Cats Corner - Message Board

Topic List

Replies | Active | Stats

Post New

General Chat

Chain Games

Author Lounge

Help & Feedback

Movies & TV

Arts & Recreation

People & Celebs

Our World

Literature

Music

Sports

Virtual Blogs

Tributes

Recruiting

Subject: Cat's Corner

Posted by: Catreona
Date: Nov 11 20

A virtual blog to post updates on my mother's illness and other thoughts

629 replies. On page 7 of 32 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Catreona

Something's wrong. It's nearly 9:00 in the evening Massachusetts time, but today's Advent quiz isn't up. Things like that always worry me.

Reply #121. Dec 21 20, 7:54 PM

postcards2go

This is the quiz that's listed as today's Advent Quiz, on the New Quiz list:

https://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/General/U-Say-Its-in-the-UK-404072.html

Reply #122. Dec 21 20, 8:13 PM

rubytops

Well done on your 75/75. Wow that is excellent.

Reply #123. Dec 22 20, 1:34 AM

Catreona

Thanks, Postie. Don't know how I missed it - I checked several times. /shrug/

Thanks, Ruby.

Mom has had a rough couple of days. She did very well for the nurse yesterday afternoon. Other than that she has been restless and muddled.

Reply #124. Dec 22 20, 8:35 PM

rubytops

Thanks for update on mom. Hope and pray the restlessness dissapates. It seems when she has to rise to the occasion she manages okay..as with the nurse.

Reply #125. Dec 23 20, 1:39 AM

Catreona

Today has been scary. Mom has been almost catatonic, hardly moving at all. That also means very little food or drink. She's had periods of rough breathing and periods of better, smoother breathing. We didn't call the nurse, though we've all been torn about whether to do so. She's scheduled to come by tomorrow.

Reply #126. Dec 23 20, 9:21 PM

Catreona

Quiz "O Susannah" submitted.

Reply #127. Dec 23 20, 10:14 PM

Catreona

Last night and much of today were bad. That is, Mom was practically catatonic. She did rouse a little in the morning to speak to Jessalee and cooperate a little in getting cleaned up. But the effort must have been tiring, because she zonked out for several hours. Couldn't even talk to the nurse when she came around 12:30.

But then about 2:00 she woke up. Still weak but much more like herself. She was able to ask for water and to chit chat a little. In fact, she was able to formulate and express clearly a rather complicated idea. She thought for a while and then said, clear as a bell, and I quote: "Daddy is in the kitchen cupboard eating all the cookies."

We wrangled about this mildly for a moment, but in the end there was nothing for it but that I go in the kitchen and look. As it turned out, Dad was down cellar. Undeterred, Mom tried a different tack: "He took all the cookies down to the basement..." the implication being, to eat them there. I disputed this hypothesis and shortly she gave up in disgust. Naturally, all that hard thinking and hard work to speak clearly was very tiring. She was able to talk a bit with Sis after this discussion, but she soon said she needed to rest. When I left, she was lying down with her eyes closed and her hand on her kitty, listening to Christmas music. She had been able to say hi to Kitty when Kitty got up on the bed, and sound quite alert and interested. She had maybe half an hour to forty-five minutes of being alert and together. After, what has it been, something like three days of scary stillness, it seemed pretty wonderful. Her rest now somehow seems more natural.

The nurse did say it was certainly possible she had another stroke. She also said ups and downs are not unusual. I donno. She really didn't say anything all that comforting, and yet it was a comfort to have her there. She's gonna stop by tomorrow and Saturday as well. She seemed as concerned about us as about Mom. I guess it's just nice not to be alone to cope with what's happening. She told us again not to hesitate to call the office at any time, and that's reassuring too.

Reply #128. Dec 24 20, 2:21 PM

rubytops

Sorry you have had a difficult few days Cat. Sounds like the nurse is helpful and sympathetic though. Thinking of you all.

Reply #129. Dec 24 20, 7:08 PM

postcards2go

Thinking about you and your mom, and sister and dad. It's especially difficult to have a sick loved one during the holidays, and have a caring nurse stop by each day must be comforting.

