Following are extracts and summaries from Theresa Lee’s correspondence with the Trustee directors on Father’s latest conditions

Extracts from Email Flash News (23 Nov 2004 11:47 pm)

Fr is a lot better. The Dr came to see him today and was very pleased with him. He has no temperature now and his chest is clear. Dr Connelly said considering what he had gone through, he was in good condition.

The Dr did not prescribe any other medication for him and said that this would happen from time to time. I am glad that he got over it so quickly. Helen was very good, she tried to make him very happy, talking to him a lot and reading newspaper headlines to him, and taking him out of his room briefly to chat with people in the home. She tried to make the days more interesting for him. ....

Extracts from Email Flash News (22 Nov 2004 10:16 pm)

I rang the n/home and spoke to the nurse. Fr is better this morning (Irish time),much better than yesterday.

He was suctioned at 10pm last night and 7am this morning. Other than that he had a good night. He still had a slight temperature. Varian told Helen to do everything slowly and not to rush. So Helen fed Fr with a small spoon and fed him slowly. He had porridge and a cup of hot tea. She then shaved him and gave him a hot orange drink. I told Helen not to give him cold drink.

We are honestly very lucky to have Helen and Carolyn.

Carolyn rang her mother up early this morning and wanted to have news of Fr Deane. And Helen said she woke up a few times last night hoping the morning would come quicker so she could go in to see Fr.

..... Carolyn was very patient and attentive to Fr. It looks like he has pulled through again this time if he does not have another attack this few days. But each attack would make him weaker.

Pls keep praying for him. I will keep you posted.

Extracts from Email Flash News (22 Nov 2004 11:48 am)

Father had a serious breathing difficulty on Sunday morning at about 10 am.  After emergency treatment his conditions remained critical...

Helen was away for the weekend and Carolyn was there in the morning. It was lucky we have her, she reported to the head nurse when she noticed Fr was not well. Apparently he was OK in the morning when the girls got him up. He had a very slight temperature. Carolyn was supposed to leave at 1pm and Eileen to go there about 3 or 4pm. But Carolyn stayed for the whole day. Eileen was informed and she went in too. Fr was very agitated at about 1pm and they sedated him. When Helen returned home about 5pm, and learned that Fr was so bad, she went in straight away to relieve Carolyn. She stayed until 8pm. Fr has got over the worse but was still not OK. ...

Helen tried not to let him swallow too much so she wet his lips very often to give him some liquid. ..... Let's hope he would get over this and I don't have to rush over. I will ring tonight, it would be their morning time and see how he is. Pls pray for him.

Will keep you posted.

EARLIER REPORTS (11 Nov 2004)

SUMMARY:
Father was displaying symptoms of advanced Parkinsons. He has totally lost the ability to care for himself - eating, drinking and moving in his seat (in which he is confined most hours of the day) and even coughing and swallowing will all have to be assisted. Considering the workload of the nursing home staff, Father deteriorating conditions demand the continuation of full daily personal care. 

Observations made by Theresa (early Nov 04):
 

Sometimes he had something in his throat that he could not cough it up. PD patients cannot just do simple things where as for us, it is just an automatic reaction. We generally have to talk him out of those kind of moods. And to encourage him to cough. We could see that he was trying but took a while to do it. Once he had cleared his throat, he would be fine until he was stuck again. This is just one of the many incidents in the life of an advanced PD patient. Everything that they have to do is a chore. And they have to really concentrate to do it. 31/10/04

Fr's condition remained the same, not much better. He is eating very slowly, and Helen is using a small spoon to feed him. Helen said Fr got frightened when he coughed and when he couldn't swallow. He was not happy at all the last few days.28/10/2004

Fr was not well during the weekend. He had a temperature and was suctioned quite a few times. He had difficulty swallowing. It took a long time for Carolyn to feed him on Sat And Sun.  Yesterday morning he had no breakfast as he couldn't swallow at all. He didn't even have a drink of water because of it. Luckily by lunch time he was better so he ate most of his meal and drank 2 glasses of water,he was so thirsty.
If we haven't got the carers, the staff would not have time to wait on him to feed him. Helen and Carolyn must have a very tough time as I find very stressful when I tried to feed him and he didn't eat anything.Helen said his clothes were all wet because he could not swallow and everything kept dripping from his mouth.
The Dr came to see him this morning and said his chest was OK. Helen has been told to put more thickener in his drinks. 26/10/2004