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
Thursday June 30th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was sleeping when I left today but was up most of the day. Andrea said she was quiet and at times disconnected but pleasant. I had a meeting to learn more on a jobs program and to run some errands, so no hiking today. Today was a warm sunny day with temps in the low 90’s, almost to hot to hike anyway. Mom got up when she heard me come home and we took a drive to Sioux Passage Park shortly after I came home. It was in the 90’s and sunny but the car has air conditioning and it was on. One of my errands today was to have the coolant checked and they did add some. During our drive mom was more alert and talking more than yesterdays drive. This weekend is, suppose to be hot but mostly sunny. After our drive I fixed dinner. Mom was quiet during dinner but happy. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. We watched TV and laughed a few times tonight mom was more with it tonight than this afternoon. Mom went to bed at 10pm so about 4 ½ hours after her last food or drink. I did get some arguing tonight when it came to mom changing but I did finally get her to change and take off her pants so Andrea could wash her tomorrow.
Wednesday June 29th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Andrea said mom was a bit fussy when it came to washing her but was able to get all of mom washed. Mom had eaten her breakfast and was dressed and back napping when I left this morning. Today I had a job fair of sorts to go to so I didn’t get in any hiking. Andrea and Schatcie both said mom was sleepy and quiet today. Mom was sleeping when I got home at 3:30pm. After she got up we watched some TV before dinner. Mom was quiet then as well. Mom has gotten even more confused on what I mean when I tell her to go to the bathroom before we leave. I have to explain and re-explain it several times. During dinner we laughed and played with the fake bird making it sing. Mom was getting a kick out of that. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. We watched some talent shows on TV and laughed this evening. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or changed but I did let her keep her pants on. She was at first wanting to put her nightgown on over her shirt but didn’t.
Tuesday June 28th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Mom was in the process of eating breakfast when I left this morning. Andrea told me mom was sleepy today mom slept most of the time Andrea was here. I didn’t have as much time today so I took a shorter hike over at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. It was sunny and less wind today for my hike. So no illusions of clouds looking like mountains today lol. There were several small birds souring through the sky as I was hiking and again today I saw a white tail deer. I always seem to see several small toads the size of my thumb nail on my hikes. I enjoy sometimes just stopping and watching the animals around me as I’m hiking. It is so relaxing to me just to get out and hike today and a lot of times lately I even talk to god as I’m hiking. Today was a beautiful day couldn’t have asked for a nicer day in June. When I got back mom had just finished her lunch and sat there while I ate mine. We then watched a little TV I wanted to give mom time to get in a couple of bathroom breaks before going for a drive. It was still sunny with temps around 81 for our drive. Today I drove mom over to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area then to Sioux Passage Park all in one trip. Mom was fairly quiet and at times disconnected as we drove. She did talk and engage more when we where in the parks but quiet otherwise. She seemed more confused today on our drive than normal when we stopped for a bathroom break. I fixed dinner after our drive and mom was quiet but responsive during dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 10:15pm. We watched TV tonight and laughed as I acted silly. Mom was more responsive tonight than during the day. I thank god I had little trouble getting mom to change into her nightgown and take off her pants.
Monday June 27th 2011
Andrea said mom was a handful today when she tried to wash mom. She ended up only getting the front half of mom washed. Mom had just finished breakfast when I left this morning. I ended up going over to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area to get in a short hike. It was a cloudy day but the temps where not to bad and the wind was blowing which made it feel cool. As I hiked down the trail I could see the clouds made it look like mountains off in the distance with snow on them. Maybe I just have a vivid imagination but I do thank god for that. It made me feel like I was hiking along a trail with the mountains illuminating in front of me. It was like god transported me to the mountains or the mountains to me. Today I saw several birds like blue birds and robins soaring freely through the air and singing in the trees. I even saw a white tail deer. Today was a great day and I almost didn’t go on a hike but my love for hiking won out. I had a couple of errands to run so I ended the hike. Mom was asleep when I got back home at 3:30pm. Mom was up most of the day with Andrea and other than the washing Andrea said mom was quiet and a bit restless. Mom would sit for a few minutes then be up and walking around then sit again and so on. Mom then slept most of the 2 hours Shannon was here. I took mom for a drive to Sioux Passage Park shortly after I got home and before dinner. For our drive it was a lot more sun than this morning and warmer. Mom and I where both quiet for the first part of the drive then we talked about how pretty everything looked. During dinner mom was quiet and during the evening as well but not restless. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. I really didn’t get much fussing when it came time for mom to brush her teeth and get changed. I just had to explain what to do.
