Updated on July 15th 2011
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 14 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 14 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 4 to 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 started in 2010. I started using a diaper pad on mom’s bed in July 2011. 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 then in 2011 changed to generic Galantamine
•Namenda started March 2005
•Folic Acid started in 2001
•Turmeric started in 2001
Saturday December 31st 2011 New Years Eve
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. I got mom up at 9:30am for breakfast. I helped mom with her pills today like I’ve
done sometimes in the past. I play a
game and put mom’s pill in her month. I
had Schatcie over at 11am for an hour so I could go to the grocery store. Mom went back to bed right after breakfast
and stayed there until I got back home at noon.
I then had mom get dressed and a bathroom trip before going on a
drive. It was a sunny day with temps in
the 50’s what a great way to say goodbye to 2011. I called the Grafton visitor center but no one
answered so we went over to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. We stopped at the visitor center there for a
bathroom break before heading over to Sioux Passage Park. We talked about the view and houses on our
drive. When we got back mom napped for a
short time before I took her out for an early dinner over at Applebee’s. One of my friends gave me a certificate to
Applebee’s so I spent it taking mom out.
Mom was fairly good at the restaurant after we got the food and luckily we
didn’t have to wait too long. We were
home from dinner by 5pm but I fixed some ice cream for us around 6pm so the
last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:15pm. We took a second drive at 7pm to look at the
Xmas lights. As I thought there were not
as many lights up tonight so a lot of people took down their lights today in
the 50 degree day. We watched TV the
rest of the evening and talked to my brother Larry over SKYPE around 11pm. We watched the New Year Eve specials on TV
until bedtime. Mom went to bed at 1am
and it was a challenge to get her changed.
As soon as she took the pants off she started to put them back on. Overall today mom has been cheerful and talked
about as much as she normally does. I
wanted to end by wishing everyone a great year in 2012.
Friday December 30th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea was here for only 3 hours
today since she was sick. She did get
mom washed, feed and dressed. Also
Shannon was sick so she didn’t come over so it was mostly mom and I today. I pray they both get to feeling better
soon. Mom and I watched TV until
lunch. We talked about the wind blowing
outside and the birds on the feeder during lunch. Today was a very windy partly sunny and warm
day. The temps were up in the 50’s and
tomorrow is suppose too be in the 60’s.
After lunch and some bathroom trips we took a drive. Today we drove first over to the Columbia
Bottom Conservation Area stopping at the visitor center there before heading
over to Sioux Passage Park. We talked
about the views and wind during our drive. After our drive mom napped a lot in her chair until
dinner. During dinner we talked about
the lights on the tree. The last time
mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5pm.
Mom napped for a couple hours off and on after dinner until our second
drive. We took our second drive at 8pm
to look at the Xmas lights. With it
getting up into the 60’s and sunny tomorrow I feel most people will be taking
down their lights this weekend. The rest
of the evening we watch TV and laughed. Mom
went to bed at 11pm. I did my normal
routine of giving mom lots of hugs and telling her I love her several times
which I do very much. This does help
when it comes to getting mom to change and repeating what she needs to do
several times. Overall today mom has
been sleepy but cheerful and sweet.
Thursday December 29th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. By the time I got up and ready
for my chiropractor appointment mom was up dressed and feed. This was my first visit but the doc thought
it was just the muscles and nothing to serious.
So I will go in a few more times for adjustments to relive the muscles
and joints. After my appointment I went
over to the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area and took a short 3 mile hike
before grocery shopping and back home.
It was a great day outside sunny with temps in the 60’s I had to go for
a hike it was just too nice a day. I
ended getting back home at 4pm. Both
Andrea and Patti said mom was cheerful today and up most of the day just napped
a few minutes in her chair. Mom and I
took a drive shortly after I got back.
We drove over to Sioux Passage Park.
We both were fairly quiet on the drive although we did see some Xmas
lights on our way back from the park. I
heated up dinner when we got back and the last time mom had anything to eat or
drink was at 6:15pm. We spent the night
watching TV and laughing when I acted silly.
Mom was up all evening not napping at all until she went to bed at
12:15am. It was fairly easy tonight
getting mom to change I thank god for helping me. Overall mom has been quiet but cheerful
today.
