitchen table using his glucose monitor when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, chicken breasts stuffed with broccoli and cheese, carrots, and yeast rolls.  Rose drank kefir milk, and Doctor had diet cherry 7up.  Rose ate a small scoop of ice cream for dessert.

Visitors/Workers:  Sandy Hayslip (mowing)

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Sandy and Rose were in the kitchen and Dr. Vesper in the living room watching TV.  Sandy brought me up to speed on the day’s events and helped me elevate Rose’s legs before leaving.  During an earlier conversation, Mossy informed me that we may have some company, so Dr. Vesper asked that I defer making dinner.  I checked and readied the bathroom for Rose’s night time routine, then returned to the living room to sit with Rose while we listened to some of Doctor’s Tucson adventures.  Rose was very quiet, sleepy, and unfocused my entire shift, but seemed to be cognizant of Dr. Vesper’s voice, especially whenever he laughed.  It was a very rainy evening, and when it became clear that our company was not going to make it, I began cooking an easy meal.

7:00-9:00     Dr. Vesper enjoyed a hearty appetite, but Rose was much slower to eat her meal.  Though awake, I had to coax and remind Rose to chew.  She did receive Targretin with her meal.  After dinner, they returned to the living room while I took Kemper for a quick potty break on his leash.  It was still raining heavily and I did not want to clean up the mud that he was sure to bring in.  After that, I cleaned the kitchen and microwave, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I gave Rose and Dr. Vesper their night time medications, then took Rose to the bathroom for her evening toilette.  We followed out usual routine beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Access was difficult and I was unable to floss as thoroughly as I like.  She was typically rigid while changing her clothes, but I got her onto the lift easily.  Her Depends were damp, and she had a very small stool while on the commode.  Afterward, I took her to bed, applied her eye drops, and said good night.  Dr. Vesper was still watching TV in the living room.  He was scheduled to use his glucose monitor, but it was too early.  I placed it on the table where he could see it and he set the alarm on his phone as a reminder.

Dinner:     Salad, sweet and sour chicken, and peas.  Rose drank kefir milk and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  They both had ice cream (Lactaid) for dessert.

4:00-6:00     When I arrived, Rose and Mossy were in the living room and Dr. Vesper in the bathroom getting ready for his shopping trip.  As always, Mossy updated me on current events.  Rose remained quiet throughout my entire shift.  At times she slept and when awake, she was very unfocused.  After Doctor and Mossy left, I fed the dog, then roused Rose for her 4:30 toileting.  Her Depends was nearly dry and she urinated and produced a small BM while seated.  We returned to the living room and I elevated her feet immediately as her left foot and ankle were still swollen.  There was some improvement from the previous evening, but I continued to ice it periodically till bedtime.

6:00-9:00     At dinnertime, I woke a sleepy Rose, who ate fairly well, but had to be coaxed throughout her meal.  I could tell she was full when she struggled to eat her dessert.  She did receive Targretin at this time.  I again returned her to the living room to elevate her feet while I cleaned up.  I also set out breakfast items and morning medications at this time.  Mossy and Dr. Vesper had not yet returned, so I got to enjoy some time sitting and chatting with Rose.  Though somewhat awake, I was unable to engage her in a meaningful way.  When I asked if she would like to get ready for bed soon, she did respond with a nod of her head.  When Mossy and Doctor arrived,  Mossy was kind enough to heat some left overs for his dinner, while I took Rose for her night time toilette.  I did make sure they both received their evening medications.  Our routine ran in the usual fashion beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  She was extremely rigid and began leaning forward.  I got her on the lift without incident and removed her wet Depends.  She produced a moderately large, soft BM while seated.  The bowel did prolapse significantly again, though not to the degree it had a couple of weeks ago.  She did not seem distressed and I was able to treat it per Mossy’s previous instruction.  I did notify her of this.  I also noted that her ankle seemed warm and more swollen than earlier in the evening.  Once in bed, Rose appeared comfortable and I applied her eye drops easily before saying goodnight.  Dr. Vesper had finished his dinner and was watching television when I said goodnight to him.

Dinner:     Honey baked ham, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, baked apples, and croissants.  Rose drank kefir milk and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  Rose had a very small scoop of ice cream for dessert.