Unusual Behaviors

I’m exercising an extra measure of discipline this morning. I just finished my forty-minute walk around the house while listening to All the Light We Cannot See. I am getting to the end of the book now and was having one of those “driveway moments” they sometimes talk about on NPR. I was tempted to continue walking just so I could hear what happens next. Then I should take advantage of a little extra time to upload a post before my self-imposed deadline of 9:00. I haven’t been very good at that lately.

When I wrote the message on my “Alzheimer’s cards” I carry in my wallet, I settled on a message that says, “My wife has Alzheimer’s. Sometimes she may say or do something unusual. Your patience and kindness are appreciated.” I struggled with the word “unusual.” I wasn’t sure it communicated the right message. As time has passed, I feel that works pretty well. Kate often says or does something unusual whether we are at home or out. Here are a few things I have observed recently.

Putting saliva on her fingers and wiping it on her face. This habit is paired with her hair pulling that begins shortly after she lies down to rest. She catches a few strands of hair at her scalp and gently pulls them upward until she reaches the ends and lets them fall. She is meticulous and proud of the way she does this moving from one side of her head to the other.

I can’t say when wiping her face with saliva began. I have only noticed it in the past week or two. It seems to occur after she finishes with her hair. So far I haven’t seen her do either of these things in public. At least once she has told me to watch what she is doing as though she is proud of doing something beneficial to her skin. The good thing is that washes her face and arms when she washes her hands and/or teeth.

Another one I have mentioned before is rubbing her fingers between each of her toes after she showers and before I put on her socks in the morning. She often says, “I’m getting them.” Sometimes she holds her finger out to me and says, “See.” I’ve never been able to see anything.

While these things are only done at home, they are consistent with other behaviors that are more public. The other night at Chalupas she asked me for a cup. I wondered why she was asking and pointed out that she had a cup that was full of Dr. Pepper. She scooped up a spoonful of her Pollo Fundido (Chicken and rice topped with cheese) and dropped it in her cup. When she finished her drink, she noticed the residue of food at the bottom of her cup and called my attention to it. She hadn’t remembered putting it there. I like to think that she might not have done that if we had been with other people, but I’m not sure.

Last night she deliberately put a small piece of her bread on the table. It was mostly crust which she doesn’t like. Later in the meal, she suggested it was almost dead. I said, “Do you think I should put it out of its misery?” She said, “It’s up to you.” I picked it up and put it on a plate. Then she started looking at small specks of other debris from her plate. She saw one black spot and crushed it with her finger. Looking at small spots like this is very common, and she seems to treat them as though they are alive.