Reply #130. Dec 24 20, 7:35 PM

Catreona

We had a beam of sunshine today.

A while back I bought Simple Shapes Puzzle Board

https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/infants-toddlers/cognitive-development/simple-shapes-puzzle-board/p/TB125

for Mom. The first time I gave her the circle, she seemed to like holding and feeling it, but she said she didn't know what shape it was. This did not trouble me too much, since she was obviously very tired.

Today I gave her one block and asked her to identify shape and color. It took a moment, but she did. Then I gave her another, repeating the question. She identified that one and said very clearly, "What else do we have?" which is a very Mom question. We went through all nine shapes. She called the Quatrefoil club rather than flower or four leaf clover, and misidentified the rectangle as a square, but though I'm usually pretty pedantic, I let those ride, I was just so delighted. By the end she even anticipated the questions and stated the shape and color of the last couple of blocks before being asked.

Then, warning her that it might be too challenging, I gave her the board and handed her each block. The rectangle and oval proved slightly more challenging since each of them has to be correctly oriented. Even so, she zipped right through it. I could hardly keep from crying, I was so excited. She was alert and engaged, and able to complete kind of thought-intensive tasks much more easily than I'd anticipated.

I praised her and told her she deserved a rest, and she said complacently, "I deserve a rest."

It gets better! After about twenty minutes she asked for the puzzle again. It took me a few moments to work out what she wanted. Incredulously, I gave her the board and started handing her the blocks. Again, she worked steadily, quickly and with evident interest. After that, being tired out, she went to sleep.

I don't want to read too much into this, to get my hopes up too high. She may not be able to identify shapes tomorrow. But for now, that was quite an accomplishment.

Reply #131. Dec 28 20, 5:15 PM

postcards2go

I'm so happy for the two of you! Every positive interaction is a gift to be cherished. Lovely :-)

Reply #132. Dec 28 20, 7:47 PM

rubytops

Cat, So good to read you last post on here and to hear that your mom was able to do and enjoy the shape game you bought for her.
I have been thinking about you often over the last few days.

Reply #133. Dec 28 20, 8:24 PM

MiraJane

Oh, Cat, what a wonderful post to read! I liked the part of her identifying the Quatrefoil as a club. Why? Because on a deck of cards, that's the shape of the clubs. Her brain is working. It leaped to that connection.

I'm very happy for your family.

Reply #134. Dec 29 20, 6:15 PM

Catreona

Thanks, guys! Your enthusiasm gave me a big smile. It's such a comfort to know so many people care. ♥

_Shameless Self Promotion Alert_
New quiz "O Susannah" is online:

https://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Religion/O-Susannah-404093.html

Reply #135. Dec 29 20, 9:14 PM

Catreona

Happy New Year, Everybody!

When the nurse was leaving today she said, and I quote:

"May the New Year bring you peace...and whatever the hell else you need."

Now, that's a New Year's benediction I can dig.

Reply #136. Dec 31 20, 10:45 PM

postcards2go

I like that nurse :-D

Happy New Year to all!

Reply #137. Jan 01 21, 8:41 AM

Catreona

Neil Sedaka is back on social media, though he said he won't be doing a daily mini concert anymore, maybe two or three times a week. That's fine with me - I'm delighted to have him back, especially since he had Covid over the holidays. Dear man that he is, he didn't post about it because he didn't want to worry his fans and spoil our holidays. He said he's very glad to be back at the piano where he belongs.

It's great to have some good news for a change!

Reply #138. Jan 04 21, 9:03 PM

Catreona

Guess who wrote a Video Games quiz!

https://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/VideoGames/A-Gem-of-a-Game-Bejeweled-2-Deluxe-404396.html

Reply #139. Jan 20 21, 4:20 PM

postcards2go

Oh, dear, Cat's gone to the 'dark' side :-D

Good luck with it!

Reply #140. Jan 20 21, 5:48 PM

629 replies. On page 7 of 32 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Legal / Conditions of Use