Sunday June 26th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight around 7am. I tried to get her to take off her pants since they were wet and that was an argument. She also just had another number 1 bowel accident as I’m writing this at 1:15am Monday morning. My friend Patti came over while I went to church today. She feed mom breakfast but mom would not take her pills and I had told Patti that would be fine. I meet up with a friend at church and we had breakfast afterwards and I ran into another friend during breakfast. Both friends are people I use to work with. I must admit I do like the worship part of the service the best when they have people singing. The church I go to the music has a rock beat with Christian words not like the churches I went to as a kid. I much prefer the rock beat. The sermon today was a good one especially at the end which hit at home with me. When I got home I gave mom her pills and we watched the birds eating on the feeder and the squirrels running up and down the tree. It had stormed hard overnight and I knew Grafton was hit with 3 to 4 inch hail. So I called the Grafton visitor center to see if they where open and got no answer on the phone. I decided mom and I would take a drive to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area and then to Sioux Passage Park after that. It was a fairly nice day partly sunny with temps a little warmer than yesterday for our drive. Both mom and I where quieter until we got to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area then we talked about the long view and some on the birds that were flying around. Mom does like things in the sky that almost always catches her eye. Again today mom did not take any naps so we watched some TV and I fixed an early dinner. During dinner mom played with the fake bird some more and we talked about the squirrels outside on the tree. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5pm and she went to bed at 11pm. We watched TV and laughed a few times tonight. I did get some fussing when I had mom change into her nightgown and take her pants off but nothing like this morning.
Saturday June 25th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom and I got up around 10am I slept in myself since I was up so late last night. It was cloudy and rainy this morning early so good day to sleep in. Mom still had her pants on so she just needed to take her nightgown off and put her shirt on. I had no problem getting her to do this I just had to explain what to do. Mom is just so confused on things nowadays. Mom took her pills today without any problem. During breakfast she talked about the squirrels and the wind blowing outside. It took awhile for mom to make 2 bathroom breaks which I wanted her to do before our drive. It was a very cloudy day but the temps were pretty nice. We drove along the river road to Grafton visitor center. I remember not seeing many boats and only 1 barge on the river. I started seeing some boats as we got closer to Grafton IL. The trees were looking very green with all the rain covering the lower part of the cliffs just off the road. We also saw some birds but not sure what kind they all where. This is a beautiful drive when the weather is nice and even when it’s not. I do enjoy these drives with mom and will miss them when she is gone. So I try and soak in as much as possible. Mom and I talked about the few boats we saw and the motorcycles. She was in pretty good spirits for most of the drive. I fixed lunch when we got back and as we where eating lunch we watched the birds feeding on the feeder as mom talked about the wind. Mom didn’t take any nap today so we watched some TV before taking a second drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was quieter on this drive but still responsive when I talked to her but we both where a little tired. During dinner mom was enjoying playing with the fake bird and squeezing it to make it sing. She has been getting a kick out of the fake bird for the past week. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. We watched TV this evening and I acted silly a few times making mom laugh. I also had no problem getting mom to change into her nightgown but I let her keep her pants on. As normal I had to explain to her what to do. Overall mom has been rather sweet all week.
Friday June 24th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident after her nap this afternoon. She is now seemly having these bowel accidents after eating lunch then quickly taking a nap without first taking enough bathroom breaks. At nighttime she has at least 4 hours to get her food and drink through her system. Andrea said mom was easy breezy when it came to washing her this morning. By the time I got done with my shower this morning mom had been washed gotten dressed and ate breakfast. Mom was watching TV with Andrea when I left this morning and was up most of the 6 hours Andrea was here. Mom was up and had just finished lunch when I got back home at 1:30pm. Today was a beautiful day with temps getting into the low 80’s, with no humanity. It was also mostly sunny with the wind blowing. Today I had too many errands to run like shopping to get in some hiking. Mom went in to take a nap after lunch and when she got up is when she had her bowel accident. I waited awhile to make sure mom had taken 2 bathroom breaks before going for a drive. We took a drive to Sioux Passage Park it was still sunny but warm enough that I turned the AC on for mom in the car. I fixed dinner after our drive and mom and I talked about the wind blowing outside. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:15pm and she went to bed at 10:15pm. Mom has been pretty sweet today and most of the week to both Andrea and I. I tell mom several times a day that I love her and she normally says she loves me back, like I’ve said before I feel this helps keep both of us in good spirits. Mom and I watched TV and laughed a few times this evening. I did get a little static when I had mom brush her teeth but had no problem getting her to put the nightgown on. I let her keep the pants on since tomorrow is not a wash day.
