April 2011 Posts

I created this BLOG in hopes that my journey with my mother and her Alzheimer’s can help others. I list my daily posts below. I wanted to explain a little about my mother Alzheimer’s. She has helped me all my life with my journey of cerebral palsy. She is 88 years old and has had Alzheimer’s for at least 13 years now. I first noticed her memory problems back in the fall of 1997. She was able to keep driving and handling her check book until the winter of 2003/2004. She could still go on 2 mile hikes with me into 2005 and ½ mile walks thru 2008, now she mostly can only walk a few yards before her hip starts to hurt her. I moved back into her home in 2005 to help her stay in her house although I have kept my own place thru 2010. One of the things I feel that has helped her go 13 years and still going is I’ve had people (mostly me) around her quit a bit. This helped her stay engaged with people. In 2003 she averaged people with her @90hrs/wk out of 168 hrs in a week, in 2004/2005/2006 @110hrs/wk, 2007 @125hrs/wk, 2008 @135hrs/wk. Then starting in January 2009 she has had someone with her 24/7. I started using care givers in 2005 to help and to give mom other women to talk to and get use to. Right now she can still dress and undress herself but is starting to struggle with it and needs to be told what to do most of the time. About a year ago in December 2009 she started to refuse to wash herself now one of the care givers I use sponge bathes her 3 times a week. Right now mentally she is like a 6 year old girl with just a few seconds of memory. She has started to get confused with the getting undressed and dressed part but can still do it herself. She has also sometimes thought the person she sees in the bathroom mirror is someone else this has started just a few months ago. She can still walk on her own with no help. Here is a list of the drugs and supplements she takes for her Alzheimer’s • Razadyne started in 2000 • Namenda started March 2005 • Folic Acid started in 2001 • Turmeric started in 2001

Saturday April 30th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up at 10am for breakfast. She was in a good mood and got dress with no problem. At breakfast she talked about the birds and the wind blowing in the trees. She even wolfed down her pills they where down her before I noticed that’s the fastest she has taken them in years. I had her go to the bathroom a 3 times before we left for our drive. It was a beautiful sunny and warm morning so we drove to Grafton IL along the river road. Grafton was flooded on the main road in spots so we just turned around and headed back home. Mom was pretty happy on this drive and at times talkative for her that is. We took a second drive to Sioux Passage Park shortly after we got home and took a bathroom break. Mom was quieter on this drive but responsive. We had lunch after we got back from our second drive where mom talked about the birds and lack of wind this time. We both took a nap after lunch. After moms nap we took another drive to Sioux Passage Park but this drive it was cloudy but still warm. Mom was responsive on this drive and we laughed several times. I have noticed before when I tell mom to go to the bathroom she gets confused and doesn’t always understand I mean to take care of nature so she walks to the bathroom then just stands there thinking ok I’m at the bathroom. During dinner mom talked about the fact there is no wind and read some of her cards. Mom was quiet but we did laugh during the evening as we watched TV. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at midnight. I did have some fussing when I had mom brush her teeth but not with changing into her nightgown. Tonight I didn’t even have to tell her what to do. I also did not make her take off her pants since tomorrow is not a bathe day.

Friday April 29th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had a hard time getting mom washed, dressed and taking her pills. Mom was fussing telling Andrea that she hates her being grumpy and a handful. Mom was sleeping when I left. I had the handyman over this morning to do some work before I left to do some walking. It was a beautiful sunny and warm day today. Mom was getting up when I got back at 1:30pm so we ate lunch together. I was able to get mom talking about the birds and wind outside even got her laughing during lunch. I took mom on our first drive after lunch to Sioux Passage Park. It was such a beautiful day with the sun shinny something we haven’t seen a lot of this month. Mom was engaging for most of the drive. We both took a little nap after our first drive. I was tired myself I didn’t get much sleep last night. I took mom for a second drive when we got up it was just too good of a day not to. Mom was less engaging on this drive to Sioux Passage Park but she was responsive and I got her laughing some. During dinner mom read her cards some. She enjoys reading the cards and talking about the flowers on the table. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. Mom was quiet but responsive and we laughed a few times this evening. I notice mom is still having problems understanding where the bathroom is. When I tell her dinner is on the dinning room table she just looks at me like she is in a daze not knowing what to do. She doesn’t do this every time just now and then. I had some problems getting mom to brush her teeth so I wait a few seconds then repeat myself like it’s the first time I’m say it. With her memory she doesn’t remember. I had no problem getting her into her nightgown I just had to explain what to do.

