=>Moving =>Mom

Time Session Began:  1800 Duration of Session:  1hr 20 min
Exercise	Reps	Sets	Comments
ISL	15 + 5	2	Worked on getting weights higher; pushing elbows back; good improvement.
KI	15 + 5	2	Noticeable improvement; she kicked higher of her own accord. Right leg is improving significantly.
LU	15 + 5	2	Still breaks right wrist a little when coming to rest at shoulder.
KNI	15 + 5	2	Excellent!
FO1	15 + 5	2	Worked on keeping elbows in.
SDS	20	1	Continuing to alternate legs, doing both legs at same time. Told me, today, that she gets tired in her shins on this one.
FO2	15 + 5	2	Still drops right hand at wrist a little, but not the left, anymore.
TDS	20 + 5	2	Excellent!
F2S	10 + 5 + 5	3	Yesterday did 4 sets of 5; today did 3 sets with 10 in first set. She's holding her arms straight throughout the exercise without prompting, today! Hooray!
SSS	15 + 5 (L) 10 + 5 + 5 (R)	2/3	Lifting when stepping is still hard for her, especially on the right. Broke the right into 3 sets, as noted above.
AC	10 + 5	2	Arms are straightening; she admitted to a problem with the right arm.
MIP	20 + 5	2	Left knee lags in lift, but she's getting better.
FC	15 + 5	2	Explained philosophy behind gripping weight and not relaxing muscles at the drop; showed her, with my muscles, what she was doing, how the muscles look (or, rather, don't look) and what she should be doing and how the muscles should look through the skin, how her muscles should be contracted throughout the entire exercise, and gripping the weight helps one to do this.
SDST	20 + 5	2	Noticed her balance shift was a little ungainly; checked the position of the chairs; that's not it. So, I figure it's just her. Didn't call her on it, yet.
IACR	10 + 5	2	A little trouble with sweeping across her body, today.
TDST	15 + 5	2	Good!
IACL	10 + 5	2	See IACL - left and right arms sequentially; will probably continue this instead of splitting the arms' performances, from now on.
STS	5 + 2	2	She was game for this one again, today. Noticed she's not turning head and shoulders with body. Coached her verbally and with my demonstration on this, but will work on it next time.
SSST	5 + 5 + 5 + 5	4	Isolated the movements for her as, the primary movement being the lifting of the leg with the thigh, the secondary movement being swinging the lifted leg to the side. She's lifting her calf at the knee; I told her, no, lift from the thigh and the calf with follow, you won't have to use your knee at all.
BD	15 + 5	2	Excellent! Picked up weights correctly without being prompted and held arms straight up in the air! She said, "I felt that one, today!"
NSGP	5	1	Said she "felt it" in the back of her right knee. I told her, "Good, as long as it's not pain, then that's the area you need strengthening." Coached her on body stance, keeping buttocks and lower abdomen in and tight, holding torso absolutely erect when going down and coming up.

    Truthfully, today, I didn't think we were going to get an exercise session in. But, when she awoke from her nap she seemed very rested and alert, I suggested a session about a half hour later and she agreed, much to my surprise, although she also reminded me that she walkered today and, "is a session really necessary?"
    No, I said, it isn't, "but why don't we just take it exercise by exercise and when you get tired, we'll stop?"
    She agreed.
    As it turns out, we went through the whole program. I even mentioned, halfway through, "Isn't it funny how, when you think you don't want to move, once you start moving, you realize that's what you want to do?"
    She smiled brightly, "I was just thinking that same thing!"
    Today her endurance showed remarkable improvement. She didn't need to sit between each standing exercise.
    I decided, today, to explain to her why, when we began, I didn't spend any time on correction but now I spend a lot of time correcting her. I told her that, frankly, when we began, I wasn't sure how capable she'd be of correction, whether her 87 year old body would be "willing" to take correction, whether it was even capable of correct movement anymore. I was very frank with her about this. I told her that it is a revelation to me to attend her at these exercise sessions because, aside from me exercising, too, I am, every day, literally, every single day, surprised and heartened how much one can expect from an aged body, and, as well, an aged body that hasn't been very mobile for a long, long time. I apologized for my previously low expectations, as well, and told her I would try hard not to lower my expectations of her unless I give it a lot of thought, discuss lowering expectations with her and think, first, of alternative ways to accomplish the same goal.
    "So," I said, "I'm trying hard to make sure I get both corrective feedback and congratulatory feedback in. Remember, it's a good thing that I'm correcting you, not just because you'll get more out of the exercises, but because that means I think you can do it. Start to worry when I no longer correct you!"
    She understood.

