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
Tuesday May 31st 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left this morning. Andrea said mom was up most of the 5 hours she was here and being pleasant. Andrea had no problems getting mom to dress herself or taking her pills. So this morning mom was in good spirits. Andrea told me mom went into the one drawer in the kitchen where we keep the bananas and was starting to eat it when Andrea saw her. This was fine we just didn’t think mom knew where they where. This is only the second time in a year mom has gotten food without someone giving it to her. The other time was this weekend. Mom does have these flashes of alertness from time to time. Mom was asleep when I got home at 1:30pm and slept until 2:30pm. Since it was such a beautiful day I took mom out for a drive where we ended up at Sioux Passage Park. Mom talked about as much as normal on our drive. We talked about the wind and how green things are and of course as always I told her I love her countless times. Mom was in pretty good spirits on our drive. During dinner mom was fairly quiet but I acted silly tonight several times making mom laugh. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed around midnight. I did get some fussing on get mom changed into her nightgown and out of her pants. Overall today mom has been pleasant and responsive and in some cases more alert than normal.
Monday May 30th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was only able to get moms legs and feet washed today. Mom just would not let Andrea wash anything more. Andrea also had a hard time getting mom up and feed. Mom just did not want to get out of bed. She finally did get up and eat breakfast around lunch time. Mom was up for a lot of the 2 hours Patti was here though. Mom went back to bed just before I got home at 3:30pm. I got mom up so I could take her out for dinner and today I had Patti come with us. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 4:30 and to drink was 6:30pm. Mom was quiet for the most part during dinner. Mom and I went for a drive right after dinner to Sioux Passage Park. Mom and I talked about how nice it was outside she was her normal talkativeness. We then sat around and watched TV and laughed a few times until she went to bed at 10pm. I had no fussing when it came to her brushing teeth or changing. She was just confused. Overall mom was argument and fussing when it came to washing and didn’t want to get out of bed the first part of the day then became friendly during the evening.
Sunday May 29th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. I had my friend Patti over this morning as I went to church. Mom slept the whole time I was gone. I woke her up when I got back home and had her get dressed fairy easy today. At breakfast mom talked about the birds and the wind in the trees. She even took her pills pretty fast and without any fussing. It was a mostly sunny and warm day so I took mom for a drive along the river road to Pere Marquette State Park. We stopped at the visitor center in Grafton on the way up and back. The first few minutes of our drive mom was not real responsive and in her own world. I finally got mom to her normal talkative and responsive self by the time we made it to the Grafton visitor center. Now like I have said before moms talkativeness is just a couple of words at a time or a sentence. We talked about how pretty the sky was, the trees being so green and boats on the river mostly. Although there were fewer boats than I thought I would see. Oh yes we also talked about all the motorcycles we saw and there were a lot of motorcycles. Today mom was confused at the visitor center on why I couldn’t go into the lady’s room too. This was the first time for this. We had lunch when we got back were mom talked about the trees blowing and the birds. After lunch mom took almost a 2 hour nap and I even napped for 30 minutes. We took our second drive to Sioux Passage Park after moms nap. It was still a beautiful day outside. Mom was her normal self on our drive. During dinner tonight mom was still talking about how the leafs were blowing and the flowers. She was in a happier mood after her 2 hour nap. The last time mom ate or drank anything was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. We watched TV and laughed this evening so yes I was acting silly some more. I did get an argument when I had mom change into her nightgown and take off her pants.
Saturday May 28th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom woke up when the guy we have cut our grass was cutting it this morning. I didn’t have much trouble getting mom to put on her shirt and take her nightgown off. We ate a late breakfast and she took the pills without me saying anything and took them pretty fast. She was pretty quiet during breakfast. I did have some trouble getting her to understand going to the bathroom before our drive. Since it was so cloudy with rain supposedly coming, we just drove to Sioux Passage Park so I could get mom home before she would need to go to the bathroom. Mom was sort of out of it and confused on half the drive. It took me awhile to get her smiling and talking. When we got back mom argued taking her jacket off which she does often. Mom took a little nap after our drive and before lunch. During lunch mom still had her jacket on but was more talkative. She talked about the squirrels and birds outside the window. She does enjoy watching the squirrels run up and down the tree and the birds on the bird feeder. Mom went back in for a nap after lunch she is a sleepy head today LOL. Since it still looked like it could rain mom and I took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was in a better mood on this drive and smiling more. After our drive I decided to get our dinner ready. During dinner mom was somewhat talkative for her. She was talking about how green everything looked and the birds on the feeder. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:15pm. Mom was her normal self this evening as we watch TV until she went to bed at 10:30pm. I got an angry look when I had mom brush her teeth and she was confused about what to do in changing into her nightgown. Overall mom started out being confused and disconnected but I was able to get her smiling and laughing. I do enjoy spending time with her just sorry she has to go through this. It must be very difficult not being able to remember things but overall she is handling it very well and I’m proud to be her son.