Thursday April 28th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left today and slept most of the 5 hours Andrea was here. Andrea said mom got dressed ok but gave Andrea a hard time with taking her pills. It was sunny this morning for the first time in days but then rained this afternoon late. Andrea was getting mom up when I got back at 1:30pm so we ate lunch together. Mom was talking about the birds and wind during our lunch and was responsive. Mom then took a nap shortly after lunch I even took a nap as well. We went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park shortly after we got up from our naps. As luck would have it the rain started shortly after we left. Mom was fairly talkative and in good spirits for most of the drive. We were laughing about how the sun was out yet it was raining where we were at. We watched the news when we got back and you could here the rain outside it was still raining some during dinner. Mom read some of her cards after dinner and was talking about the wind outside. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. Mom did take a short nap after dinner which she doesn’t normally do. Mom was responsive and I got her laughing after her evening nap. I hard no problem getting mom to, change into her nightgown and take off her pants. I did have to explain tonight what to do.

Wednesday April 27th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had a hard time getting mom washed today. Mom was being fussy and upset. Andrea said mom today was a handful and slept a lot of the time Andrea was here but being a real handful when mom was up. Mom was asleep when I left today to run some errands. Mom was up when I got back at 1:30 and we had lunch together. Mom took a short nap after lunch but was up most of the afternoon and all evening until 11pm. Since it was raining all day mom and I did not go for a drive. Mom was quiet this afternoon but happy most of the time. She did ask me today who I was though she gets confused sometimes, she knows I’m family just doesn’t always know who. During dinner mom read some of the cards and was getting a joy out of them and overall more talkative. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. This evening mom was quiet but responsive when I talked to her and pretty happy we laughed quit a bit. Mom was again tonight thinking the person she sees in the bathroom mirror is someone else and talks to it. I had no problem tonight getting mom to brush her teeth. Also I did not have to tell her what to do when changing into her nightgown and she even took her pants off and hung them up in her closet without being told to.

Tuesday April 26th 2011
Mom had a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Mom was asleep when I left this morning. Andrea had a hard time getting mom out of bed to eat breakfast she didn’t eat breakfast until noon. I got back home at 12:45pm and mom was back in bed. I had a creative comeback meeting this afternoon so I came back home shortly to get ready then was gone until 5:30pm. Even though mom slept most of the time Andrea was here Andrea did get mom dressed and take her pills. Mom was up only about 1 of the 4 hours Schatcie was here. So mom slept most of the day today. When I got home at 5:30pm I even had a little trouble getting mom up to eat dinner. I’m not really sure she understood what I was saying. I had mom go to the bathroom before dinner and mom was just looking at me like she was having problems understanding me it took awhile before she did go to the bathroom and by then she was mad at me. During dinner mom was sort of out of it but I did finally get her laughing while we watched TV. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 6pm. Mom has been quiet this evening but finally more receptive when I talked to her and got her laughing. I had mom go to bed at midnight so she was up for awhile tonight. I had to remind her how to change into her nightgown and she fussed on taking off the pants. I also had to keep reminding mom to go to the bathroom after I got her up out of her chair. Moms memory is so bad she forgets so fast that she was going to the bathroom and gets confused. Today mom has been more quiet and just out of it more than her normal.

Monday April 25th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had mom fussing when she was washing mom but Andrea did get all of mom washed. Mom was asleep when I left today but was up most of the time Andrea was here and half the time Shannon was here. Mom was in pretty good spirits and talkative for her at least. When I got back home at 3:30pm mom was sleeping and I let her sleep until 4:30 when we went for a drive. We drove to Sioux Passage Park our normal drive during the week. It was cloudy and even started to rain on us a little but the temps were warmer than yesterday. Mom was talkative and smiling most of our drive she was enjoying the drive. At dinner mom didn’t talk much but was smiling and generally happy. We laughed a few times during the evening as we watched TV. I can get her laughing by acting silly and I don’t mind acting silly. I just try and enjoy every moment with her even the tough moments. I have found in my moms case the more I show I’m enjoying my time with her the more she enjoys the time. I also tell her that I love her several times a day. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and I had her go to bed at 10:15pm. I had really very little trouble tonight getting mom to brush or change into her nightgown. Tonight I did not make her take the pants off too since tomorrow is not a bathe day.

