Updated on May 11th 2012 my updates are in bold below
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. My website that talks about my cerebral palsy and my climbing adventures is at www.timsashwood.com if you want to check it out. She is 90 years old and has had Alzheimer’s for at least 15 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 March 2011. One of the things I feel that has helped her go 15 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. 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 3 or 4 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 started in 2010. I started using a diaper pad on mom’s bed in July 2011. In the fall of 2011 we increased the dosage on mom’s Galantamine. In March of 2012 I stopped giving her the supplements it has started to get harder to get her to take the pills. So I started just giving her a one a day vitamin instead. Then in May 2012 we have started to crush mom’s pills and put them in applesauce about 3 or 4 days a week. She loves applesauce. She can still walk on her own with no help. Here is a list of the drugs she takes for her Alzheimer’s.
•Razadyne started in 2000 then in 2011 changed to generic Galantamine
•Namenda started March 2005
Tuesday December 11th 2012Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I just took a short drive the time I was away. I was back by 2:30pm and mom was sitting in the TV room watching TV all wrap up in her blanket. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was slow. I had mom go to the bathroom at 3pm before our drive. It was a sunny day with temps in the 40’s. We drove along the river road to Grafton IL. Mom was fairly talkative on this drive pointing out houses on top of the cliffs. We did not see any boats or barges on the river and only 1 person on the hike/bike trail. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate anything was at 5:30pm and she went to bed about 10:30pm. We took a second drive tonight around 6:45pm to look at the Xmas lights. Mom was even more talkative on this drive pointing out houses that were lit up with Xmas lights. She does like the Xmas lights and more homes were lit up tonight than before. We then spent the rest of the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom really did not nap this evening. With me overall mom has been more talkative than normal and sweet. Mom needed about her normal amount of instruction and help with changing into her nightgown.
Friday November 30th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents today or
overnight. Mom was asleep when I left at
5:30am to go to the men’s fraternity at church.
I stopped afterward like normal at the Waffle House for breakfast. Then I took a short nap in my van before
taking it over to get tires rotated. I
then got in a short hike before going grocery shopping and getting home by
4:30pm. I went over to Columbia Bottom
Conservation Area and walked along the Missouri river. It was a sunny day with temps in 60’s. This weekend is also suppose too be nice and
warm. Andrea said her word of the day
for mom was droopy. Mom was in the
bathroom when I got home and I fixed an early dinner when she got out. So the last time mom ate anything was at
5pm. Mom then went to the bathroom again
before we went for a drive. We drove
around looking at the Xmas lights and mom talked about her normal amount. We spent the night watching TV and laughing
until mom went to bed at 10pm. Mom
needed less instruction and help than her normal on changing into her
nightgown.
Thursday November 29th 2012
Mom did have a bowel accident this morning after Andrea
changed her so she had to put cloths on mom again. I think mom has had these accidents more over
the past few days because the dinners we have eaten where high in fiber. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the
time I got up. I ate my breakfast while
mom had her lunch today. I spent my day
running errands and paying bills before getting back home by 2:30pm. I did forget to mention we talked to my
brother Larry over SKYPE a couple nights ago.
Andrea said her word of the day for mom was biddable. It was a sunny day with temps in the 50’s. I took mom for a drive around 3pm to Columbia
Bottom Conservation Area. The trees have
now lost their colorful leafs. We both
were quieter than normal on this drive.
Mom then napped a little before dinner.
So the last time mom ate was at 5:30pm.
We took a second drive after dinner to look at the Xmas lights. Mom was very talkative on this drive she
loves the Xmas lights. We spent the rest
of the evening watching TV and laughing.
Since I need to get up early on Fridays I put mom to bed at 9pm and I
went to bed by 10pm. Mom needed more
instruction than her normal on changing into her nightgown.
Wednesday November 28th 2012
Mom did have two different small accidents one was bowel and
one bladder. I had put her last night in
her house coat before bed so Patti would not have to change mom. I had Patti over today because Andrea was
taking a day off. I ran some errands
before getting back by 4:30pm. Patti was
able to get mom to take all her pills. I
fixed dinner when I got home so the last time mom ate anything was at 5:30pm. Mom had her bowel accident right after dinner
but did not get the house coat mess up so she only needed her panties
changed. We took a drive after I got mom
cleaned up. Mom was fairly talkative on
our drive as we looked at the Xmas lights.
