Yesterday I asked Penny if she had anything particular she wanted to do or have happen in the next few days. Her response was that she would like to have the door and window open near her bed.
I’m not sure if she had picked up from conversation that the hot humid weather had ended and that yesterday and today were much nicer for opening doors and windows than the previous days had been, but in any case, it has been two great days for open windows.
Yesterday morning we had a bird singing just outside the window, and when the breeze blows Penny can hear her wind chimes better with the window open. I also moved one of the potted plants to a location that she can see through the french door. We picked out the plant at Romence Gardens in the spring and it has turned into a small bush of red and green leaves.
Although we have been enjoying the nice weather and the open doors, things have not been as peaceful as they were on Monday. There have been peaceful periods each day, but also parts of each day (and night) where she has been less comfortable. Often this makes her restless as she tries to figure out some way to get more comfortable. Twice this week she has had a fever in the night. But both times the fever went down within a couple hours after taking Tylenol.
There have been no major changes, just gradual decline. We have reduced the rate and volume of the IV fluids – she’s now getting about half what she had been getting prior to this week. We have not gone farther than a few steps from the bed, and even that requires more and more assistance. Breakfast continues to be the best meal of the day, and she usually wakes in the morning with some idea of what she would like to have. Usually it’s fried eggs on rice, but yesterday she wanted cream of wheat, and a couple days ago she had an omelet. Most days recently she has also had a little bit for either lunch or supper, but not both. Conversations with visitors have become shorter, and sometimes she doesn’t really wake up.