My dh, early on in our marriage, got down and licked the counter when he spilled something. That was about 19 years ago. Recently he spilled something on a notepad that was in a vinyl cover. He picked it up and licked the vinyl cover clean. That was on a trip as I drove. I was disgusted. He takes his finger and reams out containers after he has finished with them and after a normal person would consider them emptied, to get the last vestiges out of there. He then licks his finger over and over. He did this once in a restaurant not long ago as we were having dinner with his grown daughter. She was visibly disgusted, and looked away. I almost said, "Welcome to my world."
Today when I was ordering the ice cream that comes with the meal on weekdays he tried to order the crumb pie that I get for him on weekends. I took over and got it for him since the waitress didn't have a clue as to what he wanted.
Looks like we are going to crumb pie at least some of the time. It is extra but...
Bama, I was told by his psychologist that "sweet" is one of the last taste sensations they have. Everything else is more or less tasteless. Many nursing homes begin the meals with sweet food in order to get the person to eat. I know my husband does best when he has his sweet fruit yogurt before the entree at every meal.
My DH is just the opposite. He was a big "sweet" eater especially chocolate truffles. The past few months he hardly touches candy. But, today he asked me if we could stop for ice cream on the way home from the Hospital.
Odd, Foster won't eat candy. No way..and he used to love Heath Bars. He wants cookies and ice cream. I wonder why he's off of candy bars? He also loved nuts and pretzels. Not anymore. Nothing salty.
jules...goldfish crackers in the cat dish...You're so creative in your thinking!. ol don, telling another not to worry unless thier LO was headed for the litter box! Good grief! I know all these issues on the boards are, for the most part, seriously concerning and are majorly upsetting to the ones that start each thread. But, I swear, sometimes I get such a belly-laugh out of some of the things I read here!!!
My and John's plunge into the last stages of dementia weren't very long (praise God). When I look back, I can recoignize that it all started so long ago. I simply wasn't aware of what was going on. I do wish I'd not only KNOWN (from reading here and talking to others) but UNDERSTOOD what I'd learned about the disease. It wouldn't have made a difference to the outcome but I would have been better off emotionally in being better equipped emotionally.....(maybe?). At least, that's what I tell myself.
On the issue of just learning to accept that we aren't to be so concerned about length of survival time, but the quality of it.....pretty difficult when your life has been spent thinking we should do all we can to preserve it. John passed primarily from a blood disorder. The dementia was third down the list. It WAS hard to explain "comfort care" to others toward the end. When John was here at home before, he didn't eat all the time but would sit at the table all the time, waiting. Like he'd been called for dinner. He DID like his Scotch, however. I let him drink it. I bought it for him (have taken so many beatings for that fact). But, it kept him quiet and away from harm (mine or his??). Would just get him tucked in on the couch and he'd stay there with no incident.