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...