...yet, but I wanted to talk a bit about the walkering Mom did today. I was really impressed.
    We had to make a trip to Costco, today, running out of supplies, again (we simply don't have the room to store back-ups). Normally, Mom is not enthusiastic about going to Costco, but she was this morning. I think it was simply that she was enthusiastic to move. Preparation for the shopping trip took so little time and was so "painless" (for me), that I actually don't remember anything about getting Mom ready.
    I decided that I was not going to bother her about her walkering style, not even a little. I broke that vow to myself only twice, and both times it was a good idea. The first time, she got herself into a jam with a couple of carts and was determined to plow the walker through the jam. The second time, she was trying to walker as she reached for a sample and the walker got away from her because she was moving so far behind it. Although she still tends to walker too far back and hunch over the machine, she's getting much better: Part of the reason is that she's gaining confidence with it; the other part is that when we're out and about it's easy for her to keep her head up and her eyes forward, which tends to straighten her out.
    As usual, all the supplies we needed were at each of three corners of the store and the fourth corner was loaded with Christmas supplies and gifts, so Mom insisted on wandering through there on her own while I collected salad greens and blueberries. I was delighted that Mom was walkering so much on her own, taking off, not bothering to check to see where I was (since she knows I'm always keeping my eye on her).
    Throughout the entire time in the store she never once sat on her walker, complained of back pain (although I asked her a couple of times if her back was bothering her), nor did she pant or, for that matter slow down. This is important because, once again, today, I forgot to pack oxygen in the car and didn't realize it until we'd made our way through about a third of the store and were standing in front of the flower bin trying to decide whether to buy some today or wait until after our trip to Mesa, tomorrow. A man with an oxygen tank slung over his shoulder angled beside us to admire the flowers. I thought, "Good, she'll see someone else with oxygen," turned to see if she was noticing the man, then realized she didn't have her oxygen with her. "Mom," I said, "are you short of breath or winded?"
    "No, why?"
    "I haven't noticed you panting, either."
    "No. I'm fine." She sounded almost indignant.
    "Well, guess what, I forgot your oxygen, again, and you seem to be perfectly fine without it."
    She gave me that look, the one where I realize she trusts her short term memory loss more than she trusts me, and said, "Well, of course I'm fine without it!"
    Okay. Not a problem. Literally.
    On the way home I continued to marvel, silently, about how simply quitting smoking had completely turned Mom's declining energy and health around. I remembered, some months ago, when her FT asked her if she was ever going to quit smoking. Mom didn't answer, just smiled, and the FT laughed and said, "Not in this lifetime!"
    That's what I thought, back then, too. How people can surprise us. Granted, if she'd had a choice she wouldn't have quit, and, granted, as well, if her memory was better her quitting wouldn't be a success, it would simply have been a minor annoyance that she'd had to quit at both the hospital and SNF and she would have continued immediately upon leaving both facilities.
    Lately, I've been wondering if all of these wonderful things that are happening for and to her, now, would have been happening sooner if she'd lived in one of my other sister's homes where they would not have allowed her to smoke. Maybe. Maybe a lot of things that have happened over the past 4 years in regards to periods of failing health would never have happened if she'd been with someone else in our family. I know better than to question the past, but, it's hard not to spend a little time in reflection. Of course, I came up with no conclusions except that, well, we'll never know.
    I just hope that the best I can do for my mother is the best she can receive. I let her smoke as long as I could because I believed that I would have been denying a part of her intrinsic character if I tyrannically made her quit. A time came, though, when it became clear that, from a health point of view, not giving her a chance to work with that intrinsic part of her character and change one detail upon which it hung was tantamount to allowing another intrinsic part of her character, the part that allows her to believe that "everything will be fine, nothing needs to change, this is not hurting me", to take over and run her right into the ground, literally. I hope I made the right choice when I continued to allow her to smoke. The evidence seems to be indicating that I certainly made the right choice when her back-to-back stays in the medical facilities pretty much took away her smoking habit and I decided to make sure it wasn't reinstated.
    And, today, my mother took off and did Costco, walkering only a few feet behind the champs and without oxygen. I can't wait for our future to unwind before us as we walk into it. Together.