Thursday June 23rd 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident this afternoon after her nap. Andrea said mom was sweet today and was up about half the time she was here. Mom and I ate breakfast together before I left to go hiking. It was a cloudy day but the temps only got into the 70’s and low humanity great day for a hike. I made it a short 2 mile hike today but it felt good to get out in the woods again. Today I saw mostly gulls and a couple of robins as I hiked. Mom was in bed when I got home at 1:30pm but got up shortly after Andrea left which is when she had her number 1 bowel accident. I wanted to wait a little while before going on a drive to make sure everything was out of moms system. It was still very cloudy and windy when we went for our drive but still cool temps and no humanity. We drove up to Sioux Passage Park. Mom and I talked about the planes in the sky and the wind as we drove. Mom has been in a sweet mood today. After our drive I fixed dinner in which mom talked about the squirrels and the wind blowing in the trees. Mom was also getting a kick out of making the fake stuff bird sing by squeezing it. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5pm and she went to bed at midnight. We watched TV and I made mom laugh this evening. I did get some fussing when it came to mom changing into her nightgown and taking off her pants.
Wednesday June 22nd 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Andrea got most of mom washed today but not all, mom was being difficult. Mom was in the bathroom when I left this morning at 6:30am to go to a workshop. Andrea told me that mom was pleasant after the washing and dressing was over. Mom was up about half the time I was gone as was eating lunch when I got back at 1:30pm, so I joined her. Mom went in shortly after lunch to take about an hour nap while I did some work on the computer. After moms nap we took a drive to Sioux Passage Park before have dinner. On the drive mom and I, both where quieter than normal for the first part of the drive. It was a spring like day today partly sunny and temps in the low 80’s with low humanity. At dinner mom talked about the wind blowing in the trees and was having fun making the fake bird sing. Mom has been in a pleasant and happy mood for the most part of the day. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. I tried getting her dinner down sooner tonight so she would have more time to get everything out of her system and not have a bowel accident overnight. This evening mom and I watched a talent show on TV and I acted silly a few times making mom laugh. I did not get much fussing when it came to her brushing her teeth or changing. As normal I just had to tell her what to do.
Tuesday June 21st 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight and after her nap this afternoon. Mom was eating breakfast when I left today and was up about half the time I was gone but was sleeping when I got home at 3:30pm. Myself it was such a nice day with temps not that bad I went on a hike. I do enjoy hiking and getting outside in the woods. After I got home I let mom sleep some before dinner. During dinner mom talked about the birds feeding on the feeder. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:45pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm which is good because I get up tomorrow before 5am. We watch a couple of talent shows on NBC tonight. Mom likes these shows not just for talent but it also appeals to short attention span people. Over this journey with mom I have found that the more advance the Alzheimer’s gets the more they only enjoy things that do not require long attention spans. Which makes sense since their memory keeps getting shorter. I had no trouble tonight getting mom to change or take the pants off, I just had to tell her what to do.
Monday June 20th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea said mom was a handful when she washed mom today but did get all of her washed. Since I slept in so late today, mom and I had breakfast together. She talked about the birds feeding and squirrels running up and down the tree. I did get some fussing today when mom started to take her pills. I then left to run some errands and spend sometime to myself. Mom was sleeping when I got back home at 3:30pm. She got up shortly after I got home and we went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a sunny and warm afternoon as we drove. On our drive we talked about the beautiful sky and how green everything was. After our drive I fixed dinner and mom and I talked about how the wind was blowing through the trees and the squirrels. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 12:30am. So it is late at night as I write this. Mom and I watched TV tonight and mom was in great spirits. Mom was laughing more tonight than her normal and even sensed I wasn’t I was out of it a little and she got me laughing which was sweet she picked up my spirits. I had little trouble getting mom to brush her teeth or to change.
