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Closing the Week on a Good Note

We ended the week by attending a concert by our local symphony orchestra. We hadn’t attended in about a year because Kate gets tired in the evening. Last night the program included a Beethoven piano concerto by someone who is an outstanding musician. I encouraged Kate to go. She readily accepted. That is in keeping with how she has handled everything this week.

We left at intermission so that Kate could get to bed. As were walked through the lobby, I saw a friend, and we walked over to speak with him. When we walked away, Kate said in a very disturbed tone of voice, “You shouldn’t have said that.” I didn’t know what she was talking about and when I asked she said, “You know.” I asked again. She said, “You told me I should have told them about our moving to Texas.” I told her I hadn’t said that and that she hadn’t anything about Texas. I could quickly see that she wasn’t accepting that and didn’t say anything more. Everything was fine after that. She was in a good mood all the way home and all day today.

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The Sitter is Working Out

October 13, 2017 (5:08 p.m.)

Today was the first day that I did not announce to Kate that the sitter was coming. I just let Mary meet her as she was working outside.  As I had hoped, there was no problem at all. I went out to let them know I was leaving. I also mentioned to Mary that Kate might want to go to Panera sometime and gave her money to buy what they wanted. Kate’s eyes brightened. She had a big smile on her face and said, “We can.” I started to tell Mary what  bagel Kate likes, but Kate stopped me. Then in a very nice way she told Mary that I can be very controlling. I started back to the garage and Mary asked me to wait. She asked me to write down what Kate likes and put it on the island in the kitchen. I did.

I stopped the car as I drove down the driveway and told them I was leaving for the Y. Kate waved and said, “I’m in good hands.” I felt good.

In addition to the Y, I was able to stop by two shops where Kate used to buy most of her clothes. I was looking for a couple of new tops to take to North Carolina next week. I got one top at each place. Then I went to Whole Foods where I got a dish of mint chocolate chip ice cream and worked on this journal.

When I got home, Kate was resting. Mary told me they had been to Panera where Kate had a bagel. Mary said that Kate had remembered our phone number to give to the person taking their order. I was floored. This would have been the first time in several years that she had been asked for the number.

After Mary left, I walked into the bedroom where Kate was resting. I told her I had heard that they went to Panera. Kate said yes then added, “She is great.” This is working out.

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Optimistic About Another Good Day

After almost six years and nine months, I hesitate believe that our high moments will continue indefinitely. That said, since Monday afternoon  everything has gone well. That lifts my spirits and leads me to feel more optimistic about the day ahead.

Last night we went to Casa Bella for Jazz Night. This was a night change from Opera Night and Broadway Night. Kate and I both enjoyed it. I like the fact that provides another monthly musical performance that both of us can enjoy. Besides being entertaining, we also enjoy the company of those with whom we share a table. Typically, it is with the couple are are the senior owners of the restaurant (now retired). These programs are perfect for us because they start at 6:00 for dinner with the music beginning around 7:00. We are through by 8:30. This means Kate gets to bed a little later than other nights but not by much.

We got off to a good start this morning. I slept a little later, 6:05. That meant there was a little light when I took my walk. Right now it is so warm and humid in the morning, I prefer to walk in the dark. When I returned home, Kate was up. I thought that might mean an early trip to Panera. I was wrong. About 8:15, she came into the kitchen and said she was going outside. I was surprised because this is only the second time in many months that she has not come out ready for Panera. When I expressed my surprise, she said she would want go for muffin later. We did and have come back home for a break before lunch. She was feeling a little tired and is resting right now.

The sitter comes at 1:00; so I will plan for us to leave for lunch at 11:30. On Fridays we normally go to Applebee’s which is very close to our home. That will make it easy for me to get back home and put on my gym clothes before the sitter arrives. Because Kate has accepted the sitters so naturally, I don’t expect a problem today.

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Especially Good Mood

October 12, 2017 (7:21 p.m.)

I don’t often post a second post so soon after another, but I have just witnessed a first. About 45 minutes ago, I called Kate in from the yard so that we could get to our haircut appointment at 3:00. She came right in, something that she didn’t use to do but that has been becoming more typical nowadays. When we got in I told her we had to leave in 30 minutes. I know she can’t remember, but somehow it seems to help me to give her a reminder that we are going someplace soon.