Wednesday December 28th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea was able to get mom washed
today much better than yesterday. Mom
was up dressed and feed by the time I got up.
I didn’t have much time before I had to be back so I just took a short
drive. It was a sunny day with above
average temps. I drove over to the
Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area but did not get in a hike just the
drive. Andrea said mom was up most of
the time and the word for the day was cheerful.
Mom was up and watching TV when I got home at 1:30pm. I did setup an appointment with a chiropractor
to check my neck from when my van was rear ended. This is just to make sure the neck is ok
before I settle with their insurance company per the suggestion from my brother
Larry. After I got home I did some work
and mom took a short nap in her chair before we went for a drive. Since it was such a nice day we drove over to
Sioux Passage Park and talked about the houses.
Today we didn’t see any deer but the other night we had a couple of deer
run across the road in front of us just after dark. There were 3 others that waited until we
passed before running across the road good thing to. I fixed dinner after we got back so the last
time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5pm except for a cookie at 8pm and
10pm. We took a second drive at 7pm to look
at the Xmas lights which mom enjoys. We
spent the rest of the evening watching TV until mom went to bed at
11:30pm. I had my normal amount of
fussing tonight on changing into her nightgown.
Overall mom has been cheerful and her normal amount of talk.
Tuesday December 27th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea said mom was the more
difficult to wash this morning than she has been months. Mom was up dressed and was just finishing her
pills when I got up. Mom was restless
when Andrea was here but calm when Schatcie was here. It was cloudy this morning but I did get in a
short walk along with running some errands.
Mom was up when I got back home at 3:30pm. I did some work when I got home and mom
napped a little before we had dinner.
The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5pm except for a
cookie around 9pm. During dinner we
talked about the lights on the tree. We
talked to my brother Larry over SKYPE this evening before mom and I took a drive. We drove our normal route looking at the Xmas
lights. I did notice a few less lights
on tonight and suspect after this weekend they will all be down. Mom does enjoy seeing the lights and I will
miss these drives until next year. We
watched TV the rest of the night and laughed until mom went to bed around
11:30pm. Mom was a little more difficult
on changing tonight mostly because of the confusion. I just have to repeat what to do several
times and give her hugs to help keep her from getting to upset.
Monday December 26th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea took today off so I had my
friend Patti over to watch mom. Patti
got here at 11:30am and I had mom up and feed by the time Patti got here. I did get mom dressed before I left but ended
up not taking mom out. I just ran some
errands and did a very short walk. It
was a cloudy day and it started to sleet when I was driving back. Then it rained or sleeted this evening that
is why I never took mom out for a drive.
Patti said mom was up most of the 5 hours she was here and being
compliable. Mom was asleep when I got
home but she had just laid down. I got
home at 4:30pm and fixed dinner shortly after I got home. Mom was quiet during dinner and the last time
she had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm although I did give her a cookie
around 8pm. I did talk to my brother
Larry tonight and found out he was sick the past couple of days so I pray he
feels better soon. Mom ended up sleeping
most of the evening in her chair and I napped a little myself as we watched TV. Mom went to bed around 12:45am and was confused
on the changing back into her nightgown.
Sunday December 25th 2011 Xmas day
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Mom and I got up for the day at
10:30am. During breakfast mom was a bit
difficult on taking her pills. After
breakfast and a bathroom trip I had mom change into her cloths. We then took a drive to the Columbia Bottom
Conservation Area. It was a mostly sunny
day with temps getting into the mid 50’s.
We talked about the views along our drive. After our drive mom took a nap in her chair
and I took a short one as well. Since it
was Xmas today I took mom out to dinner.
Denny’s was the only place open but they did have a turkey and dressing
meal so mom and I had that. Mom was in
great spirits in the restaurant even though it was crowded. The service was good and fast we did not have
to wait a long time for the food. I
fixed mom and I some ice cream when we got back so the last time mom had
anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm although I did give her a cookie around
10pm. Mom went to bed at 12am. Mom did nap some after dinner in her chair as
I watched TV. The rest of the evening we
both watched TV and laughed when I acted silly.
