First Blog Post for Emma

I decided to start a blog to help keep the family updated on life at "The Compound." Emma has her good days and bad and it would be great if you all could keep updated. Some days I'll be able to write a lot and sometimes I'll get busy and won't be able to keep track so bear with me. If you want, be sure to subscribe to the blog and you'll get updated on when I post.

Our first week in the house seems to have gone well. Aside from the fact that there is too much stuff and not enough room, but we'll work through that. I also feel like a bull in a china shop. I have the dropsies, I am constantly knocking things over and bumping into things. Bruises everywhere!

Emma seemed to be doing well for our first week. We are working to get her on a consistent schedule which works out well since we aim to to the same for the kids too. We're working to have dinner around 6. We try to get her into the bathroom around 8 and ask her to get her jammies on by 9. The physical therapist has recommended that she sleep in bed and she did really well with that all week. She is usually asleep by around 10.

She has been taking her meds in the morning and at night with some tea and toast. She has been falling asleep and spilling her tea in bed so we decided to make a slight change. We now have a container with pills that she takes in the morning with breakfast. Then we another container for pills that she takes with food at dinner. Then we have a final container for pills to help her sleep that she will take around 9:30 so she can be asleep by 10.

Fina and Diane came to visit her on Saturday. They brought her a birthday gift and visited with her for a while.

Sunday night Emma was in the bathroom before bedtime and put out an SOS to RoseMary via the phone in there. Poor RoseMary didn't have Victor's number so she drove over to see what was going on. Emma was a little more upset than normal but she was fine. She called RoseMary again last night and was a little more upset than normal. So we called Becky and she told us where the Xanax is. We gave Emma a Xanax to help settle her down. I hate to give her the Xanax and only want to do so when she seems extremely upset. Ric is in the process of researching some help for her. Either getting her back into Oats or maybe getting her down to the Center for Living With Dying. We'll keep you posted.

On Monday morning and this morning Emma went down. She did not fall, she just slid to the floor and could not get up. I think the time change is effecting her because she usually gets up around 8 when we are up and about and can check on her. But the last two mornings, she has gotten out of bed on her own around 7. So we are going to get a monitor (either for sound only or perhaps even a video monit0r) so that we can hear when she starts moving about. Also, that way she can call for help and we'll be able to clearly hear her when we are in other parts of the house.

The other thing I want to make sure you all know about is the binder. One of the 3 therapists who have been coming by the house for the past month has set up a binder. This is to help Emma keep track of time and activities. Every day she can see what is going on, she can cross off the day and be aware of what the next day is. She also has a checklist to track when she eats, goes potty, takes her pills, etc. So if you're ever here for a visit, feel free to review her binder with her.

Another update is that she has a new chair. Becky and Craig went out and picked up a nice LazyBoy chair. This one smells nice and fresh, it is more upright which is better for her posture and it does not rock which helps her get in and out. She thinks it's ok but says the other one was more comfy.

The foot Dr. also recommended some new shoes. So Lydia went out and bought her a nice new pair. She still has her Crocs to wear around the house. The Crocs are good in case of accidents-they clean up easily.

The physical therapist is here now trying to help us figure out how she went down. Emma's knee has been bothering her so maybe I'll talk to Becky about getting Emma in for another cortisone shot. Emma is on the bed doing her exercises and Cindy is supervising.

That's all for today! More to come!