Friday May 27th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea said mom was kind of evil when she was washing her today. Andrea was able to get the bottom half washed pretty well but the top half was more like a lick and a promise. Mom was much easier going after the washing Andrea didn’t have any problems getting mom to dress or take her pills. Mom was sleeping when I left slept most of the time I was gone and was asleep when I got home. I even took a nap this afternoon for 30 minutes. After we got up mom and I took a drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. It was cloudy with temps in the 70’s for our drive. Mom was quiet but responsive as we drove. We talked about the long view at the conservation area and the clouds. Mom was in pretty good spirits for most of the drive. I did have some hassle getting mom to take off her jacket when we got home. Mom gets confused why she needs to take it off. During dinner mom talked about the flowers and some of the birds outside. She was about her normal talkativeness during dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. Mom was her normal self tonight as we watched TV until midnight. We laughed a few times as I was acting silly. I got an angry look when I had mom brush her teeth and changed.
Thursday May 26th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. She didn’t get up out of bed in time which is the case for almost all her bowel accidents. She seems to have them after sleeping for awhile and her system doesn’t wake her up fast enough. Andrea said mom was difficult today and not wanting to take her pills. Mom was asleep when I left this morning and when I got back. I think she slept most of the 5 hours Andrea was here today. Mom finally got up around 3:30pm. She did have another number 1 bowel accident after she got up from her nap. It was a cloudy afternoon but we did go for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was a little grumpy during the first part of the drive but I had her smiling and in good spirits before the end of the drive. During dinner mom was quiet and a little more out of it than her normal. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed around 11pm. As we watched TV tonight I was able to get mom back to her normal self. I did have a bit of a hassle getting mom to change. At first she wanted to put her nightgown on over her shirt and didn’t understand why she needed to take the shirt off. I then got more fussing when it came to her taking off her pants after I had her put the nightgown on. I kept telling her I need to wash the pants so she needs to take them off she finally just got mad and took them off and threw them down. Overall mom was a bit more grumpy today.
Wednesday May 25th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was very fussy with Andrea today. Andrea was only able to get the front half of mom washed. Mom fussed on wanting to get dressed and take her pills. Andrea was able to finally get both done. I was so tired from being up so late I slept in before taking a shower and going to another workshop. Mom was up dressed had taken her pills and was back in bed by the time I left. I think mom slept most of the time I was gone but got up when she heard my voice. It was 3:35pm when I got back home and pouring down rain. They had thunderstorm and tornado warns in effected by the time I got home and relieved my friend Patti. Since it was so nasty outside and warnings mom and I stayed in where it was dry. I had Patti setup the little room in the basement under the stairs as a tornado room. She put in chairs, shoes and a flashlight. Mom was quiet as we watched the weather on TV keeping up on the warnings. During dinner mom read her cards several times and was more talkative and in good spirits even though it was raining hard outside. We could hear the rain it was coming down so hard as well as the thunder. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. Mom was her normal quiet but responsive as we watched TV tonight. I of course got her laughing several times and gave her several hugs during the day and night. I did get some fussing mostly a angry look when I had her brush her teeth and when I had her put on her nightgown. Overall today mom has been her normal quiet but responsive self and in good spirits but still is confused on things. This confusion is the main reason for her fussing and angry looks.
Tuesday May 24th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 and 2 bowel accident overnight. Mom was asleep when I left this morning to go to a workshop. Andrea said mom was up a lot of the time I was gone. Mom was up when I got back at 1:30pm. I watched a little TV with mom before we left for our first drive. It was a beautiful day with temps in the 70’s. We drove to Sioux Passage Park as mom and I talked about how beautiful of a day it was. Since it was such a beautiful day and more storms coming tonight we were not home long before going on our second drive. We drove back out to Sioux Passage Park. On this drive mom was fairly quiet but happy. During dinner I had to cut the meat from the pork steak off the bone for mom. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. We laughed this evening as we watched TV but mom was quiet for the most part until she went to bed at 11pm. Mom did not even take any naps today. Tonight I didn’t even had to explain what to do when changing into her nightgown and she even took her pants off without me saying anything. It felt good to see she remembered what to do including taking the pants off after she puts the nightgown on. It’s one of those things every once in awhile mom remembers and doesn’t fight about it. Overall with me at least mom was a little less confused on things today and in good spirits but quiet.
