Midgie at Meadowood Monday November 7, 2005

Midgie at Meadowood Monday November 7, 2005

Dear family and friends,

As usual, I have some Zeigler business to do each morning and it is after that I usually head toward Bessemer and Meadowood. It was about 12:30 p.m. when I got there and mom was right in the middle of her lunch. Ms Rebecca was there and she and I talked while mom at some potato salad, which she loves. I had fixed fresh Chicken Salad for them Sunday afternoon at 513 and both mother and Judy had there sandwiched BEFORE lunch. Hungry, as good sign!

Mother has a nice gash right on the left back of her head and when I did laundry last night, I had to treat blood stains on the nice purple outfit Jack and Vicki bought for her. I soaked the blood on the collar, and treated it with spray and wash and hope this gets it out? Mom finished her lunch and soon Debra came to the door. Debra is the lady who comes generally on Monday and opens the beauty shop on the 4th floor. I went to the nursing station and talked to Paulette, the LPN for this shift, and she said it was OK probably good to get the hair washed, but to do it gently.

I went back and told mom about getting her hair done. It took a little selling as she knew it was not Wednesday and it took some explaining this. Ms Rebecca helped me with mom and soon mom had her hair washed and rolled and was napping under the dryer. Mom is so cold natured, I think the heat from the dryer lulled her to sleep.

Debra did not tease her hair, but styled it, combed it out and picked at few areas around the back and crown to get her hair to look a little fuller. I told her mom looked so nice and that aunt Barbara approved of her hair since mom got her permanent two weeks ago.

We visited out in the recreation area and watched some of Judge Alex and Judge Judy show. These folks are stuck on those TV trial shows and they know when they come on and which station, a must. I was turning up the volume on the remote control and accidentally hit the UP channel button. You should have heard the protest go up from the 4 or 5 residents watching…Wrong thing to do at Meadowood between 2 and 4:00 pm!

Mom is still not able to stand. Ms Rebecca and I moved her from the wheel chair to a padded chair in the recreation area and mom is so unstable on her feet. And now after taking a spill yesterday, she is so afraid of falling again, setting back her progress in a big way. I do not know if the hit on the head itself has affected her generally health, but she seems LESS ABLE to help herself since this fall. I can only say I am unhappy about this and that is saying it mildly.

I told Michael Vickers about mom’s fall. I talked to Paulette and Ashley Barnes, the 7-3 RN who was at the family meeting and voiced my dismay and concern about mom’s welfare. Soon Ashley brought me an alarm that mom will wear at night. It is an audible alarm with a volume control and it has a lanyard (string) that attaches to the collar to her pajamas and if she moves too much at night, the alarm will go off. Monday night is the first night wearing this so I don’t have an effectiveness report to share with you right now.

I got a nice phone call last night just as I had gotten home from Bessemer. It was my son Jason in Boulder and we talked for 30 minutes and he is so upset about his grandmother. We shared news and I got caught up on Rhett, Jason and Diane and we are all on the same page with MIDGIE.

Thanks to all the family and friends that have sent cards as these are mom’s main thing right now. I (she) keeps some in her purse and some in the drawer of her bedside table. I have to work all day today so my news today will be through Peggy who is going about 1:00pm today until about 6:00 PM. So…News at 11:00.

Keep mom in your prayers,

Son Jeff (and all the Nutter family)