The day was mostly OK. It was DH's second night in the hospital bed, and he seems to be doing OK with it. He cannot get the concept of sitting on the bed and laying over to the side (which means he tends to flop backward and barely be on the far side of the bed; the first time he did that he banged his head on the rail). I'm mostly having to help him lift his feet up onto the bed too.
Anyway, in the morning, he got on up when I came in to do B/P and pills. It didn't even take him quite as long to get dressed. As it turned out, the aide came very early - 11:30 instead of 2:00. It's a bit disconcerting to not know when she'll be there. But he got washed up nicely, and then we got him into his chair for awhile. I fixed him some lunch, and then he went back for his nap.
He laid down for around 2 hours .. not sure if he slept or not, but I think he did. Then he was ready to get up again.
DSS brought DGS and BGS15 over fairly late; but I sent them off to get supper anyway, as I had nothing to fix and didn't know the boys were coming until late in the afternoon.
OK, all of this up and down all day, we had no problem with. We're sort of getting the hang of how to do it. Even though the nurse said to stop using the walker, he still has to get from bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to recliner, and then back.
So, last night he decided he wanted to sit up late to watch a TV show. I really think somewhere in the back of his mind - what's left of his reasoning ability - he was doing that on purpose because I had said he needed to go back "on time" (which is normally around 9:00) because his Thursday clinic appointment was earlier than it used to be. (the new nurse there hasn't grasped how difficult it is, and keeps scheduling him "early"). If he doesn't want to do something - such as get up earlier - he just doesn't do it no matter what I say or do.
So anyway, all of that up and down all day was done with no problem. Then at bedtime I try to get him up, and his legs just won't work. He says he "can't help it"; and probably he can't. But I still think there's a touch of stubborness there too. So, we keep trying and keep trying. Finally, I get him up. When he stands, he frequently won't straighten his legs. I don't know, maybe he's just not able to understand that by straightening his legs he'd be stronger when upright. He just keeps trying to sit too soon ... seems to think he can just swing his butt around to where he wants to be. He also apparently doesn't get the concept of arms on chairs! So, finally, I get him mostly up; and we're nearly to the wheelchair (a matter of about 3 or 4 steps to the side from the recliner), and suddenly instead of sitting down he starts toppling to one side. And there was no way I could hold on, and we both went down.
The boys were here to come get him up. But what happens next time? What if there's no one here? What if my phone .. and/or DSS's phone ... are all dead?
I know I'm supposed to call the nurse when he falls. But it was late. The only landline that works is the cordless, and the battery on that was run down. And the cell phone wasn't picking up a signal. I guess I should call today; but we're getting ready to go to clinic. Well, later. The phone repairman is duein maybe 15 minutes or so; I guess after that I'll call it in.
When the nurse was here Tuesday she noted me trying to get cleaning done, and dismantle the bed. She asked if I had "help". That's a joke, right? We're struggling to get help with DH. There's really no one who cares about what I have to do, aside from his care. Well, there are some who think we should move to a smaller house for more rent, just to live closer to town. But not because they have any intention of helping me do anything.
Clearly I'm not in a very good mood this morning, so guess it's time to stop for now!
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