Day 17

It is hard to believe that my mom has been with me 17 days and also hard to believe the progress she has made! God is so Good!! Today was the busiest day we have had- we got up early to get her Flu shot- then went to the mall to spend her "Belk Bucks"and look around-she bought a new red sweater and socks to wear with her new shoes- next we went to Terranova's for lunch- an Italian restaurant that we like and then we picked up Sam at school- next we went to Costco and then to the WCA footballgame where it was my turn to sell tickets in the ticket booth- I took momma in there with me and so many people that know her, complemented her on how pretty she looked and how much better she was doing- she was so proud of herself and this was really good for her self-esteem! I am so proud of her too- we just have to be very careful about preventing falls and continue her physical therapy. One of the ladies working the ticket booth was telling us that she had built a cottage for her Mom on her property- and I started thinking how ideal that would be- we have three acres of land but just don't know if it would be feasible to do that- I could tell that it sounded really good to Momma- it's something to think about. Jay was surprised to see me and his Grandma at his last game- he didn't think I was going to be able to come- Momma got to see him run out on the field and also play a bit- we left at the beginning of the 2nd quarter because it was too cold- but she was proud to be able to see Jay- and of course, I was too. I hope we all sleep late tomorrow- it is Saturday and you know that means Roll Tide football- so we will see what happens...

Day 16

Today was hectic in the morning getting her bathed, dressed and fed before the therapist and nurse came- but we made it just barely. She slept well last night- she said it took her a while to finally fall asleep- My sister called and wanted to come over and I took that opportunity to go to the grocery store- it felt good to get out alone- My husband, Jerry, found out that he has the flu today- none of us have had our shots yet- I am going to try and find a place for momma to get a shot tomorrow- the flu is the last thing she needs- she is doing so well- and we don't need a setback. Today she went to the bathroom alone with her walker and no one even behind her- of course, I was watching closeby- just in case- her improvement is amazing- I know that if we had left her in a facility, she would not have improved- that is affirmation for me that I did the right thing. I am still very tired all of the time- just wish I could catch up on sleep and I guess I'm not sleeping soundly because I am waiting to hear her call for me or mother! Tomorrow we will go to the mall and eat out with my sister- Momma has a coupon that she must use by this weekend for $40 and she wants to get some new clothes or shoes again. I have not missed teaching at all- I think God knew that I needed a break and all of this just worked out in His divine plan. He is so good...

Day 15

Momma had another good nights rest- but for some reason I feel so tired- mornings are hectic- because we have to get her fed, showered and ready for her therapist pretty quickly. Today after therapy we were invited to my Pastor's home by his wife, Janice who is a very close friend, to eat lunch- although it was a "spur of the moment"thing, we had a great time and enjoyed eating soup, cornbread and brownies which was great on such a cold day! Momma loved seeing their new home and w ehad some great conversation- after that we ran by the grocery store for a few items for supper and then back to the house- after getting things semi-done for supper, I layed down for about 20 minutes- then back up again to finish supper- I don't know why I am so tired- maybe I am not sleeping soundly because I am listening for her. Tonight after supper, we just rested and watched TV until time to put her to bed- tomorrow we have no plans except physical therapy and I hope to catch up on laundry- Friday we have a big day planned with Jay's last football game, shopping and dental appointment for me. Maybe I will rest soundly tonight...

