Things are going pretty well at the Coble household. Mom is getting around pretty well, almost too well in fact. We continue to worry that she will not relax and take it easy. She wants to prove that she is well and is trying to do too much too soon. Her strength improves and her eating habits have been better as well. She is starting to add back a few pounds which makes us all happy to say the least.
Although she doesn't get around as well as she did prior to her hospitalization she is able to get out and do a few things. She visited Jan, got her nails done and is eager to do some shopping to get some clothes that fit better. She is running Dad ragged and we are trying to make arrangements to get him some time away to fish and take care of some personal errands. It has been a bit difficult to get specific times and schedules from the bevy of nurses and therapists appointments and I am going to try and get that all squared away today. They will tell us a day but not a time and with so many coming to the house we need to better organize.
Thanks to our many friends from St Stephens that have been provided tasty meals for Mom and Dad. We really appreciate all the love and support. Things are by no means back to normal but we are seeing progress and that is what we want. Mom will see her primary care physician this week and has appointments in Gainsville the first week of September and also on the 15th when we hope to get a better evaluation on the cocktail of medicines she is taking. She is still having some trouble sleeping and remains a bit restless throughout the day. She is getting better about using the walker but still needs to be oft reminded. Although we are taking it day by day she is hoping to feel up to returning to church Saturday night.
The rest of us are trying to resume our normal routines. It has been hardest on Dad. I don't think Superman himself could keep up with Mom's pace around the house. So far though she has done well and is adapting to the changes.
Hope to see you all soon. Thanks for everything. Much love!.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014
August 14
Today is Mom's third day home from rehab and we are pleased to say she is doing really well. Her strength is getting better, she looks great and is eating much better than she did in the facility. There are indeed nothing more therapeutic than the comforts of home.
She is getting around really well, in fact to well. We worry that she will over exert herself and don't want her to do too much too soon. She has kept Dad busy doing things around the house and is trying really hard to return to her regular routines. Her goal is to put back on around 20 LBS and thanks to all the love and support of our church and their meal program I don't see that this will be much of a problem. Last night she dove into the large platter of brownies that were delivered before she dove into the pork tenderloin that was the main course. How great is it to be able to eat anything in any quantity without worry of gaining too much weight?
Dad has done a great job of keeping up with her meds and today sees the first visit from a nurse who will pop in and make sure she is doing well. PT and OT will be scheduled sometime today and they will both come by three times a week so she can continue to gain strength and balance. All in all we are extremely pleased with her progress and although she has a way to go we are encouraged by everything.
We go back to Gainsville on September 15th for a follow up with the neurologist and she will also she her primary care Dr. within the next couple of weeks. Right now I think she is more concerned with getting her hair and nails done than anything else. You gotta love her!
We are not sure what's on tap for the weekend. If she feels up to it we may take her to church Saturday night. I know there are a lot of people who have prayed and sent love over the past two months that would love to see her. Whatever happens we will just be happy that we no longer have to trek downtown to the Commons to see her. It is awesome to know that she is close by, at home and getting better each and every day. We now turn our attentions to our own sanity and recovery. As things seem to stabilize we are start to rid ourselves of that feeling of helplessness that has plagued us for the past two months. We remain cautious but have a sense of relief. We are comforted with the knowledge that Mom is able to look after herself to a certain degree and so far does not seem to need around the clock care as long as she continues on this same path. She his trying hard to grow accustom to using her walker and so far has not needed the wheelchair at all.
As things return to normal we want to share our thanks and gratitude once again for taking this ride with us. We are blessed in so many ways and grateful for all of you that have written and provided support.
She is getting around really well, in fact to well. We worry that she will over exert herself and don't want her to do too much too soon. She has kept Dad busy doing things around the house and is trying really hard to return to her regular routines. Her goal is to put back on around 20 LBS and thanks to all the love and support of our church and their meal program I don't see that this will be much of a problem. Last night she dove into the large platter of brownies that were delivered before she dove into the pork tenderloin that was the main course. How great is it to be able to eat anything in any quantity without worry of gaining too much weight?