Time Session Began:  1330 Duration of Session:  1hr 5min
Exercise	Reps	Sets	Comments
ISL	15 + 5	2	Work still needed on keeping elbows in, but good. Did as two sets, no additional reps.
KI	15 + 5	2	No comments.
LU	15 + 5 (new reps)	2	Upped this by starting a new set with 5 additional reps. Second set performed wonderfully. Kept elbows up, even at beginning.
KNI	15 + 5	2	She did so well on this, I decided to check and see if she can lift both knees together with feet off ground; only barely, but she can lift them about 3/4 of an inch.
FO1	15 + 5 (new reps)	2	Still working on elbows in and not breaking wrists at the shoulder. She asked, today, what this one is for, with that "What the hell?!?" vocal attitude of hers. I explained that it helps strengthen, among other things, the upper chest muscles so that she'll hold her head more erect. She was fascinated with this idea.
SDS	20	1	Was really working it; I'll up sets and reps tomorrow.
FO2	15 + 5 (new reps)	2	She's beginning to work on keeping elbows up in air, thus she forgets and breaks her wrists at the bottom of the move, but didn't bother her about this; she'll get it all together. She complained about her arms getting tired, today. Good, I said. That means it's working. After I said that, she did the last 5 with elan.
TDS	20 + 5 (new reps)	2	Very good.
F2S	5 + 5 + 5 + 5 (new reps)	4	Excellent form, really did it right, really felt it. Did the 20 reps as sets of 5; excellent responsiveness to this.
SSS	15 + 5 (new reps)	2	Lifting legs from thigh both going on and coming still hard for her; told her if she returned her foot flat to the floor between each lift, it would be easier and work for her better. Told her to consider every repetition a new opportunity to perform it so work will be done. "Don't squander even one opportunity."     She didn't.
AC	10 + 5 (new reps)	2	Did really good; arms still aren't completely straight. She said, "That's hard." But, the last set was great.
MIP	20 + 5	2	Stopped at 19 on first set, took a big breath and did the last one. I readjusted the chair so that her arms were more relaxed and she did 5 perfect reps.
FC	15 + 5 (new reps)	2	Still a little iffy on "gripping the weight". We're working on it. She is showing improvement.
SDST	20 + 5 (new reps)	2	Doing good, but still doesn't want to pick up heel all the way when doing it standing.
IACR	10 + 5 (new reps)	2	Got the idea of lifting with upper arm on upsweep; we both saw her 'get it' and smiled at each other as she lifted her arm high. Very good!
TDST	15 + 1	2	Didn't add any reps, just broke her 1 set of 20 into two sets. She lifts herself much better with a rest between sets.
IACL	10 + 15 (new reps)	2	Really getting it well. She said, "I can feel how it works..." and indicated the upper arm pulling the rest of the arm up and the shoulder directing the movement.
STS	5 + 2 (new reps)	2	I coached her on twisting entire torso from hip joints because she said she was "feeling it in her back, pulling" and indicated her lower back. Experimented with how far she could twist without pulling on her back. I think we got a good idea, today.
SSST	5 + 5 + 5 + 5 (new reps)	4	Slowed way down so she'd have to lift both ways. Showed her were she should be feeling it. "That's where I am feeling it," she confirmed.
BD	15 + 5 (new reps)	2	As each new second set started I said, "make the last set the best", and she did.
NSGP	5 + 2	2	This exercise a new addition just today. Not as iffy as I thought she'd be with this one. Just plies a tiny bit, but she did so well that we did a second set of 2.

