This is a follow-up to my post yesterday morning about Kate’s eating habits. At dinner last night, something else occurred that I hadn’t mentioned. She likes a lot of Parmesan cheese on her pasta. She has been known to open the top on those ubiquitous glass containers with the metal top with holes in it and pour most, if not all, of the cheese on her pasta. There are two restaurants we visit regularly. They bring the cheese to the table in a small cup that looks like it would be about a third of a cup. When it is just the two of us, she puts all of it on her pasta though she often asks if I would like any. Knowing that she wants a lot, I always decline.
Last night, we ate dinner at a new restaurant. Because of that we ordered two separate meals rather than split as we often do. Then came time for dessert. We took our server’s recommendation and got the hot donut holes covered with cinnamon sugar and accompanied by a small cup (about 1/3 of a cup) of a caramel sauce. I served Kate two of the donuts and took two for myself. She quickly took the cup with the sauce and poured the entire cup over her donuts. They were on a small plate. The amount of sauce almost spilled over the edges onto the table but not quite.
As with the other things I mentioned in my previous post, these are inconsequential. They just make me wonder what may lie ahead. I know that some caregivers carry a small card with a message saying that their companion has Alzheimer’s and asks for understanding if they notice anything that seems strange or inappropriate. This is something that can be given to the server or anyone nearby who should be properly informed. I haven’t felt the need for a card like this, but it has crossed my mind.
I do make it a point to let some people know about Kate’s diagnosis. All of our regular servers know. In addition, on a few occasions I have told a new server. That has usually occurred when I am waiting at our table for Kate to return from the restroom. I enlist their help in seeing that she easily gets back to the table. I also make sure the people at the spa where she gets her massages and facials know. The problem there is the changes in staff. When I see new people, I try to make sure they know. To some, this may seem unnecessary, but one time I returned to pick up Kate and found that she had left. The spa is located in a strip center. I found her walking along the sidewalk in front of one of the shops. She wouldn’t have known how to get back to the spa. She probably would have forgotten she had been at the spa. You can’t be too careful. I have learned that lesson although it took several mistakes on my part.