As I expected, she took a shower. At 2:40, I went to her room to check on her. She had gotten out of the shower but was not yet dressed. As she started to dress, she motioned to me to find a bra for her. I looked in her drawers and several other places. I finally found one and brought it to her.

Getting into bras can be challenging for her. I hesitantly offered my help and said something about women’s clothes being so difficult to get into. Very naturally she accepted my help and together we got it on. Then I told her I would get a top for her to wear. I gave it to her. She gladly accepted it.

As we were leaving the house for the car, I thought about how cheerful she had been in a situation that in the past has been one of the most difficult for both of us. She knows I like to be on time. I know that she can’t keep time straight and doesn’t seem to be able to hurry. This time she was as cheerful as she could be. She didn’t hurry but she dressed more quickly than usual. What’s more she accepted my help.

In the car on the way to the hair dresser’s, she mentioned that she got ready without causing us to be late.  More significantly to me is that she specifically noted that she didn’t give me a hard time and let me help her. I was stunned with here observation. Then I told her I was glad to hear her say that because I had just been thinking the very same thing.

This particular experience is consistent with the way she has been since Monday afternoon.  I know it’s too much to think that this will last; so I am just going to rejoice in this moment. I am also going to remember that even when she is less cooperative, she is not really difficult to deal with. As I have said so often, we are very fortunate. I hope those of you who read this and are having much more challenging experiences will understand that I recognize our good fortune and wish it could be the same for each of you.

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Good days/Seeking explanations

This morning when I finished my post I wondered if the day would continue to be a good one. I am happy to report that it has. Kate has been in a good mood all day right up to and including a moment ago. That is when she called out to me asking where I was. I am in the family room listening to music, checking email, and reading Memory People posts on Facebook. I quickly went to the bedroom to check on her. I told her where I was and that I would be joining her shortly. She said, “That’s all right. I just wondered where you were. I was feeling a little lonely. I’m all right now.” All day she has been just that agreeable. It has been wonderful.

I also think I may have discovered the source of her problem over the past several days. I discovered one open yogurt container that was partially eaten with a label showing it was out of date, Today is October 10. It had a sell by date of September 29. I noticed that there was another unopened container with the same date. I threw both of the out. I am surprised that this would be the problem. On the other hand, her upset stomach was minimal. She never threw up. She only had one episode of actually spitting up. Her primary issue was an unsettled stomach. The only thing I could observe was her telling me that she was tired and that she seemed weak and uncomfortable. Since her vitals were all right yesterday, and she came out of it quickly, I suspect it was the yogurt. She may have eaten some of it two days in a row. I can’t be sure as I only found one open container

I feel bad about this as it is my responsibility to take care of the yogurt. I always buy yogurt with the date that gives me the longest time period in which she can eat it. What happened this time was that she went a week without eating as much yogurt as she normally does. I’m just glad that she is all right and that we have had a very good day.

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Mood Changes

The answer is (Do you remember the question? ) “yes.” Kate remembered and came out from her room dressed for dinner. She continued to seem very normal. In fact, I would say her mood was better than normal. She was nothing like she was when I first saw her this morning. She had her top on inside out, something that is very common. I told her about it, and she thanked me. We made our way to Chalupas, our favorite Mexican restaurant, where we sat quietly, enjoyed our meal and just being together. I treasure moments like these and wish they could occur more often. I know that is not possible; so I take special pleasure in each of these experiences and feel grateful that they continue to occur.

On the way home from the restaurant, Kate mentioned that she felt sleepy but didn’t want to go to sleep too early. Once arriving at home, she commented again about being sleepy. I took this immediately as a sign that the symptoms of whatever illness she has had the past few days might be returning. Fortunately, no other symptoms materialized

I suggested that I turn on the “PBS Newshour” in the bedroom while she got ready for bed and worked on her iPad. She mentioned that she would like to stay awake until 8:30. I don’t ever recall her being concerned about going to bed too early. I don’t think I have suggested it. I’m wondering what might have prompted this. At any rate, she put on a night gown and came into the bedroom to work on her iPad in her chair, not in bed. A little later, she indicated she was ready for bed. I pointed out that it was 8:28. She had made it to her own appointed bedtime. We ended the day on a high note.