Dad has done a great job of keeping up with her meds and today sees the first visit from a nurse who will pop in and make sure she is doing well. PT and OT will be scheduled sometime today and they will both come by three times a week so she can continue to gain strength and balance. All in all we are extremely pleased with her progress and although she has a way to go we are encouraged by everything.
We go back to Gainsville on September 15th for a follow up with the neurologist and she will also she her primary care Dr. within the next couple of weeks. Right now I think she is more concerned with getting her hair and nails done than anything else. You gotta love her!
We are not sure what's on tap for the weekend. If she feels up to it we may take her to church Saturday night. I know there are a lot of people who have prayed and sent love over the past two months that would love to see her. Whatever happens we will just be happy that we no longer have to trek downtown to the Commons to see her. It is awesome to know that she is close by, at home and getting better each and every day. We now turn our attentions to our own sanity and recovery. As things seem to stabilize we are start to rid ourselves of that feeling of helplessness that has plagued us for the past two months. We remain cautious but have a sense of relief. We are comforted with the knowledge that Mom is able to look after herself to a certain degree and so far does not seem to need around the clock care as long as she continues on this same path. She his trying hard to grow accustom to using her walker and so far has not needed the wheelchair at all.
As things return to normal we want to share our thanks and gratitude once again for taking this ride with us. We are blessed in so many ways and grateful for all of you that have written and provided support.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
August 12
The day has arrived and Mom is currently on her way home. What's the over and under on the time before she decides to try and get up and clean something? I give it an hour tops!.
We still have a lot of scheduling to do with nurses and therapists but we remain cautious and happy simultaneously. It's going to be hard for her to relax and we pray that the welcoming change of scenery back into friendly confines will bring her peace.
We spent last night getting ready. Organizing pills and some slight rearranging of furniture to make passage a bit easier. Hopefully she will under stand that these changes were needed and accept them as positive. She has somewhat refused to yield her independence and doesn't always remember her limitations. Our hope is to keep her calm and relaxed and get her in the right mind to ask for help. Although we tell her we want to do these things she refuses to allow us to be "burdened" by her illness. I know that the many visitors we expect will help us bring this message to heart and do wonders for her spirit.
Tonight we will gather at the house and hopefully share a meal together for the first time in a long while. We are not sure what is ahead for us but we will stay the course and make she sure she gets whatever help she needs. I should have all the remaining details on home care later this morning. The Social Worker at the rehab has been great about lining everything up for us and making my life easier than I would have imagined.
So, onward to the next chapter. I will keep this blog active so you know what's going on. I hope to see so many of you soon. Much love always.
We still have a lot of scheduling to do with nurses and therapists but we remain cautious and happy simultaneously. It's going to be hard for her to relax and we pray that the welcoming change of scenery back into friendly confines will bring her peace.
We spent last night getting ready. Organizing pills and some slight rearranging of furniture to make passage a bit easier. Hopefully she will under stand that these changes were needed and accept them as positive. She has somewhat refused to yield her independence and doesn't always remember her limitations. Our hope is to keep her calm and relaxed and get her in the right mind to ask for help. Although we tell her we want to do these things she refuses to allow us to be "burdened" by her illness. I know that the many visitors we expect will help us bring this message to heart and do wonders for her spirit.
Tonight we will gather at the house and hopefully share a meal together for the first time in a long while. We are not sure what is ahead for us but we will stay the course and make she sure she gets whatever help she needs. I should have all the remaining details on home care later this morning. The Social Worker at the rehab has been great about lining everything up for us and making my life easier than I would have imagined.
So, onward to the next chapter. I will keep this blog active so you know what's going on. I hope to see so many of you soon. Much love always.
Monday, August 11, 2014
August 11th
Happy Monday. Well, the day is almost here. We are in the final count down and gathering all the information in order to be able to bring Mom home tomorrow. As soon as the Social Worker gets in I will get all the details and the calls will begin to secure nursing and therapy specialist for home care.