Mom had her bladder accident shortly after we got back which was just 2
hours since her last bathroom trip normally she goes a lot longer in between bathroom
trips. This bladder accident did get her
house coat a little wet so I just put her in the nightgown. We then spent the rest of the evening
watching TV and laughing until mom went to bed at 1am.
Tuesday November 27th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Mom was up, dressed and feed by
the time I got up. I ate my breakfast
while mom had her lunch today. I spent
my day running errands. It was a partly
sunny day with a high of 41. Mom was
watching TV and napping when I got home at 2:30pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was
cheerful. I took mom for a drive around
3:30pm. We drove along the river road to
Grafton Il then on the way back we went to Sioux Passage Park. We only saw one barge on the river and no
other boats. There were no people on the
hike/bike trail and not many cars. We
talked mostly of the houses on the cliffs.
Mom was quiet on the first part of the trip but then she had the sun in
her eyes on this part. Mom was more
talkative on the second part of the drive when the sun wasn’t in her eyes. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last
time mom ate anything was at 6pm and went to bed at almost 11pm. Mom talked about how pretty the flowers on
the table were which she has done more often over the past month or so. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing
with mom napping some. Mom did wonder
around the house for a few minutes at 8pm.
I needed to give mom more instruction and help this evening than her
normal. Overall today mom has been
cheerful and quieter than her normal.
Monday November 26th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast while mom had her lunch today. I spent my day running errands and paying bills before getting back home by 5pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was smiley and Patti said hers was calm. Mom had just got out of the bathroom when I got home so I fixed dinner right away. So the last time mom ate anything was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at midnight. As soon as we finished dinner we took a short drive around looking at the Xmas lights. There doesn’t seem to be as many houses with Xmas lights this year or at least not yet. Mom was fairly talkative for her on our drive she likes the Xmas lights. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and laughing with mom napping a little like normal. Mom did not wonder around the house tonight but did need more instruction and help than her normal on changing.
Sunday November 25th 2012
Mom did have a bowel accident as I got back from church so luckily Patti was still there and could help in cleaning mom up. Mom was sleeping when I left for church and then did my normal brunch with friends after the service. It was a partly sunny day but with temps in the high 50’s. I got back home at noontime and after getting mom cleaned up from her bowel accident I got mom dressed and she was being a bit incorporative which just happened to be Patti’s word of the day for mom. Patti was unable today to get mom’s pills all down until I got home. It was good seeing Patti she has been sick this past week and did not make it over a couple of days. After I got mom dressed we took a drive along the river road to Grafton IL. Today we did see 2 barges and one speed boat on the river unlike yesterday where we saw nothing moving on the river. There were a few people out on the bike/hike trail as well. It was cloudier today which means the sun is in mom’s eyes less. Mom was more alert and talkative on this drive than yesterday. We now talk about the houses on the cliffs more since they can be seen better without the tree leafs. After our drive we had a snack before watching the St Louis Rams football team win a game. I fixed dinner at haft time plus had mom go to the bathroom first so the last time mom ate was at 5:30pm we then watched the end of the game before going on our second drive. I wanted to let it get later in the evening hoping to see more Xmas lights on and we did. Then after our drive we watched TV and laughed until mom went to bed at midnight. Mom did her thing of walking around the house at 10pm for a few minutes. Mom needed more instruction and help changing than her normal tonight. Overall today mom started out being incorporative in the morning then she was fine and her normal self.
Saturday November 24th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up several times overnight but we got up for the day at noontime. After a bathroom trip we ate brunch and gave mom her pills mostly in applesauce. It was a partly sunny day with temps in the 40’s. I got mom dressed after brunch then another bathroom break before our first drive. It was a partly sunny day with a high of 37. Our first drive was along the river road to Grafton IL. We did not see any boats or people on the hike/bike trail alongside the road. We had dinner around 5pm then I second drive after dark to look at Xmas lights. Mom talked about her normal amount on both drives and still enjoys the Xmas lights. We both fell asleep some in the evening as we watched TV. Mom went to bed at midnight and I was not far behind. Mom needed less help and instruction than normal to change. Overall mom has been in good spirits and her normal alertness.