Sunday June 19th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident this afternoon after she got up from a nap. I got mom up after my church program on TV at 10:30am. I had to explain to mom what to do to get dress but she did it without any fussing. As we ate breakfast mom talked about the birds feeding on the feeder, she does get enjoyment from watching the birds. I also had little trouble getting her to take her pills. I place the pills on a napkin then when she is done with her cereal I put the pills in front of her. This method seems to work at least for now. I had mom take a couple bathroom trips after breakfast and before our drive. Mom is still not flushing after her bathroom visit a lot and I noticed today that mom now sometimes puts the toilet paper in the waste basket instead of the toilet. It was a partly sunny day with not bad temps. We took a drive to the Grafton, IL visitor center along the river road. As we drove mom and I talked about how big the river is and the boats on the river. Today there were more boats out on the river than yesterday. Mom was her normal talkative and responsive on our drive. I fixed lunch when we got back and we talked about the birds and squirrels running up and down the tree. Mom took a nap after lunch and I took one as well. After our naps I had mom go to the bathroom before going for our second drive, this is when she had her second number 1 bowel accident the first one was overnight. It was mostly sunny by now with warmer temps. So we took off to Sioux Passage Park. The river is running high but not flooding out the boat ramp at Sioux Passage Park. Mom was quiet on this drive and not always responsive until I got her laughing by being silly. During dinner mom was quiet but in a happy mood. The last time mom ate or drank anything was at 6pm and she went to bed at midnight. We talked and laughed this evening as we watched TV. I was able to get mom to change tonight without much fussing which was nice. I have to thank god for another good weekend with mom.
Saturday June 18th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident this afternoon after she got up from a nap. Since I was up so late last night I slept in this morning and didn’t get mom up until 10:30am. So got dressed with no problem I just had to explain to her what to do. I do like that she still makes her bed whenever she gets up without being told to. I always have her take her own cereal from the kitchen to the dinning room herself since she can still do that. I believe in letting people do what they can for as long as they can. During breakfast we talked about the birds feeding outside. I also had no problem getting her to take her pills. I had her go to the bathroom after breakfast but she did not flush the toilet which she does a lot. So I had her go a couple more times to make sure she did go. Sometimes she just goes into the bathroom but doesn’t do anything. Since the rivers are so high now we only drove to the Grafton visitor center. Mom and I talked about our normal amount on this drive mostly talking about how high the river is and the boats on the river, today there where very few boats out on the water. During our drive it was mostly cloudy with cooler temps. I fix lunch for us shortly after we got back from our drive. Mom talked some about the wind blowing through the trees outside during lunch. Mom went in to take a nap after lunch so I even decided to take a nap as well since I was up late last night. After our naps we decided to take another drive after mom went to the bathroom, this is when she had her number 1 bowel accident. We drove to Sioux Passage Park but on this drive mom was quiet and not always responsive when I talked to her. It was also sunny and warm for this drive I had to put the AC on in the car. I fixed dinner for us after our drive. During dinner mom read some of her cards but other than that was fairly quiet. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed around 10:30pm tonight. We did our normal evening of watching TV and me acting silly at times to make mom laugh.
Friday June 17th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get all of mom washed today. Mom had eaten breakfast and took her pills by the time I left today. I slept in today I was just tired. I just ran some errands today it was a rainy day while I ran my errands. Mom was up about half the time Andrea was here. I helped to get mom up after I got home at 2pm so Andrea could take me and mom to the shop to pick up my van. I wanted mom to go to the bathroom before we left and not sure if she did. Mom almost on a daily basis does not always flush the toilet after her bathroom visit. Later this afternoon the weather was good enough to take a drive to Sioux Passage Park. During our drive we talked about how green everything is. Mom was in pretty good spirits during our drive. We ate dinner after our drive in which mom was fairly quiet. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. We watched TV and as normal I acted silly to make mom laugh until she went to bed a little after midnight. I had little trouble getting her to brush her teeth and she even changed into her nightgown without me explaining what to do. Overall mom has been in good spirits and maybe quieter.