Our main concern with this is now up to Mom. If she will accept the fact that she cannot perform duties like she once did we should be alright. However, she often forgets or just plan ignores advice and likes to get up and move around. She appears to be much stronger but still requires the use of a walker or at times a wheel chair. We had to make a few minor adjustments to the house which I am sure she will be against but she is going to have to make some concessions. Hopefully she will be agreeable since it is what we need to do in order to get her home.
I think at this point acceptance seems to be the biggest issue. I believe we will be able to regulate her meds and she will be able to have a decent quality of life if she would just accept to herself that a few changes will have to be made.
It has been two months now since the ordeal began. Her deterioration has been rapid to say the least but hopefully we are on the mend. Although we are grateful for the care she has received we will not miss the Commons Rehab Facility. There have been ups and downs but mostly the people there have been great. Our lives have taken some major turns and all the drives downtown and early mornings have taken their toll on us all. However we are glad that we have been able to be there for Mom and I know that she will, in the near future, be able to understand how all of this has been necessary to her long term recovery. We are all a bit frightened about her coming home but hopefully we will be able to make the arrangements needed to have around the clock care. Her safety is our main concern. As mentioned above, acceptance on her behalf is key.
Once we get her home and settled I believe that visitors will be encouraged. She seems to brighten when other people are around. We also have a wonderful church community which will provide meals for a few weeks and plenty of us will help out helping around the house and cleaning etc.
I will try and provide another update on Wednesday. In the meantime wish us well and keep the prayers coming. God bless you all.
Our main concern with this is now up to Mom. If she will accept the fact that she cannot perform duties like she once did we should be alright. However, she often forgets or just plan ignores advice and likes to get up and move around. She appears to be much stronger but still requires the use of a walker or at times a wheel chair. We had to make a few minor adjustments to the house which I am sure she will be against but she is going to have to make some concessions. Hopefully she will be agreeable since it is what we need to do in order to get her home.
I think at this point acceptance seems to be the biggest issue. I believe we will be able to regulate her meds and she will be able to have a decent quality of life if she would just accept to herself that a few changes will have to be made.
It has been two months now since the ordeal began. Her deterioration has been rapid to say the least but hopefully we are on the mend. Although we are grateful for the care she has received we will not miss the Commons Rehab Facility. There have been ups and downs but mostly the people there have been great. Our lives have taken some major turns and all the drives downtown and early mornings have taken their toll on us all. However we are glad that we have been able to be there for Mom and I know that she will, in the near future, be able to understand how all of this has been necessary to her long term recovery. We are all a bit frightened about her coming home but hopefully we will be able to make the arrangements needed to have around the clock care. Her safety is our main concern. As mentioned above, acceptance on her behalf is key.
Once we get her home and settled I believe that visitors will be encouraged. She seems to brighten when other people are around. We also have a wonderful church community which will provide meals for a few weeks and plenty of us will help out helping around the house and cleaning etc.
I will try and provide another update on Wednesday. In the meantime wish us well and keep the prayers coming. God bless you all.
Friday, August 8, 2014
August 8th
Things pretty much remain the same. Mom is still struggling a bit and still has a few delusions but we are told that Tuesday looks good to bring her home. There are a few things we need to do around the house to prepare but I think otherwise we are ready.
This weekend she will spend doing her PT and we hope her strength will continue to grow. I know she can't wait to her home and we feel the same way. Now the task of finding home care nursing and PT is upon us but the Social Worker at the Rehab has been great to work with. Will spend some time this weekend getting our affairs in order.
Not much to talk about today that hasn't already been said. Onward and Godspeed.
This weekend she will spend doing her PT and we hope her strength will continue to grow. I know she can't wait to her home and we feel the same way. Now the task of finding home care nursing and PT is upon us but the Social Worker at the Rehab has been great to work with. Will spend some time this weekend getting our affairs in order.
