Getting the job done

It is so hot but so beautiful outside.  Clear days. I was inspired to clear out my bedroom, got new mattress frames and threw out the old.  Easier said than done.   The two twin box springs were not picked up by the garbage.  Joy.  So I looked up the requirements for garbage disposal.  Each mattress must be wrapped in plastic.  I had to purchase the huge plastic bags from the DPW.  No problem even though it was so hot outside I thought I would perish walking to the department.  Waiting for the cool of the morning, I attacked the wrap up job outside.  What fun sliding the huge box springs into the bag, then taping the ends.  At least the second box spring was easier and I got the job done.

Today I will meet with Dave's caretakers at the nursing rehab. I hope I remain calm and determined to make my voice heard for his sake.

Vascular dementia symptoms

Vascular dementia is not quite the same as Alzheimer's. Dave has similar symptoms such as being agitated, having hallucinations and loss of memory.  Thank goodness he still remembers his family. Dave can not stand .  He is in rehab where they force him to take a few steps while holding him up.  I ask if the therapists have seen this before and they say yes.  Will he improve?  That remains in the unknown.  Then there is the sleeping.  Dave does not want to open his eyes.  He walks those few steps with his eyes closed.  He eats with his eyes closed.  This behavior upsets me greatly but I must help him if I want any therapy done at all.

Reading comments from others on the internet makes me take note.  Someone said they have never seen dementia causing the inability to walk.  Is there another infection in play? 

Too Quiet

Did I complain about babysitting so many animals?  Well, they all went home and now the house is quiet.  Too quiet.  No one to push against me to get their food ready.  I think my dog and cat do not feel the same way and Shaemus came back to my bed. So, I have mixed feelings about my solitude.    Music by Al Greene helps.

And now to motivate myself into house cleaning.

Coping

Listening to others can be a boost or a let down.  As the ambulance arrived to take Dave to a nursing rehab, his roommate commented about the place I was taking Dave. "Oh that place is terrible, he said. The food is not good and they leave you a long time in the common room."  OMG.  That was all I needed.  I tried to switch places and of course it was too late.  Somehow I managed to hold back the tears.  Dave was in his sleep mode, oblivious to what was happening to him but I wonder.  Maybe that is his way to cope.

Surprise!  Everything changed.  The rehab place is nice looking, the staff was friendly and of all things, Dave is eating all of the food without complaint.  Even the nurses were surprised because I was so sure Dave would not eat.  Now I keep my fingers crossed that physical therapy works as well.

Guard dog

My dog, Shaemus has switched bedrooms.  At first I thought he was afraid of me because I sprayed the cat with water and he may have gotten some.  I was just tired enough to feel hurt.  No one to snuggle with while Dave recuperates.  How silly. 

When Dave is home, Shaemus acts like his caretaker, following him to bed, sleeping next to him all day.  I think that Shaemus has taken the role of guard dog.  Now he sleeps in the front of the house, barking when needed.  I have adjusted and now allow the cat to join me in bed.  The cat does not hold a grudge.

Fung Shui, pets & dementia

Six pets, plus the fish and me.  The fung shui is not right.  I am babysitting my neighbor's dog, my son's cats, my other son's bird plus my dog, cat and fish.  A friend told me there should only be one pet per household member for correct fung shui.  No wonder my house is in constant upset.  Oh well, at least it is a happy house despite Dave's condition.

Dave tends to have good moods  every other day.  Yesterday, he was chatty Kathy and today he just wants to sleep.  I have read that the sleeping is part of the dementia but it is hard to understand.  Then maybe, this is his body coping with all his problems. All I know is that Dave would love all these pets.  He wants another cat but who takes care of these animals?  I stand strong.  The fung shui is bad enough.

Reading about Alzheimers

Reading about alzheimers can be so depressing.  In many cases Dave has similar experiences so it tends to make me sad to read about others.  Dave is slowly recuperating in the hospital.  The tube is out but now his small intestines must work.  He is getting impatient and confused.  Now that I think I know everything, I wonder what Dave is thinking.  He had such a worried look on his face and was asking for something to help him sleep. I put a familiar TV show on and off he went. 

Back to reading.  I am waiting on a book: The end of Alzheimer's : the first program to prevent and reverse cognitive decline  by Bredesen, Dale E, A more hopeful book.  Who knows?

