Her pelvis is healing

The last few days have been a mixed blessing. 

Carolyn’s broken pelvis is healing, and she can move around now without showing any pain. We are beginning to test the various fall protections we have put in place, and so far they are working well.

I came in one morning a couple of days ago and found her on her hands and knees on the tumbling mat beside her bed. She had obviously tried to get out of bed and stand and instead toppled over forward onto her knees. The low bed and the mat protected her from any damage or pain.

I got down on my hands and knees beside her and asked, “Where are you going?” She had not noticed me enter the room. I think she might have been sleepy and tired from trying without success to get back up. She looked over at me and said, “I don’t know.” 

I asked if she hurt anywhere, and she said no, so I attempted to pick her up. I had never tried to pick her up without her assisting before, and I found out I couldn’t just lift her with my hands under her arms. Too much weight, and I have one weak shoulder from a rotator cuff surgery a few years ago. 

I wrapped her up in a big hug as I squatted in front of her, told her to hang on to me, and then I stood up, putting all the strain on just my legs. That was much easier!

After I got her on her feet, I held her with one arm around her back, and led her in a short circle by the bed to see if she had any pain in the pelvic area, and she was able to shuffle along with no pain whatsoever.

I put her back in bed, and she soon dropped off to sleep as if nothing had happened. 

In a way, it’s been a relief when she couldn’t get up and was forced to remain in bed, because we didn’t have to worry about her getting up and falling again. Now she is adjusting to the drugs and becoming more alert and restless, so we will be on duty now trying to keep her from hurting herself.

The new lower bed and the tumbling mats on the floor seem to be doing the job well, and the new wheelchair is making a difference also. The wheels are set back behind the seat, rather then under the seat. That moves the Center of Gravity back and prevents her from tipping the chair over backwards trying to get out. Her own weight keeps the chair firmly on the ground.

Yesterday the Guardian Hospice nurses found a couple of blisters on her heels. I was worried that they came from her dragging her feet as I pushed her around the building in the wheelchair. I had been careful to put her slippers on her feet, and to put the footrests on, because I could feel the drag if I didn’t do that.

They explained that these were from too many days lying on her back in bed, with the weight of her heels on the mattress cutting off circulation and causing pressure sores. I helped bandage her worst foot and they showed me how to put a pillow under the back of her legs to support her feet off the mattress. 

As she becomes more active and spends less time in bed, she should heal up pretty quickly, I think. She still has an amazing ability to heal any wound in much less time that we would think possible. 

I need to get her some socks that are not so tight, and keep a better check on her feet, I guess.

Last night we had a little humor, as I wheeled Carolyn back into her room after a couple of laps around the halls of the building. I parked her in the room by her bed, but I heard the bathroom door close and noises coming from inside. I went over and knocked on the door, and somebody yelled back at me. Luckily, the door was not locked, so I carefully pushed it open to find another resident lady and her walker inside. Also luckily, she was still fully dressed.

She also has dementia, and spends much of her daylight hours sitting in a chair with her head down between her knees sound asleep. I can’t get close to that position. Flexibility is not one of her problems.

I squeezed into the bathroom with her, carefully moved her and the walker out of the way so I could open the door wide and gently lead her outside, as she loudly protested. 

I explained to her that she was in the wrong room, but as I tried to go back inside, she turned around in the hall and tried to reenter the room. I blocked her path, and pointed to the name on the door—Carolyn Ann—and once again explained that this was not her room. In a very earnest voice she declared that I should move that other lady out and let her move in.

I tried not to laugh too loud as I explained that Carolyn had been living with me for many years, and I wasn’t going to move her out.

I’m going to have to remember to close and lock the door when I take Carolyn out for a wheelchair stroll now, I guess.

Later I found her coat, shirt and sweater on the couch, along with a little stuffed animal, so I think she was already in the process of moving herself in when I found her. The night nurse promised to take them back to her room when I told her what had happened. We all had a good laugh.

You’ve got to take your laughs wherever you can find them!