    As usual, she did not approach her therapy session with eagerness, but once we started she got into it. I'm still using 1.5L on her when she's exercising. She only panted once, today, during the Marching in Place.
    She did marvelously, though. I was really thrilled. Today, along with everything else, I explained the theory behind doing exercises in sets: That a brief rest allows the muscles to "encode" what's been happening; as a result the last set is usually both performed the best and the 'most felt' workout. She agreed.
    I'm thinking that she shows more progress if she doesn't do her therapy exercises every day, although, truthfully, when we began we were doing them every day, so I'm not sure I can actually speak with authority on this. At any rate, she certainly is more alert, "here", able to entertain herself and enterprising after she's done her exercises. Today, for instance, after sucking oxygen for 15 minutes after her session, she decided she'd go out to get the mail. She hasn't done this for over a year. Hasn't even mentioned it.
    I told her, great. She can do it either with or without the walker, and, since it's been a long time since she's done this, I'd accompany her, but leave her alone about walking form. "Remember," I said, "our driveway is on a slight incline and the "path" to the mail box is a sort of concrete gutter and may be hard to negotiate. Take is slow and watch what you're doing."
    She did perfectly, so perfectly! At first I may have to keep a sharper eye on her, as she begins moving more, and try hard to monitor what I say so as not to discourage her from trying anything. But, becoming more adventurous is a part of becoming stronger, no matter what age one is, and I want to honor this in my mother, as well as her nascent strength.
    We're doing more in less time, I'm noticing. Some of the exercises are speeding themselves up. A few, I'm slowing down, like the Forward Curls and the Standing Side Stepping. But, we're making good time, and her body is responding with very little to no complaint.

...not of the bowel variety. That was yesterday. Boweling seems to be shaking itself out to once every 36 hours or so. Good schedule.
    Anyway, as to movement today. She did a surprising amount of walkering and is handling the walker much better, isn't pushing it quite so much. As well, accidentally, she ended up doing all this walkering without oxygen. I didn't realize, until toward the end of the trip, just before what turned out to be the really big walkering event occurred, that we were traveling, and walkering, without oxygen. I asked Mom is she felt confident walkering the length of the grocery for only one needed item without oxygen and she looked surprised that I asked and said, "Yes. Of course."
    Off we went. Slowly, steadily, and she significantly closer to her walker. I did not coach her. So, I guess, all those days when "all we did" was walker, and, not very well and not very much at that, she was incorporating something. We are both happier, now, and her back did not hurt her when we returned home.
    We probably won't get in her therapy exercises today, nor tomorrow, although I expect her to walker a fair amount tomorrow in the Valley. But, I wanted to mention today because, for the first time, her walker, in public, was a tool, not a burden.
    Old dogs, new tricks, what's that you say?

