My Brother wrote
All
Latest. Mum is now preparing to discharge for Monday, April 7Th. That will give us one more weekend to get the equipment etc ready. Mala also gets more "on-the-job-training" with nurses. She is being assessed on the daily activities more closely now as we draw nearer to the discharge date.
Mum's physical
Left leg and arm growing stronger each day. She is able to stand for nearly 10 mins (although strapped into the reclining platform at the physiotherapy room) and has begun to use rollator (to move along although which much assistance still. We need to constantly motivate her and Jaymes is doing a great job currently when he is able to be there during weekdays. Right leg and right arm developing some movement that is slightly growing more each day. Believe acupuncture sessions invoiling muscle and nerve stimulation with electrodes are helping. Will need to have less acupuncture sessions after 7 April discharge - perhaps 3 times a week that can coincide with the physiotherapy. However, realistically, doctor Marie does not think um will be able to walk, so we may have to live with keeping mussel tone in physio therapy. I think we should first aim to get mum standing longer and shuffle a few steps of course aided. We can then take it from there.
Mum's emotional
Believe mum is mentally stronger now and sighs less. Perhaps, we can understand more of her speech and she is therefore less frustrated. Her topics still seem to be changing ever so often though; assume all part of brain re-connecting "highways' and "re-cabling".
Occupational therapy (Vivienne)
Mala is now much more confident in transferring mum from bed to/from commode/wheelchair. Additionally, we are purchasing a transfer belt (resembles mountain climbing gear for support of the waist region) so that transfer can be made safer especially when Mala has to do this independently. Vivienne also gave advice on the layout of Crowhurst room / restroom eg doorways to be min 22 inches clear width, ramp needed from room to restroom (currently 7 cm height), restroom will need to have non slip mates for sure, no need for grip bars for now as mum is still needing to sit on commode for shower / toilet breaks. We will spend this week getting most things and equipment ready.
Speech Therapy (Alice)
We still need to discuss with the speech therapist to also get a baseline of her eating abilities - swallowing liquids, solids,
- will still need to check with Wai Yee on the use of her current set of false teeth
Physiotherapy (Cheng Hong)
We still need to get status report on mum's condition from physio and establish a baseline from April 7 from which we can determine what further exercises we will need to keep muscle tone and maintain general health. This will be useful as her day physiotherapy sessions can also be done at Ling Kwang Home (about 10-15 leisurely mins stroll from Crowhurst)
Diet (Wai Yee)
Spoke to Dietitian. Following to note :
- have daily balanced meals
- no need for vitamin supplements, but probably need to consider this again - perhaps a multi vit that is for mature adults / senior citizens.
- daily 6 or frequent feedings eg 8.30 (breakfast meal), 10 (tea break), 12.30 (lunch meal), 3 (tea break), 5.30/6 (dinner meal), 8 (tea break)
- at tea breaks can serve Glucerna with thick and easy. Glucerna continues to be a good complete food, but until we are more confident of her health strength, mum can continue with this for tea breaks.
- thick and easy is meant to make food more condense so that swallowing is not too fast ie water is too liquid and needs to slow down as she swallows. This will help nutrients enter esophagus (throat channel to stomach) and not into trachea (lungs routes)
- will need less of thick and easy as mum progresses
All your continued prayers and visits continue to be of tremendous help.
love
see hong
My Sister wrote
Just checking in.I just called mom but missed her as she was in therapy, so I talked to dad. It is good to hear about all the progress she is making!! I will try calling her again another day as I need to go to bed (1:40 am here). In two recent phone calls, she said she was busy and could not talk to me â€" what€™s up with that?!?!? Did anyone see how she took out her feeding tube? Is that actually painful to do?? No feeding tube probably goes a long way towards making her feel more normal â€" not have to take meals in secret with curtains drawn!!
Jeevan's engagement â€" so glad that it all went well. Tell us what happened??? Is there a wedding date yet?
Chui
From: Ivy Tan
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008
To: tan lee yong; Candice Goh; hew yong keat; hew kai shen; hew yong hau; long chui fen; long seh hui; SH Long
Subject: Re: Mum
I am very happy and excited to hear that mum seems to show improvement daily. Please continue to pray for her. I wish I could be there for her all the time. Lee Yong promised that she will bring me in after Cheng Beng to see her.
Jeevan's engagement to Laura has been solemised on March 15 2008. All went on well. We wish them happiness and looking forward to their wedding day.
love
Ivy
Sister wrote
Sent: Sunday, 16 March 2008
Subject: RE: Mum
So great to hear about mum¢â‚¬â„¢s progress. It does seem that she is less inhibited this past week talking compared to the week prior. My conversations with her this past week have been more give-and-take; she would talk, then I would reply, then she would talk – even though I still Can¢â‚¬â„¢t make out most of what she says. A couple of days ago, I talked to her when Kai Shean was there. After I finished, Kai Shean asked her who she was talking to and I think she thought it was one of her friends. After Kai Shean told her it was me, we got back on the phone and started over. She also mentioned something about See Hong buying a car and that it may be expensive¢â‚¬Â¦then in something unrelated, she said she wouldn't¢â‚¬â„¢t lie to me about it (not sure what??).
It sounds like all the infection problems are gone, and hopefully behind us. Is she taking anything through the tube still? Medicine? Is all her food nutrition through the mouth now? How about her teeth? Mala is working out well, hopefully.
Love
Chui fen
From: SH Long
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008
To: tan lee yong; goh tang sim; hew yong keat; hew kai shen; hew yong hau; long chui fen; long seh hui
Subject: Re: Mum - phone number?
