Another Healthy Week

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving at Chris and Andrea's new house. They put on an amazing spread for 30 people (who were all able to sit down together at one huge extended table!)

Mom was there for the whole afternoon and did fine. We are getting the hang of the insulin and the blood checks. She is walking with her walker and has been pretty healthy. I guess the real measure of her health is this...she has lost a lot of weight and so some of her clothes feel big. She is trying to get one of us to take her shopping for new clothes! Sounds like the old Betty doesn't it!! It is nice to hear her sounding so well. Fingers are crossed for a nice long reprieve from the bimonthly hospital visits.

Hope everyone else had a happy, healthy Thanksgiving. I will post some pictures soon. Looking forward to a healthy Christmas now.

Another Healthy

Roche Family News

Lots of Company

Mom continues to do well. Bridget and Sydney were out to visit her today. She was walking and Bridge was able to do her nails for her. She is looking forward to Thanksgiving at Chris and Andrea's new house.

Stacy was out to visit on Friday and Kathleen, Peggy and John came on Sunday. (Brendan brought the laundry on Sat. I guess that counts as a visit too!) So she has been busy...Bingo twice a week as well.

I have been staying away since I picked up a nasty cold from one of my students. That would be all it would take to send her back to the hospital with pneumonia.

We have passed the goal of the 88th birthday. Now our next goal is Christmas. We just have to keep her healthy!
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Lots of Celebrating!

Here are some of the photos from all the birthday celebrations. Mom has been walking better and has handled a few outings. We are all looking forward to Thanksgiving and expect she will do well!

Birthday Week

It has been a busy and healthy week for Mom. The family took her out to her favorite place (TJ's) for prime rib on Saturday night. It was a nice night and she had a good time. Pictures will follow.

Monday, Pat picked Mom up from St. Anne's and they visited the cemetary and then ventured out to see the new Trader Joe's at Bay Shore. I haven't even attempted that yet! It was a little too crowded so they didn't stay long.

Tuesday, Pat brought Mom home for the afternoon and dinner. We made lasagna and it was all very normal. The nicest surprise is that Eileen (Hobbs) stopped over for a visit. She went out to St. Anne's and just missed Pat so she got directions and made her way over to the house. It was great to see her and a wonderful birthday surprise for Mom.

Wednesday, Pat and Bridge are planning to take her out to lunch for her birthday and then Pat is flying out to Cinncinnati for work. It has been a lot of celebrating and she is handling it very well. She seems to get stronger each day. Fingers crossed it will last!

Pat's Back

Roche Family News
Pat, Cyndi and the kids are here for Grandma's birthday and to go to the wedding of a friend of theirs. We all hung out with Grandma at St. Anne's and tomorrow we will go out to dinner to celebrate her 88th. She is looking great right now. She used her walker to walk all the way to the dining room and back today. That is a long way.

Leg Wound Update

Still a bit to go but very much improved. We went to the wound clinic today. (Tuesday)
They were all quite pleased that the left leg was healed and the right has
filled in nicely. They said continue with bactraban and accuzyme and return in a month. I kept the paperwork and noted the following changes:
Add diagnosis of pneumonia.
Dr. Hawes changed the antibiotic from augmentin to ceftin, both 500mg for 5 more days
Discontinued mucinex for congestion
Changed lasik to 60 mg
Labs hemoglobin & hemocrit in 1 week (11-13)
check thryoid in 4 wks (12-4)

She was vey tired today -and thirsty- drank a lot while we were together.
Mobility was good but spirits were down . Looking forward to Pat's visit and going out for her birthday. She talked to Dad and he said Happy Anniversary.
Bridge

Leg Wound Update

Roche Family NewsStill a bit to go but very much improved. We went to the wound clinic today. (Tuesday)
They were all quite pleased that the left leg was healed and the right has
filled in nicely. They said continue with bactraban and accuzyme and return in a month. I kept the paperwork and noted the following changes:
Add diagnosis of pneumonia.
Dr. Hawes changed the antibiotic from augmentin to ceftin, both 500mg for 5 more days
Discontinued mucinex for congestion
Changed lasik to 60 mg
Labs hemoglobin & hemocrit in 1 week (11-13)
check thryoid in 4 wks (12-4)

She was vey tired today -and thirsty- drank a lot while we were together.
Mobility was good but spirits were down . Looking forward to Pat's visit and going out for her birthday. She talked to Dad and he said Happy Anniversary.
Bridge

Monday, Monday

Roche Family News
Mom is not really back into the routine at St. Anne's yet. She doesn't look as healthy as I would hope after a week in the hospital and she is still coughing quite a bit. She was already in bed, on oxygen, last night by 7PM and she is usually a late night TV watcher.

She mentioned that it was her anniversary but didn't add much. She doesn't talk about Dad as much as I thought she would. I think she is just fighting so hard to stay healthy that she can't focus on much else. She is really worried that she will be too tired or sick to go out this weekend. We had planned to get together and celebrate her 88th while Pat is in town for a wedding.

Bridget will be picking her up this morning for an appointment with Dr. Altmann, the wound specialist. Hopefully that will go well as her legs are almost completely healed and she doesn't complain of any more pain with them. She is walking better and better but doesn't have much endurance. We are all praying that she can stay healthy for a little while here, without another trip to the ER!

Saturday News

Well, the discharge and transfer went well enough. Mom is back in her room at St. Anne's (Rm. 215, 527-6787). We have a week and a half until her birthday so that is the major goal now, just to stay healthy!!! Thanks to all who have stayed in touch with her, visiting, calling and sending cards and flowers. It helps to keep her spirits up.

Saturday Discharge

Roche Family News
Well, it has been like old home week at Columbia Hospital. It seems that we recognize most of the CNAs and nurses and they all remember us. Our RN friend "Bridget" can even call us all by name.

Mom is improving and her hospitalist will release her tomorrow, back to St. Anne's. She is happy to be leaving. It has been a longer stay than we had guessed. They needed to give her a unit of blood the other day because her red blood count was down. The doctor said she just wanted the creatin level higher for her heart and no one seems to think there has been any internal bleeding. (Hope they are right!) She is walking 3 X a day with someone and doing very well.

Peggy and John had a night to themselves and decided to come to Columbia. Go Figure!?! It was awfully nice to see them and I know Mom enjoyed the company. I am starting to get calls from Mom's friends who can't reach her at St. Anne's. I guess not everyone reads blogs.

Mom hasn't given up hope for dinner out for her 88th birthday on the 15th. John thought she was looking for a fish fry ... hell no, she wants prime rib and a cocktail! I hope she gets it. All she needs to do is stay healthy!