Not much to talk about today that hasn't already been said. Onward and Godspeed.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
August 5th
Mom is going stir crazy and it looks like we will bring her home now as soon as she is cleared from the CDIF virus. She has her last dose of antibiotics Sunday and we hope she will be cleared on Monday. Hopefully by Tuesday we will be able to get her home. Now, the great news is that we discovered that her secondary insurance will indeed cover up to 200 shifts for home care. The shifts, depending on the service are either 8 or 12 hours per and they will make sure she is well cared for, pills taken etc. We are so grateful to have found this.
The antibiotics for CDIF are really powerful and are causing her a lot of delusions and dreams which at times she has trouble separating from reality. We are on the home stretch but the next 5-7 days are going to be tough. She usually has the worst time in the morning when waking and settles down by mid morning when PT and visitors arrive. The Dr's tell us all of this is pretty normal and have given us no reason for concern.
She remains pretty weak and still has a way to go being able to fend for herself but Insurance will also cover three PT and three OT visits per week at home so we will be able to keep up with her exercises and strength conditioning. I think what will prove most difficult is her willingness to let go of her many everyday chores and tasks that she has grown accustomed to. Letting someone else take charge has never been her strong suit and our worse fear is that her stubbornness will trump her actual ability to do these things and she will fall and hurt herself. Hopefully she will be so happy to get home that all of this will become moot and she will be able to settle into a comfortable and peaceful lifestyle.
This whole ordeal has been quite the journey. At times things seem really dark and then a few rays of sunshine poke through such as the news we received about home care. It may from a physical standpoint be a better idea for her to remain in rehab for awhile but I am not sure her mental state could handle too much longer. We are knocking on the door of two months since this journey began and although we all remain positive and strong it is really starting to take it's toll on everyone. Again I want to thank everyone for all of their prayers and support. We know how fortunate we are to have the family and friends that we do. We will be clinging to this knowledge as we traverse the rocky terrain of next week.
As our Pastor Nathan would say, God loves you and so do we!
The antibiotics for CDIF are really powerful and are causing her a lot of delusions and dreams which at times she has trouble separating from reality. We are on the home stretch but the next 5-7 days are going to be tough. She usually has the worst time in the morning when waking and settles down by mid morning when PT and visitors arrive. The Dr's tell us all of this is pretty normal and have given us no reason for concern.
She remains pretty weak and still has a way to go being able to fend for herself but Insurance will also cover three PT and three OT visits per week at home so we will be able to keep up with her exercises and strength conditioning. I think what will prove most difficult is her willingness to let go of her many everyday chores and tasks that she has grown accustomed to. Letting someone else take charge has never been her strong suit and our worse fear is that her stubbornness will trump her actual ability to do these things and she will fall and hurt herself. Hopefully she will be so happy to get home that all of this will become moot and she will be able to settle into a comfortable and peaceful lifestyle.
This whole ordeal has been quite the journey. At times things seem really dark and then a few rays of sunshine poke through such as the news we received about home care. It may from a physical standpoint be a better idea for her to remain in rehab for awhile but I am not sure her mental state could handle too much longer. We are knocking on the door of two months since this journey began and although we all remain positive and strong it is really starting to take it's toll on everyone. Again I want to thank everyone for all of their prayers and support. We know how fortunate we are to have the family and friends that we do. We will be clinging to this knowledge as we traverse the rocky terrain of next week.
As our Pastor Nathan would say, God loves you and so do we!
Monday, August 4, 2014
August 4
Sorry for the delay in posting. I took some time this weekend to decompress and watch some baseball in St. Pete. Found some time to just sit alone poolside and listen to some music while trying to get me head in a good place. Work has been hectic and life is happening fast. I am told that I am of no use to anyone if I myself remains in a state of chaos. The weekend helped. I got lots of rest and slept in each day like a high schooler.
BTW, Happy birthday to Randy who celebrates his 45th today. Time flies!