Day 14

It's hard to believe that tomorrow Momma will have been with me two weeks! Last night was fine- she only woke up twice to go to the bathroom. We had a big day today starting with her lab work this morning. After that we went to eat breakfast at Cracker Barrell and they had a great fire going in their huge fireplace- we asked for a place beside the fire and it was awesome- momma loved the heat on her back and the breakfast was good. Next we went to the mall because Momma wanted to find some good comfortable shoes- we ended up finding two pair of Ecco's and she was like a little kid with new shoes- she loves them- she also bought a new sweater and this really made her feel good. Next we went on a tour of the Alzheimer Assisted Living home that we have been considering- after the tour and talking with my mother- the director said that her level of Alzheimers is not severe enough for their facility! Great news! I know the Lord has answered prayer and has cleared her mind- she was so happy that she didn't qualify!!! So our next step is to find the best Assisted Living place for her in Huntsville. Wherever she goes, she will still have to be mobile or at least be able to transfer from chair to bed or toilet without help. We have our work cut out for us because she can only take a few steps and they are very unsteady. Our supper was brought tonight by Denise - one of my good church friends and it was so good- again, I don't know how I could face this without faith in my God and my awesome church family! She is sleeping now- all snuggled in her recliner with our dog Allie- hope tonight goes well...

Day 13

Today I went a bit Stir Crazy!! Momma slept pretty good last night-only woke up twice to go to the bathroom- still calling for "Mother"each time. Both times she was able to go back to sleep. We woke up around 8 for the day and I fixed pancakes for breakfast. Jamie called and said he would come for therapy at 9- so we had to hurry- no time for a regular bath- just washed her off- she did great at therapy again and we are encouraged about her mobility! All day long I just felt blah- I think Momma did too- we were bored- I have plenty of laundry to do when I'm bored but that's no fun! Momma watched a movie and she also wrote 2 thank you cards to friends- not very long notes and not the best hand writing but she tried- only thing was that she thought she had written 4 notes- I only found 2- We ate pinto beans and fried potatoes for supper- one of her favorites- and then just kind off layed around the rest of the day- increasing my Stir Crazy tendency- this has been a huge adjustment for me because I have been on the go for the past 17 years- running my kids every where they need to go, working, and staying very active in my church- not counting taking care of my husband. I will probably get used it just about the time I have to go back to work in January. Tomorrow we will go for lab work early in the morning and then go out for breakfast- which she always enjoys doing- we will also go and take a tour of the Clare Bridge Assisted Living Facility for Alzheimers patients- She is already on a waiting list - but she hasn't seen the place yet- hope she likes it. I wasn't able to get a sitter for tonight so I missed Sam's last ball game- he was okay about it but I wish I could have gone. Hope tonight goes well- we have to get up early to leave for lab work....

Day 12

Today is Sunday- our family regulary attends church at First Baptist Gurley and I have missed the past two weeks- my sister volunteered again to stay with Momma while I went to church and I was especially happy because today we celebrated Pastor Appreciation Day with a dinner on the ground. Momma slept well last night- still wake up once by calling for "Mother"- I don't think that will ever change- but it's fine- After church and di nner, I brought home a plate of food for her- and if you don't already know- Southern Baptist women can cook!!! She enjoyed her food and her apetite has really improved- I just hope she doesn't put on a lot of extra weight- because it will keep her from gaining mobility. After church, I was dying to take a nap and I asked her if she would mind- she said that she wanted me to get some rest, so I found an interesting movie for her to watch and I took a great nap for about two hours. When I woke up, I began to feel really overwhelmed for some reason- my husband was asking what was for supper, the boys were needing football uniforms washed, Momma needed to go to the bathroom and i just wanted to pull my hair out and scream! I fixed hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone and I just ate noodles- Sam wanted me to play Monopoly with him after supper, and Jerry decided to play too- Momma didn't want to play but she watched. During the game, I told Sam that I was going to miss his last football game tomorrow because I didn't have anyone to watch Grandma- he acted disappointed and it did'n't help matters much when Jerry and Jay put in their two cents about it- I felt sorry for Momma and told him I was doing the best I could- I tried to call my sister- Connie but no answer- then I called Janice because she had said she would be interested in helping sit with my mother part-time- which I would pay her for. She wasn't available either- I don't want Momma to feel like she is a burden- she's not- it is just an adjustment for our kids because we have always attended every sporting or other event. I just need some understanding. I looked over the brochures tonight for the Alzheimer Assisted Living place that we had talked about this week- I dread having to do that- but there is no way she can stay alone and no way that I can stay out of work after January. But all will work out- it always does- Romans 8:28 reminds me that "All things work together for good for those who love the Lord"- don't I know it...