I was on SKYPE this afternoon and evening but my other two brothers
never called their mother on the day of our lord. Overall mom has been in a great mood except
for the pills.
Saturday December 24th 2011 Xmas Eve
Mom
did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Mom actually got up on her, own
at 9:30am to go to the bathroom and did not have any accidents. We both
got up for the day around 11am. Mom got lots of sleep but I got about 5
hours
overnight. During breakfast we both were
quiet but mom did take her pills without any problem. It was a mostly
sunny day with temps in the
40’s a great day to take a drive. After
a bathroom trip and I got mom dressed we went for a drive. I did have
some trouble getting mom to take
the nightgown off to put the shirt on. It
was mostly just confusion. Today we
drove along the river road to the Grafton IL visitor center. We didn’t
see any boats on the river and only
half a dozen or so motorcycles. We saw a
few more birds flying around today but I didn’t recognize any bald
eagles. The bald eagles start coming in around this
time of December. They sit on the cliffs
and fish in the river. We talked about
the houses along the edge of the cliffs and the river. Mom talked about
her normal amount
today. I fixed lunch when we got back
but we both were quiet during lunch talking some about the flowers. We
did see and talk on SYKPE with my brother
Paul today after lunch and then again late at night with both Paul and
his wife
Kay. We ended up taking a second drive
before dinner to look at the Xmas lights on the houses. This time we
checked out a different area of
town to see what they had. Mom does
enjoy seeing the lights and it gives her something to talk about. So
tonight we had a late dinner and the last
time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed
at
12:15am. We did watch some Xmas programs
both this afternoon and this evening.
Mom did fuss some on taking off her pants after she put the nightgown
on. Overall today mom has been her
normal talkativeness and very sweet and affectionate.
Friday December 23rd 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea mom and I did our
Christmas present exchange this morning.
I got a cowboy shirt, some CD’s and a certificate for a massage. Andrea got several certificates to different
places and mom got some clothes. I went
over to a friend’s house and we worked on figuring how to write iPhone apps. Andrea said mom was wobbly today and when
Shannon was here mom slept most of the time Shannon was here. Mom was napping when I got back home at
3:30pm. It was a partly sunny day with
temps in the 40’s. Mom and I went for a
drive shortly after I got home. We took
a drive over to Sioux Passage Park and talked about the houses and how big the
yards are on homes around Sioux Passage Park.
We did see 3 deer in the park. We
had dinner when we got back from our drive so the last time mom had anything to
eat was at 5:30pm. We listened to Xmas
music and talked about the tree lights during dinner. We took a second drive at 8pm to look at the
Xmas lights. The rest of the evening we
watched TV until mom went to bed. We
both were quiet this evening during our TV watching. Mom went to bed at 12:30am and was a bit
tougher to get changed and her teeth brushed.
Thursday December 22nd 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Mom was up dressed and feed by
the time I got up. We watched a game
show together as I ate breakfast. Andrea
said mom was feisty with her but Patti said mom was sweet the time she was
here. It was a partly sunny day with temps in the 40’s and I got in a short hike
today. I went over to the Columbia
Bottom Conservation Area and walked along the Missouri river. It was my first time out walking in the woods
in several days. It felt good to get out
as it always does. The only animals I
saw on this walk were birds it was so peaceful I was the only human around were
I was walking. So it was just me the
birds and of course god. Mom was up
watching TV when I got home at 3:30pm.
We took a drive to Sioux Passage Park around 4:30pm after I finished a
few things. We talked about the lights
on the houses since it was getting dark on our way back some people had their
lights on. I fixed dinner when we got
back and the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm and she went
to bed at 11pm. During dinner we listened
to Xmas music and talked about the flowers and tree lights. We took a second drive at 8pm to look at the
Xmas lights on the different homes. The
rest of the evening we watched TV and laughed some after I acted silly. I had a fairly easy time getting mom to
change god has shown me a routine that seems to be working for now.
Wednesday December 21st 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea said mom was fairly easy
to wash and get mom taking her pills.
Mom also got dressed fairly easy she just was moving slow getting things
done getting side tracked easily. Mom
was up dressed when I left to run some errands.