Monday May 23rd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get all of mom washed today without too much fussing. When I left for a meeting today mom was still in bed. Andrea said she had a hard time getting mom out of bed today mom slept most of the day. When I got home at 3:30pm, mom got up after hearing my voice. Even though it was very cloudy I took mom for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. As we drove along mom was fairly quiet but alert and responsive any time I talked to her. Mom was also quiet but alert during dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed around 11:30pm. Mom was quiet but happy and laughing with me a few times tonight. I had to explain to her what to do when changing into her nightgown but she did it without fussing to much. Of course tonight I let her keep the pants on. Overall today with me mom has been a little more quiet than her normal but more alert. She also has been in pretty good spirits mostly because I make her laugh so much.
Sunday May 22nd 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. I woke mom up for breakfast around 10:30am after my church program on TV. She was having trouble getting the reason for putting on her shirt and taking off the nightgown. She has a hard time understanding the whole changing thing now on a daily basis. She is still strong enough to do it herself and walk around without any help and I do thank god for that. During breakfast, mom talked about the wind blowing outside and the birds on the feeder. She was so detracted by what was going on outside I had a hard time getting her to focus on taking her pills. I finally fixed this by closing the drapes so I could get her to focus on the pills. If I didn’t have to worry about the pills I would have just let her be distracted it did make her talk about what she was seeing outside. After the pills I had mom go to the bathroom before leaving on our drive. She was in there for a long time and did forget to flush when she was done. Like I said before the forgetting to flush has become a daily thing. The positive of that is I know if it was a number 2 bowel movement or not. It was very sunny this morning but by the time we left it was mostly cloudy with temps getting into the 80’s. Our first drive of the day was to Grafton along the river road. Mom was a little more talkative than her normal and in good spirits on our drive. We talked about how big the river is and the boats out on the river. Now keep in mind that these talks are normally just a few statements at a time. I also tell her several times during our drives that I love her and enjoy going on drives with her which is all true. Hearing me say this, so often helps to keep both of us in good spirits. After our drive we ate lunch and mom talked a lot about the wind blowing. I had her go to the bathroom again before going on our second drive. She was in the bathroom along time not sure what was taking so long but she did flush it this time. It was looking like it might start raining anytime so we took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was fairly quiet on this drive but in good spirits. When we got back mom was tired so she took a nap for about 2 hours and I even took a half hour nap. Mom was confused about getting up for dinner but then I did wake her up from a sound sleep. Mom went into the bathroom for along time again and this time she forgot to flush the toilet, so I did. Mom was fairly quiet during dinner. The last time she had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm. We watched TV tonight together until 10:15 when mom went to bed. Mom and I laughed a few times before she went to bed. I did get some fussing when it came to changing into her nightgown and out of her pants. She doesn’t always know what I mean when I tell her what to do. I sometimes have to explain it several times before it sinks in. Overall today mom has been in good spirits but confused.
Saturday May 21st 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom and I had breakfast together today around 10:30am. Mom was a bit confused on changing into her shirt but not fussing. Mom was quiet during breakfast and took her pills with no problem. I had mom go to the bathroom a couple times before our drive. She is not flushing the towel every time now on a daily basis. Today was a party cloudy day with temps getting into the 80’s. So I had the AC on during our drive. I took mom to Pere Marquette State Park since it was such a beautiful day. Mom and I talked about a couple boats on the river and how green everything was as we drove up the river road to Pere Marquette State Park stopping at Grafton for bathroom breaks. Mom was fairly talkative and alert on our drive. Mom ended up not taking any naps today so I took her out for an early dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We sat at our favorite table were mom can look out the window and see the cars going up and down the road. She was talked about as much as normal during dinner. Mom wanted to go for a drive after dinner so we drove to Sioux Passage Park on our way home. It was still party cloudy and warm. Mom kept talking about how green everything was, she does like the spring time with all the green. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 5pm and to drink was at 6pm and mom went to bed at 10:30pm. So mom was up today for about 12 hours without any naps. Mom was quiet but responsive tonight as we watched TV. I did have to explain more tonight on what mom needed to do to brush her teeth. I had no problem getting her to put on her nightgown leaving her pants on.
