Wed-Sat. update

How is it that I get so busy and forget to blog??? Well, I do!

Anyhow, it has been a busy week. To tell you the truth, I can hardly remember what happened on Wed. Claudia, the PT, and her boss, Doug, came together and they got Preston up and walked him to kitchen sink and along counter, and he was proud of himself. Jr. got home a little early because I needed to go to town so I left while Preston was getting PT. I was able to get a few things in town.

Thurs. we had a new lady come, she is called Personal Aide II, and her name is Mildred and she is a black lady, but has been doing this kind of work for over 30 years. She gave him a real good bed bath, changed his sheets, shaved him, etc. She was supposed to stay 2 hours, but the ambulance got here at 8:30 to pick us up for Preston's appt. So she was here 1 1/2 hrs. She will do light housekeeping, washing his clothes, etc. but it is hard for me to have someone do that. In a couple of weeks Hannah will be starting and I may discontinue Mildred. It is not because she is not good or I don't like her, just think it will be too many hours that people will be here. It is hard to have people here so much. I like my privacy. Anyhow, Preston had an ultrasound of his liver and more blood work done, but the jaundice is gone now. It must have been the meds. that we stopped. But he is having some tremors since we had to stop the medicine and that slows down his progress of walking, etc., so I have called dr. to see what we can do. I am waiting to hear back from them next week. The Gastro-enterologist is going to call me when he gets the results of the tests to save us a trip over there. Thank the Lord for that. Jr. came and got Missie and took her to work with him while we were gone. Since Preston's illness, she is not comfortable staying here alone. She used to love it, but now doesn't want to be alone. So Jr. takes her to work with him and she can sit in his office.

Friday, which was yesterday, speech therapist came, and 2 PTs again and got him up and walked him and he was so tickled that he did so well. They saw an improvement from Wed. to Fri.

Saturday, today, Jr. and I got him up and showered him and washed his hair, he gets smelly even with bed baths. But I won't attempt it without Jr. AND GUESS WHAT?
Missie gave him shrimp in tiny pieces and he ate about 10 whole shrimp altogether! And he drank some rootbeer. He was so happy to be able to eat that shrimp. He was able to chew and swallow it and did great. I don't think it will be long until he is eating again. He wants to so bad! He talks a lot about eating and when I am cooking he will say it smells good, etc. So we have some shrimp left and he will eat some more tomorrow. I have talked to him today about telling us when he needs to use the bathroom. I am hoping he will do that soon. I guess I like to rush him a little too much; he has to take his time and be ready to do each new thing. He has laughed a lot yesterday and today. I mean, really laughing. It is so good to hear him laugh.

Tonight we told him about the experience we faced when he was in the hospital and not doing well. Bro. Armstrong was there, from church, and Jr. and I had to have a meeting in a little room with the dr. We had to decide whether to give Preston stronger medication in order to stop the almost constant tremors he was having, but which could cause his breathing to go downhill, and we didn't want him on the respirator. Many tears were shed, and we were finally able to come out of that little room. When we got back to the room, Bro. Armstrong told us he had only had about 1 tremor in 20 minutes. He thought maybe they had given him medication, but they hadn't. It was God that touched him right then, and it was not His will that Preston be given stronger medications that possibly would have hastened his death. He said he didn't remember that afternoon. Some things he remembers; some he doesn't. But the other day when the RN was here from Community Long Term care, he told her that if his heart stopped and he stopped breathing, that he did not want CPR, to be brought back to life, and was able to put his initials on the paper. So I thought that was good. But we need a DNR form, Do Not Recessitate, and have that in place. Anyhow, enough of that morbid talk.

Things are improving, day by day. He is now able to wear and see his watch!!! His eyes have improved a lot. He watched dvds today and enjoyed it. So, we just take one day at a time, and enjoy every day that we have with him, because we know it could all end in a very short time, if God wills. He is so sweet, most of the time. He is not as aggressive as he was before his illness. I believe most of that is gone, with the tubing gotten out of his brain. He has his sense of humor back. He does get tired of being messed with and tells us to Stop, but I know it gets tiresome for him.

Well, tomorrow is Sunday and Jr. and I will take turns going to church and taking Missie. Preston misses church so bad. He can hardly wait to go back.