Mom was up most of the time I was gone and was up when I got home at
1:30pm. Mom did nap in her chair some
after I got home. It was a partly sunny
afternoon with temps in the mid 40’s. We
took a drive around 3pm to Sioux Passage Park.
We talked about the houses on our drive.
We ate dinner shortly after we got back from our drive so the last time
mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at
12:30am. During dinner we both were
quiet. We did take a second drive at 8pm
to look at the Xmas lights mom does enjoy seeing the lights. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV
I did find some Xmas specials on that we watched. I also did my normal acting silly getting mom
to laugh. I had a fairly easy time
getting mom to brush and change tonight.
Overall mom has been in good spirits today.
Tuesday December 20th 2011
Mom did have a bowel accident overnight. Mom was up dressed and feed by the time I got
up. I just ran some errands and spent
time to myself today. It was a rainy day
with temps in the mid 40’s. Both Andrea
and Schatcie said mom was very nice today.
Mom was up when I got home today at 3:30pm and we watched TV until
dinner. Mom was very sweet wanting hugs
from me this afternoon. During dinner we
listened to Xmas music and talked about the tree. I gave mom a piece of cake for dessert at 6pm
so the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to
bed at 11:30pm. We did not go for a
drive today. After dinner we watched TV
I acted silly making mom laugh until mom went to bed. I found a Christmas music special on the
Daystar channel then we watched Joel Osteen on the Daystar channel. Mom has been in very good and happy spirits
today it was good to see that. I thank
god for a great day with mom. It was
fairly easy tonight getting mom to change into her nightgown.
Monday December 19th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea said mom was hard to wash
and didn’t get mom real clean. Andrea
was able to get mom to take her pills and get dressed easier. Andrea and Shannon both said mom was sleepy
today. Andrea said she had a hard time
getting mom up for lunch mom just wanted to sleep. Mom was up and dressed when I left to meet up
with a friend for lunch. Mom was napping
when I got home at 3:30pm. It was a
rainy day but temps were in the 50’s. Even
though it was raining I took mom for a short drive to Sioux Passage Park before
dinner to get her out of the house. Mom
was quiet on this drive but did respond when I talked to her. During dinner we talked about the flowers and
tree lights. The last time mom had
anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. We did not take a drive tonight instead we
just watched TV and laughed a few times.
I can still get mom to laugh by acting silly. I did find a Xmas music performance tonight
on the Daystar channel. Mom was up the
whole time I was here this afternoon and this evening. I didn’t get static when getting mom to brush
her teeth but did get some when it came to changing. Like I’ve said in the past moms static comes
mostly from confusion and not understanding how or why she needs to
change. Overall today mom has been
sleepy and quiet but in good spirits.
Sunday December 18th 2011
Mom
did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. I had my friend Patti over this
morning so I could go to church. Mom
slept most of the 4 hours I was gone but was up eating breakfast when I
got
home. I got mom dressed after breakfast
so we could go for a drive. It was a
partly sunny day with temps in the 50’s.
We drove along the river road to Grafton IL visitor center. We talked
about the river and cliffs. We did see 2 sailboats on the river and 1
barge. Along the bike trail we saw 2
guys on their bike and 3 people running.
It was a much nicer day and warmer than normal for this time of year so
more people getting out to enjoy it. I
did get some static at the visitor center on getting mom to go to the
bathroom
and as normal as soon as she sat down she had a bladder movement. I
fixed a snack for us after our drive and
then we both napped some before dinner.
During dinner we listened to Xmas music and talked about the flowers and
lights. The last time mom had anything
to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 12:30am. We took a
second drive at 7pm to look at the
Xmas lights which mom enjoys. The rest
of the evening we watched TV and laughed.
It was fairly easy tonight getting mom to change. Overall today with me
mom has been in good
spirits and about her normal talkativeness.
Saturday December 17th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. I got mom up at 9:30am and feed
mom and got her pills down by 10:30am.
Mom took her pills with no problem.