Friday May 20th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left this morning. Andrea said mom was quiet and sleepy the time she was here. Mom did fuss some on taking her pills today. I ran some errands before getting back by 1:30pm. Mom was eating lunch when I got back so I joined her and we had lunch together. During lunch mom was quiet. Mom did take a short nap after lunch while I checked my email and did some work. It has been a cloudy day with temps in the 70’s. I took mom for a drive to Columbia Conservation Area then to Sioux Passage Park all in one drive. I stopped at both places so mom could take a bathroom break. While we drove mom mentioned several times at how green and pretty everything was. She was definitely more talkative on the drive than she was at lunch. I fixed dinner after our drive and mom kept mentioning everything being so green. With all the rain we have gotten this year everything looks very green. Mom was also talkative during dinner and happy. Of course I do tell her I love her several times every day. I feel when she hears it so often and knows I mean it, that this helps to keep her happier and gives her reason to get up. I learned this from her when she and dad poured unlimited love into me when I was a kid. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at midnight. Mom was much quieter tonight as we watched TV but I still got her laughing several times. I got a dirty look when I had mom brush her teeth but at least I didn’t have to explain what to do as much as the other night. I had no problem getting her to change into her nightgown but I let her keep the pants on with the nightgown. I normally get the fussing when it comes to her taking the pants off.
Thursday May 19th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up and had eaten breakfast by the time I left today to go to another workshop. I’m not sure but I think mom slept most of the time I was gone and was sleeping when I got home at 4pm. It was a cloudy rainy day today with temps in the 60’s. After I got home the rain stopped so I took mom for a short drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was happy on the drive and her normal talkativeness. She does get confused on things like going to the bathroom or why she needs to take off her coat. We had dinner when we got back of BBQ pork steaks it’s that time of year again yeah. Mom still eats her food right down whatever I put in front of her to eat. I thank god she can still cut her own meat and has no problem eating food at least most of the time. Mom was pretty quiet during dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. We watched TV and laughed this evening and mom was her normal talkativeness. Which keep in mind her normal these days is not a whole lot. I really didn’t get to much fussing when I had mom change into her nightgown and take off her pants. She was confused and I had to explain what to do. Overall with me at least mom has been happy but quiet today. Of course I do spend a lot of time getting her to laugh trying to make the hell she must be going through seem a little easier. This also helps me as we walk through this hell together.
Wednesday May 18th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get mom washed today. I think I’ve mentioned before Andrea will wash some of mom until mom starts to fuss to much then Andrea will come back a little later and get another part of mom washed. Andrea will do this several times until she gets mom completely washed. Mom was up and had eaten breakfast by the time I left to meet up with a friend for lunch. Mom went right back to bed after breakfast and Andrea said her word for mom today was sleepy. This did fit mom was sleeping when I got back at 3:30pm. It was a fairly nice day today so I took mom for a short drive to Sioux Passage Park before dinner. As we drove mom would start a conversation when she saw things that caught her eye. Now keep in mind her conversations are normally just a couple of words. As we ate dinner mom would look at her cards and talk about the birds outside on the feeder. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she was up until after midnight. We watched TV and I got her laughing a few times this evening. I had almost no trouble getting mom to change into her nightgown tonight but then I let her keep her pants on under her nightgown.
Tuesday May 17th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Mom was asleep when I left this morning for one of my workshops. Andrea said mom was up about half of the 5 hours she was here today. She had problems getting mom to take her pills. Mom wasn’t getting mad just very confused about getting dressed and taking the pills. Andrea told me today her one word to describe mom was confused. Mom was asleep when I got home at 1:30pm. I actually was tired and took a nap myself. Today was a cloudy day with temps in the 60’s but no rain here at least. I have noticed over the past month mom not always turning off the bathroom light or flushing the towel. She will sometimes go into the bathroom get confused and not take care of nature. Sometimes it is hard to tell if she had any number 1 when she forgets to flush. This not always flushing and getting confused once she is in the bathroom is something that started about a month ago and is now almost a daily thing. On a positive note when we are watching TV and mom here’s one of her sisters or bothers name she recognizes the name as her sisters or bothers name and says something. Another very positive note and I thank god for this mom is still able at 89 to walk on her own without any help, so physically she is still fairly strong. After our naps we took a drive to Sioux Passage Park the water is still high and moving fairly fast. Mom was about her normal talkativeness and responsive. She was happy for most of the drive. Today I didn’t have much trouble getting mom to take her jacket off after our drive but sometimes I do. As we were sitting eating dinner mom kept mentioning how she liked the flowers I have on the dinning room table. She does like colorful flowers. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. I hope tonight 4.5 hours was enough time for her bowels to empty so hopefully no accidents overnight. Like I’ve said before most of the time mom has a bowel accident it’s after she gets up from sleeping. This evening mom and I watched TV and laughed. Mom was confused tonight when it came to changing into her nightgown and taking off her pants. She was fighting the taking the pants off mostly because she didn’t understand.
