Let's see, yesterday I got a call from Becky saying that she had taken Mom to Golden Corral for lunch and she had tried to pay with some of the coin collection. When I got home, I asked her about it and she totally denied it. When Becky "reminded" her, she admitted that she had. We had more than a 30 minute inane tug of war about how she can't spend those coins, she has to give them to me (I have confiscated what I could find). Mom refused saying among other things that Dom had given them to her and that he wanted the children to have them. She said that he would put money for the children and tell them to take it to buy what they needed. I played along and said that if they were in her room and she spent them, they were not in a safe place and I needed to put them away in a safe place for the children. She insisted that she did not have any coins. I let it go until Joe got home. After some dinner, Joe and I spoke briefly to her about the coins but got nowhere. Mom went to her room and Joe went to start the dishwasher. Moments later he yelled for me and by the time I got there he had Mom off of the floor with a bleeding arm. She checked out okay so I bandaged her forearm where she had scraped some skin off and took the occasion to search in some places in her room while talking about keeping the coins safe for the children. Did not find anything. She is good! Today she explained to Becky that she was chasing someone out of her room and Heidi got under her feet causing her to fall. Okay, there was no one in her room and Heidi was in her kennel asleep. Did she believe that and she was hallucinating or is that creative ad lib, make it up as she goes along part of her brain still active? Who knows? If nothing, she is entertaining!
I think I have most of the coins, but yesterday when we were in her room, Mom talked about a man who had been here and wanted to buy the coins. She talked about a woman who said she would take the coins to the bank. At this time, I have no idea if there is anything misssing, I never suspected there might be. The coins have been on a high shelf in Mom's closet since she got here. Again, where are these stories coming from? It is totally possible that Janice had a part in it if anything is missing and she may have involved someone else. I am learning more about Janice all the time. Mom's stories are just pieces of information with some wierd words tht we try to figure out. They could be pieces of truth. The unfortunate thing is that there really might be some coins missing and Mom may have given them away because I kept them in the closet instead of a safe deposit box or something. Now I have to figure out how to keep them safe for the children. Hmmm
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Life as We Know It!
You know, I just don't know where to start sometimes. I could say more of the same because to us, it is. But from here we see the deterioration and adapt to whatever is going on. Last Tuesday morning about 3, I must have slept through the noise on the monitor because I woke to the dogs barking and the kitchen light on. As I headed for the kitchen through the patio room, I glimpsed something to the let and it was Mom headed out the back door in her bra and panties. Another early morning, I heard her up and went in to find her laying crosswise on her bed on her tummy reaching down and under her bed.
Last Saturday Mom absolutely refused to get a shower while Becky was here to help her. She even suggested to Becky that they go in and turn on the water and just say that she had a shower. I was in Alabama on the phone to Mom telling her to take a shower. She totally agreed while she was on the phone talking to someone telling her to shower but when she hung up the conversation never happened. Joe reports that after Becky left, Mom went to take a shower but he actually had no proof that she did so, not checking the shower or soap to see if it was wet. He took her to church anyway! Unfortunately Joseph has no sense of smell, so he does not notice when she needs to shower or change her underwear and pad.
I have searched her room on numerous occasions to locate parts of the coin collection she has been dismantling and jewelry that I want to put away before she throws it away. She is GOOD at hiding stuff! Today I went to her room to tell her I was going to the grocery store and found her sitting on the foot board of the bed looking disheveled and overheated with a metal box of coin collection beside her. She reported, upon my questioning her, that she was getting something out of the box so that she would have some money. Within a few minutes, Joe and I had confiscated three metal boxes from her room and I had given her a lecture about the coins were a collection, not money to spend and that I would put it in a safe place. Mom did not argue with me, but pouted for a few minutes and then we talked about what I should buy at the store.
The most noticeable change lately is her language. I know that I have been telling you that she has had difficulty but lately, she has days when her verbalization is just gobbly gook! Joe was standing at the counter and she told him he didn't have his lights on. When she is telling me or asking me something, she is saying words that aren't even words and not even close to a word that I can try to figure out. But then she will have a day when she has many moments of total lucidity and her words are quite fine for the most part.
And, for two weeks at IHOP now, she has had blueberry pancakes instead of strawberry! Ever since coming to live here, Mom has hated blueberries!
Mom has had restless nights and restless days with auditory and visual hallucinations. Kids running through the house during the day when only Becky is here. A young boy in her room who begins to cry when she makes him leave. Some ladies talking in the corner of her room during the night planning to take her walker.
We go with the flow and are so very thankful to God for the opportunity to experience this with her. Julie and Joe are so good with her! The talk to her and treat her as though nothing has changed over the last year or two and they make her feel special. I on the other hand, make her wash her hands with baby wipes all of the time, make her shower and wear clean clothes, scold her for picking at her skin and having open sores everywhere. It works!! for the most part...
