What a busy WEEK!!

So this week has been so busy with something happening every day for dad, Mum booked the week off when two events were happening then everything else just seemed to come up, It's been stressful at times and really great at other times, so here is a run down

Monday- hospital visit Neurology dept

This was just a check up to see how far things had changed, It was decided that there isn't really much  more they can do for dad here so will leave in under the care of Dr Turnbull the geriatric / palliative care doctor

Tuesday - Physio home visit 1

The Physio came up to teach dad some ways to help him cough easier when he is having problems with all the saliva in his throat and mouth, we were going to be trailing a cough assist machine but someone else needed it more at this time which is fair enough

Wednesday - Support group meeting and O.T home visit

THIS WAS AWESOME!!, we had fun trying to work a prototype wheel chair, as well as one of the ladies showed us some tools she used to help transfer her husband from chair to chair or bed, these were tools we had not heard of or even knew we could get,  We since have got them, and they are a godsend,  We also may have volunteered to do the 10km walk at the Armstrong Wellington marathon, in June to help raise money for the assoc.

When we got home from the meeting it was really windy and Dad had a Bad fall going from the car tot he house with his walking frame, and ended up with a nice goose egg on the back of his head, Mum and I tried to get him up but because he was a bit shocked by the fall he couldn't help us and we were not able to get him up so had to call an Ambo for the 1st time, Wellington free Ambulance was awesome, friendly, and very helpful. Dad was a bit down for the rest of the day and now needs to build up his confidence to use the walking frame again

The O.T (occupational therapist) popped up to take some measurements for ramps outside the house, which as really well timed to help with getting dad in bed after the ambos had gone, so we should have a correct and safe ramp in the next week or two

Thursday - hospital visit Gastroenterology

Not the best hospital visit, we are trying to see if dad can get a P.E.G. it is a tube into your stomach thru your abdominal wall  that you can be fed and medicated  thru as well as taking food thru the mouth, we are just waiting for them to come back to us with a date and time for the op
And the 1st of 5 rearrangements of the bedroom happened today

Friday - Home visits from Dietitian , Physio and O.T

So this was meant to be Mum's day for her during her time off, but ended up being a long slightly stressful day. so first off we had to rearrange the bedroom again because it hurt too much to lay on his side, then the dietitian came to see dad, he is down to 73kg ( still a health bmi apparently) and is only eating about 900 calories a day, she was able to explain to us more about how it works after you get the P.E.G,like how and when you feed, she also started to come up with ways of getting dad up to 2500calories a day. but we feel better about the op now she has explained it more than the 2 doctors did the day before.

Then we rearranged the bedroom again because it hurt more laying on the other side

The O.T and Physio came up to show mum and I some transfer tips to help move dad around

We got a banana board, it acts like a bridge from one location to another. so dad sits on one end and slides himself to the other side, it really makes getting from the wheel chair to the bed easy,  we also got a belt that he can wear while walking and we can hold on gently and if he starts to wobble we can grab hold tight to try and stop him from falling, and lastly we got a set of slippery sheets,  to moving him if he is laying down

then the O.T took measurements so she can start the process to get a power chair for Dad in the next week or 3 (YAY!!!)

and then we had to rearrange the bedroom again 1st because it too sore to lay on either side, then just because it was plain uncomfortable so am down to the last possible place the bed can go in that room with out moving Mum out completely


Other stuff that is happening

we are waiting on a care assessment, to get help with caring for Dad, so it would be like someone coming in a few times during the day to get him up washed fed etc.

we are waiting on details about getting botox injections in the saliva glands to help reduce the amount of saliva

and lastly we are waiting on the DHB to approve the 1st plans for changing the shower in the bathroom to a wet room area so that it is easier to get Dad washed

hopefully thats it for a little while so that Mum and I can get some rest and do a few thing we want to do

see ya all next time