Monday May 16th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Andrea was able to get mom completely washed. Mom slept most of the day that I was gone. I was able to get in a short hike this morning before doing some errands. It was a sunny day with temps only getting into the 60’s perfect for hiking. It was good to spent sometime in the woods it does bring piece to my spirit. Mom was up when I got home at 3:30pm. I was so tired both mom and I took a half hour nap after I got home. Mom was in good spirits when I got home and was happy to see me. After our nap we took a drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was quiet for most of the drive and happy on parts and unhappy on other parts of our drive. The thing with Alzheimer’s they can be happy then mad just a few seconds later. When I notice that I tell mom I love her and try and make her laugh and normally it works. It is a fulltime job with lots of overtime taking care of her and can wear you out but I do love her and know and believe god will keep me strong. When we got back home mom doesn’t understand the need to take her jacket off and sometimes fusses about taking it off. Mom was quiet during dinner. When we got back from our drive, mom complained about her left foot hurting. Again like yesterday it wasn’t swollen so I gave her some Tylenol arthritis during dinner and by the end of dinner it no longer hurt. I think it is just arthritis which she has had before. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed around 11pm. We watched TV and laughed a few times tonight but mostly mom was quiet. I did have to help mom a little more tonight when I had her brush the teeth. She also had a harder time understanding what to do in changing into her nightgown but she really wasn’t fussing just having problems getting it.
Sunday May 15th 2011
Mom did have a number 2 bowel accident overnight. I had my friend Patti watch mom as I went to church. Mom did sleep the whole time I was gone which was fine it was a rainy morning. I got mom up for breakfast after I got back. Mom was having problems understanding what to do to change into her shirt. Like I have said this has become almost a daily thing now. Mom talked about the squirrels running up and down the tree outside. She was about as talkative at breakfast as her normal. Mom did take her pills without any problems. Since it was raining outside mom took a nap after breakfast. We did take a drive after moms hour nap to Sioux Passage Park. It was still drizzly outside so I wanted to go somewhere that I could get back before mom would need to go to the bathroom. I still wanted to get mom out of the house though, I feel it is good for her to get out for the body. We had lunch when we got back where mom talked about the wind blowing the tree branches. During our first drive she was quiet but responsive when I talked to her. We watched some TV after lunch and before our second drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was still drizzling off and on during our second drive. Mom was actually more talkative on this drive than our first drive. During our dinner tonight the wind was still blowing outside which mom talked about. She also talked about the squirrels outside. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 6pm and to drink was at 8pm. Mom’s foot started hurting but wasn’t swollen so I gave her some Tylenol at 8pm and after a few minutes the foot did not hurt. We spent the night laughing and watching TV. Mom went to bed at 12:30am. I had to explain to her what to do to change into her nightgown and got some fussing when it came to her taking off her pants after she puts on the nightgown.
Saturday May 14th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. It has been a rainy day today so mom and I both slept in until 10am. I had to explain to mom what she needed to do to get dressed but she did hang her nightgown up without being told to. I had a hard time getting mom to understand what I mean when I tell her to go to the bathroom. This has become almost a daily thing over the past couple of months. During breakfast we had a squirrel running back and fourth across the window sill. Mom was getting a kick out of it the squirrel would stop and look in at times it was entertaining mom. She laughed and talked about it. She also talked about the wind blowing the tree branches outside as she took her pills with no problem. Since it was raining still when we finished breakfast mom laid down and took a nap and I spent some time on my computer. Around noon time mom and I took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park it was still drizzling a little but I wanted to get mom out of the house even for a short time. Mom was fairly talkative for her during the drive and she was enjoying most of it since I got her laughing a few times and told her I love her several times. I will miss even the hard days when she is gone so I try and enjoy every minute I get now and let her know I enjoy being with her. Now I do get frustrated at times I’m not perfect but I do try and focus on what I can do with her now and blank out what she can no longer do. This makes it easier for me to walk through this hell with her. After our drive we had lunch where mom talked about the trees blowing outside. Then mom took another nap since it was still rainy outside I didn’t want to go on another longer drive. Today I just took short drives so mom could get back home before she needed to go to the bathroom. Before dinner we took another short drive to Sioux Passage Park it was still drizzling a little. At dinner mom talked about the tree branches blowing outside some more as well as reading some of her cards. She also talked about the flowers I got her during all 3 meals. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. We watched TV and laughed this evening. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth but she did fuss a little when it came to getting into her nightgown. Overall today mom has be sleepy but happy today.
