Mom's First Three Days at Rehab

Last Friday (December 6) was Mom's first day at the rehab center.  She let it be known that she's going to be difficult to work with; stubborn and opinionated. But I have been told that stroke victims tend to be difficult and grumpy.

The first night an RN placed Mom's legs in compression cuffs to prevent clogged arteries in the leg.  An hour later, she took them off, with only one hand. Then she demanded that her ankle sock and support hose be taken off.

The second day a CNA combed her hair, detangled it, and tied it in a ponytail. She looked great. Clean and refreshed. But that did not last very long. For as long as I could remember Mom have always preferred her hair down and untied.  So, off came the hair tie.  Now I see where my daughter gets it from.

Breakfast usually consist of cream of rice with brown sugar, pureed omelet, pureed banana, and applesauce. 

Lunch usually consist of mashed potatoes with gravy, pureed vegetable (peas or carrots), pureed fruit (banana or pear), and/or applesauce. Sometime pureed meat is included (which is usually beef or pork).

Dinner is very similar to lunch menu items. It usually consist of pureed beef, pork or turkey, and sometime paired with mashed potatoes and gravy, pureed vegetable ( peas or carrots), and pureed fruit (banana or pear), and/or applesauce. 

Drinks that accompanied each meal were usually water, orange juice and/or apple juice.  However,  a recent lab result showed low sodium in Mom's system. So, no more juices; only chicken and beef broth, and some water.

Saturday, December 7... Due to low sodium in her body, the doctor ordered an IV, thinking it would be the easiest method for increasing Mom's sodium level.  But, it turned out that she did not like it, so she made a HUGE fuss, to put it nicely.  After awhile the nurse called the doctor, and the IV got taken out.  Obviously, actions of "anger and non-contentment" is something that can be understood across all nationalities. In other words, you don't have to speak the same language to know when someone is upset.

REHABILITATION UPDATE ( for December 6-8 )

The Occupational Therapist (OT) did some movement evaluation, which included leg and arm stretches. Therapy exercises have included re-learning how to shower, get dress,  comb/brush hair, stand, and walk.

The Speech Therapist (SP) evaluated her eating, chewing, swallowing, communication, and of course, speaking abilities. SP also worked on counting, recognizing and identifying objects, as well as understanding what they are used for.  It took at least three tries before Mom could count numerically. She managed to count up to number five; did it once with a combination of both English and Khmer. And then once again in only Khmer.  For the most part Mom can perform the functions. 

SP recommendation: work with Mom on a daily basis by encouraging her to move her tongue around the mouth for increased muscle strength, encourage her to smile often to work on facial muscle, and lastly, when she feed herself, put a mirror in front of her so she could see the food in her mouth while "chewing" and know that she needs to work on the right side of her mouth.

The Physical Therapist (PT) worked on mobility.  She had Mom do ankle and leg movements, as well as stand up and use the parallel bars for support. The PT said "she's a hard worker."

Overall, Mom has made progress, considering it was only three days of rehabilitation therapy. This week will be a full six days of SP, OT, and PT. I am hoping for more progress. Despite her disability and condition, Mom can be cherry and upbeat most of the time. But just like anyone who has suffered from a stroke and unable to communicate effectively (with a language barrier at that), she does have her moments.

Tragic News

On Monday morning I received news that my mother had suffered from a stroke.

I thought I was prepared for any bad news. But that was not the case. I was actually in shock and it took a little while for everything to sink in. When it finally sunk in, I was in tears. I felt lost and could not focus on anything.  There were many tasks that day that I had left unfinished. When my husband got home from school that afternoon, I informed him of what happened. Minutes later, he was looking for airline flights for me, and I flew out the next day.

According to my older brother, the terrible event took place around 4 a.m. He was asleep but thought he heard a faint cry for help coming from my mother's room. He quickly got up to check, and found her body limp, but her hands held tight onto the door knob. Medics were immediately called, and they arrived soon after.

My brother and sister-in-law never left my mother's side. They stayed with her until I arrived. And have been back to visit everyday since. My nieces and nephews, and extended family members were also there, for support. They are awesome like that. 

According to the neurologist, my mother had an ischemic stroke. The right side of her body is paralyzed. Her speech is majorly impaired, thus making it difficult to understand her. However, for the most part, she is alert and aware of her surroundings.

Today is Thursday, December 5th. She is now at the inpatient rehab facility, which is part of the hospital. Physical therapy will start tomorrow. Right now, the goal is to have physical, occupational, and speech therapy one hour a day, six days a week for the next three or four weeks.

I am amazed at how fast my mother is progressing.  I believe this was made possible through the power of love and prayer from friends and family. On behalf of my family, especially my mother, I would like to thank everyone for thinking of us and remembering us in your thoughts and prayers. I will try to keep everyone updated on her progress.