My wife soon to have her 2 year anniversary since she had her stroke. I remember when I brought her home from the first nursing home. They instructed me in giving her medications including checking blood sugar and injecting insulin. My son who is a chef took off from work for a few weeks to make food for us since I could not cook. I had no instruction from the nursing home as what to expect as to her attitude or how to handle the many mental issues that were before me.
She had the best of food to eat but barely took a bite. The doctor prescibed a liquid which I can't remember its name to increase her appetite I really did not know how to handle her. We were between insurance companies as she just turned 65 and had to go on medicare so we did not have home visits or support from anyone. Within 2 or 3 weeks she was in the hospital and now under the new insurance supplement program. I believe she got dehydrated and I may have been giving her the medications at the wrong time or in the wrong order.
Wehn she came home we finally got set up with home visits from a nurse and therapists.
I learned alot from the visiting people. She then got a UTI and was back in the hospital. From the hospital I got her into a 2nd nursing home with more intense PT, OT and speech therapy.
After she came home she had some inhome therapy visits, but they did not have a speech therapy available. I then through the doctor got her into an out patient program for several months of therarpy until the insurance stopped paying. I still had a big co pay bill to contend with and a problem getting the billing correct, I still think I may have paid more than my share.
After bringing her home my son had gone back to work and stopped cooking for us. My other son gave me a frying pan for fathers day. I learned how to make precooked food and have added a deep fryer to my skills. I have not ventured into using the oven. I made some things on the out door grill. I was offered the help of a dietician but declined that as I do not cook. I once or twice made hamburger helper in my 9 inch frying pan.
I still struggle coming up with what to make for meals. We eat out as much as possible. My wife will tend to use her left hand to eat as she still has toruble with her right hand. She likes eating things in a bun such as hamburgers or sausage as she can hold that in her hands better. For a long time I did not realize that since she lost control of her right side the brain was not allowing her to see well with her right eye. Food that was off to one side of her plate or the table she did not see and hence did not eat. I think that has cleared up now also she had a problem with a cateract in her left eye which has been operated on twice since the first doctor screwed up.
She had been on a plato (wish this had a spell checker) for some time making slow progress but still progressing. I found a supplement that seems to be helping her brain to heal.
Her mind is very sharp and she remembers things better than I do. The name of the supplement is astaxanthin. We have been both taking 5 mg daily which I will increase shortly.
It is helps the brain of stroke survisors to heal and help me with memory issures. Reseach it on the internet.
I do not sleep well besides the stroke issues my wife is diabetic and I have to watch out for her sugar to go low and if that happens look out! I know I have not remembered all of what we have been through. We have been married 45 years as of last April.
My wife can now walk with the aid of a cane or my hand and sometimes goes short distances with out the need for a cane. She tends to drag her right foot. She gets tired walking and needs frequent rest stops. She still ocasionally does some illogical things and has trouble turning off lights and the tv when leaving a room. It has been a long haul almost 2 years, and a way to go, but I may be out of a job one day when she gets even better.
David