Friday November 23rd 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I went out for breakfast today instead of eating at home. I also ran some errands before getting back by 2:30pm. Patti called in sick so I came back a little early. I pray she will be alright. It was a sunny day with temps in the 40’s. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was lost. Mom was just getting out of the bathroom when Andrea left. So I took mom for a drive along the river road to Grafton IL when I got home. We only saw one barge and no other boats on the river today. I saw only 2 people on the hike/bike trail and a handful of motorcycles. Mom enjoyed most of the drive at least the parts the sun wasn’t in her eyes. She was quiet the times the sun was in her eyes and she used her hand to shade her face the other times she was fairly alert and talking. I fixed dinner shortly after we got back so the last time mom ate anything was at 6pm and she went to bed at midnight. We went to sleep for a short nap after dinner as we watched TV I was tired. I had Andrea put up the Xmas stuff about a week before Thanksgiving and mom enjoys them especially the ones with lights. We spent the evening after our nap watching TV and laughing. Mom did not walk around the house tonight. Mom also needed less help changing than her normal tonight.
Thursday November 22nd 2012 Thanksgiving Day
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom and I got up for the day at 9am. Mom was tough getting up this morning first time for that in a while. After a bathroom trip we ate breakfast and mom took her pills. We are still crushing most of mom’s pills into applesauce. Mom took a while eating breakfast then I got her changed and by that time it was time for her to take another bathroom break. We then took a drive that ended with a ride along the river road. We saw a sailboat and one barge heading downstream but no speed boats. Also not very many people on the hike/bike trail. Mom was fairly talkative on this drive at times. After a short time back home I took mom over to the Cracker Barrel restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner. We got there at 3pm and left at 4:30pm. It was fairly crowded lots of people eating out today. We sat at a table by the window and mom was fairly good there plus she took a while to eat all the food they gave us. I was so full I was not hungry all evening. They had a Thanksgiving special today with lots of food. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and laughing after a short nap when we got home. Mom went to bed at 1:15am and needed less instruction and help this evening when changing.
Wednesday November 21st 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. It was a partly sunny day with a high of 64. I just ran some errands the little time I was away. I got back at 2:30pm and mom was in the bathroom when I got home. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was appreciative and perky as well as chatty. We took a drive along the river road all the way to Grafton IL. We saw one sailboat and 2 speed boats out on the river along with three barges. There were several people out on the bike/hike trail that goes alongside the river road. Mom and I talked about our normal amount on this drive which was our only drive of the day. We watched a little TV when we got back before dinner so the last time mom ate was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. During dinner mom talked about how she liked the Xmas trees and some of the flowers on the dinning, room table. She was fairly chatty during dinner for her at least. We spent the night watching TV and laughing with us both napping a little. Mom did her thing of walking around the house for a few minutes around 9pm. Mom did need a little more help than normal on changing into her nightgown but she wasn’t fussy just confused. Overall with me mom was happy and a little chattier than her normal.
Tuesday November 20th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast as mom was finishing her lunch. It was a partly sunny day with temps in the 60’s. I just ran some errands the little time I was away. I got back at 2:30pm and mom was watching TV but she had just got out of the bathroom so she was ready for our drive. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was talkative. We took a longer drive today. First we drove along the river road all the way to Grafton IL then went to Sioux Passage Park on the way back. We only saw one barge on the river going upstream. We saw no one on the bike/hike trail and no motorcycles. Most of the trees have no leafs but it does let us see more of the houses on the cliffs to talk about. Mom talked about her normal amount on this longer drive. I fixed dinner when we got back from our drive so the last time mom ate anything was at 6pm and she went to bed at 12:30am. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom did do her thing of walking around the house for a few minutes around 9pm.
