4:00-7:00     When I arrived, Rose was napping lightly in her recliner.  Mossy and Dr. Vesper were in the laundry room, having just fed the dogs.  Before leaving, Mossy brought me up to speed on the day’s events and helped transfer Rose to her wheelchair so I could take her for her 4:30 toileting.  Though generally quiet, Rose was bright and seemed focused at this time.  While on the commode, I changed her saturated Depends and she produced nothing more.  I returned her to the living room to enjoy TV with Dr. Vesper while I prepped the dinner salads.  Mossy had planned and prepared the rest of the meal, so it was just a matter of a few minutes before they were enjoying a delicious Sunday dinner.  They both ate with hearty appetites and Rose received Targretin at this time.

7:00-9:00     The remainder of my shift continued in routine fashion.  Rose and Dr. Vesper returned to the living room while I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes/loaded the dishwasher, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  Dr. Vesper noticed the Keurig was not working when he was getting his after dinner decaf, which I reported to Mossy.  At bedtime, he and Rose both received their night time medications, including 1/2 Xanax with Rose’s.  Her evening toilette was typical beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Her upper body was quite rigid and her hands clenched, but there was no leaning while on the commode tonight.  Her Depends were damp and she produced urine and a moderate bowel movement while seated.  Once in bed, I applied her eye drops easily and said good night.  Dr. Vesper was in the living room watching the Super Bowl when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, roasted pork and vegetables, jello salad, and French baguette.  Rose drank milk and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  For dessert, they enjoyed brownies (a la mode, for Rose).

5:00-7:00     I was greeted at the front door by Mossy when I arrived.  Rose and Dr. Vesper were in the living room enjoying TV.  Mossy brought me up to speed on recent events as well as offering a few dinner suggestions.  When she left, I chatted with Rose and Doctor, then set the table and began dinner prep.  They both ate with hearty appetites and we enjoyed lively conversation.  Rose was relaxed, bright, and chatty, often interjecting with, “Let me tell you what!”   She did receive Targretin at this time.

7:00-9:00     After dinner, Rose and Dr. Vesper returned to the living room while I performed the usual tasks.  I cleaned the kitchen and microwave, loaded and ran the dishwasher,  and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  Rose remained alert and relaxed, but grew more quiet.  She and Doctor were given their evening medications at bedtime including 1/2 Xanax with Rose’s.  Dr. Vesper put the dogs to bed as I took Rose for her evening toilette.  I began in the usual manner with washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Though she didn’t seem particularly anxious, she began to fade rapidly as our routine continued.  She leaned heavily to her left, clenched her hands, and kept her arms and upper body quite tensed and rigid, making her clothing change difficult.  Once on the commode, she produced a small bowel movement and there was some stool in her Depends.  Cleanup was not difficult, and she appeared comfortable when I got her into bed.  I applied her eye drops easily.  She became more verbal again, thanked me several times and said good night.  Dr. Vesper was in the living room when I said good night to him.

Dinner:     Salad, tuna and salmon, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, and jello salad.  They both seemed to really enjoy this “buffet” of leftovers.  Rose drank milk and Doctor had diet cherry 7up.  For dessert, they had brownies including a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for Rose.

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Dr. Vesper was in his room napping while Rose was with Sandy in the bathroom finishing her 4:30 toileting.  Before leaving, Sandy spent a few minutes bringing me up to speed on the day’s events.  After she left, I readied the bathroom for Rose’s night time routine, set the table, cleaned the microwave, and took out the trash.  I also called Mossy to discuss some concerns with the lift.  After that, Rose and I enjoyed a few minutes together chatting and watching television until Dr. Vesper emerged.  I made a few suggestions for dinner, then began prepping immediately.  They were seated and eating by 6:30 with both enjoying hearty appetites.  Rose was quiet, but alert throughout.  She did receive Targretin at this time.

7:00-9:00     The remainder of my shift ran in routine fashion.  After dinner, Rose and Dr. Vesper returned to the living room while I cleaned the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher, and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  I gave Rose and Doctor their evening medications including 1/2 Xanax with Rose’s, then took Rose back for her night time toilette.  While in the bathroom, Rose became a bit more animated and chatty while I washed her face and hands, then brushed and flossed her teeth.  She seemed to grow suddenly fatigued, and began leaning heavily to her right while on the commode.  Her Depends were wet, but not saturated, and she produced a small amount of urine while seated.  She has had no bowel movement for two days.  When we were finished, I got her in bed and applied her eye drops easily.  She was her usual gracious and loving self when I said good night to her.  Jessica and Danny had arrived home and were in the living room with Dr. Vesper when I said good night to the three of them.

Dinner:     Salad, crab cakes, macaroni and cheese, and glazed carrots.  Rose drank milk and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7 up.  For dessert, he had apple pie with decaf and she had a small scoop of raspberry chocolate chip ice cream.

Visitors:     Jessica and Danny

5:00-7:00     When I arrived, Kirstin and Stephanie were at the dining room table working on the blog while Rose napped in her recliner.  She awakened briefly to say hello, then fell back to sleep.  Dr. Vesper was back in his bedroom, so Jessica spent a few minutes introducing me to the new website as well.  After Kirstin left, I readied the bathroom for Rose’s night time routine, set the table, then collaborated with Jessica on dinner ideas.  When Dr. Vesper appeared, he greeted me, then went outside to “poke around” in the yard.  When it was time for dinner, Jessica helped me transfer Rose to her wheelchair.  She and Doctor were seated and eating by 6:45.  They both had their usual hearty appetites, though Rose remained generally quiet throughout.  She did receive Targretin at this time.

7:00-9:00     After dinner Rose and Dr. Vesper returned to the living room to watch television.  Things were running late and Jessica was kind enough to help with the dishes while I cleaned the kitchen and set out breakfast items and morning medications.  Rose and Doctor both received their night time medicines including 1/2 Xanax with Rose’s.  Her evening toilette went in typical fashion beginning with me washing her face and hands, then brushing and flossing her teeth.  Her Depends were saturated, and she produced nothing while seated on the commode.  She was clenching her hands, but otherwise exhibited little anxiety.  I got her to bed and applied her eye drops easily.  I was the lucky recipient of a kiss as I wished her a good night.  Dr. Vesper was still in the living room watching TV when I said good night to him and Jessica.

Dinner:     Barbequed baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, rice, and glazed carrots.  Rose drank milk and Dr. Vesper had diet cherry 7up.  For dessert, he had piece of the yule log with decaf and Rose had a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Visitors:     Jessica and Danny