Hello All!

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Well, Jim came home for the first time this weekend since last May when he

went into the nursing home. It was marvelous to have him here. It all went like

clock work taking the bus from the nursing home to the house. We were home in

less than 15 minutes. Jim seemed so relaxed and content. He ate every meal and

asked for seconds and thirds. I have never seen him eat that much in a long

time. It warmed my heart to see him eat, since he eats so little at the nursing

home, because he is such a picky eater. The caregiver was wonderful too and was

always there when Jim needed him, he even helped to clear the dishes and wanted

to cook a little for us also. The caregiver said he has never seen one of his

patients eat as well as Jim does.

I brought Jim back to the nursing home on the bus this afternoon in time for

lunch at the nursing home and he went right back to square one and did not touch

but a few bites of his food. It didn't concern me since Jim ate so well at

home.

Jim did not resist going back to the nursing home and I told him he would be

back home in 4 1/2 days, so he has that to look forward to. I do know he will

probably drive me crazy everyday, thinking it is the day to come home, at least

he has the concept that he will be coming home again soon, but he just has no

understanding of time.

The weekend was a huge success and I am so glad my husband will be home every

weekend. Everyone greeted us when we came back to the nursing home, even Jim's

95 year old friend that has taken to Jim and is his guardian angel when I am not

there and watches over him, wanted to walk him in his wheelchair back to his

room and she took the wheelchair and pushed it all the way down the hall.

Everyone was laughing. She is the character of the nursing home and the Queen

and gets her way a lot. She knows that Jim does not eat at the nursing home well

and she will go into the kitchen and ask for 3 bananas and gives them to Jim

everynight when he doesn't eat well. All Jim's friends were waiting for him and

saying, " welcome back. " He had a smile on his face.

I do have a concern about Jim and had to call his Hospice nurse. Last

Thursday, Jim's left eye was blood red, it looks like a blood vessel broke. I

brought it to the attention of the staff nurse that thought maybe shampoo got

into Jim's eye from the shower he had that morning. But it looked different than

that kind of red to me. The red eye continued through the weekend and the

Hospice nurse said she would meet me on Monday, today, at the nursing home when

we arrived back. She looked at the eye when we got there and called the doctor

to describe it and he thought it could be a virus, so they started eye drops and

the doctor will be in tomorrow to look at it. But the Hospice nurse and I did

not see that Jim's eye pupil is dialated and stuck in that position even in

light. That is how I saw it in the diningroom during lunch the sun was shining

in on him and his pupil was huge and the other eye had a small pupil. The

Hospice nurse had already left the building, so I could

not point this out to her. I called and left a message of what I had seen, and

hopefully the doctor tomorrow will have an answer. I hope it is not serious. The

eye does not bother Jim at all. He didn't know until we all started looking at

it, that there was a problem. He can see too, because I went across the room

and waved and made faces and he could see what I was doing. Unless, it's with

his good eye he sees with. It is so hard to tell and I couldn't get him to hold

his hand over his good eye and tell me what I was doing. I need to get a patch

to put on his good eye and then have him tell me if he sees me doing silly

antics. I will know more from the doctor tomorrow I guess. Has anyone had an

experience with their LO like this?

I'll keep you all informed on how the first few weekends are

going..........Jan

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