Last Saturday Mom absolutely refused to get a shower while Becky was here to help her. She even suggested to Becky that they go in and turn on the water and just say that she had a shower. I was in Alabama on the phone to Mom telling her to take a shower. She totally agreed while she was on the phone talking to someone telling her to shower but when she hung up the conversation never happened. Joe reports that after Becky left, Mom went to take a shower but he actually had no proof that she did so, not checking the shower or soap to see if it was wet. He took her to church anyway! Unfortunately Joseph has no sense of smell, so he does not notice when she needs to shower or change her underwear and pad.
I have searched her room on numerous occasions to locate parts of the coin collection she has been dismantling and jewelry that I want to put away before she throws it away. She is GOOD at hiding stuff! Today I went to her room to tell her I was going to the grocery store and found her sitting on the foot board of the bed looking disheveled and overheated with a metal box of coin collection beside her. She reported, upon my questioning her, that she was getting something out of the box so that she would have some money. Within a few minutes, Joe and I had confiscated three metal boxes from her room and I had given her a lecture about the coins were a collection, not money to spend and that I would put it in a safe place. Mom did not argue with me, but pouted for a few minutes and then we talked about what I should buy at the store.
The most noticeable change lately is her language. I know that I have been telling you that she has had difficulty but lately, she has days when her verbalization is just gobbly gook! Joe was standing at the counter and she told him he didn't have his lights on. When she is telling me or asking me something, she is saying words that aren't even words and not even close to a word that I can try to figure out. But then she will have a day when she has many moments of total lucidity and her words are quite fine for the most part.
And, for two weeks at IHOP now, she has had blueberry pancakes instead of strawberry! Ever since coming to live here, Mom has hated blueberries!
Mom has had restless nights and restless days with auditory and visual hallucinations. Kids running through the house during the day when only Becky is here. A young boy in her room who begins to cry when she makes him leave. Some ladies talking in the corner of her room during the night planning to take her walker.
We go with the flow and are so very thankful to God for the opportunity to experience this with her. Julie and Joe are so good with her! The talk to her and treat her as though nothing has changed over the last year or two and they make her feel special. I on the other hand, make her wash her hands with baby wipes all of the time, make her shower and wear clean clothes, scold her for picking at her skin and having open sores everywhere. It works!! for the most part...
Monday, September 7, 2009
More of the Same
Bra shopping. Mom and I went bra shopping today. I took her to Lane Bryant only because on Labor Day, I figured it would be less busy than most other retail stores in town. I was right. We got personal assistance and Mom got two new bras. The outing was strenuous in 98 degree heat so we took the long way home when Mom mentioned that she could sit in the car all day in front of the air conditioning vent. We made a side trip to Sonic to get a Strawberry Creme Slush. After a few sips she decided she needed to go home and crawl under the covers for a nap because she was cold. So she did. But not before finishing that creme slush!
It has been a typical week for her. Mom was sick one day last week but I am sure it was because she choked on a large bite of her triple decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich at breakfast. She vomited and complained that it felt like something was stuck down in her chest. After resting all day and eating light, she was fine.
We are still talking about getting her hair cut. She is still saying no.
Mom is giving her jewelry to Becky and Becky brings it back the next day and puts it in my bedroom.
Yep, more of the same. Thank goodness! I know there can be trauma and drama any time but there wasn't any this week.
Julie and I are leaving on Friday morning to go to Alabama to see Elsie, Eli and Erin. We won't be back until Monday. It will be just Joe and Mom for several days. They do great together. He keeps her fairly safe and healthy - neither one can really be left alone for too long, but together, they do okay. He takes her to the grocery store, to church and out to eat. Joe is still her favorite of course. He doesn't notice if she is in clean clothes or smells okay and she doesn't notice or care about how he looks or smells! They just give each other a hard time and get along great.
I have to go now to take Levi and Micah home after a swim in the pool and then it will be time to put Mom to bed. I hope you all had a Happy Labor Day!
It has been a typical week for her. Mom was sick one day last week but I am sure it was because she choked on a large bite of her triple decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich at breakfast. She vomited and complained that it felt like something was stuck down in her chest. After resting all day and eating light, she was fine.
We are still talking about getting her hair cut. She is still saying no.
Mom is giving her jewelry to Becky and Becky brings it back the next day and puts it in my bedroom.
Yep, more of the same. Thank goodness! I know there can be trauma and drama any time but there wasn't any this week.
Julie and I are leaving on Friday morning to go to Alabama to see Elsie, Eli and Erin. We won't be back until Monday. It will be just Joe and Mom for several days. They do great together. He keeps her fairly safe and healthy - neither one can really be left alone for too long, but together, they do okay. He takes her to the grocery store, to church and out to eat. Joe is still her favorite of course. He doesn't notice if she is in clean clothes or smells okay and she doesn't notice or care about how he looks or smells! They just give each other a hard time and get along great.
I have to go now to take Levi and Micah home after a swim in the pool and then it will be time to put Mom to bed. I hope you all had a Happy Labor Day!
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