Ellen came by this morning to pick up her Christmas pottery and her poinsettias that she had loaned Kate for her PEO meeting on Thursday. She mentioned to Kate in my presence that after Christmas she gets into a clean-up mode and would be willing to help Kate sort through her clothes to determine what she needs to get rid of and what she wants in her closet. After Ellen left, I asked Kate about Ellen’s help. She told me that she didn’t want her to help, that she didn’t need it; she is already taking care of it and has been giving clothes to our housekeeper. She told me that she has been doing a little bit at a time and didn’t need any help. This is obviously not true, but she doesn’t realize she is not making progress.
This morning she asked me which light switch in the family room controlled the outlet she likes to use when she is charging her computer. After I told her, she said, “”How did you know that? You remember everything.” She is often amazed by what other people can remember or do.”
While we were at lunch, she asked me what my mother died of. I said, “Alzheimer’s.” I went on to say that many people with Alzheimer’s often die of something else, but that Mom really died from Alzheimer itself. She said, “You know I don’t remember much about that at all.” I told her there was a good reason for that; she was taking care of her mother, and she didn’t have the kind of daily contact with Mom that she did with her mother.
Following lunch we went to Belk to get Kate some gloves and hose. When we walked into the store, she said, “”I also want to look at some slacks.” I mentioned that we had just bought a lot of slacks. She asked me to stop talking. We did look for slacks. When I noticed that she was looking at black slacks, I reminded her that we had bought 2 pair of black slacks last Saturday. She then looked for others but didn’t find anything. She told me she would just get the gloves and hose and look at home to see exactly what she needs.
On the way home, she asked me a question (I don’t remember what it was.) When I told her, she said, “I know. I have asked you that five times.” I said, “”That’s all right. You can ask me as many times as you want. I’ll remember for you.”She said, “”You are so patient with me.”
