5:00-9:00     When I arrived, Rose and Sandy were finishing in the bathroom and Dr. Vesper at church.  Sandy spent a few minutes bringing me up to speed on the day’s events before leaving.  I checked Rose’s foot, then propped them both onto the ottoman.  She did not seem to be in any pain and even rotated it a bit so I could snap a picture for Mossy.  The greatest swelling seems to be around the outside ankle.  The foot is warm and there is no bruising.  I could not locate an ice pack, but will bring one from home tomorrow and see if she can tolerate it.  Rose looked extremely fatigued at this point and dozed while I set the table and began dinner prep.  Sandy advised me that Kemper’s ear seemed to be bothering him, so when I checked, I noticed a wound on his face on the “cheek” area.  I applied the topical antibiotic to the ear and the wound, and snapped another picture for Mossy’s evaluation.  I knew he had been scratched here, but this appeared deeper and more recent.  Kemper did not seem troubled by his ear or wound during my shift.  When Dr. Vesper came home, he was in good spirits and ready to eat.  He and Rose were seated by 6:30.

7:00-9:00     Both Rose and Dr. Vesper enjoyed hearty appetites, with Rose eating slowly.  She was quiet, but much brighter during dinner and up till bedtime.  She did receive Targretin with her meal.  After dinner, they returned to the living room while I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I gave them both their evening medications, fed the cat, then took Rose back for her night time toilette.  Things ran in routine fashion beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Her Depends was wet and she had a moderate bowel movement while on the commode.  Her foot was no worse than earlier and I got her to bed easily.  I applied her eye drops and said good night.  Dr. Vesper was in his pajamas waiting his turn in the bathroom.  I reminded him to do his glucose monitor, which he did immediately.  He walked me to the door and said good night after that.

Dinner:     Salad, crab cakes, peas with carrots, and corn bread.  Rose drank kefir milk and Dr. Vesper finished a shake that he brought home with him.  He also had a small glass of diet cherry 7up.  They both had ice cream for dessert.

Visitors:     None

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Rose was napping in her recliner, and Dr. Vesper in the bedroom.  Mossy and I chatted for a few minutes in order to bring me up to speed on the day’s events and to let me know what help she needed while getting Doctor ready for his trip.  While I tended to Rose, she woke Dr. Vesper and packed his suitcase.  With gentle reminders from both of us, he then took a shower and finalized his packing.  Mossy transferred Rose to her wheelchair for me while I set the table and prepped an easy dinner for Rose.  Though wide awake, Rose was not particularly bright or verbal.  She seemed very fatigued from her cold, and her symptoms (coughing and sneezing) were sporadic through the evening.   She ate fairly well, but very slowly.  She did receive Targretin at this time.  Mossy and Dr. Vesper left for the airport during her meal.

7:00-9:00     After dinner, Rose kept me company in the kitchen while I washed the dishes and cleaned the microwave oven.  I also set out Rose’s morning medications.  I let Kemper out and he only got wet, making clean up easy.  Per Mossy’s request, I started the washer and that’s when my easy shift got more complicated.  I noticed it had stopped running and after some trial and error, determined which breaker was causing the problem.  Because it was getting late and I wasn’t sure the problem was fully resolved, I left the contents of the laundry room cabinet temporarily on the floor.  That turned out to be a good decision as the breaker shut off two more times after that.  I then put a sheet on the bed, gave Rose her evening medication (including Z-pack dose), and took her back for her night time toilette.  I washed her face and hands, then brushed and flossed her teeth.  She allowed me great access while I performed her oral care, but changing her clothes was extremely challenging.  Her upper body was very rigid and she kept her arms crossed high on her chest.  She did not seem distressed, however, and actually became more communicative.  Once that task was accomplished, I got her in the lift and on the commode with no problem.  She urinated and had a trace of stool in her Depends.  Mossy arrived around that time and I filled her in on Rose’s evening and the problems with the breaker.  The laundry finished and she put it in the dryer while I got Rose to bed.  I applied Rose’s eye drops easily and said good night to them both.

Dinner:     Rose ate spaghetti with RV sauce and Italian sausage, Brussel sprouts, garlic bread, and honey-lemon tea (caffeine free).  Though she was full, she managed to find room for a small Servatti pastry.

