A Reprieve
Mom called my daughter early last night, concerned about Thanksgiving plans. She had forgotten what we’d told her Saturday night. By the end of their conversation mom agreed it would be easier to stay in AL through the holidays. That girl possesses a magic wand. Let’s hope it sticks, not because I think mom can […]
To Lie or Not
This compelling New Yorker Article from October 8th of this year, shares various learned expert’s opinions on whether we should use ‘gentle deception’ with our loved ones living with dementia, or not. While I understand the stated pitfalls of lying to a dementia patient, joining my mother in her reality, rather than dragging her into mine, is […]
Island House Nibble
Today’s house nibble was a goody. The owner of the body shop, where mom took the Honda attack vehicle for periodic body panel replacements, is desperately looking for housing for one of their techs, or the tech is going to leave the Island. We messaged on and off all day. I set up a showing […]
Mom’s Escalation
Today started with housecleaning (de-dusting room-by-room after a summer either away, or in the garden), and a trip to the dentist for my cleaning, which I’d had to reschedule three times. I was relaxed, happy even to indulge in this little piece of self-care. My DH texted, as I waited for my appointment, saying he’d […]
Inadequate
I’m feeling inadequate this morning because I wasn’t able to handle, or distract my mother last night. In the middle of stewing on how inadequate I feel, I recalled how inadequate my mother made me feel as a child, mostly in terms of academics. “Your father is a calculus whiz! Why aren’t your math grades […]
AL Thanksgiving Dinner 2018
We were at the appointed place (the piano) at the appointed time (4:15pm), and mom did not show up, as we figured would be the case. We reluctantly went up to her apartment to get her. If she’d forgotten, she put on a good show. I asked her if she was ready for dinner. She […]
16 Weeks
Today is mom’s AL Community’s Thanksgiving dinner. I haven’t seen mom in 16 weeks. She hasn’t left voice mail for 13.5 weeks. I called her last night (feeling a bit of trepidation), to ‘remind’ her that we’d be joining her for dinner today, and she sounded great! Her only concern, voiced casually, was that this […]
Thanksgiving Dinner at the AL Community
Mom’s AL community is hosting their Thanksgiving dinner two evenings after I return from my trip to the South. It’ll be the first time I’ve seen mom since before the furniture move (8/14). I hope for the best, and so far, am not feeling any apprehension.
Next Up
Our friend moved from us to another family early this afternoon. His recovery is remarkable, and while his next caregivers are completely competent to look after him, I confess to a proprietary nanosecond during introductions while assessing their fitness for duty. 🙃 Tomorrow I fly to the South for five days to both spend time […]
Dementia Dance - Travels with Mom 