Vickie was treated to a nice dinner at a friend’s home this evening. She was in a good mood during the meal.

Vickie had what has become a normal day with some lucid moments and times when things were not so good.

Vickie was in fairly good spirits today. On several occasions she lapsed in to her anxious state but not for long periods of time. Sometimes a distraction can bring her back around.

Vickie continues in her up and down condition. No noticeable improvement today.

For the last two weeks or so Vickie’s behavior has been, at best erratic. Times of unusual coherency interspersed with episodes of anxiety, in which she refuses to eat or relate appropriately to those around her. This morning followed the regular pattern in that she wasn’t able to eat breakfast. This evening Vickie was talkative, much more than normal, had a good dinner and made remarks that indicated she was beginning to be more aware of her situation.

Vickie’s appetite increased a little today but not enough to eliminate the tube feeding.
She spent the afternoon of both weekend days at her sisters’ homes.

Vickie continues to experience repeated agitation episodes. She is unable to feed herself enough to maintain proper nourishment; so she is being fed liquid food thru her gastro tube.

Vickie’s condition remains the same. There were no improvements today.

There were no significant changes in Vickie’s situation today.

Vickie’s condition changed very little today other than the negative episodes were less intense than in previous days.

Today Vickie seems to be cycling between an unusually high level of alertness and then to a subdued frenzy where she repeats the some complaints for hours at a time. The change in her behavior happens suddenly and without an apparent reason.

All went well with the tube procedure this afternoon. Vickie probably won’t notice much difference but her caregivers will find the new improved one makes it easier to dress and move her without the tube hanging out and getting in the way.
Vickie is having more times when she is very alert and responsive. She can regress at other times, which can be disheartening for those around her.

This afternoon Vickie went with one sister to visit another sister who had surgery last week.
In the morning Vickie will travel to MHMC to have her gastro tube replaced.
She has the same one since her original hospitalization in June of 2004. It is suspected to be a possible site of infection.

After spending the afternoon at a sister’s home Vickie was treated to a nice dinner. She was good company this evening.

This evening, for the first time in a while, Vickie was able to dine out with old friends.
The Dr. believes Vickie has another infection, so a new anti-biotic was prescribed. It never ends.

A good day for Vickie.

A visit from a grandson brightened Vickie’s day. A sister brought dinner this evening.

Vickie had another pleasant day. A sister brought her a nice dinner.
It’s been one year since Vickie left the skilled nursing facility for the last time. January 31st of 2005 she went to the R.I.O. for therapy, which was intended to ease the transition of returning home to stay. The therapy, like every other task she attempted, was disrupted by the ever-present nausea episodes. That problem has been entirely absent for six months. Some of the things Vickie did a year ago that we considered remarkable then are now ordinary everyday events not deemed noteworthy.

Vickie had a quiet day with no new or serious problems.

Spending the afternoon at another sister's home today Vickie hit the trifecta with her third free dinner in a row.

Vickie scored another free dinner after spending the afternoon with a sister.

Vickie visited a sister’s home this evening, a free dinner was included and all went well.

There was no noticeable change in Vickie’s situation today.

Just a fairly normal day for Vickie.

Vickie’s blood thinner level was back in the acceptable range, tests showed today. A possible reaction with a vitamin supplement might have been the cause of the previous dangerous reading.

Vickie paid a visit to a sister’s this afternoon, had dinner before returning home.

Vickie ate well today; she especially enjoyed her Mexican take-out dinner this evening.
No other changes or improvements were apparent.

There was no noticeable improvement in Vickie’s condition today.

The new medication Vickie started taking this week doesn’t seem to be helping. There also appears to be some minor negative side affects, but it might be coincidence. We will wait a few more days for the desired results to materialize before making a decision whether or not to continue with this drug.

Vickie was quiet today, not feeling her best.

There were no apparent changes in Vickie’s condition today, which is probably a good thing.

Vickie’s neuro-surgeon determined from scans taken today that the shunt inserted in December is now doing its job properly.
Vickie will begin taking a new medication to alleviate the neck pain she constantly complains of.
The appetite is still good.

