Mother and UAB West Medical Center

Today is the 6th day for mother in the hospital, room 608. She is relatively happy, eating well, and in not totally aware that she is in the hospital. I guess this is good where a dimentia patient is concern.

The tests have all come back relatively normal with nothing jumping off the page as to just what happen last Sunday night or Monday morning. She has lost some of her sense of balance but can walk with a walker if she has assistance from the physical therapist. She fusses about wanting her cane from home but the hospital does not want her out of bed or a large chair without someone assisting her.

They goofed with some .5 Xanax giving her a set back of a day or two making her somewhat loopy for 2 days. She has recovered from that but has now developed a bladder infection which Dr. Portante is treating her for. As of today, the urinalysis has not come back from Friday and they were taking another today about noon.

She ate a great breakfast, cleaning her plate leaving only the strips of bacon she said was too tough! The physical therapy people had her out on the floor with a walker and she is doing about 250 to 300 feet by their count each day showing she has some leg strength but terrible balance. She now is afraid of falling over backwards and needs help in any activity outside of being in bed or in a large chair.

We have scheduled her now to transfer to the Meadowood Rehab and Nursing Center adjacent to UAB West Monday sometimes. Dr. Portante said if ask to make a guess how long and he said 20 days. This will give her some much structured care and physical therapy she so needs right now.

Peggy and Rebecca and Jack are helping with keeping familar faces in the room daily. This is so important with a dimentia patiet and our mom right now. She has gotten flowers and a few cards and still loves her newspaper. Peggy is keeping her laundry swapped out with her having 5 sets of nice PJs in rotation. I have been there each day and into the night each day except Wednesday and today, when I left at 3:00pm to rest this sleep deprived body.

Funny, I had a doctors appointment at 9:00am and he said he could look at me and tell I was stressed out. I get to the hospital and see Dr. Portante while he was examing mother and he too said I needed to go home. Peggy too was showing some wear and tear from this unusual week to call it just that.

Thank you for keeping us all in your prayers as we need them so badly right now. The Ultimate Healer can reach down and do miracles and I am confident He will. Love to all my extended and loving family all over the world....
Jeff Nutter, Jr.