Friday May 13th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get mom totally washed today. Mom was asleep when I went to my all day job workshop. Mom slept most of the day while I was gone Andrea said she was sleepy. Patti also said mom slept most of the 3 hours she was here as well. Mom was sleeping when I got home around 4pm. It looked like rain was on the way so I didn’t take mom for a drive when I got back. I hope we can get in some drives tomorrow. Mom was quiet during dinner but happy. We laughed and talked tonight as we watched TV. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. I had no problems getting mom to brush her teeth or putting on her nightgown.
Thursday May 12th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up eating breakfast when I left and was up about half the 5 hours Andrea was here. Andrea said mom was quiet but calm today. Mom was asleep when I got home at 1:30pm and slept until 2:30pm. It was a beautiful day and warm so I took mom for a drive shortly after she got up. We drove first to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Mom was fairly talkative for her as we drove to Columbia Bottoms. Mom and I then went to Sioux Passage Park after leaving the visitors center at Columbia Bottoms. Mom was still cheerful and talking on this part but became quiet after we left Sioux Passage Park. I think she was getting tired but still very cheerful. As we ate dinner mom talked about the flowers. Mom was pretty cheerful this evening as well but quiet as we watched TV. I got mom to laugh a several times through out the day and night. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. I had her go to bed earlier tonight because I have a workshop tomorrow and have to get up at 5:30am so I need some sleep. I got a little fussing when it came to changing tonight but it was fairly easy thank god. Mom was just confused on what she needed to do to change and why. Overall today mom has been pretty cheerful and talkative for her. It was a good day god blessed the day for us.
Wednesday May 11th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident today after she got up from her afternoon nap. Andrea was able to get all of mom washed today without much fussing. As I figured mom slept most of the time I was gone. Mom was asleep when I left this morning for a job seeking workshop. Mom was also asleep when I got home at 3:30pm and didn’t get up until 4:30pm which is when she had her bowel accident. Mom and I ate dinner before taking a drive today. She was more talkative during dinner than normal talking about the flowers I got her and the birds outside. She was very talkative and lucent during our drive as well. It was partly sunny and warm during our drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was good to see mom that talkative and lucent but then with Alzheimer’s I’ve learned that everyday can be different. We watched TV talked and laughed this evening before going to bed. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 11pm. Tonight I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or to change. She was in such good spirits all afternoon and evening with me giving her several hugs and making her laugh a lot.
Tuesday May 10th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left today for a job seeking workshop. Andrea told me she was up most of the day being talkative and lucent, which is the first time she has been that talkative and lucent in a long time. Mom was up eating lunch when I got back home around 1:30pm. Mom went in and took a nap shortly after lunch. It was a cloudy day with rain around lunch time but stopped raining just before I got back home. I decided to take mom out for dinner today to celebrate a late Mothers day. Mom was in pretty good spirits during dinner. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and I had mom facing the outside so she could see the cars going up and down the road. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 4:30pm and I gave her some root beer at 6pm. We watched TV and laughed a few times tonight. Mom was quiet but responsive when I started the talking. I had mo go to bed at 12:30am so she didn’t get a lot of sleep today so she will most likely sleep a lot tomorrow. I had a bit of a fight getting mom to change tonight when it came to her taking off her pants after putting the nightgown on.
Monday May 9th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get all of mom washed today. When mom was up she was in pretty good spirits during the day with the caregivers. This morning it was cloudy and rainy but by the afternoon it was sunny again. Mom was eating lunch when I got home at 3:30pm so I decided not to take her out for dinner even though she was now clean. I may take her out for dinner tomorrow or Wednesday. I have found out it is best to take mom out early before crowds get to the restaurant. I took mom for a drive shortly after I got back to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was in a good mood and more talkative than normal on the drive. During dinner tonight mom talked about the flowers I got her and read the card from her son Paul and his wife Kay as she ate some fruit from her son Tom. After dinner mom and I took another drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was fairly quiet on this drive but responsive whenever I talked to her. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10pm. We watched TV and laughed this evening. I know I have mentioned this is the past but mom is having problems understanding what I mean when I tell her to go to the bathroom like before our drives. This is now starting to be a daily thing. I also had problems trying to get mom to brush her teeth and after the arguing last night I decided not to push it this evening so mom didn’t brush her teeth tonight. I had a much easier time getting her to put on her nightgown even though that was also a fight tonight. Overall mom was in good mood until it came to going to bed.