Sunday Easter April 24th 2011
Mom did have a small number 2 accident overnight. I got up early to get ready for church and had my friend Patti come over to watch mom while I was gone. Mom slept the whole time I was gone which I figured she would. I got mom up when I got back at 11am and we ate breakfast together. I had to explain what to do so she could get dressed. I had no problem getting her to take the pills. Mom talked about the squirrels running up and down the tree as we ate breakfast. We took a drive to Sioux Passage Park after breakfast. It was raining a little on the drive but mom was somewhat talkative and enjoyed most of it. We watched some TV then had lunch before mom took a short nap. Mom was quiet this afternoon and I could tell she was tired. Mom has been sleeping more over the past few months during the day but staying up in the evening until I have her go to bed. After moms nap we took another drive to Sioux Passage Park. On this drive it wasn’t raining just very cloudy with temps in the 50’s. Mom was enjoying most of this drive and engaging. I do enjoy these drives with mom and thank god for them. At dinner mom talked about the squirrels and birds on the feeder. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 6:30pm. Mom has been in good spirits today and I got her laughing several times. I also tell her I love her several times a day I feel this and laughing help keep her in good spirits. Now with Alzheimer’s she does get mad when made to do things even though she was just laughing a few seconds earlier. Mom went to bed at 10:30pm. She did fuss a little on taking the pants off and changing into her nightgown but it went better than most times.

Saturday April 23rd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom and I got up around 9:30am and had breakfast. I had some problems trying to get mom to understand why she needed to put her shirt on and take the nightgown off. She wasn’t fussing she just wasn’t understanding. Another thing I’ve noticed over the past couple of months, mom seems to be confused with knowing where the different rooms in the house are. Mom talked about the squirrels during breakfast and she took her pills with no problem. After breakfast we watched TV for awhile since it was raining outside mom even fell asleep in her chair. I wanted to stay close to home on our drives today because of the storms and all the damage from last night’s storm. So our first drive was just to Sioux Passage Park it was cloudy but not raining. The water was up some in the river since just yesterday. Mom was engaging for most of the drive. I decided to have lunch when we got back in which we talked about the cloudy sky and the wind. We took a second drive shortly after lunch to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area on this drive mom was more talkative on the first part and quiet but responsive on the second part of the drive. Mom ended up not taking any naps after our first drive so she was up all afternoon and evening until I had her go to bed at 9:30pm. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. Mom was quiet but responsive as we watched TV this evening. I had no problem tonight getting mom to brush her teeth although she did fuss some mostly because she was having problems understanding what to do. When I had her change into her nightgown she asked me if she should take her pants off too so I had her take them off too. Now hopefully tomorrow night will be as easy LOL.

Friday April 22nd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea got mom all washed today with little fussing but got some fussing when it came to getting mom dressed. Mostly because mom just doesn’t understand the whole need for changing cloths. Mom was asleep when I left and slept most of the time I was gone. Mom was asleep when I got back home at 1:30pm and I let her sleep until 3pm before we went for the first of 2 drives both to Sioux Passage Park. It was very cloudy but not storming so we took a second drive shortly after the first one the storms didn’t come in until later in the evening and boy did they come in. We had strong thunder storms with an EF4 tornado missing the house by just about 1 mile. This was the strongest tornado to hit St Louis since 1967 luckily no one was killed or seriously hurt. Mom was somewhat talkative on both drives at least for her. During dinner mom read the cards some more. This evening mom was quiet but responsive when I talked to her and made her laugh. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or put her nightgown on. She is just confused on things and I have to explain what to do. Mom sometimes even talks to the person she sees in the bathroom mirror as someone else which is apart of the Alzheimer’s I know I’ve said this before but over the past couple of months it has gotten worse.

Thursday April 21st 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up when I got up so we had breakfast together. During breakfast mom talked about the wind blowing and the birds feeding but mostly she was quiet. I left and ran some errands and got in a short hike. I do enjoy getting out into the woods gods church it relaxes my spirit so much. Mom was up most of the day today with Andrea and Shannon. Mom was more with it today with the caregivers and engaging. Mom was asleep when I got home though at 3:30pm and I got her up at 4:30pm to go for a drive. Mom was very engaging on our drive today more than her normal we talked about whatever caught her eye. It was sunny on the first part of our drive then the clouds moved in by the end of the drive with temps in the 50’s. We drove to Sioux Passage Park. During dinner mom read the cards some more and talked about the birds on the feeder. The bird feeder right outside the dinning room window was a great idea. It gives mom something to watch and talk about while she eats. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. Mom and I watched TV and laughed this evening. Tonight was the first time in a long time she gave me no fussing when it came to changing and taking off her pants. Overall mom was more engaging than normal and in great spirits today. I will miss these days when they are gone.

