The announcers couldn't stop talking about him as well as the camera men/women always on him.
He stood like that for a very, very long time. I believe the full inning.
I admire his restraint too. After a home run was hit this began.
His team was losing and he wasn't happy. But c'mon he wasn't yelling or stomping. Just thumbs down showing his displeasure. His expression never changed nor did he drop his hand. His sentiment is how I feel about our country's current "leader" I wish I could be as calm though.
I am so frustrated with my Alzheimer patient. My goodness.
Her daughter won't "walk" her. I am doing all I can but I have a full life too
She is my neighbor not my mom. So having said that mean stuff allow me to explain.
We set walking up to be M-F between 7-7:30a. For some reason, this confuses her. She showed up Monday morning at 6:45am. I was in the bathroom so Rick talked to her. As we got out on our walk she said something about me being late.
I said it is 6:55 that isn't late. She said it was late. Okay, I went along and just said Sorry. Who cares who is right, just go with it. Most days we start at 7:15a.
When in a wedding you know how slow you walk down the aisle? Slow that down to half that speed and that is how slow she shuffles along. Every day she has an excuse. She goes 2 blocks and wants to stop. She makes up these elaborate excuses. I keep thinking she's not dumb, just forgetful.
I push her to go more and don't think for a minute she is hurting after 2 blocks. This woman went to the gym every day up to 2 months ago. Didn't she do more than this at the gym? Now I understand that I walk over 3 miles a day so this is easy for me but she should be able to walk 6 blocks without issue since she has nothing medically wrong with her except her brain. Another thought I had was her doctor's orders were to do cardiovascular exercise at least 5 days a week. Shuffling does not constitute cardiovascular exercise so I am not sure this is all that effective.
Now I make all my doctor appointments and the like very early so I can be in the office. So I told her on Monday and I told her on Tuesday that I can not walk Wednesday morning. Knowing full well she won't remember I text her last night. She said to call her. I call - 5 times. She never picks up the phone. I also left her a text but never heard from her so did she get it? I don't know. I just did not want her to be showing up this morning at my door and I'm not home. That will make her head explode. So I text her again and tell her I am going to get my blood work done and I will be leaving at 7a so we can't walk. How about we walk at my lunch break or after work. She texts, I thought you had blood work so we are going for a walk this morning? I write back, No I am texting to tell you I am leaving now and didn't want you to walk down to my house. I did not know you received those message last night because you didn't write back.
She told me I really should call her. Oh. my. God.
I get back home and because I have to fast for my blood work I immediately make myself some coffee and go upstairs to my desk.
I am on the phone with payroll and then my cell phone rings and I see it is her.
I hang up with payroll and call her back. She said do you want to go walking now? Oh.My.God. No, Lorrie, I can't right now but how about after work?
No, I can't after work because of other things. Okay, then tomorrow. Oh. was all she said to me.
She then asked why I didn't call her. I take a deep breath. She can't help this I must be the patient one, but it is truly difficult. I tell her I called. She said I can't hear my voice mails. I ask why. She said well there maybe a volume for it but I don't know where. Another deep breath Margaret. I say, bring your phone down when you come and we'll raise the volume for you so you won't keep missing calls and voicemails. She said I only miss calls from you so I think you may be doing something wrong. I went along with her and said, "yes maybe"
That calmed her down and I apologized and told her I had to get back to work. Then before I hung up she said, "I think you don't understand but I'm having mental issues right now and it is difficult." I told her I do understand and I am sure it is most difficult but it will be fine. She said, "Oh good"
That was odd. I can't fathom how weird this would be to know you have Alzheimer's and then forget you do.
I have 2 doctor appointments next week at 8 and at 8:30a. So I am thinking I will make a calendar so she can visually see this every day on her fridge or something. It's worth trying. My husband thinks I am nuts to do any of this. I am beginning to wonder myself.
Rick says for an impatient person you are so kind and patient with her. I know but inside I am screaming. It's not her fault. I vent to you and on my blog and that keeps me sane about it all. 6 months ago she was having issues with nouns. We laughed about it because my doctor told me once when women begin menopause/peri-menopause nouns are the 1st words they lose. It is called pregnancy brain when you're young and pregnant. It is a hormonal thing.
