For the third time in the past five days, Kate was unusually talkative yesterday. I’ve welcomed some of that. That has been especially true during the morning when she has waked up much earlier than usual. I’ve enjoyed spending that time with her. The bulk of her conversation has involved delusions and hallucinations, but she has been happy and seemed at ease. That was true during the entire day. During the afternoon, we went to the café for ice cream. After Kate had finished eating, we went out on the deck beside the café. It is shady in the afternoon, and the temperature was so pleasant that we spent an hour there.
As on previous days this week, the pace of her talking began to pick up. She talked constantly while we were on the deck. We went straight to the dining room for dinner. I was somewhat uneasy because Kate was talking so much and can be loud at times, but the meal captured her attention. She ate well and seemed relaxed.
Upon our return to the apartment, we got her ready for bed. She was very cooperative, something that has become the norm in recent weeks. She began to talk a little more after the caregiver left, but she was relatively calm. Over the course of the next hour and a half, the pace of her talking picked up. At 9:00, it was obvious that she wasn’t going to be ready for bed anytime soon. I mentioned that I was getting tired and would soon get ready for bed. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but she conveyed that she wasn’t ready at all.
I prefer not to use Seroquel unless I have to, so I got her a melatonin. I muted the sound of the TV and turned on some soft music she likes. Forty minutes later, she showed no signs of sleepiness. At 10:00, I crushed a tablet of Seroquel and gave it to her in a spoonful of yogurt. I’ve only used Seroquel four or five times, and it usually takes effect within twenty minutes. An hour later, she was still going strong. I gave her another Seroquel and turned on a YouTube video of Andre Rieu and his orchestra accompanied by a very large contingent (at least 50) of brass instruments playing a very soft rendition of “Nearer My God to Thee.” I hummed along with the music. For a few moments, Kate eased up on her talking. She picked right up when the music ended. I switched to a recording of “Edelweiss” and hummed along with that. She started humming too. She also began to relax. I turned out the lights, and she was asleep by 11:30, almost two hours later than usual.
As I prepare to upload this post, it is close to 10:00 a.m. the next morning. She slept through the night and has shown no signs of waking. If she follows the pattern of the past few days, she will probably be tired and will catch up on her rest today. I’m still not ready to make any predictions. What will be will be.