Ageing and exercise

I never liked to exercise.  Who knew it is so important as we age.  My knee feels so much better having started the exercise at the gym. Then there is the mental exercise.  I couldn't find my gym locker without much thought.  Someone told me to put a ribbon on it next time. I was also glad to hear the locks don't always work .  Don't be nervous, just tell them at the desk.  I am sure I would think I had the wrong locker.  Then I started down the wrong hallway.  The Men's locker room hallway.  Ahh yes, glad someone stopped me. If nothing else, I am now on the right path, besides going to the correct locker room.  Ask me in a few months if I am continuing.  I have high expectations that I will.

Caring for the caretaker

How to make a smile on my face?  Join the gym with a hot tub and pool.  I tell myself I need to take care of the caretaker, help my knee back to health.  I can't explain how happy that hot tub made me.  It reminded me of being on a cruise.  Then came the water exercises.  My knee feels much better already.  Today I will get an MRI to see if there is arthritis causing the ache.

Meanwhile, Dave continues to need the tube down his nose to his tummy.  It is working a tiny bit so I hope it cures the problem.  The hospital had to hire an all day sitter as well.  Apparently, Dave is not a good patient and pulls the tube out first chance he gets.  At least he is in good spirits and has accepted his fate, until nightfall when confusion sets in.

Caretaker worries

When to go to the ER plagues me.  My poor Dave was not able to keep food down.  By the second day I got nervous.  So off to the ER.  I am so glad I went because they admitted him due to obstructed small intestines.  Good Lord. Hopefully a tube down his nose to the belly will cure him.  Not fun to have done and not fun to watch.  My heart aches.

Then there is the worry of my sister.  My older sister has caretaker duties too.  I am trying not to worry about her as well.  I guess it is true that God gives us as much as we can handle..or maybe not.

Knee shot

Wow.  What a difference a shot of cortisone makes.  I can walk almost normal again.  Who knew getting old would cause such problems.  I can no longer avoid the need to exercise.  My body is stiffening up.  I like to think it is Nature's way of telling me to take care of myself for a change.

I received a wonderful birthday gift, a vitamin C and collagen facial mask.  This stuff is terrific.  There may be hope for this old face yet.

And what about Dave?  He is making improvements.  Eating better and exercising. I should follow his routine.

Board Games

Family night, Sunday dinners has a new wrinkle: play a board game.  My sister introduced us to Telestrations, a telephone game sketched out.  OMG...we never laughed so much.  When I mentioned this to my friend, he said how unusual because families never seem to do that anymore.  How true.  Being snowed in may prompt a game but I must say..it is really fun to hear everyone laugh so hard.  Thank you dear sister for a new  tradition.

Syncope

Dominoes is a great game with many rules.  Sarah and I were learning all about it.  We were also learning to listen to two people at the same time.  My sister and her hubby had the rules down pat.  It was a fun afternoon on a hot summer day.  We are expecting ninety degree weather today.

There was my positive talk for today.  In an effort, not to complain, I also find I am not speaking my mind.  Back to Dave!  He can be so stubborn or maybe it is just being forgetful.  He needs to get up slowly or syncope will start.  If I leave him alone, I am taking the chance he will not get up from bed because he never remembers to take it slow.  Sure enough, he was in the kitchen and starting to collapse when I returned home yesterday.  I am glad I got home when I did.  Dave was almost a human domino, falling over.

Emergency Procedures

How lucky I am to have my sister as we both age with ailing husbands.  We get to compare each others daily care activities.  I had a nurse evaluator here the other day and she pointed out a few procedures to be more prepared.  Like, what would you do if the electric goes out in a storm or there was a fire or you need important papers before going to a hospital.   I tend to worry about the clutter around me.  Maybe I would feel better if I had emergency procedures in front of me.

Who's listening?

My daily life with dementia has been a challenge but in an effort to be more positive, I will try not to complain about Dave.  When I go to a support group, I hear their daily woes.  They seem to be in the beginning stages of living with someone with dementia.  I have been there and moved on.   It is almost like a grieving process to finally reach the acceptance stage.  Each day is a blessing.  The other day, as Dave slept in front of the TV, I was trying to recall an actor's name.  Out of the blue, Dave said, "Dan Akroyd."  It just amazes me how much Dave is listening, even with his eyes closed. 
I shall enjoy a beautiful summer day, no rain just now and be glad.

Uplifting?

I am loving my company.  My sister always makes me feel good and it is great to have company.  It was brought to my attention that my blog is a bit of a downer.  I have to admit it has been a catharsis for me but maybe I am bringing everyone else down.  That is not me.  I manage to look at the bright side.  So, how do I cheer myself up and how do others do the same.  Please reply if you have any good ideas.