Monday November 19th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast as mom was finishing her lunch. It was a sunny day with temps in the 60’s. I did a little walking ran some errands before getting back home by 5pm. Andrea said mom was amenable for her word of the day. Patti was getting mom into the bathroom when I got home. Even though it was getting dark I took mom for a drive to Sioux Passage Park when she got out of the bathroom. We did see some people put up their Xmas lights when it was nice weather this past weekend. It is a good time of year to take mom for drives after dark because people have Xmas lights on and mom enjoys looking at the lights. Mom was fairly quiet on this drive until she saw the Xmas lights. We had a late dinner tonight so the last time mom ate was 7pm and she went to bed at 1am. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom did her thing of wondering around the house several times tonight. It was the first night she did that in a while. Mom needed less instruction and help tonight changing.
Sunday November 18th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Patti came over while I went to church and had brunch with friends. Again Patti was able to get mom to take all her pills. It was a sunny day with temps in the 60’s. I did my normal of having brunch with friends after the service. It was a great service mostly with the worship team singing sending praise up for the Thanksgiving service. Patti said mom was happy today. Mom was in the bathroom when I got home so we went for our first drive when she got out. Since mom was in her house coat there was no need to get her dressed or changing this evening. We drove along the river road to Grafton IL. We saw one sailboat and no speed boats on the river. There were several motorcycles getting out too enjoy the day. Several people were out on the bike/hike trail. Again even less trees than yesterday still have their, leafs. We had a little snack and bathroom break before heading out for our second drive. Our second drive we drove over to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Again along this drive even more trees with no, leafs. Oh well it is almost Thanksgiving so it’s normal for the trees to be bare now. On both drives we both were quieter than normal I think we both were tired I know I was. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate anything was at 6pm. We spent the first part of the evening napping as we watched TV. We woke up around 9pm then watched TV and laughed the rest of the evening. Mom went to bed at 1am and overall with me mom has be quieter and sleeper than her normal today.
Saturday November 17th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up several times during the night but we got up for the day at noontime. I fed mom breakfast and gave her the pills mostly in applesauce. Then got mom dressed and a bathroom break or two before took our first drive. It was a sunny day with temps in the 50’s a beautiful November day. Our first drive was along the river road to Grafton IL turning around at the visitor center. We did not stop just turned around there and headed back home. On the way back there was a raccoon starting to cross the road in front of us the first time I have seen one in years. Almost all the trees have lost their leaf on this drive but now we can see more of the houses on top of the cliffs. There was 1 sailboat and a couple speed boats out enjoying the river. We saw several people out on the bike/hike trail. Several people getting out on such a great day. We talked about several things on this trip. We had a snack and another bathroom break before setting out for our second drive. Mom spilled her drink and got it all over her cloths so I put her in one of her house coats so I would not have to change her again at bedtime and we could still go for a second drive. We headed out for Sioux Passage and Sunset Parks. The trees on this drive mostly have no more leaf. Mom was fairly chatty on both drives even pointing things out to me she was very alert on both drives as well. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate anything was at 6pm. I have started playing Christian music during dinner and after Thanksgiving it will change to Xmas music. I had the caregivers put up the Xmas decorations on Thursday and mom loves the tree lights. Mom still loves the Xmas decorations that’s, why we put them up. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom did go out in the living room for a while and looked at the lights. Mom went to bed at 2am.
Friday November 16th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. I left at 5:30am for my men’s fraternity meeting at church mom was in the bathroom when I left. I did my normal Friday routine of breakfast after the meeting at the Waffle House they have great hash browns. Then I went over at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in my van. It was a sunny day with temps in the 50’s. I was able to get in a short hike along the Missouri river before getting back home by 4:30pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was chatty. Patti said her word of the day for mom was incorporative. It took me a few minutes of playing with mom but I was able to get her smiling and laughing. People with Alzheimer’s can change their mood several times a day. I took mom for a drive to Sioux Passage Park when I got home. Most of the trees on this drive are now without leafs but we found other things to talk about mom was fairly chatty for her at least. We talked about the cars in the parking lots and the jet streams in the sky. We had dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate was at 6pm. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom did nap some this evening but not much and she did not wonder around the house this evening. Mom went to bed at 11pm and need less instruction and help than her normal.