Day 11

Momma said she slept better last night than she had in 3 months! The Seroquel is working for her and she only woke up once for me to take her to the bathroom in the middle of the night- then she woke up at 8:30 to go again and it was time for us to get up anyway. After her breakfast she wanted to sleep a little and that was fine- I went with our son- Jay to get his truck washed, pick up the corsage for his girlfriend and stop at Walmart for a few odds and ends. When I got home, Momma had been writing in her notebook- I haven't read what she wrote- but writing is something she has always enjoyed- she has authored three books. She seemed a bit bored and I asked her if she wanted to play Yahtzee which was a game we used to play when I was growing up- she said she did- and she actually beat me by 100 points!! Sam played her next and her beat her by 50 points- its good for her to play games that encourage her to think alot. I cleaned upstairs while she watched TV and then my friend Linda came by. Since today was Saturday that means football and the 4th Saturday of October is always the Alabama/Tennessee game- I fixed Tacos and Taco Salad and we all watched the game- which we won- Roll Tide- 29-9!!! Momma has really made friends with our chihuhua dog Allie and she just climbs up in mommas lap and snuggles- which is where she was when I left her to come up stairs- she has slept in the recliner for the past two nights and seems to think it helps her sleep better- I guess it's not going to hurt her- but it seems uncomfortable to me. We will see how tonight goes- but for now I feel proud of her for the progress she is making and I feel proud of myself for hanging in there and being able to enjoy this time with my mother- I think I'm going to dread going back to work in January...

Day 10

I am actually writing this a day late- yesterday was a full day and it was the Homecoming game for our two boys- our oldest plays and his girlfriend was in the Homecoming court- I was able to go to the game because my sister, Jenny stayed with momma during the game. Yesterday morning momma was very sleepy - I actually had to wake her up to get ready for Jamie- her physical therapist. We were also having company for lunch- Denise and her little boy- Luke- Momma did great at therapy- Jamie believes that if she continues to progress, she may be able to walk on her own- which is something he doubted when he first saw her. She does well with her walker and had walked from one end of our house to the other with the walker. After Jamie left, our company arrived and we had fun playing with Luke and talking to Denise. she has been such a good friend throughout this ordeal and has encouraged me so much. I really don't know what I would do with out my friends and my church family. Momma had a doctors appointment with a geriatric psyciatrist at 1:20- this was a successful visit and it gave her an opportunity to tell the therapist how she was feeling. she cried a bit- because she was worried that she was going to be a burden on her children- I felt sorry for her- but you know when I think about it- the question of whether I was going to be able to take care of her- really wasn't a concern- I just knew that I had to do it- so I did. There will still be rough days ahead I'm sure but we will handle it day by day. The psychiatrist increased her cymbalta that she takes for depression and wants to see her back in one month. After her appointment we went to a little coffee shop close by and she enjoyed a cup of coffee and some hummingbird cake- I drank a coke and ate a bagel.
We picked up her prescription and then I drove her by the assisted living place for alzheimers patients that we are thinking about- she seemed to like it from the outside and I told her I had already gotten some info about it and that we would visit there one day next week. I clocked the mileage on my car and it is about 15 miles from there to my house. When we got home we had to wait on Jerry to come home to help us get in the house. The deck was slick and I was afraid I would fall with her in the wheelchair. My sister arrived while we were outside waiting and when he came home I got ready for the game- which was great- our team won and I was so proud of our son- Jay and his girlfriend, Carissa. Momma was sleepy when I got home and I will tell you about how the night went in the next blog...