Mom went to bed by 11am when I had Schatcie over for an hour so I could
go to the store and get some belts because mine broke last night. Mom slept the whole hour Schatcie was here
this morning. I got mom up after I got
back and had her get dressed. I had to
explain what to do when getting mom dressed as normal. Then after a bathroom trip we took our first
drive of the day. It was a mostly sunny
afternoon with temps in the 40’s. We
took a drive along the river road to the Grafton visitor center. We talked about the cliffs and the river on
our drive. We didn’t see any boats on
the river or motorcycles. We did see one
guy riding his bike cycle along the bike trail and one guy running along the
bike trail. These were the only people
we saw along the trail. I fixed lunch
when we got back. Then mom napped some before
we took a second drive to Sioux Passage Park.
Today we didn’t see any deer in the park. We both were fairly quiet on this drive. During dinner we listened to Xmas music and
talked about the flowers my brother Paul sent.
The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. I had Schatcie come over this evening at 7pm
so I could go to a program at the church.
It was a great concert called the Drummer Boy I enjoyed it. Mom was wondering around the 3 hours Schatcie
was here and went to bed. I got mom up
after I got home and finished getting her changed. Then we watched TV or at least I did mom kept
napping on and off in her chair. Mom finally went in at 3am and slept in her
bed.
Friday December 16th 2011
Mom
did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. When I got up mom had taken her
pills and was washed but had not fully changed.
She had on her pants but still had the nightgown on. I met up with a
friend for lunch downtown. Andrea said the word of the day was
confused. Shannon said mom slept the
whole 2 hours she was here. Mom was
sleeping on the sofa when I got home at 3:30pm and still had her
nightgown
on. Shannon said Andrea told her mom
kept trying to put her shirt on over her nightgown instead of taking the
nightgown off first. I was able to get
mom to take her nightgown off and then put her shirt on but I had to
stand
there explaining to mom what to do. We
took a drive shortly after I got back home.
It was a sunny day with temps around 40.
I drove mom over to Sioux Passage Park and we even say a few deer in the
park. Mom had a harder time seeing them
until the deer moved. During dinner we
listened too Xmas music and talked about the lights on the tree. The
last time mom had anything to eat or
drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. We just watched TV
tonight and I acted silly
a few times to get mom laughing. I got
some static when it came to mom brushing her teeth and a little on
changing.
Thursday December 15th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Mom was up dressed and had taken
her pills by the time I got up. Andrea
said mom was sleepy again today and it was a sunnier day but got colder as the
day went on. Patti also said mom was
sleepy the 2 hours she was here. Mom was
sitting in the living room by the tree when I got back home at 3:30pm and woke
up after I walked in. I just spent the
day relaxing and running some errands.
After I got home mom and I just watched some TV and laughed before
dinner. I received a phone call on a
possible job so we didn’t go for a drive this afternoon. During dinner we listened to Xmas music and
talked about the lights on the tree. The
last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed
around 11pm. We did take a drive around
7:30pm to look at the Xmas lights which mom does enjoy. The rest of the night we watched TV I acted
silly a few times making mom laugh. I
did get some static on changing but it wasn’t too bad. I did my normal giving mom lots of hugs and
telling her I love her. Overall with me
mom talked about her normal amount and was pleasant.
Wednesday December 14th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea said mom was a bit
difficult to wash today but she was able to get mom fully washed. Andrea said mom was a little easier to get
dressed and take her pills. I slept in
and didn’t get much time to myself so I went grocery shopping. Andrea told me mom was sleepy today which
made sense it was a rainy day. Mom was
sleeping in her chair when I got home at 1:30pm. I had the pastor over today at 2pm and he was
here about 30 minutes. Since it was
raining this afternoon mom and I stayed in after the pastor left. We watched TV and mom napped some before
dinner. We were both quiet during dinner
and the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went
to bed at 10:45pm. It did stop raining
for a little while tonight and we took a drive around 7pm to look at the Xmas
lights. The rest of the evening mom and
I just watched TV and laughed a few times.
Mom did start getting restless and walking around for about an hour
before she went to bed. I did have a
hard time trying to get mom to brush her teeth tonight and stopped trying so I
wouldn’t get her to upset to change. She
didn’t put up much fussing when it came time for her to change into her
nightgown.