Thursday June 16th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up today around 10:30am for breakfast. She had taken her pants off overnight and had put on some kind of sock like that went up past her knee. So I first had to get her to take those off which wasn’t, easy then put on her pants and shirt. During breakfast mom took her pills without me saying anything and had them down pretty fast. She was quiet but pleasant during breakfast. I then waited for mom to take a bathroom break before going for a drive. We took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park before Shannon came over. It was mostly sunny and the temps where not to bad. Mom and I talked about how green everything looks and the blue sky. Mom was in pretty good spirits this morning but went back in to nap when Shannon got here and I left. I had to run some errands and go grocery, shopping while Shannon cleaned and feed mom lunch. Mom was up about half the time Shannon was here and mom was in bed sleeping when I got home. It was still a fairly nice day so I took mom for a drive to Sioux Passage Park after I got home and before dinner. Both mom and I were quiet on this drive I was a little tired and if I do not talk mom gets even quieter. During dinner mom read some of her cards and was enjoying playing with the fake bird. When you squeeze the bird it sings and mom was getting a kick out of it. 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 I acted silly at times making mom laugh. Tonight I had no problem getting mom to change or take off her pants. Like almost always I had to explain what to do.
Wednesday June 15th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea said while she was washing mom, mom was being fussy but the rest of the time mom was pleasant. Andrea had no real problem getting mom to dress or take her pills. Mom slept about half the 8 hours Andrea and Patti where here today. Mom was asleep when I left and came back. Since it was such a pretty day not to warm and sunny I went for a short hike. I went over to the Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area and hiked along one of the paths over there. It felt great to get out among the trees this is good for my spirit. The wind was blowing which helped to keep me cooler. I thank god for this weather and keeping the wind blowing. I took mom out shortly after I got home at 3:30pm for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was still a beautiful day but the temps where getting up to the high 80’s since the car has AC mom doesn’t feel the heat. Mom and I talked about how beautiful the sky looked and how green everything was. Mom was pretty happy on the drive and talked about her normal amount. During dinner mom was fairly quiet but as normal ate all her food. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed around 11:30pm. We did our normal watch TV and I acted silly a few times making mom laugh. I did get some fussing when I had mom brush her teeth tonight a lot more than her normal. I even got a little fussing when I had her change into her nightgown.
Tuesday June 14th 2011
Mom had a number 1 bowel accident this afternoon after a nap. Mom was just getting up when I left this morning. I ‘m not sure will find out tomorrow but I think she slept most of the time I was gone and was sleeping when I got home at 4pm. I let mom sleep and I even took a nap until about 5pm. During dinner mom was pretty quiet but responsive whenever I said something to her. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed around 11:30pm. We watched TV and laughed a few times this evening as well as me telling mom I love her several times. I have really no problem not much fussing when it came to mom changing into her nightgown and taking off her pants. I just had to explain to her what to do.
Monday June 13th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight and then another one this afternoon after she got up from a long nap. Andrea was able to give mom the best cleaning in a long time. Andrea said today mom was pleasant but had longer than normal bathroom visits. I too noticed this after I got home this afternoon but mom was back to her normal time spent in the bathroom this evening. Mom was up taking her pills when I left this morning but was sleeping when I got home at 3:30pm. Since mom was having long bathroom breaks and that bowel accident after her nap I decided not to take mom for a drive. I figured I would let her system settle down and it must have by evening. So we just talked and watched TV a little before I fixed dinner around 5pm. So the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. I fixed dinner a little earlier tonight to give moms system more time before she went to bed. Mom went to bed around 11:15pm. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown. When I say no problem mom still sometimes doesn’t want to do it I just have figured a way to keep it from getting bad at least sometimes.
