Note: My updates about Mary Jo should be fewer and less frequent—if things go well. Please read this fairly long one. Her health issues have had us stumbling through emotional, mental, physical, and financial minefields. But you have steered and encouraged us along. I cant imagine how we could have survived to this point but for Gods grace shown through you wonderful folks. Were not on safe and solid footing yet, but Im awed by the ground weve covered and the progress Mary Jo has made. Consider this… Shortly before she left the hospital just over a month ago she was frightfully close to a vegetative state. She had limited use of her right side, and couldnt feed herself or manage many of her bodily functions, had the broken bones in her ankle/foot, couldnt stand without support, couldnt balance, couldnt take a step, and, of course, was dealing with dementia. She couldnt focus to read, couldnt write, and had no desire to watch T.V. Hovering over it all was that she wanted to leave me and this life behind and be done with it. What a difference six weeks have made! Is she out of the woods? No, but is that a clearing I see ahead? She watches TV and reads some. She is able to stand at the sink and do dishes occasionally. Shes folded clothes a few times. All these make needed demands on her mind and body. She is becoming more mobile. Shes wheeled herself from the living room to the bedroom several times. She can move herself from the bed to the wheelchair and to the bedside commode. With someone accompanying her, she traverses the length of the house with the walker—and is actually picking up her feet and taking slow strides, rather than shuffling, hobbling, and scooting her feet along. ALL of her doctors give us plus signs and thumbs up! Last week her neurologist said, Unless something unexpected happens, Ill see you in six months! All of her therapists, including the speech therapist, feel she is progressing well. She had me dismiss the bath and shampoo lady last week since she and I do so much better a job by using the tub straddle bench (a holdover from my accident 8 years ago when I had the accident and broke my hip and ankle) in my bathroom to give her a sitting shower and shampoo. And I get the benefits of a sauna (Gasp! Steam! Give me breath!) without having one installed or the expense of health club membership! A hugely significant matter is this: the mental decline, fog, and confusion caused by her dementia seem not to have progressed one whit since I started giving her coconut oil! Has it reversed itself? Im not a specialist about such, but I definitely see signs that shes better. So we are awed by her having improved in so many ways. Were grateful beyond adequate expression and thank God for every blessing. There are a couple of negatives, though, and we trust He will help us deal with them. Marys orthostatic hypotension results in dizziness when she rolls over, sits up, or stands—basically any rapid change of position. Adding to that, for almost three months she was prone most of the time. Her heart got used to pumping blood horizontally. Thats bad. Here is the greatest negative currently: Much of the time when she is upright now, her whole system cries out for her to lie down instantly— demands she do so as insistently as if she were a drug addict. If I let her, shed simply lie numbly on her side drawn up in fetal position. And shed stay there until hunger or bathroom urges demand otherwise. And we know what, in time, even those impulses would fade away. We cant let that happen. Shes still her sweet, gentle, tender, and very loveable self. Im so glad! I dont know how could stand it if she became hostile and belligerent like many with Alzheimers do! Please pray that Ill be able to work with her, nudge her, motivate her, and get her to be active enough to change that pattern. Until shes much further along, I cant travel to do the church and school programs Ive normally done. But while caring for her I hope I can get more writing done and I may begin some Internet broadcasting and making audio/video messages available. Every day or two she gets cards from some of you. They definitely brighten her day—and mine. Please understand we cant write back—she literally cant, and I dont have time to. But we do appreciate them. So I wont be posting updates as often, or at such length (!), but will let you know of any measurable changes. Also watch for my messages about other matters. And know this… Your loving tender care and words of counsel, love, and concern have made, and are making, a world of difference! May God bless you for being so good to us! Dale and Mary Jo
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 16:59:13 +0000
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