The chiro says: Okaasan's stomach muscles (??) are very hard and her left ankle seems stiff, and a few other things. But basically - Okaasan was claiming to have no special pain yesterday at 10.30 am - so it was hard to diagnose anything more than that.
And so they came home, we had family lunch, then Okaasan had a sleep, then Dear Son took her for a gentle neighborhood walk and then more sleep, and then she ate a full dinner and criticised Oyomesan's flower arranging skills with the kitchen table roses.
Very feeling fine Okaasan. Haven't seen this Okaasan for weeks and weeks.
To be honest: I wasn't expecting any kind of miracle diagnosis from the chiro. For me it was important to get Dear Son and Okaasan into the mind set that there IS a problem and maybe someone outside can help or advise. The chiro was a pleasant young woman and Okaasan seemed to enjoy the experience.
Okaasan has gradually been improving this week: both physically and mentally.
Why?
Who knows.
Maybe it is the do nothing and eat little cure; maybe the I'm the focus-of-lots of attention cure; maybe it's the I'd-better-pull-my-shit-together-before they-put-me-in-a-care-home cure...
Whatever. She is brighter and up off the carpet and connecting with life again.
Her determination to go out alone and walk will be a bit of a problem. She doesn't know how far is too far, and on days we are working till 6 pm we guess we'll be rescuing her around the neighborhood again. And maybe the leg pains will worsen again.
I do still worry about the coming winter and how this is all going to play out into the months and months when she and I are here a deux.
Anyway. After days of stress. An exhausted, but successful Sunday. We were in bed by 8.30 pm. Knackered!
Hope you don't mind my interjecting here every now and then with my experience to pass on what I've learnt. I've been through a year of back to back issues. Some really are a problem, like her false teeth hurting, while many are an "inconvenience" but heightened due to their age and dementia. Apparently there is an increase in sensitivity. One good example was her constipation. She didn't do no.2 that morning so I can't describe what I went through, ALL day.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: address it, fathom out how serious it is, react accordingly and then LIE! Sounds awful, but I've put water in her constipation med bottle and given her a "dose" to ease the issue. AND it WORKED! Same when she was fixating on her eyes. Doc often explains it's all part and parcel with her age and dementia but she forgets. Find I have to hide many things from her as she'll use her eye med then forget five minutes later. Then, we did have a problem, which meant yet ANOTHER trip to the doc Tip: I take in my ipad so my hubby can also be at the consultation via skype. Care Manager, my angel from heaven!, explained that with this disease there is always some kind of "obsession". We laughed and listed them off with obaachan. But, interestingly enough, only ever one at a time.