As you have probably already heard Mom was given good news from the oncologist. He feels that the surgery to remove the lump was successful and that currently due to Mom's condition there is nothing more left to be done. There is only a very slight 10% chance that it had spread and she is to frail to undergo any additional surgeries. The risk being so low he feels that we stay put for now and in two months we will consider radiation therapy and a precaution to it's return. The Coble family needed some good news and this was it. Needless to say we are extremely grateful and slept a lot better Friday night upon receiving the news. Now we start the journey down the path of getting Mom's medicines aligned to help deal better with her Parkinsons.
The excitement of all the Dr's appts. has taken a toll on her. This combined with the steady diet of antibiotics for her CDIF has left her a bit bewildered. She has regained her appetite and seems to be eating much better now. She also continues to brighten up when she receives calls, cards and visitors. My goal for this week is to get a list of all of her current medicines over to her Neurologist in Gainsville and see if we can't find a more suitable cocktail to ease her anxiety and tremors. With the cancer scare behind us our goals are to regulate her meds and increase her strength. She has another week of the antibiotics and then as soon as she is strong enough our goal is to get her home. This is easier than it sounds however.
Insurance will pay for PT and OT three times a week but it doesn't look like they cover any home nursing care. We are researching our options this week and hope to find a solution that will allow her to return home sooner rather than later. Her mental state is as much of a concern to us as her physical state and she is really going stir crazy in the rehab. At times she gets angry with us but unfortunately, at this point, we have no other options until she is cleared from CDIF and is able to get up and move around a little. As stated before the lumpectomy set her back more than we would have ever imagined it would. She is still rather week and needs to rely on nursing care to help her with her basic daily needs.
So, another long week of recovery is ahead. We don't know what is in store but we continue to pray and hope for the best. I can't believe it has been almost two months since we started this journey. Although it continues to take it's toll we are all doing our best to remain positive and strong. Thanks for being there with us and for all of your love and support. I will keep you posted throughout the week and know that we love you all.
BTW, Happy birthday to Randy who celebrates his 45th today. Time flies!
As you have probably already heard Mom was given good news from the oncologist. He feels that the surgery to remove the lump was successful and that currently due to Mom's condition there is nothing more left to be done. There is only a very slight 10% chance that it had spread and she is to frail to undergo any additional surgeries. The risk being so low he feels that we stay put for now and in two months we will consider radiation therapy and a precaution to it's return. The Coble family needed some good news and this was it. Needless to say we are extremely grateful and slept a lot better Friday night upon receiving the news. Now we start the journey down the path of getting Mom's medicines aligned to help deal better with her Parkinsons.
The excitement of all the Dr's appts. has taken a toll on her. This combined with the steady diet of antibiotics for her CDIF has left her a bit bewildered. She has regained her appetite and seems to be eating much better now. She also continues to brighten up when she receives calls, cards and visitors. My goal for this week is to get a list of all of her current medicines over to her Neurologist in Gainsville and see if we can't find a more suitable cocktail to ease her anxiety and tremors. With the cancer scare behind us our goals are to regulate her meds and increase her strength. She has another week of the antibiotics and then as soon as she is strong enough our goal is to get her home. This is easier than it sounds however.
Insurance will pay for PT and OT three times a week but it doesn't look like they cover any home nursing care. We are researching our options this week and hope to find a solution that will allow her to return home sooner rather than later. Her mental state is as much of a concern to us as her physical state and she is really going stir crazy in the rehab. At times she gets angry with us but unfortunately, at this point, we have no other options until she is cleared from CDIF and is able to get up and move around a little. As stated before the lumpectomy set her back more than we would have ever imagined it would. She is still rather week and needs to rely on nursing care to help her with her basic daily needs.
So, another long week of recovery is ahead. We don't know what is in store but we continue to pray and hope for the best. I can't believe it has been almost two months since we started this journey. Although it continues to take it's toll we are all doing our best to remain positive and strong. Thanks for being there with us and for all of your love and support. I will keep you posted throughout the week and know that we love you all.
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