Communication

We watched the Indy 500 yesterday. That is Lyn’s favorite sporting event. It was exciting to see Rossi win running on fumes. Amazing how technology impacts so many different areas. His team knew it was a close call, but they used a computer to help them determine the answer.

Lyn did not say anything to me except to say that I was trouble. I try not to allow it to bother me, but is discouraging to only be called hurtful names: bum, stupid, idiot, etc. I know in my mind it is the disease, but my heart hurts.

Today, I brought over crunchy chocolate cookies that I baked yesterday. She ate one of the two I brought over. We watched the food network and she never said a word to me. She did allow me to hold her hand which was nice.

It is interesting, she will respond to the staff. Yesterday, I had to ask one of the CNA’S to ask Lyn a question as to what she wanted to do and she replied to  Ashley.

Saturday Morning

I brought the doughnuts over this morning. When I got to Lyn’s room, she was lying on a pad on the floor by her bed all covered up. She looked comfortable. I ran out to the staff and said, “Lyn is on the floor.” Ashley calmly remarked that they knew she was and that Lyn had not wanted to get into bed and wanted to be on the floor.

After about 1/2 h, the staff managed to get her into her wheel chair and she came out for doughnuts and coffee. She only ate one chocolate cream doughnut and sipped a bit of coffee. As she was eating Lyn looked me up and down and said, “You look like a bum you know.” I responded, ” I am hurt being called a bum, but it is nice to hear you talk.”

We watched Love It or List It, and one Fixer-Upper and then I left for home about 12:30. Tomorrow, I need to be sure to put the Indy 500 on for Lyn. That is her favorite sporting event.

 

After a Rain Storm

Nothing much has happened this week. Lyn has been asleep or resting each time that I have come. We have watched a lot of HGTV together. I am always surprised when young couples have 1/2 million or $750,000 dollars to purchase and renovate a place. It is fun to see what they do and how they do it.

Today, we had terrific rains in Bryan, TX. I got about 6.4 in. in my rain gauge. I went over to see Lyn about 7 pm after the rain let up. She was in bed with her right eye closed and the left one partially open. She did let me hold her hand. I thought she might talk about the tornado scare that the Memory Care unit had today where they moved all of the residents to a safe location, but she would not speak about it. Although, I spoke with a couple of other residents and they had not remembered it either. Maybe that is a blessing.

Joyous Surprise

A group of retirees have a lunch get together on the 3rd Friday of the month and afterwards I went to visit Lyn. I got there about 1:30 pm and she was in bed watching a show on the Freeform network. I never heard of the network, but the show was a Reba rerun and sort of funny.

Afterwards, I asked if she would like to go outside. Of course there was no immediate answer and in about 15 minutes I asked again and she said she would like to go outside. With her help, I got her into the wheelchair and we went out into the hall and headed towards the door and the feet went down. I have learned that is a no. I asked if she would like to go to Dairy Queen and get a hot fudge sundae. Immediately, she said yes. So we headed out.

One of our long time, upstate NY, friends had sent Lyn a rabbit and she had a death grip on it as we headed out. Part way out the feet went down and we stopped. Fortunately, Sharon the CNA whom she relates to walked by and I said we are going to DQ for a sundae and Sharon said being me one back. That turned out to be a great request.

We got to the CRV and the feet went down and she did not want to get into the car. I reminded her that we were supposed to bring a sundae back for Sharon. She said okay and helped stand up so I could get her into the car. (I appreciate the staff helping her each day; my back was sore and I thought I lifted with my legs.) We went to the DQ and I got the wheelchair out and she said, I thought we would go through the drive thru. I returned the wheelchair to the back of the CRV and came around to put her seat belt on and she had her feet outside the car and was ready to go inside. I got the wheelchair back out and we went inside. She ate all of the sundae and I have to admit that it tasted good.

The DQ staff helped me get her back into the car and we brought a sundae back for Sharon. All in all it was a delightful day and such a wonderful surprise for Lyn to go out to DQ with me.

I realized that whatever we do I must be patient with Lyn. She does not respond fast and it takes time for her to decide. In this rush-rush world it is not easy to go slower and be patient.

Ordinary Times

We got good news that Hospice will continue to support Lyn. It please me because the nurse stops by and then calls or contacts me. Maria, a very gentle aide, comes three times a week for baths. She is very good with Lyn.

In the past two days Lyn has eaten a bit more. She is calmer and not quite so anxious. Today, I helped the Alzheimer Association at a Senior Expo in Bryan, TX. We visited with more than 300 people from 9 until 2 pm. I was tired. Even though Lyn has been diagnosed with Lewy Body, The Alzheimer Association now supports all types of dementia’s and Lewy Body is considered one of them.

I came over to Crestview about 4 pm, after a short nap, and she was out getting ready to eat supper. She was asking for her medicine. The crazy thing is that it took maybe 15 minutes to get it to her and by that time she had decided that she had already taken the meds and she did not need them. It drives you crazy and of course no amount of logic will  change her mind. She wanted to go back to bed after dinner and I left her watching a Property Brothers show.

