Running out of titles. Could be that I am just running out. Today we had a good friend sit with Clare for a couple of hours while we were not able to be there. She reported that she felt that Clare did respond to her and knew that she was there. Marianne was quick to pick up that sometimes things calm Clare and a few minutes later it might agitate her. Sometimes you just have to leave her alone. Touching, talking, singing can all set her off and have the opposite desired result. She was able to catch Clare up on family events and said that she could tell that some topics comforted Clare and other topics upset her. Things that appeared to agitate her were her home in meadow and the crash. I am sure that some thoughts even though they are sweet memories, cause her to stir because she cannot do anything about it. But then again. . . next time different things will sooth her. You really have to be flexible and willing to stop doing what ever it is that she doesn't like.
Annette went to the hospital tonight and Clare has been sleeping peacefully. Today they had her ventilator on a setting that allows her to do most all of her own breathing. She did very well from 7:00am to 5:00pm and we are told that doing this will wear her out. They switched to an easier setting for her to rest tonight. They put a pain patch on her and it seems to be controlling the pain better. Tonight our nephew that is a doctor with training in brain and spinal cord injuries visited. I wish Clare was not so calm and would have perform for him. I am glad Clare is resting peacefully but I would have liked to have had a second opinion.
Clare is getting range of motion therapy 5 times a week, one to two times a day. They continue to monitor and attend to the "alert" of the day. There are so many things that they want to keep on top of so they don't become real problems. So far we have done well avoiding big problems.
Kris went to Delta to try and get some recovery in after his surgery. He told me he is anxious to get back here tomorrow to be with Clare.
Nathan had a good idea yesterday that we should hang a colorful poster on the ceiling above her so Clare did not stare at a white ceiling tile all day. Anyone have a large stiff lite picture and a way to suspend it above her? Any ideas?
Thank you for your continued concern and prayers. They are definitely working.
she has her butterfly rainbow spinner in Kris truck that was hanging in her room at Utah Valley that can be hung up in her new room. thanks for the updates, it is so hard to not be there. we could also e-mail one of Kris and Clares wedding pictures to Costco or Walmart and have a big poster made. kria has gotten some much needed rest but is very anxious to be back with Clare. Thanks for watching out for him for us. Love Char
ReplyDeleteUse foam board and fishing line to suspend it from the ceiling tiles. If her room is like most h, there are individual tiles and metal frames that you can loop through. It works great!
ReplyDeletePin a colorful blanket!
ReplyDeleteFoam board would work great as Anonymous said. You could rotate the posters and also make signs with words of love and support. Or maybe a poster of an outdoor scene that would be a calming place for her.
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