2024 Life Logs, Day 216: A Good First Full Day at Autumn Care
Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Heavy Rain Late; High Temp 89, Low 69 degrees F
Location: At Home with Nephew Tommy & Marilou in Huntersville, NC
Today was a good first day for Patsy at Autumn Care. I came early to make sure she ate breakfast and at 9:30 Tommy arrived for second shift. We knew she was going to have a PT evaluation today, and we wanted to make sure one of us was here for that. Since I had an appointment with the cable television representative at Terra Bella at 10 and I also needed to shop for some night gowns and long sleeved shirts for Patsy, I left Tommy in charge. Terra Bella is no longer providing cable tv and Patsy’s service was supposed to be switched over to the new one on Thursday. But when I was there yesterday, I tried to turn on the television and there was nada. Evidently someone came on the 1st but found no one home and left. I had called and told them no one would be there, but evidently the message did not get to the technician. It is now slated to be installed this Thursday and one of Patsy’s Home Helpers will have to oversee that.
I went to Target, TJ Max, and Belk’s (I had already been to Kohl’s) and I found nothing that Patsy could use as a night gown. The only place left was Walmart and there I found success. Then it was back to Autumn Care to be greeted by Tommy who said I was going to be very happy when I walked into Patsy’s room. And, indeed, I was. I had left her in bed, still in her hospital gown. She was sitting up in a walker, dressed in her pants and one of her signature Columbia shirts. Tommy was right. I was ecstatic. Between PT and OT, they got her up and into the bathroom so she could brush her teeth at the sink and be given a wash down on the shower seat. I have been saying all week that I believe in miracles. She sat in the wheelchair all day, visited with Brian and Judy Thompson this afternoon when we stopped in the dining area where Brian made coffee for her and then we took her for a wheelchair ride all around the building. It is a building with very nice facilities. The gym is great and there is an Activity Rooms, rooms for private dining with your family, a Family Room, a lovely Living Room, and outside fountains at the end of each wing. It is clean and the staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. At least it looks that way at this point. I think Patsy has the strength to do the job. We just have to make sure she has the support to keep her spirits up. Full recovery isn’t going to be easy. But I feel I have done everything I can to get the ball rolling, so late this afternoon I made a reservation to fly to Boston tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed with my Shadow beside me. I will return here when Patsy is transferred back to Terra Bella to oversee that transition. But for now, I really feel the need to get home and let the village here take over from here.
I am writing this at Autumn Care. It is 10 pm and there is a torrential down pour outside. It has been raining like this for 30 minutes. I keep thinking there will be a break. If not, I guess I’ll have to brave the rain to get to the car, but I am not sure I could see to drive. It is raining that hard.