Thursday November 15th 2012
Mom did have a bladder accident sitting at the dinner table after she ate. She had gone to the bathroom 2 ½ hours before the accident so normally she would have had another hour before needing to go but it is never the same. Mom was up, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast as mom was finishing her lunch. It was a sunny day with temps in the 50’s. I just had enough time to take a short drive before getting back by 2:30pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was affable. I took mom for a drive around 3pm after she went to the bathroom. We drove over to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area then over to Sioux Passage Park all on the same drive. Mom today put her seat belt on without me saying anything that is the first time she did that in a while. Mom was more alert and talkative on this drive than her normal. Mom was even pointing out the trees before I said anything. The drive to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area has the most trees with colorful leafs right now of all the places we go. I fixed dinner when we got back from our drive so the last time mom ate anything was at 5:30pm. I put mom in her nightgown after the bladder accident so no need to change her just before bedtime. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing with mom napping some. Mom went to bed a little after 12:30am.
Wednesday November 14th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast as mom was finishing her lunch. It was a sunny day with temps in the 50’s. Since I must have had some kind of stomach thing going on today I was having a lot of bowel bathroom stops so I only got in a short walk before running some errands and getting back home by 5pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was friendly and Patti’s word of the day was relaxed. Patti did say mom lit up and was very happy to see her. I took mom for a drive when I got home to Sioux Passage Park. It started to get dark before the end of our drive. Mom was quieter on this drive than her normal. I fixed dinner when we got home so the last time mom ate anything was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. We spent the night watching TV but mom was quieter than her normal. Mom napped some and did her thing of wondering around the house at 8:30pm for a few minutes. Mom needed about her normal amount of instruction and help on changing into her nightgown.
Tuesday November 13th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast as mom was finishing her lunch. I get up later in the morning since I basically work the evening and graveyard shifts Monday thru Friday and all the shifts on the weekend. I ran some errands before getting back home by 2:30pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was sprightly. Mom was in the bathroom when I got back home and we took a drive shortly after I got home. It was a sunny day with temps in the 50’s. We drove over to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. They have the most colorful trees on this drive. We talked mostly about the trees with mom talking more than her normal. I fixed dinner shortly after we got home so the last time mom ate anything was at 5:30pm. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing with mom sleeping about half the time even I napped a little. Mom did her thing of wondering around the house at 9pm for just a few minutes, this was the first night she has done that in awhile. Tonight mom asked me who I was which is something she does every few days or weeks. Mostly this happens in the evening that she asks me who I am. Mom went to bed at 12:30am and needed her normal amount of help and instruction on changing.
Monday November 12th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ran some errands before getting back home by 3pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was sluggish. Mom was in the bathroom when I got home and ended up being in there for over an hour. This longer time in the bathroom has started to become more commend over the past month. It was a partly sunny day with a high of 47. I took mom for a drive to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area talking about the trees along the way. There are still some trees with colorful leafs. We talked more than our normal on the drive. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate was at 5:30pm. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing with mom almost not napping at all. We did talk to my brother Larry over SKYPE this evening. Mom went to bed at 12:30am and needed more instruction and help with changing into her nightgown. She was more confused tonight than her normal just goes to show every night can be a little different. Overall though today with me mom was more alert at times than her normal and less than her normal at other times.
Sunday November 11th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Patti came over while I went to church and had brunch with friends. Again Patti was able to get mom to take all her pills which makes about 2 months in a row now and that’s great. It was a cloudy rainy day with a high of 70. I took mom for a drive when I got home. We drove along the river road part way to Grafton IL getting back home just as it started raining. There were no boats on the river but we saw 2 barges heading upstream. There was just one person on the hike/bike trail and no motorcycles. The trees have lost more leafs with all the wind today but some still had colorful leafs. Mom was fairly quiet on this drive and this was our only drive of the day. It rained the rest of the afternoon and we both napped some. I fixed lunch when we got back from the drive and before our naps. I fixed dinner around 5:30pm then we watched TV and laugh with mom napping some. Mom went to bed at 2am and was a handful when it came to changing her into the nightgown. Other than getting ready for bed mom was happy and quiet today.
