Well, here it is midnight, but I wanted to post some impressions from Sunday. I was able to take the whole day today just by myself, to drive over to the Bay Area to visit with Mom. Tim took the youngest children to church, and then they visited with the McBirneys (Tim's sister, brother in law and their four children) who had come over to see Grandpa and Grandma Jacobsen. The McB's live in the Bay Area, 15 minutes away from my mom, so we get to see them over there and also when they come over here to see their grandparents (Tim's folks) who live near us! So, today was "criss-cross" grandparent day. We are thankful for the grandparents the Lord has given to our children! In fact, I fell in love with my husband after I decided his parents would be wonderful parents in law and grandparents! But that is getting off track.......
Today I left home around 9:30 and arrived at my mom's around 2 PM. Mom's dear friend Emma was there visiting with Mom. Emma had been with Mom through lunch and had attempted to help Mom taste the different pureed foods and try to taste all the different drinks. Lots of frustration. Emma is so tender and kind. She treats Mom like her own mother, as do so many of Mom's younger friends.
It became apparent right away that Mom has definitely declined in the past week. Mom is thinner. When I tried to rub her shoulders she kind of pushed me away. I don't think it feels good for her to have her bony shoulders rubbed, so I focused on her hands instead. She liked having her hands massaged a little bit. I tried putting lotion on her arms but she said no.
Before arriving, I stopped at Whole Foods (our family calls it "Whole Paycheck") market and bought a little tub of plain yogurt with active cultures. I had read that yogurt with active cultures is good for a yeast infection. It was discouraging, however, to try to feed it to Mom. She really did try. She liked it a little better after I added honey. But when I put a tiny bit on the tip of the spoon and put it in her mouth, she held the yogurt in her mouth as long as she could but it was not going anywhere near her throat. It was like there was not any ability to swallow. The yogurt just stayed around the sides of her teeth, and then after a few minutes it started to come out and we had to wipe her mouth with a napkin. Mom was so gracious but she was uncomfortable. She asked for water. I had brought a box of flavored packets of "24C" vitamin and electrolyte powders, and she wanted to try some in her water. It made the water fizzy. She liked it, but the drink just dribbled out soon after she sipped it. After a while of this with the spoons and sips of food and drink going in but dribbling out, I was reminded of a funny sketch that Bill Cosby did many years ago about his theory of how little kids eat sometimes--he said when they try to drink milk from a cup, it never goes in their mouth but instead dribbles down their front and gets sucked up by their belly buttons. I was so wishing that somehow the milk and juice and yogurt that kept dribbling out of Mom's mouth could somehow be sucked into her body to give her some sustenance for all her effort.
Later we talked about getting her next dose of Nystatin, and she was fine with the idea. So different from the day before! I went and asked the nurse about it, and she said Mom was due to have her Nystatin soon. She said Mom had been fine with getting her throat painted with the stuff in the morning. She knew that Mom did not want it the day before. She said she just told Mom that she needed it to help her swallow again, and Mom understood. She said it's all in the way they present something to Mom, whether she will want to do it or not. That is so true with anyone!
I watched Tita, the nurse, as she painted the medicine on the back of Mom's throat and all around in her mouth. She used a sponge swab on a plastic stick. She dipped it into the cup of medicine again and again and kept putting more. Mom kept the stuff in her mouth and tried hard to get it all in. Unfortunately, however, I don't think any of it went down her throat. Tita thinks the thrush may be down in her throat and possibly into her stomach.
As Mom was trying to drink and eat during the afternoon, she kept putting her hand on the right side of her throat and she wanted me to put my hand there also. I could not figure out what she was trying to tell me. When I put both of my hands on her throat and asked her to do a swallowing motion, there was no movement in her throat. It seemed like she was trying to do it but could not. I cannot figure this out. It seems like her inability to swallow is not due to pain. But what could be the reason? It is heartbreaking to think of someone not being able to swallow. In fact, Mom was in tears over it as she was indicating that she is really hungry and thirsty but can't swallow.
Tita said Mom was able to drink sips of her Ensure beverage yesterday. So, it seems that will be the food/beverage of choice. We certainly hope and pray that Mom can drink it. It did not seem to be staying in today.
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