We’ve had a good week, but yesterday there was a frustrating moment. Kate wanted to send Taylor a birthday card with a note that indicated we were giving him tickets for the baseball team and the hockey team. She worked for the better part of two hours trying to select an appropriate eCard and to enter the email addresses of Rachel and Kevin. She can’t remember their addresses and has Rachel’s address listed as Kevin’s. In addition to the memory issue she can’t seem to type information correctly; so she had to re-enter the addresses a number of times. Then she would ask me once again what their addresses are. I volunteered to do this for her, but she insisted that she would get it. It was as though she didn’t want to acknowledge that she couldn’t do it.
This led to her being somewhat depressed, and although we went out on the patio to chat and have a glass of wine, she never recovered. The day had ended in frustration.
This morning she sat down next to me on the island and was looking at the screen on my old computer. I was downloading files to put on my new computer. After I withdrew the flash drive, she picked up my computer and headed out of the kitchen. I asked what she was doing. She said she was going in the family room to work on the computer. I told her that computer was mine. Then she wanted to know where her computer was. I told her I did not know but would help her find it. She didn’t want help. In a few moments she had found it in the bathroom. This is a good illustration of how quickly she can forget. In this case she had been using her computer in the family room and got up to go to the bathroom putting her computer down on the bathroom counter. Then she came out and forgot that she had taken it there. It also shows how poorly she is able to discriminate among different things. In this case my old computer versus her new one.
When do we tell the kids?
We haven’t talked in a while about telling Jesse and Kevin about her Alzheimer’s. She was far from ready to tell them or anyone else the last time we spoke which was several months ago. She prefers not to tell them until we have to do so, or when it becomes obvious. I suspect that these events will occur at the same time. That will also be what happens with friends and acquaintances as well. There will be a point when everyone already knows or suspects. Then we can acknowledge the situation. Until then, we just keep everything to ourselves.
Note about Dad
Yesterday Kate and I took Dad to the Kiwanis spring luncheon. He looked sharp in his pin stripe suit and tie. He also seemed to enjoy himself although I can tell he experiences frustration in group situations like this where he unable to hear or follow everything (or anything) that is said. Nonetheless, I think it was good for him to get out. He still finds himself energized by the presence of other people.
Before we left Mountain Valley after returning Dad, we spoke with Dad’s speech therapist. I asked her about the upcoming Prom Night . She said that she is going to be there with Dad for the occasion. I was pleased because that occurs at a time we will be in Arkansasfor Dorothy’s wedding. She loves him so much that I won’t think of this as an imposition, and, of course, it will be good for Dad.