Sunday May 8th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. I got mom up at 10:30am after my church programs on TV. I had to explain a few times what mom needed to do to get dressed. Mom is also confused when I tell her to go to the bathroom. She was quiet during breakfast but took her pills with no problem. I had mom go 2 the bathroom 2 times before our drive to Pere Marquette State Park. It was another beautiful day with temps getting into the 80’s. We stopped today at the Grafton and Pere Marquette State Park visitor centers for bathroom breaks. Mom was quiet at times but responsive when I started the conversation. We had lunch after we got back then talked to my brothers so mom didn’t get a nap this afternoon. During lunch mom talked about the wind blowing outside and read some of her cards. Since it was such a beautiful day we took a second drive to Sioux Passage Park before dinner. During this drive mom was more talkative for her at least. Mom talked about the color of one of the trees outside, the flowers I got her and read her cards some more during dinner. After dinner mom took an hour nap she was tired. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. I watched some TV and laughed with mom after her nap until she went to bed at midnight. Tonight I had a real fight on my hands getting mom to change into her nightgown and then take her pants off so Andrea can wash her tomorrow. I had to put on the stern father tone I hate when I have to do that but sometimes that is the only thing that works.
Saturday May 7th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. I got mom up around 10am and had to explain to her what to do to get dress. Mom tried at first to put her shirt on over her nightgown until I stopped her. This is something they do in stage 6 of the 7 major stages. She has done this before but it is very sporadic, so far. Mom took her pills with no problem. She talked about the wind outside as she was taking her pills. I had mom go to the bathroom 3 times before our drive, so it was about a hour after breakfast when we left. Today was a beautiful sunny and warm day with temps getting into the 70’s. We drove along the river road to Pere Marquette State Park stopping for bathroom breaks at the Grafton and Pere Marquette State Park visitor centers. At the Pere Marquette State Park visitor center they have a camera pointing down into a Bald Eagles nest so you can watch the eagles on a TV in the visitor center. We first saw them a few weeks ago when the baby was just born and now it is fairly big. I could sit there for awhile watching them but mom gets bored after a few minutes. Mom was more talkative and alert on the first part of the drive and at the very end in-between she was like resting and just watching the scenery. I was in the mood for some BBQ pork steaks and this weekend is the Florissant Valley of Flowers weekend and I knew there was lots of BBQ around. So mom and I had an early dinner of BBQ after our drive. Mom was responsive when I talked to her but mostly she was quiet as we ate the BBQ. Both mom and I were tired after our early dinner so we took a nap before going on our second drive. It was still a beautiful day and warm and we went to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was quiet but alert on this drive. I fixed mom and I a snack after our drive so the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7:15pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. As we watched TV mom was quiet as usual but responsive whenever I talked to her or made her laugh. I had no fussing when I had mom brush her teeth or change. I just had to explain what to do and thank god she can still do it herself. Overall mom has been in good spirits today but still very confused on how and why she needs to do things.
Friday May 6th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was not able to get mom washed at all today so mom will be smelly by Monday. So I’m not going to take mom out for Mother’s Day she will just smell to bad by then. Mom was up eating breakfast before I left so I joined her for breakfast. Mom got dressed today without any body telling her what to do or telling her to get dress. Mom went right back to bed after breakfast and slept most of the day but was up when I got home eating lunch so I ate lunch with her. Mom was quiet during both breakfast and lunch. Mom went back to bed after lunch for about a hour. It was such a great day sunny and warm I took mom for a longer drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. Then we drove to Sioux Passage Park on our way back. I stopped at the visitor center in Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area so mom could take a bathroom break. I wanted to turn it into a longer drive since it was so nice and we have been getting a lot of bad weather lately. Mom was somewhat talkative on the first part of our drive and quiet on the second half. Mom and I had dinner when we got back where she talked about the wind blowing outside. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. We watched TV and laughed this evening. The only time mom talked tonight was when I started the conversation but she was in good spirits. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or to change into her nightgown. Since tomorrow is not a wash day I did not make mom also take the pants off. Overall mom started the day off fussing and fighting Andrea on getting washed but ended the day in fairly good spirits.
Thursday May 5th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was getting up and dressed when I left this morning but slept most of the day. It was such a beautiful morning and early afternoon that I had to get in a short walk over along the Missouri River making sure I stay away from the poison ivy. Mom was up when I got home at 3:30pm and was happy giving Shannon a hug as she was leaving. So mom was in happy spirits when she was up today. Mom has started to sleep even more over the past month or so. We did take a drive this afternoon over to Sioux Passage Park but the clouds had moved in by the time I got home and we just beat the rain. During dinner mom talked about the wind blowing outside and read some of her cards. I keep the cards on the table right near where she eats. She also liked the flowers I bought her today. Mom just loves reading cards and looking at bright color flowers. It also gives her something she can start a conversation with. Now keep in mind her conversations are only a couple of sentences at most. As we watched TV tonight mom was quiet unless I talked to her or got her laughing. I like telling mom several times a day I love her and getting her to laugh. I know I’ve said this before but I do feel making her laugh helps to keep her healthier and happier. Plus I enjoy laughing and kidding around it keeps me young LOL. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed around 11:30pm. I got some fussing when I had mom change into her nightgown and take off her pants but not to bad tonight.