Day 9

Last night was the first night on Seroquel- and it wasn't all I had hoped for- she slept fairly sound- but still hollered out in her sleep for Mother and also for her sister- Vada- She was extremely sleepy this morning when it was time for therapy but she still did a good job for Jamie- He is such a nice guy- I'm so blessed that God sent him to us- I know it was a God thing!
After therapy she was really tired and wanted to rest while I took a shower. I needed to go to the grocery store and run a few errands so Jerry stayed with her for a couple of hours. Bless her heart, when I got home she had used the bathroom in her diaper because of course, she didn't want to ask Jerry to help her go to the bathroom. But I took care of it quickly and went ahead and gave her a shower- my sister Jenny came around the time I was changing her and offered little or no help- she wouldn't even put lotion on mommas feet because she didn't want to touch her feet- can you believe it? Selfishness is all I can come up with for her- she is missing out on the joy of taking care of our mom- wonder who will take care of her when she gets old and sick? Not me. We ate supper that my husband had fixed- hamburger helper- and it was good- he has been such a huge help to me since all of this has happened and literally changed our lives.
I will never be able to thank him enough. We watched Tv until 8 when her sister called and she talked to her about 15 minutes- at 9:30, I gave her the other half of the Seroquel because she was still not able to sleep. Tomorrow we have therapy, then my friend Denise and her little boy- Luke are coming over for lunch and then we go to the geriatric therapist. I'm looking forward to playing with Luke and momma really enjoys being around little children, here's hoping we get sleep...

Day 8

Well another night of interrupted sleep- it was pretty bad- she had a Doctors appointment with her neurologist today at 11:30 and we were there over 2 hours. She was put back on Aricept, her seizure med was changed and they prescribed a medication for sleep- seroquel- so far it seems to have worked - she is sleeping soundly- however, the info I have found on the web indicates alot of side effects I don't like- it says it should be prescribed for Bi-polar disorder- I hope it is safe- and right now she is sleeping---yeah!!!! After the doctor, we went to the mall to eat at The Piccadilly- she really enjoyed her meal and then I took her to get a manicure- which she loved- next i pushed her around the mall and we did alot of window shopping. We had a really good time together- I time I will treasure-we will see how the new med works- I need sleep....

Day 7

Last night was probably the worst as far as momma sleeping- she had an opposite reaction to the Benadryl- it kept her wired and awake. I think she called for "Mother"at least 6-7 times. Each time I would wait to see if she would fall back asleep- but she never did- most of the time she just wanted me to fix her blankets. Finally, at 5:30 am, I gave her a Klonopin- which I use for anxiety and stress- it worked because she slept until 8:30- We see her doctor tomorrow and I will ask him about possibly prescribing something for her like that. Because I was so tired and stressed, I had very little patience with her today. I just needed sleep! Her therapist called to say he would be by around 10:30 so I quickly got her bathed and dressed- when he arrived, I was actually outside waiting on him- just needed to get away for a minute- I told him about our night and he told me to just stay in the other room while he worked with her - I did- and I got a little nap. He tapped me on the shoulder when he left and I appreciated that little bit of sleep. Around 1pm, my husband offered to watch her while I took a nap and then my older sister, Jenny came and stayed with her until 3:30- wow- that nap felt great! Our youngest son, Sam had a football game tonight and I had arranged for a friend, Linda to come and stay with Mom from 5:30- 7:00, and then my younger sister Connie was to come from 7-9- the games usually aren't this long, but we had previous arrangements to go out and eat with some friends after the game and I was very much looking forward to some social time! Sam's team lost but I really enjoyed the break away from home- Connie said momma did fine- and after she left, I took her to the bathroom and put her in bed- with no night time meds- Dr. Morgans office had called earlier in the day to tell us to stop the Dilantin- so now we wait to see how she does tonight-so far as I'm typing this I have only heard her call for "Mother"once...

