Over the past few days, Kate has snapped at me several times. As in the past, she quickly apologized with tears in her eyes and said, “I shouldn’t have said that.” I’ve been struck by her awareness that she has spoken to me in a way she hasn’t done before Alzheimer’s entered the picture. Two nights ago, I was even more surprised.
We had just finished a very pleasant dinner at Bonefish Grill. I started the car, and she said, “May I tell you something?” Her tone of voice made me think she was going to say something nice about my caring for her as she often does. I was surprised when she said, “I know I’ve been hard to deal with lately, and I want you to know I’m sorry.” I was both touched and stunned. Here she is trying to adapt to the changes taking place in her brain, and she feels bad about the way she has treated me. Apart from that, I was amazed that she said this “out of the blue.” I think it had been more than twenty-four hours since she had last snapped at me. That tells me this is something that really disturbed her. That matches her other concerns related to not knowing “anything.” To me it is a remarkable example of her kind heart and self-awareness. It also increases my desire to see that she gets the best care I can give her.