Wednesday May 4th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had a much easier time washing mom today than she has had over the past week. Mom even got dress today without any body telling her to get dress. Mom just got up and dressed Andrea and I were in the kitchen then I just walked by moms bedroom and she was dressed. This was the first time she has done that in almost a year. I left shortly after that to run some errands. Andrea said mom was easy going today and was up when I got back at 1:30pm. Mom took a short nap when I got back before our drive. It was a sunny day with temps in the 60’s. Today I took mom on a drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area then on the way back we went by Sioux Passage Park before heading home. Mom was enjoying the drive but quiet for most of it except when I talked to her. After we got back we had dinner in which mom was very quiet she even took a half hour nap shortly after dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed around 11:30pm. Mom and I laughed some this evening but other than that she was fairly quiet but enjoying hanging out. I also had no problem tonight getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown. Tonight I didn’t make her also take the pants off.
Tuesday May 3rd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was sleeping when I left but was up a lot of the time I was gone at least haft the time. Andrea and Schatcie said mom was chipper. Andrea did have a little trouble getting mom to get dressed but mom took her pills with no problem. I had a job seeking workshop this afternoon so I didn’t get home until close to 4pm. Mom was asleep when I got home but got up shortly after I arrived. It was a beautiful afternoon so I took mom on a drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was fairly alert during our drive. At dinner mom talked about the birds and read her cards a few times. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. Mom was quiet as we watched TV this evening but we laughed a few times. Mom did fight taking her pants off after she put her nightgown on. She fought it harder tonight than she has in a long time. I had to change my tone to a harsher tone then she just wore down and finally took the pants off.
Monday May 2nd 2011
Mom did have a bowel accident overnight. Andrea had a hard time getting mom washed but did get all of mom washed. Mom also fussed on getting dressed. Mom was asleep when I left this morning and slept about half the time I was gone. Mom got up when she heard my voice after I got back. She was in a good mood and Shannon said mom was in a good mood with her mom even gave Shannon a kiss on the chick. Mom and I went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park shortly after I got home. It was a cloudy during our drive but at least it didn’t rain on us. Mom was happy and responsive for most of the drive. After we got back from our drive we watched the news before eating dinner. Tonight mom was happy but quiet during dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed late it was after midnight. During the evening mom and I watched TV and laughed a few times. Mom has also started roaming around the house over the past couple of months just another thing with her Alzheimer’s. I had no problem tonight getting mom to brush her teeth or to change into her nightgown.
Sunday May 1st 2011
Mom did have a number 2 bowel accident overnight but it was a small one. She took off her pants after the accident so I throw them down to wash. I got mom up at 11am after my church programs on TV were over. She got dressed without me telling her what to do I just set out a clean pair of pants and her shirt she put them both on and hung up her nightgown then made her bed all without me saying anything. During breakfast mom talked about the birds on the feeder and sunshine. She did not take her pills as fast today but she did take them without any problems. I had mom go to the bathroom twice before our drive to Grafton IL along the river road. Mom was in good spirits for most of the drive as we laughed a few times of course as always I tell her I love her several times a day and on our drives. It was cloudy for most of our drive today. I fixed lunch after we got back were mom was quiet. Mom took a little nap after lunch with it being so cloudy outside it was a perfect day for napping. We took a second drive after moms nap to Sioux Passage Park in which we got rained on some. It was lightly raining during part of our drive and temp started to get cooler just what we needed more rain LOL. Mom was somewhat talkative on this drive and mostly in good spirits. We watched a little TV when we got back before dinner. Mom was quiet but responsive. During dinner mom read some of her cards and committed on her flowers. She likes those cards and flowers. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. Mom must have been tired because she took another hour nap shortly after dinner. The rest of the evening she and I watched TV and laughed a little. I’m glad and thank god I can still get mom laughing just by acting silly. I will miss her when she is gone. Mom did fuss tonight when changing and taking off her pants. I just wait a few seconds and repeat myself telling her I need her to take off her pants so I can wash them. I start out by using a tone of voice like its no big deal then get sterner tone if needed.
My journey with my mother through her Alzheimer's