Wednesday April 20th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident this afternoon after waking up from a nap she didn’t get to the bathroom fast enough. Most of her bowel accidents happen right after she gets up from sleeping. I let mom leave her pants on last night since Andrea washed her that morning so today Andrea just got moms top half and face washed pretty good. Mom did fuss a little while being washed but not to bad. Mom slept most of the time I was gone but was up eating lunch when I got home at 1:30pm so I joined her. We both then took a nap after lunch which was good because I was tired. After our nap we took a drive to Sioux Passage Park before dinner. Mom was more active in talking during the first part of the drive then she was quiet on the second part but still responsive. During lunch and dinner mom talked about the birds on the feeder and the squirrels running up and down the tree. During dinner she also read the cards some more each time she reads them it is like her first time which is nice in a way. During the evening mom was quiet most of the time but I had her laughing a lot by acting silly. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. I had very little fussing when I had mom brush her teeth and change into her nightgown. Again tonight I let her leave her pants on. I do have to explain to her what to do mom is even more confused on things these days than even a month or 2 ago. I had to explain to her where the bathroom was a few times today.

Tuesday April 19th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get mom completely cleaned today luckily mom was already clean around the butt area. Mom did fuss as normal on getting washed but Andrea had no problem getting mom dressed or taking her pills. Andrea just had to explain what to do. Mom was asleep when I left and slept most of the time I was gone today as well. Mom today just had some pudding for lunch we are still letting the stomach settle. Mom was asleep when I got home at 3:30 and got up around 4pm. We took a drive to Sioux Passage Park she was perky on the first part of the drive but more quiet on the second half of the drive. During dinner it was light with no cabbage or fiber just a small baked potato and some tuna salad. Mom talked about the birds outside and read some of the cards during dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. This evening mom was quiet but responsive when I talked to her or made her laugh by acting silly. I had little trouble getting mom to change into her nightgown although tonight I did not make her take the pants off since Andrea got all of her washed this morning.

Monday April 18th 2011
Mom did have a major number 2 bowel accident during the morning after Andrea cleaned her. Mom got it on her cloths and her bedroom floor. This was the worst accident she has had to date. Andrea and Shannon cleaned up but could not get mom to take off her cloths to change I did get her changed when I got home. I think mom and I had too much cabbage and fiber over the weekend. I too have had more bowel movements over the past couple of days than normal. Andrea did get all of mom washed but it was an effort that is before the accident. Mom was sleeping when I left to go on a short hike before meeting up with Tom for lunch. Mom slept most of the time I was gone and was asleep when I got home. I took mom for a drive to Sioux Passage Park when I got back and before dinner. Mom was somewhat quiet on the drive and all evening. I gave mom a light dinner with no cabbage or fiber to let her stomach settle down. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. I had mom change out of her pants when she put her nightgown so Andrea can make sure everything is clean on her body tomorrow. She did fuss a bit when changing tonight and I had to tell her what to do. Tonight the fussy was her saying no a few times and giving me I hate you looks.

Sunday April 17th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up around 8am to feed her breakfast and get her pills down before my brother Tom and his wife Bonnie came by. Bonnie stayed here to watch mom while Tom and I went to church. This way Bonnie didn’t have to deal with getting mom dressed or take her pills. Mom slept the whole time Tom and I were gone so I got mom up for lunch when Tom and I got back. After lunch we all took a drive to Grafton visitor center along the river road. Mom was a little uncomfortable since Tom and Bonnie are not around that much but I got her laughing and in a fairly good mood during the drive. Mom and I sat in the back seat and I was able to give her more attention and focus. In some ways I think mom enjoyed this drive more because I was able to focus on her and didn’t have to think about my driving. After our drive we all went out to dinner at the Outback steakhouse but none of use had steak we were not that hungry. After dinner Tom and Bonnie left and it was just mom and I the rest of the evening. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. Mom was quiet this evening but responsive when I talked to her or got her laughing. I got a little fussing tonight when I had mom change into her nightgown and take her pants off but god kept it from getting to be to much at least for tonight.

