The Rehab Center

The way I understand it, Mom will be in the rehab center for several weeks. The bone she fractured has to be treated in the same way an injured rib is cared for: with a great deal of patience and TLC, to allow it to heal properly on its own.

Mom doesn’t appear to be in any pain, except when she sits up. She requires help to get into a wheelchair. Then, once she settles into the chair, she seems comfortable again. She travels to the dining room in the wheelchair, and her appetite is good. She has never been an extremely picky eater, which is probably fortunate for her, since she is in for a bland institutional regimen now.

Today is Mom’s third day at the center; she entered Friday evening. Each day she has eaten her meals at regular times; she has taken her medications at correctly spaced intervals; and she is clean and wearing fresh clothes. She seems to be confused by the move, in that she doesn’t know where she is. Yet she is not acting out in the least. For so long, she has “wanted to go home” each evening, but now she says she is at home. Yesterday afternoon she told me that she and Pop had gone to lunch and then come back home. (Lunch was in the dining room, and we were in her room visiting.)

We don’t really know what to expect from day to day. She may wake up one morning soon and decide she doesn’t want to be in this place any more. But for now, she is comfortable, as much as possible with the fractured bone. And the Lord has used this fall that caused her pain to ensure that her needs are met.

Pop, on the other hand, is probably not doing so well. I use the word “probably” because no one really knows how he feels most of the time. He is not an expressive person. Opinionated,yes, but not one to talk about feelings. So we assume he is lonely without Mom at home with him. He has no one to talk to, no one to eat with, and so on. He is spending several hours a day at the rehab center, watching television with Mom. He has even mentioned taking a more comfortable chair from home out to her room.

It is heart-rending to imagine being separated from your best friend of 20 years and being unable to help the situation. He has tried to hang on, to keep Mom at home, to take care of her himself, to make the best of things. But now his best-laid plans are not working. He can take comfort in the fact that she is well cared for, but now he must take care of himself. And we must continue to pray for the Lord’s protection over him.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

On April 5, I wrote of frustration. Today I write with a grateful heart of Romans 8:28. Feeling so helpless, I have continued to pray for the Lord’s protection over Mom and Pop. Not knowing what to ask Him for, I ask Him to keep them safe, wherever they are. I gave up a while back that Pop was ever going to make any moves on his own. He does not seem able to make a decision to move Mom from their home. He and I had a little “showdown” one afternoon when I confronted him about leaving her by herself while he went to church. It was then that I saw the light—he was not going to take any of our suggestions. Period. Whether he didn’t want to, or he was not able, I don’t know. Since then I have continued to pray for them.

One evening recently, Mom fell and fractured her pubic bone. The next morning she was unable to get out of bed. By noon, Pop was calling Diane to leave work to help him. That evening, about midnight, Mom was finally resting in a hospital bed after much aggravated waiting in the E.R. and many x-rays.

Two days later we moved Mom to a rehab center where she has been resting well. To be continued....

HBO's "The Alzheimer's Project"

These programs sound very worthwhile. I copied and pasted rather than try to summarize:

Beginning Sunday, May 10, tune into HBO's "THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT," a groundbreaking documentary series that will change the way America thinks about Alzheimer's disease. This four-part film, airing over three nights exclusively on HBO, gives the public a rare inside look at the faces behind the disease and the forces leading us to find a cure.

Many of the researchers and families featured in the series are part of the Alzheimer's Association community. We applaud their willingness to share detailed information and personal stories in order to further the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

Mark your calendar to watch "THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT"

Sunday, May 10
9 p.m. EST"The Memory Loss Tapes"

Monday, May 11
7:30 p.m. EST"Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?
With Maria Shriver"

"Momentum in Science, Part 1"

Tuesday, May 12
7 p.m. EST"Caregivers"

"Momentum in Science, Part 2"

"THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT" is a presentation of HBO Documentary Films and the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health in association with the Alzheimer's Association, The Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund and Geoffrey Beene Gives Back® Alzheimer's Initiative.

All films will stream free of charge on www.hbo.com/alzheimers and will be offered for free on multiple platforms by participating television service providers.