Yesterday was an interesting day. Up at 7:30AM to meet the day. Mom has remembered for two days how to use her cell phone. After her usual Greek yogurt breakfast it was medication time. She came into the kitchen to get water and stood at the sink and said, she couldn’t get water. There was no glass on the counter and she couldn’t remember to open the cabinet to get one. She just looked around looking puzzled. I went over and opened the cabinet and there were the glasses. She had such a look of surprise on her face and a big old smile about the glasses magically appearing.
I had the neighbor look out for her so I could go to my doctor appointment. All went well and mom was packed and ready to go when I got home. We were going back to her house for a while.
On the trip home mom was talkative for the first time in weeks. She asked me a couple of dozen times where her medication was and I patiently told her each time. She said she wanted to drive her car when we got home. I reminded her that she can no longer drive. She wanted to know who said that and I replied that her doctor said that. She wanted to know why the doctor was only telling me and not her. The rub is that he did tell her.
She doesn’t believe that she can’t drive, live alone, or that she has Alzheimer. She went from being angry to crying. I told her not to worry because I would take care of her, it is our new normal. That didn’t make her any happier.
We finally arrived at her house. She doesn’t remember any of the conversation, that she got an award at church Sunday before last, or that we had been staying at my house. She “read” her mail as she sat in “her ” chair and she has reverted to not communicating.
She is still not hungry and will only eat a little bit of food (unless it’s ice cream). Sometimes she chokes when she tries to eat. We were up early today, 7AM, she’s back in her chair reading the newspaper and being very quiet. I can’t get her to eat her breakfast but she will eventually. She’s getting her hair did this morning. She’s tried to cut her own hair several times in the past week. We’ve had a lot of redirection going on.
Lessons learned this week: Move all knives to a safe location; move kitchen shears to a safe place, put pictures of what is in the cabinets on the doors (thanks Liz); get a baby monitor (thanks Michelle); put locks at the top of doors out of eye level; gin up the patience; and love with all your heart.
More later.
Gallivanting with Sandi 