Saturday April 16th 2011
Mom did have a number 2 bowel accident this morning. I got mom up at 11am we both slept in a bit of course I was up until 2am. I had no problem getting mom dressed just had to explain what to do, mom I feel has gotten more confused over the past month. During breakfast mom was talking about the birds and how windy it was outside. She took her pills without any problems. I had mom go to the bathroom twice before our longer drive to the Grafton visitor center along the river road. It was a very cloudy day during this drive. Mom was pretty quiet and not always responsive during our first drive. We had lunch when we got back in which mom talked more about the wind blowing outside After lunch we took a couple trips out to Sioux Passage Park and to Walgreen’s to get moms drugs. Mom was much more talkative and responsive during these trips. Mom didn’t take any naps during the afternoon. We had dinner after our last drive during which mom read and reread the birthday cards I and the caregivers got her plus she really read the one from her sister-in-law Aldine several times. You have to remember because of her bad memory each time she reads the cards it is like the first time. Shortly after dinner mom did go in and take a 2 hour nap then got up and watched some TV with me and we laughed by me acting silly. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and I had her go to bed for the night at 11:30pm. I did get some fussing when it came to mom brushing her teeth and changing into her nightgown.

Friday April 15th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get all of mom washed with the least fussing of the week. Mom got up while I started eating breakfast so we ate together and I had no problem getting her to take her pills. Andrea also had no problem getting mom dressed just had to explain what to do. Mom slept most of the time I was gone today but was up when I got back home at 1:30pm. Andrea said mom was sleepy and other than the bathing mom was easy going. Shortly after I got back mom and I went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a cloudy day with rain sometimes. Mom was fairly talkative and responsive during the drive. We even took a second drive to Sioux Passage Park and on this drive mom was talkative as well. Mom was up all afternoon and evening with me no nap today. During dinner mom talked about the birds and clouds outside the window. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 11pm. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown. Overall mom has been more talkative and responsive than her normal and in great spirits.

Thursday April 14th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left to run some errands and get in a short hike. Andrea said mom slept most of the 5 hours she was here but was easy breezy when it came to getting dressed and taking pills. Mom was asleep when I got back at 1:30pm and didn’t get up until 3pm. It was another beautiful day sunny with temps in the 70’s. Mom and I took a drive to Sioux Passage Park. During the drive mom was a lot more talkative and responsive than yesterday. We watched TV and laughed a little before dinner. During dinner mom read the birthday cards some more but was quiet other than that. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10pm. During the evening mom was quiet but very responsive when ever I talked to her or got her laughing. I did have a struggle tonight getting mom to change and take off the pants after putting the nightgown on. Mom kept refusing to take the pants off even saying she hates me like a little girl saying that because she is mad but doesn’t really mean it. In moms case she even has forgotten it a few seconds later. This is just apart of the Alzheimer’s she has said that over the past few years more times than I can remember but never really means it. Overall mom has been in good spirits and a little more talkative on our drive.

Wednesday April 13th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had a hard time trying to get mom washed today. She barely got any of mom washed mom was even kicking and swinging. This is the first time Andrea had this much trouble in months. Mom slept most of the 6 hours Andrea was hear today or at least was in her bed. Mom was sleeping when I left and got in a short hike along with some errands. When I got back at 1:30pm mom was up. Mom and I took a little nap this afternoon before our drive. We drove out to Sioux Passage Park in was a sunny day with temps in the 70’s. Mom was quiet for the second part of the drive and not always responsive when I talked to her. The first part of the drive she was talkative and responsive. We watched a little TV before dinner in which mom was quiet. During dinner mom was reading the different birthday cards from me, Aldine and the caregivers. Each time she reads one to her it is like reading for the first time. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. We watched TV and laughed the rest of the evening until she went to bed at 10pm. Today and night mom has seemed a little more out of it and confused than her normal. I had really no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown. I just had to explain what to do.

Tuesday April 12th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left and I’m not sure how much she did sleep when Andrea was here. I do know she slept most of the 2 hours Schatcie was here. Mom was up when I got back at 3:30pm. I was able to get in a short hike before grocery shopping today. It was a sunny day with temps in the 60’s great hiking conditions. Mom and I took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park when I got back. Mom was pretty quiet on the drive and not always responsive. We watched the news when we got back before dinner in which mom was a little more responsive. During dinner mom enjoyed reading her birthday cards. During our evening of watching TV mom was quiet but responsive and we laughed several times. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 6:30pm and to drink was at 7:30pm. I had her go to bed at 10pm tonight. She fussed and didn’t understand the need to change and take the pants off after she put the nightgown on. Overall mom was in good spirits except when it came to changing.