I found that all interesting. Then I didn't see her for awhile and we had that harrowing trip to IKEA that I wrote about. I knew then she had Alzheimer's and said to Rick that she was going down FAST. Now I see a difference each week. At this pace, I fear she will be completely gone as we know her by Christmas. She is a shell of her former self. She no longer stands up straight either. I find that odd. She hunches over. So a woman who traveled all through Europe alone 2 years ago now can't lift her feet to walk or keep her neck and shoulders up. She should not be living alone. I worry that she will do something far worse than not being able to answer her phone. But I don't think her daughter can be bothered. She doesn't have a job but she has 2 daughters. One 15 and one 13.
___________________
Okay to the positive -
Rick suggested we go out to dinner last night due to this fridge stuff and I jumped at the chance.
Not many places I can eat but our favorite Mexican joint was an easy choice.
JC, the owner is great about my celiac. I know everything at his restaurant that I can eat so it makes it easy. We had a couple of Margarita's and I had a stuffed poblano pepper with chorizo and all kinds of good stuff. This morning I felt like crap. I don't eat a lot of dairy and corn and I sure as hell ate a lot of it last night. Their fresh corn chips are light and to die for. Until this morning. They make the guacamole at the table and it is the best. I have tried, I can't duplicate it. I have been known to just buy their guac for take out. It's like crack it's so good.
My refrigerator guy will be here at 4p to fix the damn thing. Yeah, ice, and food inside the house again. Another positive is the refrigerator has been scrubbed from top to bottom.
__________________
Most of my family in Florida are without power. The one in GA who evacuated is driving back to FL today to see what is left of her home. My niece who just moved there has no power as of this morning. She goes to a family member of her husbands and they charge their phones and bring their laptops etc. She is supposed to go back to work (school teacher) on Monday. She is to keep in touch via the internet which makes it hard when she has no power. She told me she saw the meme I put on facebook and she and Myles (hubby) thought it was pretty funny and probably accurate. I will leave you with what I posted. I think it's going to come to fruition. Either way, it's funny to me.
11 comments:
You are an actual saint to take on the walking with your neighbor. Perhaps her reluctance to venture very far on the walks is due to her not knowing where she is. It's a terrible disease.
Loved the baby shower warning!
Olga, I am so far from a saint since I am bitching. Her reluctance to walk yesterday was due to a stonach ache. when I picked her up she said she was feeling great this morning. So its lazinessbut even though i know it I go along to not get her upset.
A power failure is probably what it would take to get me to clean out my refrigerator.
Alzheimer's can make a person feel disorientated when they are outside. Maybe her physical excuses are just a coverup for not wanting to admit to you (or herself) that's she's afraid. You probably already know this but keep reminding yourself that the more you do for your neighbor the less her daughter will do and it will only get more time consuming in the future. If you really think she shouldn't be living alone you need to ask her daughter what her plans...plant the seed that she can't wait until her mother makes the nightly news to make plans. My sister-in-law wandered off, got lost and they had to get tracking dogs to find her. It was terrible!
Jean - great points!! I am going to be mean now - her daughter does not work. She lives 15 minutes away. She is over 300lbs and is 20 years younger than me and could really benefit from the walking herself. She has lined up Lorrie's book club friends and asked them all to help as she did me. I know I felt bad saying no and I am certain they feel the same.
Remember that blackout in NYC years ago. They had a population explosion nine months later. Well, you have to entertain yourself some way or other when you don't have power.
You're doing the best you can with your neighbor. It's a horrible disease. I hope the daughter steps up sooner rather than later. I will tell you from my caregiving days with my father, some family members never do. I hope that is not the case here.
bellarum - I do indeed remember that black out because I was there. Sadly I was there working and in a hotel...alone. The Irish pub across the street from my hotel stayed open and I am sure that didn't hurt the explosion either. I get lucky and I'm in town for 9/11, the black out, home for the beltway sniper and anthrax in our mail. Hmm...think it's me?
Peg you have to protect yourself. I know you are a sweetheart but you have to force her daughter to step up to the plate. And you might need your hubby's help weaning your neighbor off of you. It's so sad. :(
I can't read about stuff like this without personalizing it, thinking of my own sweet grandmother. Her mind left a little at a time for sixteen long years. By year three she didn't know anyone but my grandfather. She never did forget who he was, he drove to her nursing home three times a day for sixteen years.
I think that a call to adult protective services may be in order here.
You're very kind to step up the way you have, but this isn't your job, ya know?
Hahaha. They say it's true.
I saw that and thought it was funny too! One of my friends (Eric) lives in the middle of Florida and they stayed home with their little baby. They came through pretty well except for the electricity part. I was so worried they'd get stuck with water and the baby.
Post a Comment