Let's see... we're in week 2 of Sammy's recovery from knee surgery. He gets his staples out Friday. Poor little guy is comic relief for the MIL saga. We were told her stroke three and half weeks ago affected the Brocca region of the brain and that she should improve significantly with therapy.
It has become apparent in the last week that the damage is much more extensive than we first believed; she had a major left brain blow out, not a smallish stroke. Therapy failed. In fact, she's fainted 3 times during therapy, which scared the staff half to death. Oddly, Ruby has no facial drooping or paralysis, as you often expect with stroke victims. She is just completely cut off from the world - unable to speak, read or write and she doesn't understand a thing said to her, either, so communicating with her is nearly impossible. Her favorite past-time - the TV - completely frustrates her. Further, her short term memory is gone, so it's a brand new world every 2 minutes. She sits in a quiet room staring out the window.
She does recognize Mitch, Vicky and me, but becomes upset when we visit and then leave without taking her along. She had to be sedated over the weekend after we went to see her. She expects we're there to take her to lunch, or shopping, or to get her hair or nails done - which was our habit for the past two and half years. It's very hard for Mitch, but we must limit our visits so as not to upset her and trigger another stroke.
We've been shopping for nursing homes and found two excellent ones close by our house that specialize in stroke care. Now, we're waiting for a bed to become available so we can move her to a facility that is more homey and less hospital-like. After that's done, we'll have to close down her apartment, since its become obvious she'll never return to it. I'll deal with that in July.
Mitch has been given 3 weeks off from physical therapy. He had a couple of setbacks this past month because he lifted Ruby following her stroke. That's a no no for fractured wrists and elbows, so therapy will begin again in a few weeks after he has time to rest.
It's been a year of one step forward and two steps back at our house. I'm hoping the second half of 2009 brings peace, rest and forward progress.