Re: Sheilas posting about Christine
I figured after a few months now, I owed you all an update on Christine, and I apologize for the delay. As I'm sure many of you know, sometimes you just want to make it to a stable place before giving all friends and family a status. But I just wanted to thank every single one of you who has sent Christine all of the cards, letters, pictures, and gifts for your thoughts and consideration. You motivate not only Mom, but both my sister and me, and whatever strength we can get from those around us is undoubtedly helpful during this time.
The physical therapists at her skilled nursing facility have decided there is nothing more to be done as far as rehabilitation. Mom is in a wheelchair now, having lost a noticeable amount of motor skills, and on a soft foods diet as her ability to chew and swallow properly has been affected not only by the stroke earlier this year, but the late stages of her dementia. She doesn't talk too often, but I do know her memory is still there. She can still recall me, my sister, the people she has known throughout her life (including all of you!), even if she can only really string together so many words at a time. Some days she's too tired to speak at all, while on other days I'm able to tell her all about my week to a response of 'That's wonderful!' 'How terrible!' 'I'm so happy to see you!' As those of you who have had a family member with dementia or Alzheimers know, there's definitely cognitive good days and bad days, but she is stable.
Her prognosis is in a pretty vague and uncertain place. The doctors feel like they can't really put her on blood thinners or change her medical regimen. Yet at the same time, they aren't entirely certain she'd be able to survive another stroke if/when it happens again. It's something that, of course, makes both my sister and me very nervous, but we try to remain optimistic and take each day with her as a blessing.
She's still at the same facility, so if any of you would like to continue to send her words of hope or anything else you'd see fit, she certainly loves to hear from all of you. I'm sure in her state, it gets a little frustrating not being able to do much physically when you want to prove to all of the other people around you that you're someone who really accomplished something with your time here. Having cards from all of you hung up all over her room has been her favorite way to show all of the nurses and physicians that come to visit her just how much she was able to achieve in the way of breast health advocacy, and there's no doubt she loves all of you HER2 ladies very much.
I hope this wasn't too lengthy. Apparently I'm really chatty on AND OFF caffeine! But I just wanted to give all of you an update on her. She's still smiling, just trying to adjust to new changes.
Hugs to all,
Danielle
|
Hybrid Mode
