Heidi220

Wonderful story Jayallen!! Thanks for sharing.

I'm jealous! Enjoy the games. And, yes please, lots of pictures!! Opening day is just around the corner!!

Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas. Keep doing what you're doing...it's working.

Sounds like a great week with great accomplishments!! and a great plan! You have every right to be proud of this week. This post made me happy, thank you for sharing.

I can't remember where I read this story but it went something like this....A man's wife developed Alzheimer's to the point she didn't remember or know her husband any more, yet he came daily to visit. A staffer asked the man "why do you come so often when she doesn't even remember who you are?" He replied, "because I remember who she is." I hope you get your Christmas wish.

John, so sorry to hear your mom is back in the hospital, but very happy to know she has a diagnoses and will be getting treatment. Keep us posted.

Oh caged bird, I wish I could put my arms around you and tell you that it will be ok...but I am here and you are there, so here is my virtual hug {{{}}} It seems to me you had a couple of good nights recently, so this one may be just a little set back, you never know....your good nights just might be around the corner. I know when I have trouble sleeping, lying there and thinking about not sleeping is the worst. My mind goes full speed to thinking about problems at work, home, or my mom's stroke. I find it best to not fight the not sleeping and get up and make myself a cup of hot tea and play some on-line word games. I will add you to my prayers.

LOL. Butt Wiping 101. I hear you loud and clear. One thing I do that helps keep that area clean and helps make the cleaning easier....I bought a sitz bath pan from the drug store. It fits perfectly on the toilet bowl with the seat up. I fill it with warm water and have mom sit on this after her bm. When mom was using the bed side commode at the hospital I asked for an extra bowl and did the same thing. The nurses were impressed. :-) This might be considered Butt Wiping Advance Class but it can make the wiping a lot easier.

I'm very surprised that Grandma doesn't have a speech therapist or doctor working on getting her off the feeding tube. Do you know why not? My mom did not have a feeding tube so I do not know much about this. When she had her stroke she was on "puree" food. She was allowed to eat anything that was the consistency of thick mushed baby food. I'm sure your grandma will be more comfortable at home but don't expect therapy to be much different then what you have at the hospital. It's a slow journey and I wish everyone well. PS....I really like your mom! Sounds like my kind of lady!

Hi Katrina, my mom listens to a talk radio station at night with ear buds. It seems to have settled her talking in her sleep and vivid dreams. It has to be a talk station that is somewhat interesting, yet somewhat boring.

99th birthday is awesome!! No one on either side of my family has had that longevity (yet) so it's hard for me to even guess what might or might not work. As someone on this board said "every stroke is like a snowflake." With my mom, her long term memory is great, everything after the stroke is mush. One thing I have to do with my mom is not surprise her with anything! I have to start days ahead of time telling her what is going to happen, give her choices, and repeat it over several times. So before she called her Aunt I told her "Mom, you need to call Anna, her birthday is this week, do you want to call her today or tomorrow." She said tomorrow for about a week before she called and the conversation went beautifully, or so I was told...(it was in German and I don't speak German.) LOL Maybe you could ask her "mom, its your brothers birthday, we should call him...what are you two old birds going to talk about?" Get her to think about the conversation before the call. I am slowly learning with this stroke stuff that I am never, ever going to have the right answer, but it's not going to be completely wrong either. PS. For my mom's therapies, I bought a white board to write down who is coming what day / time and to track her appointments. I would remind her the day before what will be happening the next day. Time has helped and she doesn't rely on the board anymore, but I still tell her the day before what is happening the next day.