Saturday November 10th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. We got up for the day at 10am this morning. It was a sunny day with a high of 81. We ate breakfast and gave mom her pills then dressed before our drive. We took off around 11:30am for our first drive. We drove along the river road to Grafton IL. Mom was much more talkative and alert on our drive than her normal. We saw several boats on the river and one was a sailboat. There were also several people on the bike/hike trail and tons of motorcycles. It was a great day to get out and enjoy warm temps in November they don’t come along very often. I fixed lunch when we got back and before our second drive. The second drive was to both Sioux Passage and Sunset Parks. Mom was more talkative and alert than her normal on both drives. I fixed dinner around 5:30pm and mom went to bed at 12:30am. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom needed her normal amount of help and instruction when changing into her nightgown. Overall mom has been in great spirits and happy most of the day.
Friday November 9th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. I left at 5:30am for my men’s fraternity meeting at church so mom was still sleeping when I left. I did my normal Friday routine of breakfast after the meeting then a nap over at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in my van that I put a bed in the back of. Then I ran some errands. It was a sunny day with temps in the 70’s very warm for this time of year but I love it. Then weekend is suppose too be in the 70’s as highs. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was adorable and Patti agreed. I got back home by 3:30pm and took mom for a drive. Today we drove along the river road part way to Grafton IL. We saw 1 boat on the river and a few people on the walk/bike trail. We talked a little more than our normal on this drive. There are still a few trees with colorful leafs on them left. I wonder every year if this is the last year mom will see the changing trees so I enjoy my time with her. I feel I’m very lucky to have her as my mom. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate anything was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 12:30am. We spent the evening watching TV and being silly. We both napped some this evening. Mom again needed about her normal amount of instruction and help but needed less than last night.
Thursday November 8th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, dressed and feed by the time I was ready to leave. Andrea got mom ready for the foot doctor appointment. We took mom over by 9am which was his first appointment. I had been thanking god for weeks that it would be easy going and I did my part of getting all paperwork done early and let them know mom could not stand waiting. Thank you god it turned out to be easy breezy. I got mom laughing even by acting silly to keep her relaxed. I had Andrea drive us to the doctor office and let us off by the door then pick us up in front of the door. I wasn’t sure how well mom would be able to walk after having her toe nails clipped so I had Andrea drive us there but mom was fine no problem walking after. I then left until 2:30pm and ran some errands and got in a short hike along the Missouri river over at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was clipped she was being funny. I took mom for a drive over to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area when I got back home. We talked about our normal amount on the drive and mom was happy actually she was happy all day and night. It was a sunny day with temps in the upper 50’s. I fixed dinner when we got back and the last time mom ate was at 5:30pm. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and laughing with both of us napping some. Mom went to bed around 1am and needed her normal amount of instruction and help with changing.
Wednesday November 7th 2012
Mom did have a bladder accident as she ate dinner. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast with mom as she ate her lunch. I just took a quick drive before getting back before the pastor got here. I had the pastor over this afternoon then took a second drive by myself after he left. He was here for about an hour a great visit. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was resistant but Patti said mom was happy the time she was here. Mom was also happy when the pastor was here. I get a feeling mom is starting to recognize the pastor as someone she knows. I took mom for a short drive to Sioux Passage Park when I got back home at 5pm. It got dark as we drove and neither one of us talked much on this drive. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 12:30am. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing with mom napping a lot during the evening. After mom’s bladder accident I put her in the nightgown so there was no need for her to change before going to bed.
Tuesday November 6th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, dressed and feed by the time I got up. It was another rainy day with temps in the 40’s. I got up early and voted before running some errands and getting back by 2:30pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was republican. Mom was napping in the living room when I got home. I took mom for a short drive to Sioux Passage Park when I got home. We talked about the cars and houses mostly. A lot of trees now have lost their leaf. Mom talked about her normal amount on our drive. We watched a little TV and napped after our drive until dinner. The last time mom ate was at 5:30pm. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV with mom napping some. Mom went to bed at 3:30am and needed less instruction and help on changing into her nightgown. Mom overall over the past couple of months also has needed less help and instruction on brushing her teeth and putting her seat belt on.