Vickie’s appetite returned today as if nothing had happened. It’s possible the surprisingly elevated blood thinner status could be responsible. We might have a better idea after a few more days when the level drops below the preferred limit. Sometimes fixing one problem creates another.

Over the last few days, for reasons unknown Vickie’s appetite has gone away. She seems to be withdrawing again as she has in the past.

A routine test showed an unexpected problem. Vickie’s medication will be adjusted and she will be rechecked in a week.

Vickie’s condition was unchanged today.

Vickie seems to be staying at a constant level, without any serious problems.

No apparent changes in Vickie's behavior or condition today.

Vickie had a good day, still without any serious problems. The absence of the previous medical issues is starting to be taken for granted.

A visit from a close friend and then off to spend the afternoon with a sister made a good Sunday for Vickie.

Vickie spent the afternoon with a sister. Some quality TV watching and dinner before returning home. All is going as well as could be expected for now.

Sleeping, eating and listening to her music makes up Vickie’s day now.

Vickie is keeping with her regular routine. No serious problems to contend with for now.

Another normal day for Vickie.

Vickie’s appetite is still very good. The persistent infection is not causing symptoms that seriously hinder her behavior.

Vickie seems to have established a routine of having a good breakfast and snacking thru the afternoon until dinnertime. She spent the afternoon at a sister’s and wangled a free dinner before returning to her own home.

Vickie spent the afternoon at the home of friends and former neighbors for an annual New Years Day get-together. She ate her share of goodies and visited with friends who hadn’t seen her for quite a while.

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Vickie spent much of the day with her sisters, including a visit to one sister’s home during the afternoon. A takeout Mexican dinner was enjoyed later. No late New Years partying this year.

There was little noteworthy change in Vickie’s condition today.

The anti-biotic Vickie has been taking was changed today to see if it would give better results.

All signs now seem to point to better days ahead for Vickie. The infection is still present and being treated, but it doesn’t appear to be having much negative effect on her behavior.

Vickie continues to do well.

Great appetite today. Vickie had a pleasant day, good interaction and conversation. We may be on an upswing.

Vickie had a good day. Eating well and responding to others.

Although Vickie slept more than usual today, she was in good form for the yearly Christmas Eve get-together with family at sister’s home. Snacking and conversing, the interaction was hearting. It was quite a difference from last year when she made an impromptu visit, surprising her host, while leaving the nursing facility for her first social excursion.

Vickie started on another round of anti-biotic to treat the infection that won’t go away.
She is looking forward to Christmas eve and all that goes with it.

A small increase in her appetite was a good sign for Vickie today. Tests show that the infection she was being treated for is still present and could be part of her ongoing problem.

Again Vickie’s condition has changed very little. At times she seems much improved only to regress later without any apparent reason.

While Vickie’s cognitive ability and appetite have not returned to the mid-October level, she is still slowly improving. Meals are an off and on situation, interrelated to the pain she feels at times.

Vickie’s condition remained unchanged for today.

Vickie was a sleepy head today. She ate a light breakfast much later than usual.
The hair has been an issue since the last surgery, so daughter-in-law/hairdresser visited and gave Vickie a trim. We are back to the “punk look”, just when she was starting to look like her old self.

Vickie improved some today; she ate a good-sized breakfast and snacked during the day and into the evening. The neck pain seems to come and go with no consistent pattern or explaination

There was little improvement in Vickie’s condition today. While having a small meal or snack, she will experience pain in her head or neck and then refuse to eat any more. If the new shunt isn’t somehow related to this problem we are stymied for now.

Vickie gained a little appetite back today but still not where we would like to see it. She was a little more alert and expressive

The neurosurgeon ordered a CAT scan for Vickie this afternoon. After examining the scan results, he thinks the shunt is working properly and that Vickie’s problems are not related to the last surgery.

Vickie’s malaise continues on today. We have no idea what is behind this reversal in her condition.

After several days of improvement, Vickie reverted back to her pre-surgery self today, refusing to eat and not being very cognizant. Not sure of the cause of this problem.

