Mom visited this morning

 

645 am - When I woke up this morning and Mom's ceiling bedroom lights were on and her room was flooded with bright, electric light. She was turned on her bed with her face to the wall, deep asleep. The lid to the commode bucket was up and I could see she had a bowel movement.

8 am Mom has had her juice and tea. I could hear her heavy sleepy breathing from her room and then I heard her speaking softly. I wasn't sure if she was awake or asleep. I went into her room and her eyes were open. 

I turned off the lights and emptied the commode bucket. I refilled Mom's water glass and set her morning glass of juice on her bedside table. As I sit quietly reading and writing on the couch, I hear her finish the juice. 

"Do you want me to adjust the bed, Mom?" I asked.

"Yes. Mom visited this morning." She replied.

A little later, I hear an odd sound from her room and hasten to see what is happening. Mom is up on her feet, rummaging in a basket on her bookshelf. She picks up a letter from her grandson and hands it to me, turning at the same time as I herd her back onto the bed. Her slipper catches on the base of her bedside table and she stumbles a bit. I catch her and ease her over to sit on the bed. She lays back down. 

"You mean Grandma Jones was visiting you this morning?"

"Yes." Mom smiled, very relaxed.

These stumbles, losses of balance, or simply having her legs unable to support her weight, these moments have happened at least 4 times in the last week when they were extremely rare up until now. Mom has had one fall since she moved in November, 2021. We have been very careful about that.

"That must have been very nice for you." I gently put my hand on her shoulder.

"Yes it was." Mom settled back for a little more sleep before breakfast.

Now we need to be vigilant every time she is on her feet. There is also the fact that we can't be there every time she is on her feet because she will get up and move around her room and her suite when we can't hear her or we are momentarily elsewhere.

I can hear her slow, steady breathing again from her room.

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