Early Morning Confusion

I woke up at 5:20. Kate was also awake. I asked if she were all right. She said, “I don’t know.” She was having one of her mild anxiety attacks. I say “mild,” because she wasn’t very emotional. She was concerned about where she was. She didn’t recognize anything and wanted to go home. We talked for about ten minutes. When she didn’t respond to my telling she was at home, I told her it was still early in the morning, and I would take her home later. She couldn’t remember that. I repeated it several times.

Then I thought I might divert her attention by taking her to the bathroom. She didn’t recognize me as her husband but was very willing to let me help her. When we got back to bed, it was 6:00. She didn’t want me to leave her. I got in bed with her. I decided to play a little soft music that I know she likes. The music did what I had hoped. She started to relax and held my hand. We didn’t talk at all. At some point, she went to sleep. An hour later, I got up and went back to the kitchen.

At 8:45, I saw that she was getting up and went to her. She still didn’t know where she was, but she was smiling when I entered the bedroom. She was ready to get up. I took her to the bathroom where she used the toilet and brushed her teeth. When she had finished, I told her it was time for her shower. She got in without complaining. I turned on the shower wand and handed it to her. Then I put soap in the other hand and guided her in using it and then rinsing off. It went well.

When she finished, I helped her dry herself and used the hair blower to dry her hair. She was quite relaxed. Then she wanted to get back in bed. That’s where she is now. Unless she wants to get up earlier, I’m going to let her stay there until time for us to get ready for lunch. It’s another morning when I don’t expect to walk. I think that is four or five times in the last seven.