The latest development is Vickie’s increased awareness of what and who is around her. She is making comments and observations about things she didn’t seem to notice before.

Vickie continues to show signs of improvement. She was able to interact reasonably well with the grandchildren when they paid her a short visit this morning.

Vickie’s appetite is still good, she eats a small breakfast and small dinner.
The pain complaints seem to come and go and are treated with mild medication.

Vickie still has her appetite and is alert much of the time. She still complains of various pains but not as much as before this last surgery. Now if we could figure out what to do about her hair.

The surgeon gave Vickie the “all clear” to leave LEH today after a CAT scan showed that the new shunt was draining properly.
She returned home this evening and immediately had a small dinner. She was somewhat talkative, all of this being very different behavior from that of the last month. We will know more tomorrow when any pain medications, administered in the hospital wear off.

Vickie’s neurosurgeon inserted the new shunt this afternoon. The surgery took several hours. Vickie is recuperating this evening and will remain hospitalized until we are reasonably sure of no major complications. Unfortunately she had to lose much of the hair that had taken a year and a half to regrow.

Vickie will go to LEH tomorrow to have the shunt implanted. Hopefully this will resolve some of her ongoing problems.

Another good day, still some problems but not as severe as has been the case in the last few weeks.

Vickie is showing more improvement each day. A hearty appetite [for her] and much more alert and interactive with others.

Vickie seemed to do better today. Her appetite is improving and her overall condition is progressing. The cold symptoms are almost gone, so she was spared a serious problem there.

Vickie will return to LEMC next week to have a shunt inserted where the previous troublesome one was.
She had a little better appetite today but still nowhere near what it should be.

As per her neurosurgeon’s instructions, Vickie went to the ED at MHMC this afternoon. It is possible that she will need to have the drain tube that was removed last summer reinserted. They believe she has an excess of fluid around her brain and the pressure might be causing her neck and head pain.

Vickie had more tests plus a CAT scan this afternoon to rule out possible problems that might be preventing her recovery.

There was no significant improvement in Vickie's condition today.

Vickie's condition seemed to improve today. She had a little more appetite and stayed more alert.

No change or improvement in Vickie's condition today.

Vickie is still without much appetite. She complains of neck and head pain constantly and refuses to eat.

The cold symptoms seem to be taking their toll on Vickie. Very little appetite and listless most of the day. She has chest congestion and head cold problems.

Vickie was more alert today, still not up to her best, but much improved from just a few days ago.

Vickie was quiet again today, but she became more alert and hungry this evening.
An aggressive anti-biotic was started this afternoon; hopefully it will have positive results.

Tests today determined the antibiotic Vickie is taking for her latest infection is not having success. A more aggressive medication has been prescribed. She remains listless, with no appetite.

The cold Vickie is suffering from kept her quiet and without any appetite today.

Vickie ate a good breakfast. Later in the day she seemed more tired and lost her appetite. She was experiencing some discomfort before her bedtime, possibly symptoms of the cold she has.

Vickie was quieter today, probably because of the cold she is suffering. There is considerable lung congestion, which is always troubling for someone with her limited mobility. She still managed to eat well, so very little reduction in her appetite.

Despite having a cold, Vickie, otherwise had a good day. She ate several good size meals and was more talkative.

Vickie's condition continues to improve. Better appetite and more alertness during the day. She started coughing and sneezing tonight so here we go again.

Vickie is starting to show signs of improvement. She is eating more and sleeping less during the day.
A visit to the surgeon this afternoon went well, he is satisfied with Vickie's wound healing progress.
A new problem may be coming, Vickie's two primary caregivers have serious cold type illness, undoubtedly she has already been exposed.

Tests today determined Vickie is suffering from an infection, probably contracted while in the hospital but not connected to the surgery.

After Vickie ate a good breakfast this morning,
she spent much of the rest of the day sleeping.

Vickie started the day better than she has in some time. She ate a small breakfast and this evening she continued to eat more. She was also more alert and responsive than she has been for a while.

Vickie ate a little today, but still not enough to sustain herself.

There was no change if Vickie's condition today.

Vickie continues to be lethargic and eats little of the meals offered to her.