Monday April 11th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Today was moms 89th birthday she is now in her last year of her 80’s. Andrea did get all of mom washed today but it wasn’t easy mom fussed about it. Since today was moms birthday I ate breakfast with her then Andrea and I gave mom her presents. Mom stay up after breakfast most of the rest of Andrea’s stay but slept most of the 2 hours Shannon was here. As for me I left after giving mom the presents and got in a short hike. It was cloudy with temps in the 60’s. Mom was asleep when I got back at 3:30pm. I got her up around 4pm to take her out for her birthday dinner. We went to the Mexican restaurant that we like where mom can look out the window at the cars outside. During dinner mom was somewhat talkative for her. She was mostly talking about the cars going up and down the street outside. We took a drive after dinner to Sioux Passage Park and mom was somewhat talkative on this drive. We had some birthday cake when we got back before sitting down to watch TV. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and I had her go to bed around 10:45pm. During the evening mom was pretty quiet but responsive whenever I talked to her. I also had no problem getting mom ready for bed and changing I didn’t even have to explain what to do. Overall mom had a good birthday and was in pretty good spirits and at times more talkative than her normal.

Sunday April 10th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up at 11am after my church programs on TV where over. I had to remind mom a couple of times to put on her top and take off her nightgown but she wasn’t fussing about it just forgetful. During breakfast mom talked about the squirrels outside and today she was faster than yesterday on taking her pills. After breakfast I had mom go to the bathroom a couple of times before leaving for our drive. It has started to get harder for mom to understand what I mean when I tell her to go to the bathroom and sometimes she just goes in there but does not use the toilet. We drove to Pere Marquette State Park with just 2 bathroom stops at Grafton visitor center. It was a partly sunny day with temps hitting 90% it started to feel like summer. The trees are changing a little more each week but there are still a lot of bare trees in Pere Marquette State Park. Mom was quiet on this drive for the most part but pretty responsive when I talked to her. We had lunch when we got back then watched a little TV before taking a second drive. Mom did not take any naps today. The second drive was to Sioux Passage Park. On this drive it had started to get cloudier and mom was more talkative and responsive. We had dinner a little after 6pm so the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. Tomorrow night I plan on taking mom out to dinner for her 89th birthday. During dinner and as we watched TV tonight mom was quiet but responded anytime I talked to her or made her laugh. I like to get her to laugh a lot I feel it is good for her in many ways to laugh or for that matter all of us. Mom went to bed at 10:30pm tonight and I had a fussy girl on my hands when it came for her to change. So put up a fuss tonight but I got her to change and take off her pants so Andrea can wash her tomorrow. I know I’ve said this before and this method stills works. I just wait a few seconds then repeat what I want her to do several times until she does it. After a few seconds she has forgotten what I’ve said. Overall mom was in good spirits just confused on things.

Saturday April 9th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up around 10am we both slept in of course I didn’t go to bed until 3am. I sleep lightly most of the time waking up anytime there is a noise to make sure it isn’t mom. Andrea said I’m like a mother with a newborn I like to think of it as a skipper on the sea waking up every time the boat changes pitch LOL. Mom sometimes is a little harder to get out of bed and she does sleep soundly. This morning she was slow getting out of bed and taking her pills. For those of you out there who are starting to care for someone with Alzheimer’s it does test your patience but it’s not their fault they are just sometimes in their own world and it takes awhile for them to process things. I’m happy to take care of her even though it has meant turning down jobs and putting my plans on hold because I love her and I believe god will let me still do my plans. I also know when it’s over like the country song says I will wish the time had not gone by so fast. I’m just not happy she has to go through this hell. Today has been a sunny and warm day with temps getting into the 80’s I even opened up the house to let the house air out. Tonight the temps are to get into the 60’s good sleeping weather. Mom and I went to Pere Marquette State Park for our drive today stopping for 3 bathroom breaks 2 at the Grafton visitor center and 1 at Pere Marquette State Park visitor center. Today I just had mom take 2 bathroom breaks before leaving instead of 3. Mom was pretty quiet on the drive but responsive when I talked to her. Over the past few months sometimes I have had to speak up so mom could hear me. After our drive we had lunch were mom was talking about the squirrels some. Mom took a nap shortly after lunch for almost 2 hours. Since it was such a sunny warm day we took a second drive to Sioux Passage Park before dinner. On this drive mom was more talkative and responsive. During dinner and this evening mom was pretty quiet but responsive when I talked to her or got her to laugh. Mom has reached the point along time ago were she just doesn’t start many conversations which is just apart of the Alzheimer’s. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and I had her go to bed at 9:45pm. I did get some fussing when it came to brushing her teeth but she changed into her nightgown without any fussing. Overall mom has been responsive and happy all day.