Day 6

Today was a busy day for us. momma slept most of the night- woke up 2-3 times only. Still having lots of confusion during the night and still callling out "Mother"when she needs me- in fact I heard her just now call out "mother"I try to ignore ot the first time- sometimes she quits but most of the time she keeps on u ntil i go down stairs and find out what is wrong- lots of times- it's little things like the covers are messsed up- she usually is hallucinating alot during her sleep. She had a doctors appointment at the orthopedic doctor today- so we had our first experience going somewhere- she did fine- we found out that her broken shoulder has healed so that is good news- I asked the doctor if he had any suggestions for sleep and he recomeended Benadryl- so far it hasn't worked tonight. After the doctor, we went to Pizza Hut and she enjoyed eating pizza. Next we went to Walmart where I tried pushing her in the wheel chair and pushing a buggy also- didn't work too well- so I stationed her in the camera department beside a bench and told her I would get all of the stuff we needed. I tried to hurry through the store because I was afraid she would become disoriented and begin calling for "Mother"- after I got all of my stuff- I found her still sitting in the same spot and no she hadn't called for mother! We got home just in time to receive an awesome supper from a dear close church friend- Celia- Beef Stew, rolls and brownies- it was delicious and momma really enjoyed it- by 6pm she was ready for bed and I gave her her night meds including the Benadryl- at 7:30 she was still wide awake!! Maybe the Benadryl will take effect and give us all some rest tonight- I can only hope and pray...

Day 5

Today was a good day- mom only woke up three times last night- and she slept in the recliner part of the night- no BM's in the bed either!! At 7 she was ready to get up and I made her cofffee and heated a honey bun for her- I gave her the morning meds and then she wanted to get back in bed- which was fine for me because I was still so sleepy- we both slept until 10:30-
Around 10:30- I began getting her clothes ready for the day- today was Sunday and the boys and Jerry had left for church around 9:30- at first she didn't want to take her bath but I convinced her that she would feel better after her bath- we did the bath thing and yes she did feel better after- She wanted to sit out on the deck in the sunshine after I got her dressed and she must have sat there almost an hour. Jerry called around this time and wanted to know if we wanted Mexican food from the local Mexican restaurant and we both said yes- so he took our orders and we just waited for our lunch- after lunch, the preacher and his wife from my church came by for a short visit and I really enjoyed seeing Janice- she is one of my good friends- I am going to miss going to church on a regular basis. This afternoon, I took a short nap in Jerry's new recliner and mom slept on and off, I think- we watched TV until suppertime, then ate and put her to bed around 9pm- so far it has been a good day- tomorrow we go to the orthopedic doctor for her shoulder- it will be her first outing- if all goes well. we may go out to eat lunch.

Day 4

I am actually writing Day 4 on the day after because I was too exhausted last night to do it. The f ourth night was pretty much the same- crying, calling for mother- but she was able to use the bedside commode instead of the bed- yeah- small little step but it felt huge to me and to her- she knows she is doing all of this strange behavior but she doesnt know how to tell me that she can stop it- she did say some really strange things during the night- of which I was up and down probably 7 times- once she said she was dying and that there was blood all over her- and she also said that she had more than two legs and they were all twisted up- I am trying to research sleep disorders among alzheimers patients like this- but haven't found any that match what she is doing- I really think it is her Dilantin- they sent her home taking 400 mg before bed- 2 days ago I reduced it to 200 and I plan to keep reducing until we are down to 100 mg or none- she only had one seizure and this does not mean she will ever have another one- the dilantin is for seizures- I really think it is contributing to her night time confusion and mania- During the day we had a big day planned because it was Saturday- and Saturday in the South means football- Roll Tide football for us- and my husband Jerry was going to get to watch the game his new Bama room in his new recliner. I had decorated this room with Bama memorabilia and purchased a crimson recliner for him on our anniversary this month. I dressed Momma in a Bama sweatshirt for the day and I made chili for us and any other friends that may drop by during the game- my 92 year old mother-in-law came by and my dear friend, Linda came by offering to watch momma while I took a nap. I thanked her but told her I wanted to watch the game- she stayed anyway and we all enjoyed talking and watching the game- I dozed off for anout 30 minutes. Bama won- but it was a nail biter! After the game, momma and I finished the puzzle watched a little tv and by 8:30 she was ready for bed- will tell you what happened on my next post Day 5...

