After getting up very early (just before 7:45) two days ago, Kate slept late yesterday. I checked on her at 10:30. She was coming out of the bathroom. I thought she was going to get ready for the day, but she went back to bed. I checked on her again at 11:30. She was still in bed but resting. I asked her if she would like me to take her to lunch. She nodded and said, “I’ll need some clothes.” I told her I had put them on her chair. She was still groggy, but she got up. She skipped her shower, so we were able to get to lunch a little after 12:30.
We both had appointments for haircuts at 3:00. When we returned home, she picked up one of her family photo albums and looked through it for about thirty minutes. Then she lay down on the sofa and rested for almost an hour. I’m not sure, but I think she was actually asleep part of that time. She was tired after dinner but stayed up until about 8:30 when she called it quits for the day.
I continue to believe the change in her sleep pattern is a general sign of the other changes that she is experiencing. Over what is now seven years and nine months since her diagnosis, the changes have been very gradual. The past six months have been quite different. The fact that she asks so many questions about the names of our family members and where we are suggests that she is working hard to preserve whatever memory remains. It is hard. It is common for her to ask my name several times in succession and still not be able to repeat it. Over a day’s time, it must be very taxing for her.
I’m not making any predictions about the future, but I feel confident that we will make our trip to Texas for Thanksgiving with our son and his family. As for everything else, I intend for us to follow the same approach we’ve had from the beginning. We’ll take it a day at a time and enjoy every moment we can.
