Fela was in the bath just before 21:30 as he was very slow on arrival at Green Pastures. After using the toilet and going to sit on the red settee upstairs, he kept asking for ‘5’.
I managed to get him into bed by 22:50 as he has been very prompt dependent and touching lots of objects in the shower room as well as dipping his hands in the toilet numerous times. He was vocal until just before 23:30. I went in to him at 23:20 and he asked for porridge with the trimmings. I told him tomorrow in the morning, he would get it.
I heard Fela again at 4:15. He went to the loo, and was in bed again by 4:45. I applied tiger balm to his chest, back, forehead and behind his ears, closed the computer screen and put on Christmas hymns on his phone instead. He was vocal until 5:15 when I went to check on him, and he asked for apple and he said the ‘p’ word and I realised it was plum. I explained that he needed to be quiet and sleep for another hour or two, and that Michael was sleeping as well as the neighbours.
At 6:00 I could still hear Fela so I went to check on him, and he looked alert so I decided to bring him his supplements, plum and tea as it was obvious he had no intentions of going back to sleep. I hoped he might sleep after his refreshments, but he didn’t. He signed for shower. there was light streaming in through the sides of the blinds so perhaps Fela thought it was time to get up. This usually doesn’t bother him.
Fela started his morning routine at 7:20 and was down for breakfast at 8:10 after sailing through his routine. When I saw what he had in his porridge, the mystery was solved! there was a glazed cherry on top. Michael said he had given him one yesterday. After waking at 4:15, Fela had said a ‘ch’ sound when asking for porridge. It sounded like chocolate but I think he meant cherry as well as chocolate.
I went to check on the makaton sign for cherry and practised it with Fela and Michael. Michael was warned not to get in the habit of giving Fela cherries in his porridge. Fela just seemed to want to communicate overnight, and I suspect he wanted to make it clear that he was expecting a cherry on his porridge for breakfast the sooner, the better!
At the time of writing, the ladies are about to arrive, and Fela is relaxing in the lounge after his breakfast and supplements.
Arousal States – Start: 1 Baseline End: 2a – Vocal Did his state change? Yes to 2a – Vocal Before falling asleep around 23:30 and after waking at 4:15 and throughout the rest of the morning until leaving Green Pastures, Fela has been vocal. Did he have a bowel movement? No Bristol score: Was Fela incontinent?: No Did he have vigorous exercise?: –