5:00-9:00     When I arrived, Rose and Mossy were just coming out of the bathroom  while Dr. Vesper was awakening from a long winter’s nap.  Apparently, he did not sleep well the night before.  Mossy brought me up to speed on the day’s event’s before leaving.  She had created a beautiful “tablescape” to celebrate Valentine’s day, but was unable to purchase the lobster dinner she had planned due to the inclement weather.  She did come up with a delicious alternative for me to cook, however.  Dr. Vesper was hungry and enjoyed his usual hearty appetite.  Unfortunately,  Rose’s cold was getting the best of her and she merely tolerated the evening till bedtime.  She did receive Targretin with her meal.

7:00-9:00     After dinner, Dr. Vesper 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 (including a Z-pack dose for Rose), then took Rose to the bathroom for her evening toilette.  We followed her usual routine with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  She urinated and had a moderate BM while on the commode.  She appeared miserable (but no fever), and I worked to get her to bed as quickly as possible.  Once there, she seemed more comfortable.  I applied her eye drops easily and said good night to her.  Dr. Vesper was still watching television when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, spaghetti with RV sauce and Italian sausage, and garlic bread.  Rose drank kefir milk, and Doctor had diet cherry 7up.  They both  had Valentine’s Day pastries from Servatii’s and sparkling moscato for dessert.

Visitors:     None

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Sandy and Rose were in the kitchen area and Dr. Vesper attending church.  Sandy spent a few minutes bringing me up to speed on the day’s events, including the fact that Rose is having cold symptoms with excessive sneezing and a very runny nose.  She helped me transfer Rose to her recliner before leaving for the day.  While Rose slept, I checked the bathroom, set the table, and prepped the dinner salads.   I also spoke to Mossy concerning Rose’s symptoms.  She contacted Dr. Wilson’s office and came over later with a prescription (Z-pack) for Rose to begin.

7:00-9:00     When Dr. Vesper came home, he stated he was hungry and ate with a hearty appetite.  He appeared to feel well with the exception of a lingering bad cough.  I encouraged him to use his albuterol inhaler and questioned whether he used his Advair as directed, but I am unsure if he did.  Rose ate well, but her appetite was not as voracious as I have seen in the past.  She was quiet most of my shift and the sneezing had stopped.  She had no fever, but continued to have a slightly runny nose.  She did receive Targretin with her meal.   After dinner, they 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 (including the antibiotic for Rose), and then took Rose for her evening toilette.  Around this time, she became more verbal, but was fairly rigid while dressing her.  We followed her usual routine beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Her Depends was saturated, and she had a small bowel movement while seated.  I applied her eye drops easily and she was all smiles when I said good night to her.  Dr. Vesper was in the living room just having finished his glucose monitoring.  Once again, I reminded him to use his albuterol and Advair before going to bed.  He promised me that he would.  He was reading and watching television when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, sweet and sour chicken, and wild rice.  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, Rose and Sandy were in the bathroom and Dr. Vesper in the living room watching television.  Before leaving, Sandy brought me up to speed on the day’s events and we shared out concerns regarding Rose’s problems with constipation.  I also contacted Mossy to further discuss this situation.  For now, we decided to give Rose apple juice with dinner in lieu of milk to see if that will stimulate her stubborn bowel.  My shift  generally ran in routine fashion.  I replenished the dog’s water bowl, readied the bathroom for Rose’s night time routine, and began dinner prep.  Dr. Vesper stated he was hungry and he and Rose were seated and eating by 6:15.  They both ate well, but Rose was unable to complete her meal.  She was quiet, but alert throughout.  She received Targretin at this time.