Sunday June 12th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accident overnight or today. I had my friend Patti come over to watch mom today while I went to church. I feed mom breakfast and gave her pills after I got back. Mom didn’t fuss when I had her change I just had to explain what to do. I also had no problem getting her to eat or take her pills. It was party cloudy today with temps staying in the 70’s. So mom and I took a drive along the river road to Pere Marquette State Park stopping at the visitor center in Grafton, IL for a bathroom break. Mom and I talked about the boats on the river and the motorcycles. There were plenty of both today. I always I started most of the conversations and told mom I love her several times with her saying the same thing back to me. Like I have said before, this does help keep her in good spirits. Since mom ate such a late breakfast we had dinner around 4pm where we talked about the birds on the feeder. I thank god mom still eats what I give her. I did fix us some popcorn around 6pm tonight so the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was around 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10pm. We watched TV, talked and laughed this evening. I had really no problem today getting mom to change into her nightgown and take off her pants. I just had to explain what to do as I normally do. Overall it has been a good day for mom she has been pretty happy and responsive all day and night.
Saturday June 11th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Mom and I got up around 10am. She was confused on why she needed to change out of her nightgown and put her shirt on. It must be hard for her not understanding things anymore. She did take her pills with no problem. During breakfast she talked about the clouds outside. It took her awhile to get a couple bathroom, breaks in so it was after noon time when we went on our drive. Mom has been having a hard time understanding what I mean when I tell her to go to the bathroom before our drives this has turned into pretty much a daily thing now. She will sometimes go into the bathroom but not do anything. It was a very cloudy day but temps were nice like in the 70’s or low 80’s much nicer than the mid 90’s. We took a drive along the river road to Grafton, IL stopping at the visitor center there for a bathroom break. Mom was quieter than her normal today but then so was I. I was a little tired so when I’m quieter so is mom. After we got back home we watched a little TV before I took mom out for dinner. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for taco salads and ice cream with honey and cinnamon on top. It was still very cloudy when we went to dinner. Mom didn’t talk as much tonight at dinner either. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 4:30pm and tonight she went to bed at 9:30pm but then she didn’t take a nap today. Tonight mom was her normal self we talked some and laughed. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change. I just had to tell her what to do.
Friday June 10th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident this afternoon after she got up from her nap. Andrea was able to get mom all washed today with really no fussing. Mom was asleep when I left today. It was windy enough today that the heat wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t get in a short hike. So I went over to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area and got in a short hike. It was good to get out among the trees by myself for awhile and hike. Andrea said mom was sleepy and sweet again today. Mom got up when I got home and we had lunch together. Mom talked about the birds outside and the wind blowing through the trees as we ate lunch. We watched a little TV after lunch before going on a drive over to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. It was still mostly sunny but the clouds where starting to move in. Mom was very quiet on our drive and not always responsive. During dinner I was able to get hurt smiling and talking more again. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 5:30pm and to drink was at 6:30pm. I got mom to laugh a few times but other than that she was quiet this evening as we watch TV. Mom went to bed around 11pm. I had no problem getting mom to brush or teeth or to change. I just had to explain what to do. Overall today mom was sleepy during the day and sweet most of the day and night.
Thursday June 9th 2011
Andrea said she wasn’t sure but she thought mom had a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Mom was asleep when I left this morning to run some errands. Andrea told me her words to describe mom today was sleepy and sweet. Mom was up when I got home at 1:30 eating lunch so I joined her. Mom stayed up the rest of the day we watched some TV after lunch before going on a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was another 90+ day and sunny so since it was so hot I kept our drives short so mom could get back home before she would need a bathroom break. During the afternoon and our first drive mom was talking about as much as normal and was in good spirits. During dinner mom was still being sweet and started more talks than her normal. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:45pm. We then watched some news mostly so I could get the weather before we went on a second drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was still hot and humid but some clouds had moved in. Mom was quieter on this drive but responsive and smiling even got her laughing a few times. After our drive we watched TV, talked and laughed until mom went to bed around midnight. I didn’t get much fussing when it came to changing into her nightgown and taking off the pants as well. I could have gotten lots of fussing but I have learned from doing how to minimize the fussing that works a lot of the time.
