Mary Sue Sullivan

The blog devoted to keeping you informed about Ms. Sue.

[marysuesullivan]

A New Facility. A New Chapter.

After much thought and prayer, we moved mom to a long-term facility today. It was not an easy decision - in fact, a very difficult one, but the truth is that even though mom has made leaps and bounds in recovery, she still needs much more assistance than we can provide at home. It was a sobering reality for me; I always assumed she would live with us. We got her into a great facility, connected to a hospital. It was built two years ago, and I know several of the staff members personally. I feel very comfortable with her being there. The staff was very welcoming when we took her today. It was five months ago tomorrow that mom had the aneurysm and stroke. Since that time, mom has been at UMC for critical care, another hospital to care for her until the trach was removed, a rehabilitation facility, and now an extended stay facility. My wife and I have faced many challenging decisions. I will continue to update you about mom, but for now, the posts will be much less frequent. You can also visit my personal blog [here](http://joshlsullivan.com "Josh Sullivan") [link] to stay up to date about others things happening with me and my family.

[marysuesullivan]

I took mom to the doctor yesterday. It was a simple procedure to test her swallowing and gag reflexes. Her swallowing has greatly improved, although she is still dependent upon the PEG tube for adequate nutrition. Her physical healing/progression has slowed over the past month or so, but she still continues to show improvements in various areas, such as moving her left arm. There are times she is more alert than others, but her mind, in some respects, remained intact and sharp. One last note, my aunt, my mom's sister, suffers from a disease - not sure about the name. She was diagnosed with it quite a while ago, but it has only gotten worse, particularly in the last few months. We believe her time is short. We appreciate your continued prayers as our family adjusts to many difficulties and changes. Thank you, Josh

[marysuesullivan]

Mom, it seems, has slowed in her progression, which is neither good or bad. The largest part now is just accepting where she is - knowing this is how she will be from now on. Her left side is still weak, with little to no use from her arm. She knows me, but it is difficult for her to recognize a lot of other people. Please pray for continued healing, and I should have more information to come once I meet with the medical staff this week. Josh

[marysuesullivan]

We took mom on a small trip to see my college roommate and his family. I think she really enjoyed getting out of the facility for a little while. Mentally, she seems to grow stronger and stronger. I can often see glimpses of mom and how she was before the aneurysm. She is growing stronger physically too. She still can't move her left arm very well, but she is gaining strength in her left leg.

[marysuesullivan]

The Speech Therapist, Holly, just called me about mom. She has changed mom's food from a puree consistency to a thicker one. But the best news is that she is writing an order to hold ALL tube feedings for a while to see how well mom will eat. If mom eats a consistent 75% of her food, then they will remove the tube feeding. This is very exciting news! Thank you all for your care, concerns, and prayer. Josh

[marysuesullivan]

Yesterday was a rough day for mom. The staff told me that she had spent most of the afternoon crying. When I sat on her bed, I realized that she was not aware of where she was or why. I explained the situation to her, like I had a dozen times before, and she said one of the most heartbreaking things to me: “Why don’t I know this?” This morning was very different. I walked past her room, and she was not there. I walked back to therapy in time to see the Physical Therapist helping mom to walk. It was a great moment to see my mom come so far over these months. As always, I will keep y’all posted.

[marysuesullivan]

I know it's been a while since my last update. Mom continues to show signs of progress - slow but steady. She recognizes me when I walk into the room, and there are times that we talk about familiar things. As I was leaving today, she told me to "Be careful!" as she always had. It reminded me of the way mother was before the aneurysm. Thank you for your continued messages and calls - cares and concerns. Josh

[marysuesullivan]

First Outing Since the Aneurysm

The 1st was my aunt's birthday, and since mom has not been on an outing since the aneurysm, Shannon and I thought a trip to Magee would be the perfect surprise. My aunt was completely surprised, and my almost the whole family came by at some point to say "Hello" to mom. Mom, herself, really enjoyed it. I know tomorrow she may not remember it, but today was a blast. I could tell she needed a change since the past couple of days have been difficult for her and the staff at the facility. She had really grown restless and was lashing out at the staff. Since today was such a joyous occasion, I think we will plan for more outings! Such a great day. Josh

[marysuesullivan]