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Two More Good Days

Yesterday Kevin arrived for his quarterly visit. We met one of his high school friends and her mother for dinner. Afterwards, we went to a concert sponsored by the Knoxville Opera. It featured music from Porgy and Bess and a number of arias from familiar operas as well as several well-known songs from movies or Broadway shows. The included pieces like “I loves you, Porgy,” “Summertime,” “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” “Nessun Dorma,” and “Old Man River.” The singers were outstanding, and Kate was very enthusiastic.

We got to bed late last night; so we got up a little later this morning. I did get up for my walk. When I returned, Kevin got up, and we talked until Kate was up and ready for Panera. That was close to 10:00 a.m. We had some conversation with friends at a nearby table. It turns out that one of them is the mother of a high school friend of Kevin’s

From Panera, we went to church. Before going into the sanctuary, we stood around and chatted with friends. Kevin chatted with our pastor. Kate leaned over to me and asked me the pastor’s name. I told her, and she said, “I knew that.” We walked into the sanctuary and took a seat in one of the pews down front. As we sat down, Kate said, “Now I know where we are.” I asked her where. She said, “First Pres.” The she chucked softly and said, “I saw it on the sign.” She meant the screen at the front of the church that was scrolling upcoming events. We also spoke after the service with some friends we had not seen in a while. When we said goodbye, Kate asked who they were.

We went to lunch and then came back home for about 20 minutes before leaving to see The Hunchback of Notre Dame at one of our local community theaters. There were several very good singers in the large cast. We came back home where Kate worked in the yard for a while. Kevin and I came inside and talked about choices for dinner. We finally decided to go to a local seafood restaurant near downtown. We had a good meal and came back to the house. I put on a CD of Chris Botti. Kevin read a TCU magazine and Kate worked on her iPad. I joined them for a while. It was a pleasant respite after another good day.

As Kate readied herself to go to the room, she asked if she should connect her iPad to the charger. When I got to the room, she was getting into bed with her clothes on. I asked if she would like me to get a night gown. She said she would. When I got back she had taken her slacks off and asked me if she should put them on her chair beside the bed. I told her that would be fine. She said, “I thought so; I just wanted to be sure.” She is increasingly asking what she should do. In fact, she did just that as we got home from the theater. As she loses touch with more things, she looks to me for guidance to make sure she is doing the right thing. These are always things she would never have asked me about in the past.

This is one visit during which Kevin is bound to see more of the changes that Kate is exhibiting. She seems more childlike and less sensitive to the fact that Kevin will interpret her actions as something related to her diagnosis.

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A Very Good Day

When I walked in the house yesterday afternoon, I found Kate and Mary seated in the family room. They were chatting though Kate had her iPad open to a puzzle she had been working on. I could see that they were getting along just fine. That made me happy.

The next step was to see that Kate got ready for dinner and the concert last night. It was then 4:45, and I had made 5:45 reservations at Casa Bella. From there I knew that we still had a long drive to the concert. Kate was in an especially good mood. When I told we would be leaving in 45 minutes, she got right up. She also asked me to get her something to wear while she showered. I did and put the clothes on her bed. She was ready in about 35 minutes. She had actually put on the clothes I had placed on the bed in her room. It wasn’t until later at the restaurant that I noticed that she was not wearing matching shoes, but they were both the same color.

Casa Bella is a restaurant we have frequented for over 40 years. We had our usual veal piccata. I had a glass of wine. We split an order of amoretto bread pudding. We almost always get the amoretto cheese cake, a longtime favorite of ours. Over the past year or two, I have noticed that she is forgetting that it is our favorite and occasionally order something else for a change.

