Audrey's Lung Cancer Story

Audrey seems to be getting better

Donnie and I went down to see Mom and Dad on Saturday, September 24th. Barb was visiting with Dad when we arrived. Barb wanted to take 4 decks of cards to Mom at the nursing home so she could play hand and foot. Barb left about 30 minutes before we did. When we had arrived, they had played 2 hands and Mom had dealt out the cards and she had counted her own cards at the end. When Donnie and I walked up, Mom looked so bright. She didn't have the usually blank look on her face. She didn't say the off the wall stuff she has been saying. When we started wheeling her back to her room, she asked if I had seen Irene. I thought she meant her neighbor, Irene Allen who has not been to see mom since she went to the nursing home. Dad said mom had mentioned her the other day. So I thought, here we go. But she was refering to Irene Bruce, Bev Clark's Mom. Irene is on the same wing Mom is on. I got to see her. She had fallen down earlier this week. She really hit her face hard and now she has a big welt on her right eye and the whole right side of her face is black and blue. Irene is also disoriented. She can't wear her glasses Mom reminded me that Irene's glasses have always been sooo thick. So, when Mom told Irene who I was, she didn't recognize me. Mom kept insisting to Irene that she knew me, she told her, "remember, I have to children, Steve and Cindy". Irene just mumbled something so we finally gave up trying to make her understand. Anyway, more about Mom. Barb, Donnie and I went out to the courtyard with her and showed her the animals. It was a little humid and it was hard for Mom to breathe so we went back in after just 10 minutes. I took this picture while we were out there. She looked so good. I had told myself that I would not take any pictures of her looking bad. I thought I would never have another good picture of her. I am so glad I had my camera with me. Barb rolled her back to the sitting room with the big TV and the bird aviary. Donnie and I sat there and talked with her. I felt she was with it enough to hear the news that Jake had moved out. She said Dad had already told her. I told her not to worry because he has a real nice roommate. She seemed to accept the situation. The only odd thing was when I wheeled her back to her room. She insisted that she wanted to put on her pajamas and get in her bed and rest. I told her it was 4:30 and it was suppertime. She said she had already ate 3 times (I think she had a snack). I was halfway waiting for an aide to come help her change into her pj's. But she was able to undress herself and put on the pajama top then she swung herself into bed and was able to remove her pedal pushers and put on her pajama bottoms. I tucked her in and I left. I told an aide where she was at as I left. Dad went back out an hour later to take her her shoes and an outfit to wear to church today. She was sound asleep so Dad didn't wake her up and came right back home. Dad said he was going to go to the church service there with her this morning at 9:30. I told him Donnie and I would go out with him and then leave at 9:30 to go home. Dad decided he would just stay home. So, Donnie and I went out at 10 til 9. I went in to see if she was ready yet. She wasn't in her room. I checked the eating room and there she was. She was all dressed up and had on her wig, but she looked lost this morning. She was talking slow and was not as bright as she was yesterday. I took her back to her room to put on her lipstick and then wheeled her to the church service. They were starting 15 minutes early so I left her there and told her goodbye. She seemed contented to be there. She was looking forward to singing. So that is the update. Dad went out later and stayed for nearly 2 hours. He said that they tried to put a 100 piece puzzle together. He said she found more pieces than he did. Dad says it is easier for him to visit with her because she doesn't beg to go home like she used to.
One more thing I was to say, Mom asked me when Dad was going to finish the remodeling on the house. I asked if she meant my old house that Dad just bought. And she looked at me and said, no, the apartment house. She said she was tired of living in the room between the 2 apartments. So apparently she doesn't quite understand what is going on.

posted by Cindy @ 4:18 PM