Blessings and other stuff

Disclaimer: This post has not really been edited. I just wanted to get something out there so please forgive my poor grammer and writing. Oh well!

In the spirit of being grateful for all of the blessings in my life (truly the only thing I like about Thanksgiving), I want to share that I am so happy that this blog has been serving its purpose; to bring news and information to family and friends. I love the feedback and support that I have received both on the blog and via e-mail and face book messages.  It is really validating to hear from everyone and I just wanted to say that I really appreciate it.

One of my hopes for this blog is that I would share our story with other families who are also touched by Alzheimer’s. My wish being that others who are dealing with the disease might also reach out and share their experience through the blog. Any insight we are given is greatly needed and invaluable at this stage. I have rarely shared this blog openly. Mainly, I have shared it with family and friends and some of you have passed it on. Anyway, I just wanted to remind everyone that it is fine with me to share this with anyone whom you feel might benefit or add to the blog.

Over the last week, Alma has continued to have night time toileting mishaps. Keith put a latch on the closet door so she can no longer go in there to use the bathroom. It works most of the time. There was only one time since he put the latch there that she figured out how to open it. It was a rare, lucid moment and for some reason, at night she seems to believe that the closet is a bathroom.  One thing that I am trying is getting her up at night to go to the bathroom before I go to bed. It helps a little. However, most of the time, there is still a mess in the morning. I think I will start getting her up during the night as well.

I’ve shared that Alma has been fairly calm and compliant. For the last several moths, she has been fairly easy going and I made the assumption that we were beyond the “aggressive stage”. However, last night, she became quite agitated at bedtime and for the first time in months; she threw a bit of a temper tantrum. It really took me by surprise. However, she was much easier to redirect when I simply gave her a few moments to stomp around. If there is anything this whole experience has taught me; its patience. Historically, I am extremely impatient and that simply doesn’t work when caring for someone with Dementia. It has been interesting to go back and see how situations have been managed over the last year and a half. A year ago I would have chased her around the house until she calmed down. It would have taken twice as long as giving her the three minutes she needed to feel less threatened. That paired with a quiet and cheerful tone of voice makes all the difference at this point.

Finally, I wanted to share how grateful I am that we have found a way to get out of the house as a family again. Taking Alma anywhere is stressful for her and me at this point. Therefore, our social life has suffered as a result. Thankfully, one of my good friends made the suggestion that her 16 year old daughter come over and sit with Alma. We have rarely hired a babysitter for our own kids and never really thought of that as a possibility for Alma. All we need is for someone to be here in case Alma gets up at night. It was so nice that Seema came over and helped me get Alma ready for bed so we could go to a friend’s house for dinner. She was kind and compassionate with Alma and I felt completely comfortable leaving her. Thank you, Seema!