Friday April 8th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had mom fussing on bathing her today but Andrea did get all of mom washed. Mom was kid of in a fussy mood with Andrea all day not wanting to get dressed or take her pills but again Andrea did get her to do all finally. Mom was asleep when I left this morning. I got in another short hike before getting back home at 1:30pm. I guess mom got her fussy out by the time I got home which is good for I took her to get a haircut. This was the easiest time in 2 years getting her haircut so I guess god did answer my prayers. We ate a late lunch after we got back. During lunch mom talked about the birds on the feeder and the squirrels. We took a drive after lunch it was a beautiful day with temps in the 70’s. Mom was quiet on most of the drive but responsive for most of the drive. We watched some TV when we got back before dinner. During dinner and this evening mom was quiet but responsive whenever I talked to her and we laughed a bit. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed at midnight. I had no problem getting her to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown.

Thursday April 7th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was sleeping today when I left. I think she slept most of the time I was gone just getting up for breakfast and lunch. I actually got in a short hike today before running some errands like getting mom’s birthday card and flowers her birthday is the 11th of this month she will be 89 years old. Mom was sleeping when I got back at 3:30pm but got up around 4pm. We took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park more trees seem to be changing each day. It was a cloudy afternoon but with temps in the 70’s. Mom was somewhat talkative on this drive and seemed very happy. During dinner mom was quiet but in good spirits and getting a kick out of squeezing the fake bird. The good spirits continued through the evening as we watched TV. I found a movie on that was a musical and mom was enjoying it. We laughed quit a bit tonight. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed at midnight. I had very little trouble getting mom to change or take off her pants after she puts on the nightgown.

Wednesday April 6th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I was so tired last night that I slept in today and had breakfast with mom before leaving for a few hours. I’m missing not having my apartment it feels weird not being able to go over to my apartment this week. Andrea had a hard time getting mom fully dressed and mom wanted to sleep most of the day with Andrea and she slept the whole 2 hours Schatcie was here. Andrea did get all on mom washed today but mom was very fussy about it. Mom got up shortly after I got back home at 4pm when she heard my voice. I went to a job seeking conference this afternoon so I had Schatcie stay a little longer today. Mom and I had a bit to eat since she hadn’t had anything since breakfast because she wouldn’t get up. Then we went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a mostly sunny day with temps getting into the 70’s. It was good day for a drive. Mom was quiet during the drive and not always responsive when I talked to her. She was like in her own world watching the scenery go by outside the window and listening to the songs on the radio. I always have the radio on during our drives playing easy listening music. I also during the evening check to see if any musicals or PBS music specials are on TV. During dinner and this evening mom was quiet but responsive whenever I talked to her. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10pm a little earlier tonight than the last few nights. Mom was a little more confused tonight on brushing her teeth and changing than her normal. She even fussed a little on changing.

Tuesday April 5th 2011
Mom did have a small number 1 bowel accident overnight. Mom was asleep when I left and Andrea said she was sleepy today and slept most of the 5 hours she was here. Andrea did say mom did not fuss on taking her pills or getting dressed. Andrea didn’t even have to tell mom what to do. Mom was eating lunch when I got back at 1:30pm so I joined her. Mom was up the rest of the day with me. We went on a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a beautiful day sunny with temps getting into the mid 60’s. We actually took 2 drives this afternoon since it was so beautiful. Mom was fairly talkative on both drives. During dinner she was also fairly talkative for her and again she was getting a kick out of the fake bird noise when we squeezed it. She was getting a good laugh out of that fake bird noise. She was even trying to help me with a word find puzzle. Mom was quieter while we watched TV this evening but was responsive whenever I talked to her. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 7pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. I had just little fussing when I had mom change into her nightgown and take off her pants.

