Well! We have good updates on Melbo. The last time I posted was on Wednesday night (day 2 of her stroke). So, I'll summarize what has happened since then.
She stayed in the Stroke Center in Fort Worth until Friday afternoon, when they moved her to the Select Rehab Center in Denton. Everyone was excited about this. She had been very confused and upset and constantly saying "I don't know what happened. or Why am I here? or I want to go home." GG was able to be with her that day and then Dad stayed with her on Thursday and then GG was back on Friday when they moved her to Denton. All was good...until they got to Denton and the place told GG she couldn't have visitors until June 15th (per COVID rules at the time) which was still 10 days away. It was a heartbreaking Marco Polo to watch GG on. Melbo was SO upset and confused. She didn't want GG to leave and all GG could do was talk to her on the phone and through the outdoor window to Melbo's room. It was a mess. It wouldn't have been quite as bad if when they left Fort Worth, they knew the COVID rules that would keep GG from seeing her. Within the next couple of days, we learned that GG could move into the Rehab Center with her and stay, but she couldn't go back and forth because that would be considered visiting. GG was concerned about staying, because she really did need her strength and getting rest at home and making preparations for Melbo to come home and steal dealing with some paperwork issues and to do's from Pa's passing needed to be done. Also, at this point, we didn't know how much Melbo knew when people were there or not. She definitely recognized GG and Daddy and wanted them there, but we wondered if when they were out of sight, if they were also out of mind? We also learned that Molly found out she could take "COVID leave" from her job and move in with Melbo. At first, GG said no, but then she thought it sounded good so Molly moved in maybe that Tuesday or Wednesday (so around the 9th or 10th) and stayed until the 18th when GG moved in. It turned out to be really great that Molly was able to stay with her. It gave our family peace of mind to know what Melbo was doing all the time. After getting Melbo settled that weekend before, they scheduled her for 45 minutes of 3 types of therapy per day: speech therapy, occupational therapy (how to eat, dress, shower, etc.) and physical therapy. So, for about 3 hours per day, she was in therapy and then she would nap and then eat her meals and then she would just hang out. So, it was good that she didn't hang out alone. Molly made her a book of our family and that was THE BEST thing! She would go through it over and over. She would light up at seeing her family pictures. She would read things on her wall over and over (her name, numbers, etc.). Slowly, her sentences started getting a little better and her words started getting better. She would shorten some words like to say wonderful, she would say "isn't that won?" She would read names sometimes in the book and then sometimes just say them. She would mix up the letters, but then you could figure out who she was talking about. She knew she was messing them up, but she did good. She asked all the time "where are we going? who are we talking to? what are we doing?" when Molly would Marco Polo us to talk to us and keep us posted. The only real hiccup while there was that she got a bladder infection. Apparently, sometimes with stroke patients, their brains and bodies forget things like emptying their bladder when they use the restroom. So, hers did and she got an infection. So, she has been having a catheter ever since and she really hates it. Hopefully, soon, she gets that out. But, we don't want infections. Mom also made her a book with older pictures of the knob and animals and people and Melbo really loved that too. Mom gave that to her about the time GG came to stay on the 18th. Those Marco Polos' were really amazing to see. Melbo would start remembering other things and it was really helpful. She was calling people "mama" and "daddy" a lot. She was starting to talk about Pa and would immediately recognize him. They've had to tell her many times that Pa isn't here anymore and it makes her sad, but she is ok. According to Molly & GG, it takes time in the mornings after she has slept to get going again. They have to explain to her where she is, what happened, etc. And she slowly gets it and eats and gets moving and by afternoon, she is much more lucid and sometimes sassy with the therapists she doesn't like as much. But, she's also constantly "so glad" for things. Her true personality of kindness and happiness and patience is truly showing up.
The plan was for Melbo to come home on Wednesday, the 24th. But, she really wanted to go home sooner. So, good news! They reviewed things and released her this past Sunday, the 21st, they let her go home! She still has the catheter in and she requires 24 hour care, but GG has been doing it and keeping us updated.
Right now, things are going very well. GG is in good spirits and that makes me feel good too. Melbo was so happy to be home. She doesn't remember lots of things or how to do lots of things but then certain things come back to her right away. It's very interesting to watch (on Marco Polo) and hear about. Just watching her is so good. Her mannerisms were very apparent in some of the early days. But, now that she is home, so many of her phrases and her voice and herself just seem "just like Melbo". She is saying so many sentences so well. And while she is confused on certain things, she will just tell GG "You need to teach me how to..." or "I want to learn how to..." So, this is so important we think because she has desire to get better and work her brain and do things. GG ordered a rail for her bed, because she doesn't want Melbo to get in and out without her. She is also sleeping with Melbo right now. She has to help her shower and dress and do everything. Melbo can do a lot of it, but they don't want Melbo being by herself at all. So, I think they have watched a lot of TV together and done laundry together and cut up cantaloupe and other things. Right now, GG sounds good and not worn out. But, as time goes on, we hope our family can help relieve GG. And we pray that Melbo just gets back to normal.
Both my friend Stacey and my friend Meghan have had relatives that have gone through strokes and both have recovered within 6 months. So, we know we have a road ahead and I am only seeing tiny moments, but I feel like Melbo is doing really good. She is using her walker most of the time and resting in her chair. But, it will be slow to get her back to normal. I just think our family (especially Dad & GG) need some more good years with Melbo. So, we must pray for that.
GG has said Melbo is so funny about things. Today, she said "Gee Whiz" over something and GG said she has NEVER heard Melbo say that phrase. She also gave Melbo some clothes to fold and go put away. Well, GG can't find those clothes any where and Melbo doesn't know where she put them! haha! They have been watching a movie or TV show or something called "Hazel". And when it came on, Melbo remembered all about it!
They have gone to therapy twice this week. She has been excused from physical therapy I believe, but still does the other two.
I was SO very anxious to go home this weekend to see her and my family. The last time I was with Melbo, she was perfect. But, with COVID cases rising everywhere, I decided not to. I do not think we have COVID and I don't think we would share it. But, our family has had too many tough things happening to add COVID cases to Melbo and GG. Even if they are minor, they are still illnesses and nobody needs that right now. Plus, she can't have her therapy if she is sick and we want her to keep getting her routines and therapy and getting better. So, I will have to go again. Hopefully, we (or at least me) gets to go before school starts. Once school starts, there will be germs everywhere for a long time. And we can't risk passing them then, because I feel like our chances will be much higher to get them.
Melbo's stroke has been called a "heartbreak stroke". And I find it so accurate. I hadn't thought of it, but we were all so surprised that Melbo was taking things well and not falling apart. She told us over and over that she was "a coper" and we needed to be copers and we would cope. But, somehow deep inside her or her subconscious, she must have been full of stress and grief that she didn't know was affecting her. And it came out in the form of a stroke. It's so very interesting. Also, they told GG that many times, the past 10 days or so can be forgotten by stroke patients. And, right now I do not think Melbo remembers Pa was sick or why he died. I don't really know what they've discussed about that with her and GG. So, time will tell if it all comes back to her. She has cried though, and we've seen it on Marco Polo. She has gotten emotional when she saw Dad for the first time on the 15th when they were allowed visitors again. And she just burst into tears. And one day when GG was videoing her looking at her book, she got so emotional and cried about the photos.
It's just a lot. It's a lot to watch and experience. I wish I was there to help and just to be there with her and GG. Thank goodness for Marco Polo and social media and technology.
That's an update for now. And hopefully, my updates just keep getting better!
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