Quarantined

 

On Monday night I received a call from The Community* that mom had become more confused.   The night nurse mentioned that they cannot make any sense from what mom is presently saying.  What was most alarming was that mom tried to eat a tissue while she was sitting in her wheelchair around the nurses’ station.  Her nurse immediately tried to stop mom before she choked.  However, mom became angry at the nurse for taking the tissue out of mom’s mouth.

I asked Barb* if she thought I should come over to see mom right now.  She discouraged me from coming over because mom was already in bed and I would be startling her.  Barb* informed me that mom’s doctor ordered a set of labs to be taken from mom tomorrow along with a urine test.  Sometimes when an elderly person has a UTI, they will become confused.

On Tuesday, I called to see how mom was doing.  They had taken her labs, but now mom had a temperature of 100.5. The urine culture takes three days to find out results.  When I mentioned that I would be stopping by Billy* stated that mom’s section is quarantined, they are asking family to stay away if possible.  Billy* promised to call me if there was any change with mom.  I agreed to stay away.

In the next few days mom’s temperature was like a roller coaster going up and down.  I kept phoning to see if The Community* was still quarantined.  The answer was always ‘Yes’.  On Thursday afternoon, even though I knew the quarantine band was still there, I drove over to The Community*.  Since mom is so confused I knew she would not understand the reason she is not seeing me or either of my brothers.  I figured she would just be sad and lonely.  I was right.

When I arrived I found out that the entire building was now quarantined due to upper respiratory virus that was present in several residents throughout the building.  Walking to my mom’s room, I saw many residents in bed.  Mom was in her room in her wheelchair with the nebulizer on and her eyes closed.   I whispered, “Mom, I’m here, I love you.”  She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.  I sat holding her hands until the nurse came in to remove the nebulizer.

I tried to explain to mom about the quarantine even taking her in the hall and showing her that the doors to her hall were closed not wanting outside people to come in. 

Billy* told me that mom has caught the upper respiratory virus.  Mom was uncomfortable.  She tried so hard to tell me things without success.  Mom always wants to pray with me so before I left, we did.  I told mom that she is very loved.  Although mom seems to grow weaker, she still always blows me kisses when I leave and this day was no different.