Over the past 14 weeks, my mother-in-law Aida has been struggling with heart failure and the complications of this condition. She spent 5 weeks in the ICU and a couple more in the step down ward. It's been a hard couple of months for everyone, but especially her.
Aida is an incredibly independent and strong woman. She has always prided herself on her strength and ability to manage without help. Her present condition has undermined her essential constitution: she now finds herself reliant on her family and unable to complete basic tasks. She spends lots of time in her bed dozing in and out of sleep. Her inability to get around has been the hardest setback for her. Not doing anything for endless days has taken it's tole on her mind.
Last Wednesday, I was thrilled when Aida was discharged from hospital and transferred to convalescence facility where she'll receive physio on a daily basis. She is now building up her strength and confidence for walking and living more independently. The goal is to get Aida back into her home, where she can live with her creature comforts, and once again, find the friendship and encouragement of her lovely neighbors and family.
I've really struggle during the period to try to find things for her to do that might help her deal with the vast expanses of time in bed. All of the various family members have been incredible: her sons have loyally visited every day, the grandchildren have gone despite their discomfort with the hospital surrounding, her brother and sister-in-laws have visited faithfully. But during the quiet time when she is alone, she lays and waits. Reading could be such a comfort during this time, but for Aida it is not.
Aida has never found pleasure in reading. Reading is something you do to pay the bills and deal with other functional needs of life. It was never a part of my mother-in-law's life, and I am so sorry that she was never led to this activity.
On the first day at the convalescence home, I was settling her into her new room. It is a pleasant and sunny place that she shares with another woman named Freida. As I put her clothes away in the drawers, I came across a stack of well worn paperback that looked like they had been read a million times. They were the usual romances and westerns, with the odd murder mystery thrown in. But right at the bottom of this pile was an odd, over-sized white book that looked to be in great condition. I was floored to find Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Many of the residents at this home suffer from Alzeimer's and dementia. I was surprised to find Genova's book here in this place. Then it occured to me that perhaps this novel has been a comfort to some of the residents and their families. It is a wonderful book, and I guess it would be very helpful to some.
Books are a central part of my life. They give me entertainment, education, inspiration, and some times even distraction. They help me get to sleep, pass the time, lighten my mood and see things from a different perspective. I wish that more people discovered this value in reading. I wish that Aida could have this benefit in her life too. Without books, the road to recovery is long and quite tedious. I continue to pray for my mother-in-laws speedy recovery. I'm sure I couldn't travel her road without a good book in hand!
UPDATE April 7, 2012: Nonna should be coming home this week. We have installed chair lifts and updated her shower/bathroom. She is very nervous about the transition back, but we are all thrilled that she has worked so hard be regain her strength.
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| Nonna Aida and Abigail |
Last Wednesday, I was thrilled when Aida was discharged from hospital and transferred to convalescence facility where she'll receive physio on a daily basis. She is now building up her strength and confidence for walking and living more independently. The goal is to get Aida back into her home, where she can live with her creature comforts, and once again, find the friendship and encouragement of her lovely neighbors and family.
I've really struggle during the period to try to find things for her to do that might help her deal with the vast expanses of time in bed. All of the various family members have been incredible: her sons have loyally visited every day, the grandchildren have gone despite their discomfort with the hospital surrounding, her brother and sister-in-laws have visited faithfully. But during the quiet time when she is alone, she lays and waits. Reading could be such a comfort during this time, but for Aida it is not.
Aida has never found pleasure in reading. Reading is something you do to pay the bills and deal with other functional needs of life. It was never a part of my mother-in-law's life, and I am so sorry that she was never led to this activity.
On the first day at the convalescence home, I was settling her into her new room. It is a pleasant and sunny place that she shares with another woman named Freida. As I put her clothes away in the drawers, I came across a stack of well worn paperback that looked like they had been read a million times. They were the usual romances and westerns, with the odd murder mystery thrown in. But right at the bottom of this pile was an odd, over-sized white book that looked to be in great condition. I was floored to find Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Many of the residents at this home suffer from Alzeimer's and dementia. I was surprised to find Genova's book here in this place. Then it occured to me that perhaps this novel has been a comfort to some of the residents and their families. It is a wonderful book, and I guess it would be very helpful to some.
Books are a central part of my life. They give me entertainment, education, inspiration, and some times even distraction. They help me get to sleep, pass the time, lighten my mood and see things from a different perspective. I wish that more people discovered this value in reading. I wish that Aida could have this benefit in her life too. Without books, the road to recovery is long and quite tedious. I continue to pray for my mother-in-laws speedy recovery. I'm sure I couldn't travel her road without a good book in hand!
UPDATE April 7, 2012: Nonna should be coming home this week. We have installed chair lifts and updated her shower/bathroom. She is very nervous about the transition back, but we are all thrilled that she has worked so hard be regain her strength.
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