Flu Season II

An update. Gregory's fever finally broke this morning (without a trip to ER, thank you.) He is feeling much better as you will see in Manny's comments at the end of this post.

Meanwhile I had a talk with Lieberman's Fifth Floor head nurse director about Hospice. We had talked previously and she suggested that it is never too soon to get Hospice set up as there are many side benefits, some of which I will share at a later date.

Gregory and I have long been familiar with Hospice ever since he took training some 30 years ago and actually helped care for two people before he found a full time job and did not have time to volunteer.

He would help the caregiver(s) clean the house, go grocery shopping, help with cooking, or just sit will the ill family member so the caregiver could run errands, get away, or hide out and nap in the other bedroom.

Midwest Hospice has as it's mission: We support he whole person - body, mind, and spirit, with truly innovative world-class palliative care, hospice, and grief support. Giving you your best day, today! Imagine care differently!

In the past, Hospice was involved during the last week or month of a person's life to help them die comfortably and gracefully and to support the family as well. Now the services and time provided by Hospice has broadened.

After facing my decision to NOT send Gregory to the ER, as a staff doctor had recommended, I decided that this was a head's up to get Hospice going for Gregory. It is a difficult decision if only because it admits and accepts that he will die sooner rather than later.

Intellectually I accept this easily and will be able to make appropriate decisions as I am needed to. Emotionally is another story but I do not have to deal with that now as G is still fairly healthy and who knows when death will announce itself. No use in worrying about that which one cannot control.

Actually I feel a level of power and control over my life, Gregory's life, and over the situation having been able to make this decision. Hospice will provide needed services now and will be there when I need them the most at a later date. By then they will know me and know Gregory and will be part of our "family."

Meanwhile on a lighter note, here is verbatim, Manny's report on how Gregory is doing today as taken from his texts to me. Manny has a wicked sense of humor as demonstrated below.

Manny:

Greg ate full lunch n took  liquids normal amount ... awake all the time and serenely talking ... had a big fecal explosion at 2:45pm eroding all demonic plaques in his stommigo. 

Michael:

Your comments made me laugh out loud LOL. Thanks for the update.

Manny:

I mean it ... lol ... Ur welcome ... Y pleasure

Michael:

I can imagine that you do mean it! Just glad I wasn’t on the receiving end. And stinko! Did Gregory get the giggles?

Manny:

Smelled fantastic ... my spirit voluntarily transported to other realm

Michael:

Your spirit had no where else to go ...

Manny:

What do you expect with the lava n boulders ... browned by demonic possessions. I sprayed lavender room deodorant ... opened the window a short time ... didn't help!

Michael:

K and TKS

Manny:

K

Flu Season

Even though Gregory had his flu shot, and me mine, we are both under the weather.

Mine started on Christmas Day.

Not sure when G's started.

Mine: fever 101+, cough, congestion, sinus burning, short breath, bloated, minor ache, chest pain, sleeping, dizzy.

Gregory's: according to head floor nurse, fever and chills. He will stay in bed all day today and have meals in room.

I have stayed in bed and not visited Lieberman since the day after Christmas.

Floor nurse informed me of Gregory's condition, that the doctor would visit again today, that on assisted living floors 6 and 7 they have begun quarantineing, and that everyone on 5 has received the Tamiflu Medicine. 

I have a call into my doctor and have Isaac around to help if needed.

I asked Manny to come in earlier and stay later during Gregory's illness.

The difference is that I can communicate my aches and pains and needs while Gregory cannot. I wonder if the flu is worse when you can gripe about it or when you don't know the difference, just that you don't feel right?

I am happy that Manny can spend more time with him.

Update

But can you tell me - I'm sorry to ask this - why does he look like he has had a stroke?

A friend asked this question and it certainly is a valid one. I am not really sure of the answer but I can dance around it.


When Gregory ended up in the hospital, close to the beginning of his time at Lieberman, the experience took a large toll on his mobility and general functioning. He fell and gashed open his head. With a knee jerk from that pain, after falling, he to hit his forehead on the bottom of the bed leaving a huge bruise.While the X-Rays showed no broken bones, I think that Gregory did some damage to his back and neck which have always been sensitive areas for him since we met some 39 years ago.

Next he had a major Grand Mal Siezure that put him into the hospital for four days. Research says, I did not know this, that approximately 28% of people with Alzheimer's begin to get seizures at the end stages of the disease.

Gregory began Dilantin to avoid future seizures and the medication took two or more weeks to balance itself, the strength of it causing him to be weak, drowsy, and basically "out of it."

On the last day of the second hospital stay he came down with the flu. It was a mild case because he had had the vaccine in October but non-the-less the effect of the medication for his H1N1 flu was like being hit by a truck.

Over the next weeks at Lieberman Gregory got stronger and stronger and felt better and better but one must be reminded that he is in the last stages of Alzheimer's. The progress of the disease over the last year, and then between Christmas and his moving to Lieberman have been exponential.

At this point, due to the above and the progression of the disease, he is not unable to walk so lives in his wheel chair. He doesn't seem to mind. He is progressing a little with Physical Therapy and over the last four days has been peddling a bicycle from his wheel chair for fifteen minutes at a time and has been walking with the help of two therapists.

Progress may be progress, but with Gregory at this stage, progress needs to be redefined. It is not the kind of progress that you or I might experience after a fall or an illness.

Part of the problem now that he is regaining strength, is that his cognition continues to decline so while he may be strong enough to walk, he no longer knows how to do so cognitively. I.E. the brain sends out the "walking signals" but he legs do not know how to "read them."

The same has happened with his fingers, hands, and arms. The strength is there at times but the signals get scrambled. Due to this disconnect between the cognition and the muscles, he has developed what are called "Intentional Tremors."

When the brain sends a signal to his hand to pick up the fork, the signal is just interpreted in a jerk of the muscles in his arm and hand. The ability to stab or cut or scoop a piece of meat with the fork, let alone get it to his mouth no longer works well.

So this is the long and short of it. He does look at times like he is "out of it" in his awareness and responsiveness. Where he is, who knows. But he does come back.

Also his coordination of muscles due to lack of use, and cognitive disconnect causes him to look like he had a stroke and most of the time his neck needs to rest on a pillow because he cannot hold it up.

So there is your relative answer. Hope this helps you see Gregory in a real light which is also a loving light that continues to bless both Gregory and me.