Time Session Began:  1325 Duration of Session:  50 min
Exercise	Reps	Sets	Comments
ISL	20	1	Good form!
KI	15 + 5	2	Left leg significantly better than right. Didn't slack off, today.
LU	15	1	Still breaks wrists tiny bit at shoulders but, otherwise, elbows out good, form good.
KNI	15 + 5	2	Very good!
FO1	15	1	Better on form.
SDS	20	1	Second time alternating feet instead of doing each foot separately. She did well.
FO2	15	1	Better. Breaks only right wrist. Lags only right elbow. Coached her on the importance to the work of gripping the weights, how it engages all the muscles up the arm, but only pulls on them if she dangles the weights. I think she's getting it, though. She didn't break nearly as much as before.
TDS	20	1	Good.
F2S	15	1	Very strong performance!
SSS	15	1	Nothing noteworthy. Unfortunately, this is one where we need a different chair to alternate feet within the one set. Maybe we'll consider getting a different exercise chair (or chairs) for when the house is sold in Mesa.
AC	10	1	Getting better. Elbows straighter longer.
MIP	20	1	Excellent! Will probably do two sets, separated by other exercises, tomorrow.
FC	15	1	Finally started gripping weights. Still performing each arm separately. Did the exercise sitting down, today.
SDST	20	1	Very good. Did alternate feet together. Like a tip-toe march.
IACR	10	1	Much better! Better flexibility. Watches me closely then imitates...beginning to look like an Ancient ballet dancer.
TDST	20	1	Hard for her. I know it seems to her like it takes forever. She even asked me, today, what it was for, imply, with her tone, that it was for nothing. "It strengthens the calves and feet and increases feet flexibility." "It better had," she said, groaning. She did good.
IACL	10	1	See IACR above. Same applies.
STS	5	1	She did this exercise, today, very incrementally and hesitantly, but, free hand, she did it. I asked her, after the first twist, if it threw her off balance. "Not yet," she said. And gamely did four more.
SSST	15	1	Finally did this one, and did it all the way through. She still has trouble bringing the knee up on the way back. I think her muscles haven't gotten the thought of the movement, yet. Otherwise, she did it!
BD	15	1	She's holding her elbows higher, her shoulders further back. This one appears to be increasing her flexibility, maybe combined with the IACL&R.

    Mom was very reluctant to have a therapy session, today. She's gotten too used to not moving much. I promised her no walkering if she did a therapy session with me. She did really well. It's as though her body took four days to think about proper form and decided some of it, at least, is a good idea.
    As well, it was our shortest session, so far, and included everything, even a few changes. She worked hard and obviously did it for me, as usual, which continues to surprise me. Maybe it's the structure of the session, and the fact that when I decide we're going to have a session, that's when we're going to have one. I'm not sure what's working, but something is.
    I still contend, though, that I am the wrong teacher for her walkering, and, as well, she might need a different walker. Since all of her mobilizing equipment has, so far, been gifted to us, we can activate Medicare on a rental basis and graduate to really good equipment as she needs it, or less sophisticated, as she can handle it. She's becoming fascinated with the idea of a cane, for instance. She saw a crumpled but hearty old woman in the parking lot of our drug store, the other day, using one of those canes that has a spider base with four to six claws, saw this woman making time across the parking lot and has been thinking about that ever since. A cane might work better for her.
    She will be doing some walkering tomorrow, to a purpose, which is always the most valuable walkering, and we'll get an exercise session in, as well.
    I'm still feeling puny but activating Mom seems to help activate me.

...I would consider it no more than oiling-the-joints exercise. Yesterday we plodded, neither of us into it. Today, I can feel it, we'll get in a therapy exercise workout. I'm curious to see how the rest has settled in Mom's bones. We'll probably leave out the torso twist, but, you never know. Mom's been moving about, the last few days, very independently throughout the house, mainly because I've been bedridden or, when not prone, not very energetic. I have almost been encouraging her to take naps and, apparently, as of sometime early yesterday afternoon, she got her rest out and has been up and down, and eating independently out of the refrigerator, regardless of my state of being. She likes not being watched, especially since some of my watching can be soooo invasive.     Anyway, I will be calling the therapist to whom the Home Care PT referred us and setting up an evaluation this week. I'm going to try to get that started even as we move. I will be reporting on those sessions here. My guess is that I probably will not sit in on too many of them, as Mom does flower under tutelage other than mine.