I invite you to log onto my home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com - and read the weekend blog. I swear to you I do not make up this stuff. Sound familiar to any of you? Only another spouse who lives in the Land of Dementia could relate to this nonsense.
Joan, have you been writing in the middle of the night, or am I confused about the time zones? I loved your account of the conversations. Poor SId. Poor Joan. (Poor Siem has no conversation left, not even exasperating ones and NEVER could have admitted that he forgot anything, so this is a part of the great ALzheimer's experience that I have missed.)
Okay folks, it's a wonder I'm still sane. (At least I think I am). I wrote the blog about the conversation I had with my husband. Today, this is the actual conversation I had with my father:
(Tyrone is the physical therapist)
Dad: Tyrone isn't doing me any good.
Me: You've done fabulous since you've been working with him. You couldn't put your foot down. Your foot was shaking. You couldn't walk more than a few feet. Now you can stand without holding on; you can walk at least 50 feet. You're doing great!
D: What??? What are you talking about? I couldn't walk? What are you talking about? Not me.
Me: We went to the doctor with Wendy (Rehab. director) to get him to order PT. You couldn't even stand up.
D: Me??? Noooo. You must be talking about someone else. It wasn't me.
D: By the way, when is she coming to work with me?
Me: Who?
D: I don't know who. You know who.
Me: No, I don't know who. Who are you talking about?
I have found lately, that when DH asks me something, or tries to start a conversation, and I hesitate a moment before answering, by the time I do answer, he has forgotten what he asked!
Therefore, hesitate - and I don't have to answer at all.
Oh wow - just tried overnight hospitalization for me for rehydration after virus. I got through it but I am not sure who is more traumatized, my husband or the dog. Luckily we love 5 minutes from the hospital so I could send him back home with a list - feed dog, walk daph, crate dog? You eat, you bring your pillboxes to hospital. It sorta all worked but I think he has a bounceback effect for today. Clueless today. Yes, I need to set up my network. Oh, and my mom called today from her assisted living with memory assistance facility. She asked if I was feeling better since she saw me yesterday (which was really Sunday). She had been praying for me. I think God took care of that by her losing those 2 days! MY REAL comment was to be that the most common ailment of AD spouses is "Dropped Jaw Syndrome." So it never goes away,huh!
And here we go again. Because Sid is diabetic, and his caregiver (me) is going to be 'unavailable' while recuperating from surgery, Medicare will send in a nurse to check his blood sugar and monitor his eating. He, of course, is resistant because.................."I never forget to take my blood. I don't need someone to monitor me." It doesn't matter, because he's getting someone whether he likes it or not, but here is the latest conversation:
Me: If I don't remind you to take your blood at night, you don't do it. If I don't feel well and want to nap, someone needs to be here to take your blood and tell you what to eat.
Sid: No they don't. I never forget to take my blood.
( A few back and forth - 'yes you do' and 'no I don'ts')
Me: Last week, I went to bed early, and because I wasn't there to remind you, you went to bed without taking your blood.
I warmed up his supper, put it on the seat of his walker, and told him to take it into the den. It is approximately 10 steps from the kitchen to the den. His meter is in the den.
Me: Take your blood before you eat.
Sid: You don't have to tell me. I'll remember.
Me: Keep reminding yourself to take it as you're walking into the den.
Sid: I don't need to. I'll remember.
Me: Just to make sure, keep saying it.
Sid: I don't need to. I'll remember.
10 minutes later I went into the den. In an effort not to make him feel bad, I DID NOT SAY - "Did you remember to take your blood?" Instead, I said, "What was your blood number?"
And he said - "Oh, damn. I forgot to take it."
Soooooooo, I have decided to forget the reminders and just follow him into the den, and hand him his meter. And he's getting that nurse while I am recuperating.
Joan I have tears running down my face from laughing so hard at your dinner and blood taking episode..Are you sure you are not living in my house with my diabetic husband? Has Sid gone missing lately? I have this going on here and I swear it must be Sid sitting in our den and worse at the breakfast table taking his night meds rather than the am meds...
Seriously, for a moment, this blood taking issue got to a point where it was going so badly and Himself was so out of control that I told his doctor no more...so what we do now, is he checks his bloods in the morning and he takes 1.2mg of Victoza and 30 units of Lantus..and if his reading is 80 or less he does not take the Glimeperide (sp) pill..it seems to work so much better and then at night he only takes his night tablets and 30 units of Lantus before dinner..it does make life easier for both of us. You might ask Sid's doctor is that might work for him and you as well.
I wonder if there is a way to isolate all the funny stuff on these threads and put out a tongue in cheek guide for caregivers. No one would believe this save those walking into it for the first time..they would say no this is impossible as they laugh their way though the pages..then later they will say..this was quite a tutorial with a dash of humor.
Personally I think that in her next life Joan should take all the stuff written here & write a book! Although, who would read it? We are already reading everything here & people who don’t think this could happen to them wouldn’t want to read it.