Slow Start This Morning

Mom got off to a very slow start this morning. I was up at 7, getting her alendronate ready for her - it needs to be taken 30 minutes before any other medications or food. She was not awake, usually she's been puttering around for at least half an hour by this time. She finally got up around 8:30. Then it took forever for her to get ready for breakfast; but once she was at the table she ate heartily. Monday morning is her weekly blood test to see how her red blood cells and platelets are doing; it took a lot to keep her focused and motivated, I think the dementia was affecting her more this morning than usual. Most of the time we leave the house by 10 to go to the lab; today it was closer to 11:30 since she was also having problems with diarrhea. After the blood draw she was moving very slowly and I actually used a wheelchair to get her back to the car because she was so tired. But Dr. Chan's office did not call to set up a transfusion, so either her levels have not reached the threshold for a transfusion or since we got there so late they did not have enough time to run the tests, get the results to Dr. Chan, have him review it, and notify us before the day was done. I guess we'll learn more tomorrow.

I am still having trouble getting her to stop trying to do things. Once again there was a lot of new blood on the bandage when I changed it this morning and also again in the evening. The new non-stick gauze pads are working so that has made it a lot less painful for her when I change the dressing. But perhaps I should go back to using the other gauze pads so there is a feedback loop - use the hand, cut bleeds, dries and sticks to pad, removing pad causes pain, memory of pain reduces use of hand. Nah, the dementia makes that an unrealistic expectation. She still can't remember how she cut her thumb in the first place!

I found a couple other views of Leahi. The first is from Date Street, looking through trees along the edge of the Ala Wai Golf Course. The second was on the way back from the humane society yesterday from under the freeway at Kapahulu and Harding.

Leahi #20 Through the Ironwoods

Leahi #21 Under the Freeway at Kapahulu & Harding

Here's more on my activities in Kohala earlier this month. The middle bedroom was mostly empty when I arrived. It must have been the last room to have the new flooring installed.

Day #0

Day #3

Day #5

Day #6

Happy Birthday to Vicki!