Parade of Visitors (Mon, 14 Mar, 2011)

Mom came hobbling out of the bedroom around 8AM. She said she had been sleeping soundly last night, when about 11PM her shin suddenly burst into intense burning pain. She couldn’t sleep the rest of the night, and in fact she was in obvious pain as she hobbled across the living room. I asked if she had taken a pain pill and she said, “Yes, it got so bad that I had to take a Tylenol!” (Mom does NOT like taking pain pills.)

When I first arrived a week ago I had noticed a discolored spot on the outside edge of her bathroom ceiling where there had been a roof leak at some point. In the torrential downpour that we had yesterday, I stuck my finger in the junction between the ceiling and the wall and discovered that it was wet. One of the neighbors called with a referral for a roofing company, but as soon as I told mom what was going on, she decided to call another RP contractor whom she had apparently used the first time it leaked. He came right over as soon as mom called him, and he was the first visitor of the day. After checking it out, he told us something that I already knew from last fall when I was up there sweeping off pine needles—the old metal roof has some missing gaskets and some missing nails (leaving holes). Since we have to go to town tomorrow we are going to pick up some roofing caulk for him to do a patch job, but I also asked him to give us an estimate on replacing that section of the metal roof.

Shortly after he left, another social worker from High Desert Hospice arrived for his scheduled first visit with mom. His name is Dick, but mom told him that he reminded her of a little Irish pixie!! (And even after he left, mom was referring to him as “the cute little Irish pixie.” HAHA.) He told us he was only going to stay a half hour so he wouldn’t wear her out, and true to his word, he left right on the dot of a half hour. While he was talking with mom, I called Denise, the Hospice RN to ask if we could get some real pain meds for mom. Denise laughed when I told her that mom had been in so much pain that she actually took a Tylenol. (But mom had grudgingly agreed to have “something” on hand “just in case" "but NOT codeine!")

Then one of the Chiefs from the Rocky Point Fire Department came for a visit. He had received word about not calling 911 for an emergency at mom’s place, and he wanted to check it out. We told him all about hospice and had a very nice visit. He asked for a couple of the bright pink stickers with the hospice phone number so he could make sure that they have them in their book at the Fire Department.

By the time the Chief left, mom was tired and ready for lunch, so I fixed her a teeny little bit of soup and a little piece of ham for protein. Instead of taking her after-lunch nap in her green chair, she decided to go back to bed in her bedroom because we had not made the bed (because the hospice aide was scheduled to come later with an egg crate foam mattress pad). She only stayed in ther about a half-hour, then came out saying that she couldn’t get to sleep. I got her settled in her green chair and she dozed off.

At 3pm, the Hospice chaplain came by for her scheduled appointment. She is also the volunteer coordinator. She brought mom a really nice collapsible walker with brakes and a seat, and both mom & I think it might be brand-new or close to it. Mom was actually VERY pleased with it and not at all shy about trying it out (surprised the HECK out of me!) The chaplain was actually a very nice personable woman who told mom right out that she is not there to convert anybody or preach to anybody and that she is just there to support mom in whatever way mom wants.

After the chaplain left, the Hospice aide (Lonna) showed up for her scheduled appointment. Mom liked her VERY much. Lonna lives in Chiloquin and has EIGHT dogs including two Australian Shepherds and three Catahoula hound dogs. Lonna brought mom a brand new high tech blue foam mattress to go on top of mom’s rock-hard mattress, and Lonna and I made up the bed. I showed her the “underhouse” and then she weighed mom and talked with her about what help she might need. Lonna also brought out some real pain meds for mom, which are now in her medicine chest in FRONT of the Tylenol!

Believe it or not, that was the end of the parade of visitors for the day. Mom said it was tiring but she was glad to get things started with Hospice. And both of us agreed that we were extremely impressed with everyone we met. It was a good day.