Sitting there was just like old times. I could almost imagine that she didn’t have Alzheimer’s at all. If the evening had ended after dessert, I would have said it was a great day. As it was, the best was yet to come. The program was presented by Gentri, 3 tenors from Salt Lake City. They seem like a very wholesome trio. The theme for the evening was love. All of their songs carried out this theme. They sang a mixture of old and new music, some of which they had written themselves. The group was warmly received by the audience. What was important to me, however, was Kate’s reaction. She loved them. She was very enthusiastic. That is twice in a week that she has enjoyed a live performance, the earlier one was the play, An Act of God, that we saw in Asheville this past Sunday. Gentri closed with an encore of three songs from Les Misérables. It turned out to be a wonderful end to a very good day.

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Travel and Confusion

Today Kate and I drove to Asheville where we have had a very nice day. She has been in a particularly good mood. In addition, she has enjoyed everything we have done today. That includes an especially nice lunch at The Blackbird. We asked for the server who had taken care of us on our previous two visits. She remembered us and once again, remembered our drink orders. Lunch was followed by a play that she liked, An Act of God. I thought the play was well performed, but did not think the play itself was a good one. It isn’t one I would recommend. One of her qualities that has been brought out by Alzheimer’s is to be especially impressed with performers. She almost always overstates their talent. I believe that is what impressed her today. I don’t think she could follow most of what was happening in the play itself. The important thing to me is that she really enjoyed herself. When the play was over, she said, “Wow!”
She has likes the hotel in which we are staying. We have stayed here a number of times. It’s a nice place and in a good location downtown. The woman working the front desk has been with the hotel since they opened and has been at the front desk each time we have arrived. This time she arranged an upgrade to a much larger suite than we usually have. It is certainly something we don’t need, but it is nice that she did this. It keeps us coming back.

In the midst of her enjoyment, Kate has been confused on where we are. As we got to the theater this afternoon, she said something that I can’t remember, but it implied that she thought it was in Knoxville. A little later when we reached the hotel, she asked, “Now tell me where we are.” I told her we were in Asheville. A few minutes later, she asked the name of the hotel. I told her. The second I told her Asheville and the hotel name she said, “Oh, I knew that.” I am sure she did. She just couldn’t call it.

One other moment of confusion occurred just before we went to dinner. She had just brushed her teeth and came back into the bedroom with the toothpaste and two packets of towelettes in her hand as though she were ready to pack up for home.

Right after returning from dinner, she came into the bedroom after brushing her teeth. This time she wasn’t carrying anything. She looked puzzled. I asked if she were looking for her night gown. She didn’t answer. Then she saw that the housekeeper had put a robe on each bed. She said, “Oh, here it is.” Then I got her night gown for her. She has now settled into bed with her iPad. She is very contented, and so am I. She just turned out her light. I think I will get ready to take my shower.

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A Good Day

I always love to report that we have good days even 6 ½ years after Kate’s diagnosis. Of course, I wish that I could report this more often, but that is not realistic given the nature of Alzheimer’s. It is clear that Kate’s mood plays a significant part in making these days happen. From the very start of the day right until this moment, she has simply been in a good mood. We both have enjoyed the day. I have to say it wasn’t that we did anything special. It was that she was happy with everything we did. This reminds me of that of expression that success if not getting what makes you happy but being happy with what you get.

She was up earlier than usual this morning. About 8:30, I went back to the bedroom to see if she were still in bed. I found that she was not only up but dressed and just about ready to go to Panera. We were there before 9:00. She was happy on the way to Panera and throughout the time we were there. One of the people we see there frequently was by himself today and sat at a table across from us. We (he and I) talked for about an hour while Kate worked on her iPad. She never showed any boredom or eagerness to leave. About 10:30, she did indicate that she would like to go home and we did. Just before 11:30, I told her it was time for lunch. She came in right away, and we left for Carla’s where we usually go on Tuesday. From there we drove to the Acura dealer for routine servicing of my car. We were there about an hour and 20 minutes. Again, she was not restless. She simply worked on her iPad while I edited a slide show of photos taken during a 1976 trip to Colombia. We came right home, and she went back outside to work in the yard until I called her in to get ready for dinner.

She ate every bite of her dinner and commented on how good it was. We came home, and she changed into her night clothes and got ready for bed. She was still in a good mood.