The Latest on Aunt Lou

I'm not sure how many people other than family check this blog but I thought I'd go ahead and update.

Aunt Lou was doing pretty well at her apartment for a while. Then two weeks ago she fell everyday for a week. One fall required stitches on the top of her hand. She came to my parents house for July 4th and looked tired and wobbly. Her son decided to take her to the hospital to get checked out. It turns out that she was having an acute onset of her chronic CHF. Her lungs and stomach were filling with fluid. She stayed in the hospital for 3 or 4 days then was transferred to a skilled nursing unit at the same nursing home she was at before.

She is sad, as are we, that she will probably need to stay permanantly at this place and not return to her apartment. We are all having a hard time seeing her so weak and sad and continue to ask for prayers for her and our family.

Wendy

A Visit From the Nieces

Nita and I visited with Aunt Lou today. We took her out for a hamburger--her choice, and we drove all over the area. She really enjoyed being out and about. We just sat in a big parking lot and ate in the car. We stocked her with sugar-free cookies, little Kleenex packages, The Inquirer, The Globe, and a People Magazine. She said that was good because she finished all the books Jimmy and Maria had brought her.


After lunch we sat out in the facility's BEAUTIFUL living room and Aunt Lou worked on one of my baby blankets. At first she said she couldn't because of her left arm fracture. We showed it to her physical therapist. He said that was good therapy for her arm, any fine motion of her fingers and hand was very good. As we talked and visited, she became more confident and worked on the blanket with her usual ease. We all three really enjoyed our visit today.

She has a new roommate whose sister stays with her all the time, so Aunt Lou stays out of her room mostly. Aunt Lou scoots with her feet around the facility in a wheelchair.Her left arm in still in a splint which she is to remove for showers and other times. She is fearful of it getting reinjured. The PT redid her splint with mole skin this afternoon because it was rubbing her wrist on both sides. She does not walk alone, and only with the facility's special walker for her left arm. She still requires assistance to transfer, dress, and bathe. We tried to encourage her to dress herself since her left elbow is not splinted. She needs lots of encouragement, cards, calls, visits, etc. Jimmy is bringing her blanket stuff so she can work on them there; this will also help her hand. She enjoyed seeing the snow pictures too.

-Cindy

**An update from the editor (haha): She was able to walk in the hall using her walker and a special belt around her waist for the PT to hold on to. Hey, it's major progress!! She will possibly go home in the next couple of weeks.

An Update for Those Non-Relative Readers

This is a very basic summary of recent events. I'm not so good with the time frame of events so those of you who read this, correct me if I'm wrong. Aunt Lou fell at her apartment (shorty after Christmas?) and broke her wrist. Within a week or two she fell again at her apartment and broke her pelvis. She is now in rehab at Health South City View Rehab Hospital.

New Bingo Buddies!

Aunt Lou played Bingo at her new place and won $10! She said it costs a quarter a card and if you have four (?) cards, you can win the jackpot! She loves her bingo and enjoyed meeting some new friends. It's good to hear that she's getting out and trying new things!

She's Free!!

So my little baby bird has flown the coop! Aunt Lou moved into her new apartment this past Thursday. Jimmy and Maria have worked themselves to death to make her apartment all ready before she moved in. Aunt Lou and I agree it was just like waking up on Christmas morning. She's over the moon!
Cindy, Nita, Melinda, Hilly, Wendy & the boys, Blaine and I have been by to visit. She's so excited and I think it's done us all a world of good to see her back to "normal". I can say out loud, now that it's over, that I didn't think Aunt Lou would ever make it out of the big house when she arrived here. I told her that the other day and she agreed that she didn't really think she'd ever make it out either.

Just in case the girls at the big house are still reading, we can't thank you enough for all that you have done. The girls at Harbor Lakes (the "big house") did so much for rehab, nursing care, wound vacs, moral support, and a million things I couldn't even begin to count here. Having grown up in the nursing home biz, I can say that this one was a great one. Aunt Lou would have never made it without ALL of you.

Aunt Lou and I talked about how if she dropped dead the very first night in her new apartment, that would be just fine because she didn't have to be sick anymore. She and I were still a little concerned about how she was going to figure out how to do everything for herself all at once but she just took off like a shot! She got up the first morning alone and she made herself a big breakfast, got dressed and made her bed before Jimmy even came over to check on her! It's so wonderful to see her in her own environment, acting just like nothing ever happened. She's such a success story!

Our mission is accomplished! Here are a few pics from her new digs for you all to see. Thanks again to everyone for everything. And while I have you here, her printer is working so don't forget to send her emails. She loves getting the emails every day!

Master bedroom.

One of the other bedrooms...still a little unpacking to do!

Living room.

Had to bring some entertainment for the kiddos.

Her view from her living room window.

The game room is right outside of her apartment.

Caleb checked the mail.

This is in the entryway of the apartment complex...very homey.

New Digs

I've heard all this info through different people and I'm putting it all together in this post so hopefully it's all right. Aunt Lou will move into her apartment next week (or maybe the next). She will be on the second floor right by the elevator. The beauty shop is also on the second floor. She will be able to have her dog now but she won't right at first so she can get used to her new place and get used to taking care of herself. Jimmy sent these pictures of the apartment. Here is the link for anyone who didn't get it: http://www.evergreenhb.com/

The kitchen.

Looking out from the kitchen.

I'm guessing this is the dining/living area.

Guest bathroom.

Aunt Lou's bathroom.

It's a Good Day

I had a lengthy visit with Aunt Lou today. I needed to get her all settled before my trip and I also needed her to help me shell two boxes of black eyed peas I got from a farmer here in town.

I hope this allays everyone's fears and concerns while I'm out of pocket. She has seven new Danielle Steele books to read along with one about the Kennedy assassination I brought her from home. She has four new kinds of cookies. Three boxes of sugar free and one regular. They are star shaped cookies with red, white and blue icing and sprinkles. You just have to go with it and be festive sometimes, you know?

I've turned and re-pinned her current baby blanket and everything else I could think to do before I leave. She's set.

Having that said, I know that she has been down or upset or even just plain selfish on the phone recently. She's really apprehensive about the move, she's lonely, bored, and feels trapped and abandoned. If any of those emotions pertains to you, fix it. Mostly though, these seem to be pretty normal emotions coming from anyone in her situation.

She can be really excited and happy as well as apprehensive about the move. Can you imagine moving AGAIN at the age of 86, you didn't choose where you are now, you didn't choose where you're going, you didn't pack your own stuff or know what's going to show up there of your stuff when you get there.

She's been through SOOOOO MUCH this past year especially. She knows that she's in the home stretch to this long ordeal but sometimes those last few steps are the hardest to push through and make happen. It has seemed like this ordeal would never end so let's not trip on the finish line, people. Some have even wondered if Aunt Lou is "slipping" or going crazy. Other than the regular going crazy from being incarcerated, she's FINE! Quit all the worrying and bitching and BE SUPPORTIVE!!! It wouldn't hurt for some of you to be cheerleaders once in a while, you know.

PS, Aunt Lou and I say "hey" and "feel better soon, honey" to Sonja with her nasty Shingles. To the rest of you, unless you have big nasty blisters running down your side, get cracking!

Love,
Ann-Marie