Yesterday, I asked kaylasmom if she would be willing to go for the blood work, just in case she changes her mind in the next week and a half. She said “No,” so I went ahead and served her breakfast. Later in the day, I asked her if she wanted me to call the orthopedist and just cancel the surgery officially. She did, so I did. Scheduled a visit in four weeks to have the cast removed.
In the meantime, kaylasmom is finding it very difficult to find a comfortable position in bed. MAYBE if the question of surgery doesn’t come up for a few more days, the discomfort will inspire her to change her mind about it (I won’t fraudulently forge her signature on a consent form, but I don’t have a problem with manipulating her a little). I don’t have high hopes that this will work, especially since the window for even DOING the surgery is closing soon (Labor Day will mark the third week since the ankle was immobilized, and my understanding is that by the fourth week, there will have been too much healing), but it’s worth saving the lab work and CXR orders for another week in case it does.
Kaylasmom is spending nearly ALL of her time in bed now, and she’s being more cooperative about letting me put her into the wheelchair for going to the dining table. I got her a bedside commode a while back, and she’s gotten pretty good about using it without assistance. The biggest problem with that is that, a few years ago, she started having bowel incontinence problems at unpredictable times, including in the bed, so she’s taken to wearing Depends at all times. Pulling down the Depends (without putting weight on the ankle) so she can use the commode is a little tricky, but eventually she should master it. Last night when I went to work, I just took off the Depends to make it easier for her. Her only bowel movement had been a little golf ball-sized turd about four days ago, so I felt it was an acceptable risk.
Thing is, she’s been having a VERY poor appetite for a couple of days, and she’s complaining of an upset stomach, and refusing to take her meds, which includes a Percocet at least twice (and up to four times) per day, for pain in her shoulder. So last night, while I was at work, the removal of the opioids also apparently removed their constipating side effect. When I got home, she had a very satisfactory collection of stools in the commode (which I dumped out). She wasn’t remembering to grab her TP off the nightstand, though, so I had to clean her with a damp washcloth. Then I found a wire coat hanger and sculpted a TP holder to hang on the side of her commode. Good thing, too, because her bowels began to make up for lost time, and she had to go several more times today. Once, she just missed getting out of bed in time to save the sheets and her robe. The robe went into the laundry for cleaning, but I was able to spot-clean the sheets (which I had only put on two days ago) successfully, so I put her in another Depends and back to bed.
Another thing that complicates this is that she hates being in bed alone, so she wants me in the bed with her as much as is possible. She tends to be a light sleeper, and it’s difficult to get out of the bed and accomplish anything without her complaining that she doesn’t want to be left alone (in point of fact, I’m sort of playing hooky from the bed as I write this, using the excuse that I’m feeding the cat and the dog, and preparing to make dinner). I’ve pushed it for about as long as I safely can, now, so I’ma hit “submit reply” and join her in bed for an hour.
ETA: Thanks all, for being there for me.