Mom seems to enjoy her stay at the nursing home during this time of rehabilitation. The staff is very nice, and the rehab team works with her for 3 hours a day 5 days a week. There are times that she seems incredibly coherent, and there are days, like yesterday, that is difficult to discern what she is saying. I am very thankful for where mom is now. No longer is she fighting to stay alive. Now, our primary focus is gaining mental and physical strength. Thank you, again, for all your thoughts, prayers, calls, and messages. Josh

[marysuesullivan]

I am just returning from getting married. I have been in constant contact with the nursing home. During my time away, mom has shown improvements in some areas and not in others. One of the biggest concerns I have is her restlessness at night. This greatly impacts her therapy during the day. Please pray that she can rest during the day so that therapy will be incredibly effective. On another note, mom's oldest and one of her dearest friends died today of a heart attack. Jeanette Strahan called me almost everyday to check on mom. I spoke to Mrs. Jeanette yesterday. She died this morning. Please pray for the Strahan family. Thank you.

[marysuesullivan]

Mom is in the new facility and seems to be responding well. I have been in contact with the staff, as they assess her and develop a plan-of-action. I will keep you posted about her progress.

[marysuesullivan]

Mom is moving.

Mom has gotten to the point to where she is moving from a hospital setting to a place for rehabilitation. I am enrolling her in a skilled nursing home facility, where they will work with her every day to improve motor and cognitive skills. The purpose of doing this is to increase her abilities to the point of moving her to Methodist Rehabilitation. I covet your prayers in several ways. First, a nursing home setting goes by the same guidelines as if she was home. If she doesn't want to eat, they won't "force" her. This time of rehabilitation depends solely on mom's willingness to participate. Please pray that, although she does not understand everything that is happening, she would be willing and happy to participate in what they ask of her. Secondly, placing mom in another facility was a huge decision for me. Please pray that this facility will serve her needs to the fullest. I hope they take great care of mom and grow to love her. Lastly, I will be absent for a significant portion of mom's therapy, including the transition to the new facility. Please pray for me as I say "I do" to the most wonderful woman and we go on our honeymoon. Mom will be on my mind, but I pray for peace to enjoy my time with Shannon. Thank you so much. I know mom appreciates your thoughts and kindness, even if she can't verbalize it at this point. Josh

[marysuesullivan]

For the past few days, mom has been trying to piece together information. She will ask about random people. Many of the names I can recognize but many of them are unfamiliar - maybe even to her. The difficulty of the situation is not the questions but the frustration we both experience. There are times when she will cry or get incredibly frustrated when we can't answer a question or comply with a command. In many ways, I can understand. She is in an unfamiliar place, and at times, she doesn't recognize anyone. She is trying to make sense of it all. With mom, there are two types of patience we must have: the patience for healing and the patience for day-to-day interactions. I find it difficult at times to remind myself that healing continues. The confusion, frustration, and misunderstanding is a product of tremendous brain trauma. Her brain has experienced much less than two months ago. Wow! It's hard to believe that she has come so far in such a short amount of time.

[marysuesullivan]

Mom had quite a feast today... mashed potatoes, roast beef, pudding, and sweet tea.

[marysuesullivan]

Today was a huge day for mom. She passed the barium swallow test. What that means is that she is showing drastic improvements in swallowing - lowering her dependence upon the feeding (PEGG) tube.

[marysuesullivan]

Mom continues to show signs of improvement. Therapy is working with her on a daily basis to improve motor and memory skills. She still has difficulty speaking at times and remembering is a bit of a challenge. She is still in a hospital setting and not a rehabilitation one. I am working to get her into a facility that will focus primarily on rehabilitation. At this point, the focus in not on maintaining her physical wellbeing through constant nursing care but on restoring her health through physical and mental exercising. I will continue to keep everyone posted.

[marysuesullivan]

Today began a bit discouragingly. Mom had a hard time remembering me. Occupational Therapy came and got her into a wheelchair. That was a first. After that - getting out of the bed and sitting up for the first time - she was more alert and more herself. During that time, she saw Speech Therapy, and they helped her eat about a third of a Popsicle. This is significant b/c she is showing signs of swallowing after the trach. She stayed in the wheelchair for 2 hours and 45 minutes! Something I started only a couple of years ago is praying with my mom. For the first time since the aneurysm, I asked my mom if I could pray with her. What did she do? She closed her eyes. What a joy! I am considering mom's next move in healthcare and will keep y'all informed. Thank you for your care and concern.