JOAN’S BLOG – WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 – ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE –STILL TOO PUZZLING FOR ME.

I have written blogs on the roller coaster ride that is Alzheimer’s Disease. Slips, slides, and declines, only to awaken to a day of clarity. Anger, rages, tantrums, violence, and then calm, peace, and love. It can wear out the caregiver emotionally and physically.
 
The puzzling aspects of Alzheimer’s Disease have visited our home yet again. Last week, we had to purchase a new cell phone for my husband, due to his somehow ending up on the floor with a smashed screen. I was sitting in my office, and for one hour, on and off, on and off, I heard the soft ringing of his cell phone. I finally went into the den to see what was going on. There was Sid, with the most frustrated, disgusted look on his face, instruction manual in one hand, cell phone in the other. “I can’t get the loud ring to stay on,” he complained angrily. Nothing puzzling about this. He has had difficulty with directions and manuals for years now. I, who never read a manual (too complicated), took the cell phone from his hand, fiddled with a few buttons until I got the right ones, and there was the loud ring firmly in place. He was perplexed and not the least bit happy with me.

The same week, Crystal Light drink mix changed their packaging. Instead of little plastic tubs, they now have packages similar to the mustard and ketchup packs one gets thrown into a fast food bag. I came into the kitchen to find him swearing and complaining because he could not open the pack. Upon closer inspection, I found that he was struggling to tear the package downward, when the arrow clearly pointed to the right. I showed him how to do it, and once again, he was angry and frustrated with himself. Nothing puzzling about this either. He never seems to “see” or “process” directions.

Yesterday, I bought bar stools for the kitchen counter in our new villa. Unfortunately, they came in a box, with the warning label – “Some assembly required”, which generally means hundreds of pieces and complex directions. As I lugged them into the house, I thought to myself, “I am tired. In my worst nightmare, I do not feel like putting these things together. Besides, which, as I mentioned above, I do not read instruction manuals. Maybe I can sweet talk the maintenance man into doing it.”, I thought. Sid looked at them, and said he would try to put them together tomorrow.

A couple of hours later, I went into the den, and there was my Alzheimer husband, who could not follow an arrow on a package of Crystal Light, putting the finishing touches on a perfectly assembled bar stool!  That is what I mean by PUZZLING. How is this possible? How could he follow those directions? You can be sure I told him what a good job he did, and how proud I was of him.

He is not unique in this aspect. My friend’s AD husband measured, cut, and installed shelves in their garage, and the next week could not repeat the process for their son’s garage.

I guess the lesson that comes out of this is to never say never. Do not discourage them. Let them try. You never know when those brain wires are going to connect for a period of time.

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The Alzheimer Spouse LLC
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