7:00-9:00     After dinner, Rose and Dr. Vesper returned to the living room to watch television.  Though not particularly verbal, Rose continued to be alert and interactive with Dr. Vesper.  I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I took Kemper for one last walk, applied ointment to his ear, and fed the cat.  I gave Rose and Doctor their evening medications, then took Rose to the bathroom for her night time toilette.  As usual, I washed her face and hands, then brushed and flossed her teeth.  Unlike the previous two nights, Rose was extremely rigid while trying to change her clothes.  She didn’t seem to be in any distress, but putting on her pj’s and getting her in the lift was far more difficult than usual.  Her Depends was wet, but she produced only one small stool while seated.  It seems she cannot completely eliminate, and while not in obvious pain, she is very fatigued after her effort.  I spoke to Mossy again and we decided to not let Rose sit on the commode any longer.  Hopefully Mother Nature will take it’s course overnight.  She will contact Dr. Wilson regarding our concerns if it continues.  After Rose and I finished, I took her to bed and applied her eye drops easily.  She seemed relieved and comfortable when I said good night to her.  Before leaving, I made sure Dr. Vesper checked and recorded his glucose level.  He was till watching TV in the living room when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts, and wild rice.  Rose drank apple juice and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  They both had ice cream (Lactaid) for dessert.

Visitors:     None

3:00-6:00     I arrived early today to allow Mossy to attend a family event.  While Dr. Vesper worked in the yard, Rose and I helped Mossy finish a few chores including making the bed and completing Rose’s dental hygiene.  Mossy then spent a few minutes bringing me up to speed on the day’s events.  Dr. Vesper came in as she was leaving, and together he and Rose relaxed in front of the television.  I spent the time setting the table, cleaning the microwave, readying the bathroom for Rose’s night time routine, and folding laundry.  At 4:00, I fed Kemper (including the antibiotic), and took him for a walk.  When we returned, I took Rose for her 4:30 toileting.  Her Depends was wet, and she urinated only while seated.  Afterward, Rose came back to the kitchen with me to begin dinner while Dr. Vesper opted for a nap.  Rose was quiet, but generally alert at this time.  She and Doctor were seated and eating by 6:00, and Rose received Targretin.

6:00-9:00     Rose and Dr. Vesper both enjoyed hearty appetites, though Rose didn’t eat as much as usual.  Mossy and I gave her prunes as an afternoon snack to help relieve her constipation, which was probably very filling.  After dinner, they returned to the living room while I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I applied Kemper’s topical cream, then took him for one more walk.  Stephanie arrived just after we returned to visit and fill the pill machine.  I gave Rose and Doctor their evening medications, fed the cat, then took Rose for her evening toilette.  We began in routine fashion with washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Though we were running early, Rose was more fatigued and rigid than the night before.  Her Depends was wet, and she produced a moderate bowel movement while seated.  Her stool appeared normal, but it took her an inordinate amount of time to complete.  I notified Mossy of this, and she will make some dietary recommendations to Sandy tomorrow.  When Rose was finished, I took her to bed and applied her eye drops easily.  Dr. Vesper was ready for bed waiting for the bathroom to become available.  At this time, I said good night to them both and left for the evening.

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

Visitors:     Stephanie

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Rose was with Sandy in the bathroom, and Dr. Vesper away at church.  Before leaving, Sandy spent a few minutes bringing me up to speed on the day’s events.  She also took Kemper for a quick walk for me.  Rose was lethargic and dozed frequently at the beginning of my shift, but became more alert by keeping me company in the kitchen while I began dinner prep.  I also set the table, replenished the dog’s water bowl, and prepared the bathroom for Rose’s night time routine.  We enjoyed a few minutes of television together till Dr. Vesper came home.  He stated he was hungry, and they were seated and eating by 7:00.

7:00-9:00     Both Doctor and Rose enjoyed hearty appetites, though Rose ate slowly.  She remained quiet, but very alert throughout the meal and received Targretin at this time.  After dinner, they returned to the living room while I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I contacted Mossy to clarify medication changes and glucose monitoring information.  I took Kemper out for one more walk (he cooperated for Sandy while on the leash), and gave everyone (including the dog) night time medications when we returned.  I fed the cat, then  took Rose for her evening toilette, where we followed our usual routine.  I washed her face and hands, then brushed and flossed her teeth.  She was not particularly rigid, making changing clothes easy.  Her Depends was wet and she produced a small hard stool while seated.  She seems constipated, but not uncomfortable.  Afterward, I took her to bed and applied her eye drops easily.  She was her usual loving self when I said good night.  I waited while Dr. Vesper did his glucose stick and made sure he entered the value correctly in the log before leaving.  He was still watching TV in the living room when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, lemon pepper tilapia, glazed carrots, and corn bread.  Rose drank kefir milk, and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  They both had ice cream (Lactaid) for dessert.

Visitors:     None