Went up with Mom to see Angela today. I think her spirits are down somewhat lately. I am sure this is due to the length of time that she has been hospitalized. There is a loose medical term called ICU Psychosis that is used to describe some of the abnormal psychological activity that goes on in a person's mind during a lengthy stay in an ICU unit. Some patients have hallucinations, some feel as if they are a caged animal locked in solitary confinement. I get the feeling that Angela is going through some of these symptoms. It must be difficult to be disassociated with the outside world for such a period of time. It makes me think of how all the elderly and invalid must feel on a daily basis. Try to remember that the next time when one of these folks try to bend your ear for a few minutes. Those precious 5 or 10 minutes of your 1440 minute day you are able to give them will probably mean more to them than you will ever realize. You'll spend more time picking out a movie to take home to enjoy with your family.......just food for thought.
Angela's health is still up and down each day. She is still unable to breathe on her own although she is now able to spend a few hours each day off the respirator with the assistance of some oxygen close to her mouth either via nasal tubes or a vent mask.
She was able to walk approx 50 metres with the assistance of a mechanical walker and an O/T aide on either side of her. Small steps, but forward steps nonetheless. She was still running a bit of a fever today as well as not being able to take much the the nutrition without encountering problems. Because of the food issue, as well as just being inactive for over a month, Angela has lost quite a bit of overall body mass and is looking quite frail. According to Angela, her biggest discomforts are in her stomach as well as headaches.
I do still sense a fair amount of confusion when asked certain questions, but hopefully this will improve with time and is only a result of experiencing such a traumatic event.
Ed
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