As if I needed further confirmation, yesterday was another time when Alzheimer’s seems to be taking over our lives. It was Monday, my Rotary day and the day our sitter arrives at noon. I turned on some music to gently wake Kate around 10:40. That should have given us plenty of time to be ready, but that was not to be.
She was still asleep when I went to wake her at 11:00. She smiled and was in a good mood, but it was also a morning when she didn’t want to get up and didn’t recognize me. I explained that Cindy was coming to take her to lunch and that I would be glad to help her get ready. She said, “I’ll get up.” This is what she said repeatedly the day before and on the few other occasions when she didn’t want to get up. I tried not to push her because she is then defiant and isn’t going to comply.
I tried some music that she liked. We even sang a couple of songs together, but she wasn’t going to get up. I accepted the fact that she wasn’t and got her a breakfast bar so that she would at least get something in her stomach.
When Cindy arrived, I briefed her on the situation. I also took her to the bedroom to show her the clothes I had laid out for Kate. I told Kate goodbye, and she was quite accepting of my departure.
I had intended to go directly to the Y after Rotary. Instead I put in a call to Cindy to see how things were going. She didn’t answer. I decided to drop by the grocery for a few breakfast items and then go home to check on Kate. When I arrived, I discovered that Cindy had gotten her up and dressed and had given her a breakfast bar and a Dr. Pepper. We chatted briefly, and Kate seemed back to normal. She didn’t express any great enthusiasm to see me.
Cindy still had another hour and a half before she was to leave. I was encouraged by how Kate was doing and decided I would leave. I told Kate I had a few more errands to run and would be back a little later. She very adamantly said, “You are not.” At the time, she was eating a breakfast bar. I remembered that it was the last one and told her I forgotten to buy more (which was true) and needed to go back to the grocery store. She accepted that. I went back to the store. Then I dropped by Starbuck’s for a while before returning home. This was a time that I really appreciated the break and wished there had been time to go to the Y.
After Cindy left, we had about an hour before we would normally go to dinner. I suggested that Kate and I look through one of her family photo books. She liked the idea. We sat on the sofa and started to go through one of them. She was interested, but, within five minutes, she said, “Would you mind if I . . .?” She didn’t finish her sentence. I knew she was tired. She wanted to lie down for a while. I told her that would be fine. She must have been very tired because she actually went to sleep. An hour later, I asked if she was hungry, and we went to dinner.
She was tired when we got home. I put her in her chair in the bedroom and gave her the iPad. Then I turned on the evening news while I put fresh sheets on the bed. I soon noticed that she was just staring at the TV and hadn’t used her iPad at all. I asked if she would like to get ready for bed. Then we went through the routine of getting her teeth brushed and into her bedclothes. She was very cooperative. I put on some YouTube music videos that she likes, and she was asleep very shortly. That is unusual. I was especially surprised after she had gotten up so late and taken a nap just before dinner. She must have been very tired.
It was two weeks ago yesterday that we had our first experience like this. That was the day I thought she was depressed. None of the subsequent experiences made me think she was depressed. One or two times she just seemed tired. Saturday it seemed like a combination of being tired and being dehydrated and, perhaps, experiencing low blood sugar. Yesterday, it seemed to be a simple case of being tired.
I should add that almost simultaneously she has been unsteady on her feet. I say almost because she has experienced mobility problems for a while, but she has been particularly uneasy walking during the past two weeks.
I have reflected more on her symptoms. It seems like her body is in the process of shutting down. That is to be expected with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Part of the problem for me these past two weeks is my desire to continue living as we were. I plan to adapt to the current changes by accepting the fact that we may not be able to go out for lunch and, perhaps, not dinner on a regular basis. There are a variety of other ways that I can arrange to take care of meals.
The bigger issue for me is the loss of social contact. That has been very important for both of us; however, that is also something we should be able to manage. It is no surprise to me that we are facing this issue. At the time of Kate’s diagnosis, I never imagined that we would be able to live so “normally” for so long. Of course, it hasn’t been normal at all, but we have been able to stay active. The suddenness of the recent changes has led me to respond as though this might be something that passes as quickly as it came.
I think it is good for caregivers to know what we can and cannot change. I have already accepted many things that are beyond my control with Kate’s Alzheimer’s. This may be one more change to which I will adapt. If this isn’t the time, it won’t be long until it is. I am ready to accept that.