Day 3

Last night was another crazy night- She woke up calling for mother and crying at least 8-10 times. Each time, I went downstairs to check on her- Around 5am- I took her to the bathroom and she did have a small bowel movement- I was so happy that she had not used the bathroom in her bed- I really bragged on her- put her back to bed and woke up around 7am when my oldest son- Jay was tapping me on the shoulder saying Grandma was crying and calling for mother- I couldn't understand why I didn't hear her on the monitor- and then Jerry said he had turned it off the last time I went down because he thought I was going to stay downstairs with her. I found her laying in the bed with her diaper off and gown pulled up- crying that she had messed up her bed- She had another bowel movement and I quickly cleaned up what I could and put her on the bedside toilet where she finished the BM. She was upset with herself and I just reassured her it was okay- I went ahead and got her in the shower and dressed her and put her in her lift chair where she ate her grits and drank cofffee. By 9am she was sleeping soundly and I let her sleep for 2 hours- mostly because I was exhausted and needed to sleep too! She woke up very confused and around this time my sister called and said she was coming by in a while- when she arrived, she offered to stay with Momma so that I could get out for a few hours and run errands. I felt like a free bird!! I picked up a few items for her at the Pharmacy and also asked the pharmacist about suggestions for sleep- she mentioned Melatonin- which is a vitamin supplement- So I bought it. Next I went to Target to pick up a few groceries and other stuff- It felt so good to get out of thehouse- and this is only the third day!!! After my sister left, momma seemed really normal -we talked like old times, and Allie, our dog, decided she needed to become friends with Momma- who has never been a dog person- Allie cimbed up into her lap and snuggled up close to her and I could tell Momma really liked it- She said"Allie- youré going to make a liar out of me"! As the two of them sat and snuggled in the recliner, I put up groceries and carried on a conversation with her hoping to keep her awake! Around 5:30 she decided she was hungry and wanted some Chicken Salad- I used the recliner to lift her a bit and then put the walker in front of her to hold onto and my plan was to get her to walk to the kitchen table- only a few steps away- suddenly. she just slid all the way to the floor and sat there crosslegged- I was determined to get her up- because I knew my husband and the boys would not be home until late- after all, it was Friday night and Jay had a football game- I tried one time- which didn't work and then with all the determination and strength I could muster- I picked her up and put her in the wheelchair- I knew that when I did it Iwas taking a chance at hurting my back- and I think I probably have- however I did not tell her- this incident upset her and she ended up eating just very little of her supper-I bought a puzzle at Target today, and she and I have always loved working puzzles- so I pulled her up to the table and found some extra lamps in order for her to be able to see- and we began working the puzzle- we got the border done and then watched the crazy show "Wife Swap"- after the TV show, I could tell she was tired so I began getting her ready for bed- I gave her the night time meds plus the new Melatonin supplement- I also had purchased a relaxation Cd and a small Cd player for her in hopes of helping her sleep- I rubbed down her leg with pain cream and tucked her in for the night- I figured a hot bath in our jacuzzi tub would be just what my back needed and it did feel good- but as I sit at the computer and type this blog- my back is killing me! I have heard her three times on the monitor and she called for mother once-I checked on her once and she seemed to be asleep- which is what I hope to get alot of tonight! Maybe the boys and Jerry wont wake her when they come in from the game- I will call and warn them- .............