Monday April 4th 2011
Mom did have a small number 1 bowel accident overnight. Andrea said mom didn’t give her any problems with washing, getting dressed or with the pills. Mom was awake a lot of the time Andrea was here and easy going but slept most of the 2 hours Shannon was here. Mom was asleep when I came back at 3:30pm and got up shortly after. We took a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a cloudy day and much colder with temps in the 40’s a far cry from the 90% of yesterday. Mom was pretty quiet on the drive and at times not responsive when I talked to her. During dinner she was getting a good laugh at the fake bird and the sound it makes when you squeeze it. While we watched TV tonight mom was quiet during most of the evening but I got her laughing several times. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 7pm and she went to bed a little after midnight. I also had no problems tonight getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown. Tonight I let her keep the pants on as well. I choose to fight that battle only the nights before she gets washed.

Sunday April 3rd 2011
Mom did have a small number 2 bowel accident overnight. I had my friend Patti over today while I went to church. Mom was asleep when I left and slept the whole time I was gone. Mom and I had breakfast when I got back from church. I had no problems getting mom dressed or taking her pills. I had mom do the normal 3 bathroom breaks before our Sunday drive today we went to Pere Marquette State Park. It was a bright sunny warm day with temps hitting a record high of 90% I had the air conditioning on in the car for mom. This daily record temp was last set 129 years ago. Mom was quiet for parts of the drive and talkative at least for her on other parts but always responded when I talked to her. We did our normal bathroom breaks at the Grafton visitor center. I do like this drive with the river on one side and the cliffs on the other side. It is like I’m driving in between my 2 loves sailing on the water and climbing on the cliffs. We had lunch when we got back then mom took a short nap and so did I. Mom talked about the birds on the feeder and was getting a kick out of squeezing the fake bird to make it sing. After moms nap we took a shorter drive to Sioux Passage Park before dinner. During dinner mom played with the fake bird some more and talked about the squirrels running up the tree. We watched TV and laughed after dinner. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. I had some fussing but not too much getting mom to get changed and to take off the pants after she puts the nightgown on.

Saturday April 2nd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom today around 10am after my shower. She still had her pants on from last night so I just needed to get her to take off the nightgown and put her shirt on. I had to tell her what to do she did it but then put her nightgown back on after she put on her shirt. She got confused so after the second time she put the shirt on I hung the nightgown up so it would be out of sight it’s just some of the things you learn. During breakfast mom mentioned how still the wind was outside at least during our breakfast. I had no problems getting her to take her pills today. We took a drive to Pere Marquette State Park stopping on the way out at the Grafton visitor center for a bathroom break. Today we stopped at the visitor center at Pere Marquette State Park for a bathroom break. At the visitor center they have a camera watching a bald eagle with her baby. They have the camera hooked to a TV so you can watch the eagles in their nest. They just had one hatch 3 days ago and one getting ready to hatch. So the mother and father bald eagles take turns watching the little one and the one about to hatch. So mom and I watched the eagles for a little while. Mom was quiet on most of the drive and sometimes not responsive. It was mostly sunny with temps in the 50’s today. We ate lunch when we got back then mom took a nap. We took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park after mom’s nap and before dinner. Mom was quiet but more responsive on this drive. It was cloudy with temps in the 50’s for this drive. During dinner mom talked a little about the birds outside and was getting a kick playing with the fake bird squeezing it to have it make bird sounds. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed at 9:45pm. Mom was quiet during the evening but responsive whenever I talked to her or made her laugh. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or get changed into her nightgown.

Friday April 1st 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. We had 6 inches of snow on the ground no just kidding April fools. Andrea got all of mom washed except for her feet. Mom wasn’t very happy about getting washed today. She had gotten up and put on the cloths Andrea laid out for her but Andrea did have to tell her what to do. She was up as I started eating breakfast so we ate breakfast together before I had to run some errands. I meet with my landlord today to give her the keys so I had a little time to remember some of my memories from the 20+ years in that apartment. I had some good times there actually I have had a pretty good life I will have to ask god why he was so good to me. Mom was asleep when I got back at 2pm and Andrea said she was sleeping all day no wonder she was up until midnight last night. Mom did get up shortly after I got home so we went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a mostly sunny afternoon with temps hitting 60%. Mom was fairly quiet on this drive and not always responsive when I talked to her. After we got back we took a bathroom break then took another short drive before dinner. This drive mom was still quiet on most of it but was responsive when I talked to her. During dinner and this evening she was also quiet but responsive when I talked to her or made her laugh. She is mostly quiet because she doesn’t really know what to say until something catches her eye but if I start saying something then she responds. So she can be happy and content even if she is quiet because somebody is enjoying being with her. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink tonight was at 7pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. I had no problem getting her to brush her teeth or to change into her nightgown. I did have to tell her what to do and I let her keep the pants on.