A very strange experience today: I brought Dad to see Mom at today. It was the first time they have seen each other since July, after being married - and not separated for more than a couple of days -- 46 years.
Here is Dad, getting better, with a new liver, and ready to go back to Florida in two weeks to stay for 10 days, or until he feels the need to join us in our new home. And there is Mom: Steadily worse. Today she was able to open her eyes, which was glorious, as they widened with joy and surprise when she saw Dad. She was even able to smile a bit. Wonderful moment.
After that, she went rigid. Unable to respond with even a syllable, and able to move her head just a little bit, her eyes following, slowly, for the rest of the hour Dad was able to bear being there. She apparently has a hard time blinking as well. When I gave her a magazine, I had to position her hands around it. When I try to move her arm or leg, it causes terrible tremors.
We have taken her off the Amantadine, as she has been on it for more than a year now and its effects are considered to be temporary, so that may explain the eyes-open-but-now-unable-to-speak phenomenon. However, I think she might be more comfortable this way, seeing what's going on around her. What do you think?
Dad held up well, though the entire experience was a shock. He's never good in these kinds of situations; is any man? He was a depressed, disgruntled patient, too. His blood pressure went sky high and he fell up the steps going into the house. Blood everywhere. No big harm done, but just a gory reminder that he is still shaky in every way.
Here is Dad, getting better, with a new liver, and ready to go back to Florida in two weeks to stay for 10 days, or until he feels the need to join us in our new home. And there is Mom: Steadily worse. Today she was able to open her eyes, which was glorious, as they widened with joy and surprise when she saw Dad. She was even able to smile a bit. Wonderful moment.
After that, she went rigid. Unable to respond with even a syllable, and able to move her head just a little bit, her eyes following, slowly, for the rest of the hour Dad was able to bear being there. She apparently has a hard time blinking as well. When I gave her a magazine, I had to position her hands around it. When I try to move her arm or leg, it causes terrible tremors.
We have taken her off the Amantadine, as she has been on it for more than a year now and its effects are considered to be temporary, so that may explain the eyes-open-but-now-unable-to-speak phenomenon. However, I think she might be more comfortable this way, seeing what's going on around her. What do you think?
Dad held up well, though the entire experience was a shock. He's never good in these kinds of situations; is any man? He was a depressed, disgruntled patient, too. His blood pressure went sky high and he fell up the steps going into the house. Blood everywhere. No big harm done, but just a gory reminder that he is still shaky in every way.
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