Monday November 5th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, washed, dressed and feed by the time I got up. I ate my breakfast with mom as she ate her lunch. It was a rainy day with a high temp of 45. I spent the day running errands before getting back home by 5pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was fun I didn’t ask Patti what her word was. Mom was watching TV and napping when I got home. I took mom for a drive when I got home but it is getting dark by 5pm these days so most of the drive was in the dark. We drove over to Sioux Passage Park but mom did talk less than her normal on this drive. I fixed dinner when we got home so the last time mom ate was at 6:30pm. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom was playful tonight and in great spirits. Mom went to bed at 1am and needed less instruction and help than normal.
Sunday November 4th 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. I had my friend Patti over while I went to church. It was a good service and I had brunch afterwards with my usual friends. Mom was watching TV when I got back around noon. Patti again was able to get mom to take all her pills and said her word of the day for mom was nice. After a bathroom break mom and I took our first drive. It was a sunny day with temps in the 60’s. Again today our first drive was along the river road all the way to Grafton IL. We saw several speed boats and a couple barges on the river. Also several people were out on the bike/hike trail. The trees where colorful or at least several were on the last part of the way to Grafton. We had some snacks after our drive then napped a little before our second drive. Today our second drive was just to Sioux Passage Park. Again we talked about the trees and number of cars. On both drives mom talked about her normal amount. I fixed dinner when we got back and the last time mom ate was 6:30pm. We spent the evening watching TV and laughing with mom napping a lot. Mom went to bed at midnight and needed less instruction and help than normal on changing into her nightgown.
Saturday November 3rd 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. We got up for the day at 11am. I fixed brunch and gave mom her pills then got her dressed for our drives. It was a cloudy day with temps in the 50’s. Today our first drive was along the river road and went all the way to Grafton IL. The trees had more color in their leaf between where I normally turn around at and Grafton IL. I decided to try and see if mom could make it all the way to Grafton and back without stopping for a bathroom break if we leave right after she goes to the bathroom. She made it both ways without stopping no problem which I liked it adds more time for our drive. We did not see any boats on the river but did see a couple people on the bike/hike trail. After a snack and bathroom breaks when we got home we headed back out for a second drive. This time we drove over to both Sioux Passage and Sunset parks. We talked about the cars in the parking lots and trees mostly. Om talked about her normal amount on both drives. I fixed dinner after our second drive so the last time mom ate anything was at 6pm. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and laughing. Mom went to bed at 10:30pm and I went shortly after that since I would be getting up early for church on Sunday. Mom needed less instruction and help tonight with changing into her nightgown. Overall mom has been in great spirits and her normal amount of talking.
Friday November 2nd 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was sleeping when I left at 5:30am for my men’s fraternity group. I did my normal after the group meeting I stopped off and had breakfast at the Waffle House I love their hash browns there. Then I drove over to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area and took a nap in the back of my van. I spent the rest of the day running errands until I got back by 4pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was cheerful and she was that way with me as well. We went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park when I got back home. Mom talked about her normal amount. We then had dinner the last time mom ate was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 1am. We spent the night watching TV and laughing with mom napping some. Mom did her thing of walking around the house at 9:30pm for several minutes before settling back down. Mom ended up needing about her normal amount of instruction and help with changing into her nightgown. I’m now getting ready to get mom up as I write this for a bathroom break but I’m getting tired so I’m making this short I have been up for 24 hours straight.
Thursday November 1st 2012
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up, dressed and feed by the time I got up. It was a mostly cloudy day with temps in the 60’s. I just had enough time after I left to run some errands before getting back by 2:30pm. Andrea said her word of the day for mom was attentive. Both Andrea and I have noticed mom is more attentive, aware and happier over the past month plus since I changed her bladder pill and no longer using the Toviaz. I think apart of the change is also god answering my prayer of letting mom have the best day she can. So this is a change for the better as mom goes into 16 years with Alzheimer’s. I took mom for a drive shortly after I got home. We drove along the river road part way to Grafton IL then we went straight to Sioux Passage Park before heading back home. We saw no boats on the river but did see 2 people on the hike/bike trail. We also talked about the cars in the parking lots. Again today mom talked more than her normal on this drive she is starting a new more talkative normal. I fixed dinner when we got back so the last time mom ate was 5:30pm. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and laughing with mom napping a little. Mom went to bed a little before 10pm and needed her normal amount of instruction and help on changing into her nightgown.