Day 2

Oh my goodness- last night was aweful! Mom woke up moaning and crying around 2am and was awake on and off until 7am- I think I got about 3 hours of sleep- listening for her on the baby monitor reminds me so much of when my boys were babies- I kept hoping she would get quiet on her own- she never did so after three trips down the steps and back up again- I decided to sleep in the recliner- around 5am she had taken her diaper off and pooped in the bed. At 7 am I started fixing breakfast and she wanted a cup of coffee. She was so sleepy but I made her get out of bed- after breakfast, I gave her a shower and washed her hair- got her dressed and by 9am she was exhausted and begging to lay down- I put her in bed and let her sleep for about 2 hours- she slept hard too- no moaning and crying- I think she has her days and nights mixed up= and that stupid pill I gave her made it worse. The home health nurse and physical therapist came by today to introduce themselves and assess her. I really like the therapist- his name is Jamie and he was very gentle and sweet with my mother- when he left, we spoke privately and he told me he didn't think she would be able to walk again and that his goal was to get her able to transfer from a wheelchair to a bed or toilet by herself. He also shared with me that his grandmother had alzheimers and he understood much of what I was going through- when he told me he would keep us in his prayers, I knew he was a Christian! We talked about the churches we attended and it felt so good to know he was a believer!!!

The nurses stayed about 2 hours and momma was exhausted after they left- I told her she could sleep but only for 30 minutes- during this time, I fixed her supper and after supper tried everything to keep her awake- playing solitare on the computer- I even had her folding towels.

Her sister called tonight and she spoke with her about ten minutes. Close to 9pm, she asked my youngest son, Sam to help her get into bed- I was upstairs- he was afraid she would fall and he called for me- I changed her into her nightgown, gave her the night time meds and tucked her in with instructions to please sleep all night!!!! Now I can hear her breathing on the baby monitor and ocassionally moaning- I'm wondering if I should go down and take her to the bathroom now- no- I guess I'll just wait until I hear her call "Mother".

Day 1

Momma arrived at my home today around 10:30 am. I had spent the last two days getting everything just perfect for her arrival and had bought grocieries to prepare her favorite meal as a celebration for her tonight- she has been in a faclity or hospital for the past 2 months. My older sister brought her to my home and my husband helped us get her in the house. She said many times how happy she was to be at my house and commented on my fall decorations. She loved the way I had set up her "Space" in our great room- complete with the hospital bed that was delivered yesterday.
She slept off and on today and I could tell that she was more relaxed than I have seen her in quite a while. During her sleep she was not restless and slept so soundly that she snored at ti mes. We ate dinner around 4pm and it consisted of her favorites- peas, corn, okra, squash casserole- (people in the south don't need meat with all of our meals- especially this one! )I had even purchased her favorite cake at Costco with the strawberry filling inside - she felt so special and said I should have known you would do something like that.""She ate slower than the rest of us and this is because she is still recovering from a shoulder fracture- but she really enjoyed her food- after the meal I fixed her a cup of coffee to go with her cake-After cleaning the kitchen, I pushed her in her wheel chair onto our deck where she enjoyed sitting and taking in the view- I found myself getting really sleepy while we talked on the deck- and I asked her if we could go in so that i could lay on the couch- she agreed-
around this time my boys came home from school and she was happy to see them- she layed in her bed for a while and dozed off and on- finally around 7:30 I gave her her night time meds and convinced her to put on her night gown- she wanted to sleep in just a shirt and her diaper. I don't think she realizes that with two teenage boys in the house and my hsband- they may get embarrased more easily. My husband came home from work and had purchased a baby monitor for us to use at night so that we could hear her call for us- I put her to sleep and asked if she needed to go to the bathroom and she said no- I went upstairs, took a bath, came down stairs and she was moaning a bit- saying"she was hurting in her paperclip"- I guess this is what the experts call sundowning- when alzhemers patients get really confused at night. I reassured her- went back upstairs to check my email and I heard her call for mother- she does this when she is confused- she said she needed to go to the bathrooom- I took her and gave her a tylenol because she said her shoulder hurt- I also gave her a Rozerem that the doctor had prescribed for sleep when necessary- back up to the computer I go only to scare myself when reading the side effects of Rozerem- oh well- we'll see how much sleep we get tonight!







































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