Wednesday June 8th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Andrea said mom was fussy when she washed mom but did get mom washed. Also mom was fussy with taking her pills and getting dressed. After mom was done with all that she was fine. Mom was asleep when I left for another workshop. I did come home after the workshop and before I went shopping. Mom was eating lunch so I ate with her. Andrea told me mom was up about half the time she was here. Mom laid down and took a nap after lunch before going on a drive. It was another record breaking heat today got up to 97 and humid but sunny. Mom and I took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park in an air condition car. Mom was more talkative on the first half of the drive then was quiet. After we got back mom remained quiet through dinner. The first part of the dinner I’m not sure if mom even knew who I was other than somebody familiar. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm. By the end of dinner and throughout the evening I got mom talking a little and laughing simply by me acting silly. Mom went to bed around midnight. I really didn’t have any fussing with getting mom to brush her teeth or to change into her nightgown. I just had to explain what to do. Overall mom started out fussy but ebded up being in good spirits and happy.
Tuesday June 7th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea said mom was pleasant and sleepy today. She had no problem getting mom to dress herself or take her pills. Mom was sleeping when I left and when I came back home at 3:30pm. I spent the day running some errands and staying in the air conditioning for it got up to high 90’s again and humid but sunny. I took mom for a drive shortly after I came home. Since it was so hot we just drove to Sioux Passage Park and never got out of the AC car except at the house. Mom talked about as much as normal and was in good spirits as we told each other that we love them, this and acting silly to make her laugh helps to keep her and me happy. Mom was fairly quiet for her during dinner. I thank god that she still eats the food we give her and still knows how to eat it. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went to bed at 10pm. Mom was pretty much her normal self tonight as we watched TV and laughed. She did fuss some on changing into her nightgown and then taking off her pants. I think mostly she was just confused on what to do and why.
Monday June 6th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Andrea said mom was easy breeze today to wash and get dressed as well as her pills. Mom was asleep when I left and slept most of the time I was gone. Shortly after I got back mom and I took a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a sunny hot and humid day with temps getting up to 97. So we have had 10 days already at or above 90 this year. Good thing for air conditioning in cars or mom wouldn’t be able to go on even short drives. Mom talked about her normal during the drive and we laughed a few times mom was in good spirits and enjoying herself. During dinner mom was pleasant but quiet. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:45pm and she went to bed well after midnight. We talked and laughed this evening as we watched TV. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change. Mom even took her pants off without being told to now if she only does that tomorrow night since Wednesday will be a wash day. Overall mom slept most of the morning and afternoon but was pleasant all day even when being washed. She talked about her normal amount and was in happy spirits tonight. With Alzheimer’s everyday is different.
Sunday June 5th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I woke mom up at 10:30am after my church program. After I explain to mom what to do she got dressed right away. She did have some problem understanding what I meant when I told her to go to the bathroom. This is almost a daily thing. I have found at least over the past few weekends if I do not fill the bird feeder up before breakfast mom takes her pills faster because no birds to distract her. After breakfast we took a drive along the river road up to Grafton, IL stopping at the visitor center for a bathroom break. Mom and I talked about the scenery and all the motorcycles. It’s a good thing I love this drive since we take it almost every weekend. I enjoy the river on the one side and the cliffs on the other side. Mom talked about her normal amount and was in good spirits for most of the drive. It was cloudy and hot on our drive, another day in the 90’s and sticky. Like I say good thing for AC I don’t think mom would last long in that heat. I fixed lunch for us when we got back and filled up the bird feeder so mom could watch the birds during lunch. Mom talked about the birds on the feeder and the squirrels. Mom took a nap after lunch so I took a short one myself. We took our second drive of the day after our naps to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was quieter on this drive but responsive when I talked to her. It was sunny on this drive but still very hot and humid. After our drive I fixed dinner for us and mom talked about the birds more and the flowers. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10pm. I did get some fussing when it came to changing but mostly she was just confused. Overall mom has been in good spirits mostly because I tell her I love her all the time and act silly a lot. That helps keep or get her into a good mood. She will tell me she loves me back most of the time I tell her I love her.
