My day Friday...

[Guest guest]

Just wanted to share my day on Friday...

Spent a great day with mom - I was on vacation this week so I was

able to not look at the clock constantly during my two extra long

visits during this week. And then I go again Sunday...

I arrived to find mom in the Dining Room, she cried a little at first

and then stopped. I showed her the new jeweled eyeglass holders I got

her - wonder how long that will last? Mom likes to put her feet up

on the dining room table - it's really a site to see. And her

tablemates are having to just stare at her feet. LOL. Mom likes to

take her shoes and socks off constantly - so we're also constantly

losing socks. She has about 14 pairs of knee highs (all funky

colors) - yesterday she had 2 socks, not matching. So we went out in

search for her socks - found a couple of pairs and she was sitting on

one sock.

Then we went downstairs to this sun room. I took her nail polish off

her toes and her fingers. And we brought down her photo album to look

at.

Then she had lunch. She's now eating regular food except for ground

meat - which is good, the meat is hardest to chew - and since she has

missing dentures even more difficult. Mom enjoyed her tater tots,

ground chicken, and creamed corn. But especially her chocolate

Miracle Cup (like ice cream, but very HIGH in calories).

Then we went into her room to listen to music. This time we listened

to one of her religious CDs - it was like church in her bedroom - but

the music was beautiful. Mom still can't have conversations, mostly

yes/no, but once in awhile she'll come out with a phrase. This time

it was something to the effect of " We're all going to hear how

wonderful a father Bill was. " (my dad) (this was said in a sarcastic

tone - she must have had some thought about this or dream about this -

this was the start of a conversation that we've had time & time

again over the years.) I just said " ... and a wonderful mother you

are... " which led to tears and she asked " Really? "

I took the exercise balls out and usually mom just picks them up and

puts them down. But this time she actually understood a game of toss.

We tossed the ball back and forth with my explaining what great

exercise it was.

When I was going to leave, I brought mom back to the dining room

where they were celebrating their monthly birthday party - with an

entertainer named Dave. He was singing with a karaoke machine. I

wheeled mom up to the front and was about to leave after a song (the

other residents loved this guy - they were dancing around) - but mom

started to cry, she would look at the guy and then cry. I don't think

mom likes Dave. Too loud? Too goofy? LOL So we went back to her

room...

Then I started to show mom how to use her arms to move around in the

wheelchair. With her arms and with pulling herself on the barre on

the wall - she saw that she could get herself around by herself. With

her arms she wasn't getting very far, but it was great exercise

nonetheless and she kept remembering to put her arms near the wheels

to move herself. Will have to continue working with her on that. We

went back to the dining room because cake was to arrive soon and Dave

was actually playing something that mom liked - and b/c she was

feeling really good about herself for moving herself around in that

wheelchair - she was OK for me to leave then.

After the visit went to mom's condo (that we're STILL trying to sell)

to pick up mom's pictures. Took them all home so I can organize them

and distribute to the 3 kids. My mother has ALOT of pictures. I have

pictures all over the place right now - trying to organize. It was

kind of depressing though... Of course I'm going to keep out a bunch

of large pictures for mom (planning on getting a 3-ring binder, with

plastic sleeves and putting the 8 1/2 x 11 shots in this binder for

mom). But these were all pictures that belonged to my mother, my

father, and my grandmother - and I'm sorting to go to the 3 kids,

including myself. It's depressing separating all these pictures that

were together for years and years. And one set will go all the way to

Dominican Republic (where my brother lives), one set to my sister,

and then to me. Then I'm thinking - what's going to happen to these

pictures when we die? My brother doesn't have kids - so they're just

going to stay in DR? My sister has kids, but I don't (always wanted

kids, but don't know if it's going to happen or not at this time).

It's really kinda sad. I LOVE pictures, they're history in your

hands. My dad was always a big fan of pictures too - and considering

we're talking about boxes upon boxes of pictures - it's

overwhelming...

Anyway - to end in a happy note - found this AWESOME picture of mom

and her brothers & sisters and some of their kids on the beach. There

were two shots - one of a posed smile and the other where everyone

either had a goofy face or laughing uncontrollably b/c of the other

who had a goofy face. I'm definitely going to do something with those

shots - thinking everyone in the picture needs them enlarged and

mounted and framed.... Good Christmas gift for all of them!

; loving daughter of Maureen of Boston, MA; finally diagnosed

with LBD on 2/06 after also being diagnosed with everything from AD

to Vascular Dementia caused by mini strokes to Binswengers...; was

victim to rapid decline from Risperidone (or combination of

Risperidone with other drugs OR possibly received another " bad drug "

when she was observed/tested in a hospital in 10/05); in a NH since

11/05. Update: on antidepressant Celexa, 20mg (still teary, but not

as weepy) and as of 4/21 on Exelon.