A Better Day

Lyn was not as anxious today. I came over after church and had lunch with her. I brought two bottles of chocolate milk and she drink some from one of them. We called both Joel and Matt and she said a couple of words to each of them. Matt, our oldest, has his birthday tomorrow. We watched a bit of TV and she said I could go now, and I left.

In the evening, I returned about 6:45 pm and brought two hot fudge (senior) Dairy Queen sundaes for us to enjoy. She was trying to slip into bed, but the ice cream got her to come back to the table and eat the sundae. Frankly, they were good. The staff got her ready for bed, we watched a bit of Lakefront Property on HGTV. She fell asleep within a 1/2 h and I left for the night.

I have trouble accepting the cyclical nature of this disease. It sure is nice when Lyn talks a bit and is not quite so anxious. I think the food, liquid, and medicine help her. Since she had not eaten much for three days, the staff was trying to get her to drink fluids and they were able to.

I Feel Useless

I brought the warm Shipley’s glazed doughnuts this morning, Saturday. I arrived before 10 am; Lyn had not eaten, but she was awake watching TV. There was another Hallmark Channel movie on the tube. They give 5 min. of movie and then 10 min. of ads mostly intended for older persons who have various parts of their bodies that don’t function as they used to and if you take this “stuff” you will be better off assuming the side affects don’t kill you.

I am avoiding the guts of this blog. I entered Lyn’s room said “hi and I have doughnuts.” immediately she said they were bad and there were people or snakes in the box. Of course, even when I opened the box and showed them to her, that was not good enough. She would not allow me to kiss her or hold her hand. She has not eaten much in the past three days- blueberry muffin, a bag of chips, and some Pepsi. I thought for sure she would devour the doughnuts. After a bit, I asked Victor, her CNA, to dress her which he did and brought her out to the table where I had the doughnuts and coffee ready for her. She had no interest. The delusions and paranoia were very strong. She kept heading back to her room.

I really got depressed. I know it is the disease, but it is hard to see your partner in this condition and there is nothing that you can do about it. She went to the dining room table and they were serving lunch so I said goodbye. I called later and she had not eaten. I said to myself, I will come back later, but I never did. To be honest I did not want to see her in that condition. I know that is selfish. I will go tomorrow after church and visit. Thanks for reading.

Hallucinations and Delusions

Part of Lewy Body Disease are the delusions and hallucinations. Recently, Lyn has stopped taking her evening medicines and stopped eating very much. The past two days she has been very paranoid and seeing bugs entering the room. She asked me what was in my pockets and as I removed the stuff, she said, “you have knife.” She, of course, was correct I have carried a Swiss Army knife for decades. When I pulled it out, she said, “I should not have that and that I have been slicing people.” Then she said she has sinned worse by drinking oil.

When you hear this stuff, it is almost funny. Nobody can make this up, but of course it is very real to her. I tried to get her to share her Mother’s Day candy and when I picked up the box she said, “No you don’t put that back.” I did what she told me. We watched a mystery on the Hallmark channel with Brooke Shields called the Flower Shop Mystery’s.  She seemed to be watching it intently and it was fun.

Saturday Morning Doughnuts

For the past few months, I have brought Shipley’s doughnuts on a Sat. morning to share with Lyn for breakfast . The glazed ones are usually hot and they literally melt in you mouth. They are 217 calories of scrumptious. The staff allow the residents to sleep in on Sat. and when I arrived about 10:15 am Lyn was getting dressed. She had little interest in getting up until I showed her the Shipley’s.

I enjoy a chocolate doughnut filled with chocolate cream. I bought two of them. She came out and I opened the doughnut box with the glazed  ones, which she usually devours, and a small bag containing the chocolate doughnuts. Trying to make a decision as to which one to take required time. Finally she took a bite from one of the chocolate doughnuts and put it back in the bag. Then she took a bit from the second one. I said, “Hey one of those is mine.” Very calmly she took one out of the bag and split it down the middle giving half to me. I was so touched. It has been a long time since she shared something with me.

We finished breakfast and she wanted to lay down. The staff saved the doughnuts and I came by later to watch Nyquist win the Kentucky Derby with her. It was good day; I even got 1/2 doz. marigolds planted.

Regular Time

Yesterday, Lyn signed a Mother’s Day card for our daughter-in-law and her name was pretty clearly written. Later I tried to get her to sign a card for our sisters and that looks more like a scribble and a cross out. I guess I should have stopped at one card and been happy.

I stopped by twice today and the first time she was watching a Ma and Pa kettle movie; it was funny. I came back later and she was in bed watching HGTV. I sort of held her hand and it was quiet visit. I tried to kiss her goodbye and she said something to me which sounded angry, and of course, I was not able to understand it and she would not repeat it. You have to be quick and paying attention.

The charge nurse told me they found her standing in front of her wheelchair about to climb into bed. Lyn is still independent.