Aunty Stephanie
Thanks for fixing the sensors. All of us here are very happy to see improvement everyday and mum even has sarcastic remarks! She took some more porridge today; this will be day 2 for her porridge fed orally!
cheers
see hong
Aunty Stephanie wrote
Dearest
Best, mum is progressing by the day. I called her last night - asked her anybody around now - she replied nobody and also said nobody called her the whole day and asked why I did not call. In fact Hui & papa were with her then. She also asked why can't she go home?? She seems to tell and ask me things ....but too bad i can't make out what she was trying to tell me.....takes time...slurred speech is expected initially.
Hong,
we just got wire man to fix the solar power points in your pelangi house .... 2 points for 3 lights...i.e.
1 light at car porch
1 light at living room - side wall - will need to change into higher voltage too low - only 8 from outside cannot see too well...uncle hew will fix that after we bought the bulb
1 light at wet kitchen - behind kitchen.
solar power works with a sensor ie the three lights will light up when dark and off when bright time - it works as long as the switch is on - better than the timer type i.e. time is not fixed- at lease this way we need not burden aunty Tang too much except watch out when alarm triggers.
Ok need to pen off now - have to shop for the incense paper for "cheng meng" and start to fold them.
love
Stephanie
My Brother wrote
All
Latest I heard from Seh Hui, Candice and Mala today....mum took about half a small bowl of porridge blend (vege, rice, etc) via mouth today!! she had already taken some in this way yesterday, but today's intake was more. Muma also declared that it was too bland! She has also started moving her right hand .....more than just twitches that she managed ever since admission.
Mala is also making reasonable progress given her inexperience in elderly care. But we believe she has a good heart and mum seems to like her. Seh Hui is taking over the responsibility ON the day to guide her and practice along with her when nurses are done with their chores or have done their training.
Tomorrow mum starts on her session no 5 of acupuncture. This is mum's 2nd session since returning from TTSH. Last weekend, Aunty Ivy and Uncle Govind as well as Kevin and girlfriend visited.
Aleluia!!!!
love
see hong
My Sister wrote
Hip, hip, hurray.more steps forward. What is the phone number at her bedside now? It did seem like she was talking more when I called the other day.but I still cannot understand most of what she says. Still, I love just being able to hear her voice.
I really more Mala works out for mom and for your household.There is a lot of adjustments needed from everyone. You are all on my mind and heart and soul everyday.
Chui fen
My Brother wrote
All
Mum is now scheduled to return to AMK Hospital tomorrow morning (Wed, Mar 5). Hurray!! Admissions officer, nurse Ho has allocated bed 3064 (in same ward room - 3A), suggesting that a change of bed (from previously 3062) might be good for her (change of feng shui, she says!). Its diagonally across from her previous bed and now next to window.....more sunshine, I would think! We will now have her back on track for the speech and physio therapies and TCM (acupuncture).
Her condition is much better and is able to speak more. Her right hand is twitching and moving slightly on voluntary basis.
New maid has started at home. Her name is Mala and from Sri Lanka , about 48 years of age. After allowing her to settle in some more for a few days, we will bring her along to AMK to train side by side with Seh Hui for occupational therapy.
Thank you again for all the visits and prayers for mum! We continue to need all of your support and love!
cheers
see hong
cc Kai Shen - Seh Hui reports that he is unable to download sound clip you sent to him by e-mail. Error was "unable to play....." So can consider another format? Possibly that Seh Hui's laptop does not have the software to play the format you sent.
My Brother wrote
All
Mum successfully completed the procedure this morning between 9.30 and 10 am. She is awake now. There is a small incision at her neck region where the wire guide was threaded to the placement point. The filter is now in place. No physiotherapy for today at least. Leg massage should also be limited as we do not want to have the blood clot be dislodged and start traveling upward to heart/lung regions
Annual x-ray can check position of teh filter and ensure it has not been moved. More detailed CT scan will confirm whether the filter is also clogged and need clearing.
fyi.
cheers
see hong
My Brother wrote
Dear All
also nurse station number for Ward 8A is 6357-2085. Bed number 02 tel no is : 6357-1802
Mum's latest condition (Sunday Mar 2)
- CT scan on Friday detected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in both legs
- DVT is a blood clot normally resultant from inactivity (mum has been in bed for last 2 + mths) and is normally associated with long haul flights (coach class syndrome or economy class syndrome)
- blood clot comprises red blood cells and platelets forming clumps in the blood stream
- doctors advised that the blood clot should remain in the leg area and not get dislodged and travel to the heart and lung region. if it does get to lung region, the clot may cause pulmonary embolism ie blood clot in lung area and depriving the body of oxygen as gaseous exchange occur there (intake oxygen and exhale CO2)
- 2 options :medicine and filter procedure
- medicine option involves taking blood thinning pills but this is not advisable for mum as another cerebral hemorrhage may result in her reduced ability to clot blood and cause massive continuous cerebral bleeding
- filter procedure option involves placing a small filter at the major blood vessel (Interior vena cava - IVC) area so that any dislodged clot traveling up the leg veins into the heart and lung region can be filtered / stopped by this filter. The human body has ability to dissolve these clot naturally but will take time and when the body chemical and bodily functions return to normal (mum's body is in midst of recovery). Mum may have to live with the clots in her legs for a long time even if she can walk again. Walking again can cause more risk of the clot dislodging and therefore even more important that the filter be put in place to deal with any such "traveling" clots before it pours into the IVC. IVC is a major blood vein pouring into the heart before it gets pumped out again (I think into the lung area for oxygenation).
I will meet with the doctors tomorrow to give our consent to go ahead and understand this procedure better. Doctor advised that we proceed urgently.
On mum's rheumatoid arthritis (RA), she has some flare up in her left wrist area and Dr Chiam recommend a pain killer only and not RA medicine as that would cause kidney and liver to stress out. They will monitor.
Regards
see hong
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