My latest blogs have been full of sadness and despair. For a change of pace, I decided we needed some humor, so I have shared some of our funny Alzheimer incidents with you. I invite you to log onto the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com - and read the weekend blog. If you have managed to find some humor in your Alzheimer experience, please share it with us here.
One evening, my dh turned to me and said (as if I was a stranger) "I want you to make yourself at home here. Watch the TV as much as you want. If you get hungry, just go into the kitchen and you will find all sorts of snacks there." I thanked him for his hospitality and told him it was time for him to go to bed.
I used to rescue Guinea Pigs, and foster them until placement, a few at a time. We also had 4 special needs ones we kept. DH helped with their care. During the winter before he was Dxd with Vascular Dementia but we knew of problems brewing, one of the Guinea Pigs died. Of course it was Wed. night after trash pick up that morning. In Michigan, nobody is going to go digging through snow and frozen ground, so I wrapped the little body in several layers of paper towel, then into a newpaper plastic sleeve. Sealed that and then put the package into a second plastic sleeve. After sealing that I put it in the freezer until it could go into the next week's trash. The following Tuesday night as he set out the recycle and I was rounding up the last of the trash DH remindeded me to "Take the squirrel out of the envelope." as I was going to the freezer.
A few years back, DH and I visited an empty townhouse we owned, to prepare it for new tenants. We had been to that townhouse together at least a dozen times. After finishing up, we hopped in the car, and drove to the opposite side of the parking lot to check the mailbox. DH hopped out, got the mail, came back to the car, handed it to me, and said, “I'm going to run back and make sure I locked the door.”
He then stood there staring at the row of townhouses in front of us, looking very confused. He was looking intently through the front window of the townhouse directly in front of us, where we could see man watching TV.
He asked, “Now...which one is our house?”
I replied, “It's in the next row over. Third one from the right.”
DH was very relieved – “Oh that's good! I was wondering what that man was doing watching TV in our house!”
I have something funny to say. It wasn't funny when it happened but now I see the humor. I was sitting on one of my couches and my husband was sitting on the other one. We were watching TV. He came over to me and stood their staring at me. He said " I am very fond of you, I would like your telephone number, but I must tell you I'm married." All I could say is WHAT?
We were getting ready to cut the grass, I ask my husband to see if the mower needed oil while I was changing my clothes. When I came outside, my husband was dipping the oil stick from the mower in the oil can, when I ask him what he was doing, he replied, "Putting oil in the mower" at first I thought he was teasing me, then realized, he thought that was the correct way. I said, " I thought we always used a funnel, he replied, "Actually, that is not right, but, I will do it that way this time" As I was mowing, I couldn't help but laugh.
Hope this doesn't offend anyone.....My husband was sitting on the toilet and as he got up he looked through his legs and said to me "there's something hanging there. I don't think I know what it is".
My husband has Alzheimer's and his cousin Jeannette has some type of dementia. They had a cousins' "circle letter," in which one person wrote a letter, sent it to the next person on the list, who wrote a letter, and sent both letters to the next person, and so on. When the letter got back to you, you removed your previous letter, added a new one, and send the package on. For several cycles, the letter stopped before it got back to Jeannette. She somehow figured out that it was their cousin Betty who was not sending it to the next person on the list. FOUR times, she called DH and asked, "Did our cousin Betty die?" Each time DH answered, "Do we have a cousin Betty?" By the fourth time, I began laughing when I heard Jeannette's voice on the phone.
Just the other day. I made popcorn for my DH for an early snack. He enjoys anything I make. About 6 hours he came to me and said. That was really good popcorn. I just smiled and thanked him.
Joan, I have been so worried about you the past few months. I could tell you were not yourself. I am glad to see you posting more. I know this is not easy on a good day. But can only think how hard it was for you with your shoulder. I hope your are feeling better and better every day.
How many of your LO's physicians sometimes don't have a clue about how hard it is to handle them?
Claude was having chest pains and shortness of breath so we took him to the ER. After trying to keep him settled down in an ER cubicle for hours, about 9 PM his PCP (internist who specialized in geriatrics and who handled his Alz meds) admitted him with suspected pneumonia. He would not settle down, tried to get out of bed (an alarm on the bed didn't help), yelled and carried on like a sick two year old in a strange place. Since he had a roommate, they wouldn't let me stay overnite in the room. They finally gave him meds and he calmed down about 3AM. I went home and came back about 7AM. The meds only lasted a couple of hours and he was back on a roll.
I stayed with him all day. The doctor did rounds about 6PM. He said he was much better but thought they would keep him overnite. I had just about reached the end of my rope - I stood up and told him, they could keep him overnite but he could spend the nite with him and try to keep him calm! The nurse cracked up and had to leave the room!!! The doc looked at me like who do you think you are but said "well, I guess we can discharge him with antibotics....."
I had to take DH to his PCP today for check up and questions regarding swallowing. We were on time but the doctor was behind schedule due to installing a new computer system. DH was okay for a while but started to get antsy after about 20 minutes. When he started taking his shoes off and I knew what was coming next I told the receptionists "he's starting to disrobe so it better be soon or we'll have to leave." One gal bustled back and when she came back she said we could go right in. Geez.
My darling husband was a baseball player from the days of Little League. Excellent third baseman. Good stick (high battling average) no wheels (couldn't run, no speed) info that helps explain. One day last month he was having an awful day, just awful (he's one of those victims that knows of his decline) He was dress in shorts and a bright orange shirt. He sat on the steps of the house with his hands on his face......."I am so sorry I am such a pain in the A** to you, I was going to leave so you'd never find me" My reply, "your a man that makes you an A** , no pain for me and your slow, no wheels plus your dressed in Orange.......we'd find you pretty darn quick" He laugh and said "oh yeah I forgot" :)
This probably falls under the "you had to be there" category, but I wanted to share it with you. Yesterday (10/25/11), Sid went to friend's house to watch a movie. Once the DVD is set up, and instructions written down, the two guys are fine to stay by themselves. Both of us wives went out.A couple of hours later, we wives returned, and asked the fatal question - What movie did you watch? Both of them, at exactly the same time, looked at each other with the same competely blank look, and just stared at each other. Neither one of them said anything. I couldn't help it, but I burst out laughing. The looks on their faces were priceless.