Saturday June 4th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident today after she got up from a nap. I got mom up around 10am really had no problem getting her to dress. During breakfast she talked about the birds outside and took her pills with no problem. I did have some problems getting her to understand what I meant by saying go to the bathroom after breakfast. It was a hot and sunny day thank god for AC in the car as well. We took our first drive to Pere Marquette State Park along the river road stopping at the Grafton Visitor Center for bathroom breaks. As we drove we talked about the river and motorcycles. Mom was more talkative and responsive than her normal and was in a great mood on our drive. I fixed lunch after our drive, in which mom was still being happy and talkative for her. At lunch we talked about the birds outside and the wind blowing in the trees. Mom took a nap and I even took a short nap after lunch. Then after our naps we took a second drive to Sioux Passage Park. Now during this drive mom was very quiet and not even responding to me when I talked to her. She was like in her own little world. I fixed dinner after our second drive and mom was back to her normal talking and responsiveness. We talked about the birds outside and the flowers I have on the dinning room table. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 6:45 and she went to bed around 11:30pm. Mom was also her normal self as we watched TV and laughed this evening. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth just had to explain what to do. I also had no problem getting her to change into her nightgown she was just confused. Tonight she started to put her nightgown on without taking her shirt off first. Overall today mom has been in good spirits, responsive and even more talking more than her normal except on our second drive. Mom has gotten more confused on things over the past few months even. Today though has been a good day for her and I do thank god. I know I have said this before but I still can remember mom the way she was before the Alzheimer’s. Even after watching her loss more and more of herself over the past 14 years.
Friday June 3rd 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident today after she got up from a nap. Andrea said mom was easy and corruptive when she washed mom. This was the easiest time washing mom in along time. Andrea did get some fussing when it came to mom getting dressed. Andrea had no problem getting mom to take her pills. Mom was actually washed, had breakfast and was back in bed by the time I got up and showered. So mom was in bed when I left and when I got back at 1:30pm. Andrea told me mom was up about half the time she was here and mom was pleasant. It was a sunny day with temps in the 90’s today. I took mom for a longer day this afternoon. We went to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area then to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Mom was in her own world for most of the drive not being real responsive. Although through dinner mom talked about the cars on the street outside the window. She talked more during dinner. Of course her favorite part of the dinner was the ice cream with honey and cinnamon. This was my favorite part of dinner as well. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 5pm and to drink was at 6pm. Mom was back to her normal self this evening as we watched TV and I acted silly making her laugh. Mom went to bed tonight at 10:30pm. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth. I didn’t get any fussy when I had her change into her nightgown but she was a little confused on what to do to change. Overall mom has been pleasant and her normal confuse on things. I thank god for a good day with mom.
Thursday June 2nd 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident overnight. Mom was sleeping when I left to run some errands. Andrea said mom was pleasant and was up about half the time Andrea and Shannon where here. Mom got up right after I got home at 3:30pm. It was such a nice day I took mom for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. We talked about how nice it was outside and laughed a few times mom was in pretty good spirits. She really didn’t start many of the talks but was happy and responsive. During dinner mom talked about the birds outside some. The bird feeder was a great idea she does get a lot of enjoyment out of it and it gives her something to talk about. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed around midnight. We watched TV and laughed a few times during the evening. She does get a kick out of me acting silly. She really didn’t do much fussing when it came to changing into her nightgown. She was just confused on what to do and was having a hard time understanding things. Overall today mom was pleasant and happy.
Wednesday June 1st 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had a hard time getting mom washed today but did get her washed finally. Mom was being very difficult. Mom was up when I got done with my shower and was fighting even me on getting dressed. She was not having anything to do with it for awhile at least. Then she just went in after I got her mad and got dressed. Then we ate breakfast together and then she went back to bed. I left and had another workshop today. Mom slept a lot of the time I was gone today and was asleep when I got back home at 4:30pm. Mom was real confused this afternoon when I had her go to the bathroom she just didn’t understand what I meant when I told her to go to the bathroom. So I fixed our dinner instead of going on a drive. During dinner mom was quiet but responsive when I said something to her. She was also in a far better mood than she was this morning. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. After dinner and a couple bathroom visits mom and I took a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a mostly sunny and warm day. Mom and I talked about how beautiful it looked, I told her several times I love her and as normal she said the same thing back as we drove. We laughed several times as well. Mom was back to good spirits. As we watched TV mom was quiet but responsive when I talked to her. Mom went to bed around midnight. I had to explain tonight more on what to do to brush her teeth. I did have to explain what to do to change into her nightgown. Although she did not fuss at all she was just confused on what to do. Overall mom was difficult this morning and more confused than normal on things. On the positive note she can still laugh and get put into a good mood. Even on the hard days I do thank god for giving me her as my mom.
My journey with my mother through her Alzheimer's