Tuesday December 13th 2011
Mom did have a bladder accident overnight but she did not
get the bed wet so she must have had the bladder accident in the bathroom. Mom did change her panties after her accident
and hanged the dirty ones on the bathroom door knob. Since I didn’t go to bed until 4am I slept in
today. Mom was up, dressed and took her
pills by the time I got up. It was a
cloudy rainy day here so when I took off I just did some reading on creating
apps for the IPHONE and ran some errands.
When Andrea was here mom was sleepy but a good day for sleeping with it
raining outside. Schatcie said mom was
up the 2 hours she was here and they watched TV. Mom was up watching TV when I got home at
3:30pm. Since it was raining when I got
home mom and I did not go for a drive instead we watched TV until dinner. During dinner mom talked about the lights on
the tree and the last time she had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. It stopped raining tonight for a little while
so mom and I took a drive at 7pm to look at the Xmas lights. She does enjoy seeing the different lights
but gets confused when we get home because she doesn’t recognize it. This could be in part because it is dark and
she can’t see the house as well. We
watched TV and laughed a few times the rest of the evening until mom went to
bed at 10pm. Mom tried to talk some but
was having problems trying to put sentences together and express her
thoughts. I did get some static tonight
when it came to brushing her teeth and changing into her nightgown.
Monday December 12th 2011
Mom
did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea had washed mom and feed
her including her pills by the time I got up.
Mom had her pants on but still
had her nightgown on when I left today.
It was a sunny morning and afternoon with temps in the 40’s. I was able
to get in a short hike along the
Missouri river. I went over to the
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area to hike.
It was great to get out into the outdoors hiking again it has been
awhile since I’ve gone hiking. It looks
like I didn’t mention this yet but I setup to have the pastor over this
coming
Wednesday. Andrea said mom was wondering
around the house today. Shannon said mom
was pretty much just watching TV with her the time Shannon was here.
Mom was up when I got home at 3:30pm. We watched some TV before dinner
and mom was
quiet but responsive whenever I talked to her.
During dinner we talked about the tree lights the last time mom had
anything to eat was at 5:30pm and went to bed at 11pm. We watched the
news after dinner and I had
mom go to the bathroom before we took a drive.
Tonight we left at 6pm to drive around looking at the Xmas lights. Mom
was more talkative tonight on our drive
than she was last night. We just watched
TV after we got back and laughed a few times before mom went to bed.
Tonight was pretty easy getting mom to brush
her teeth and change into her nightgown.
Sunday December 11th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. I had my friend Patti over this
morning so I could go to church. I meet
up with my friends at church and we had brunch after the service. Patti did feed mom breakfast but mom didn’t
take her pills until after I got back.
Patti told me mom slept most of the 4 hours she was here. Mom and I went for a drive after moms lunch
and a couple bathroom trips. It was a
sunny and warmer day with temps getting around 50. Today we drove along the river road to the
Grafton IL visitor center. We didn’t see
any boats or motorcycles today on the drive but I did see one guy riding his
bike along the bike trail. We talked
about the river and houses on top of the cliffs on our drive mom talked about
her normal amount. Mom then napped after
our drive until dinner. We both were quiet
during dinner and the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at
5:30pm. We took a drive at 7pm to look
at the Xmas lights. Tonight mom wasn’t
as into it last in the past and when we got home she didn’t recognize her house
and asked me who I was. We went in and
watched TV the rest of the evening. I found
a Xmas music special on the PBS station.
Mom got better she was just confused on who I was for a little
while. Mom did nap in her chair a little
after our drive as well. Mom talked
about her normal amount this evening.
Now remember when she talks it is not in complete sentences most of the
time. Mom went to bed at 2am and was
harder to get changed and into her bed.
She was so confused.
Saturday December 10th 2011
Mom did have a bowel accident overnight and I had to change
mom’s sheets and nightgown. I got mom up
feed and dressed but waited until lunch to give mom her pills. I had an appointment for mom to get her hair
washed and cut and there wasn’t enough time to take the pills at
breakfast. Mom fussed some but I was
able to get mom laughing which made it easier plus I was thanking god to make
it easier for the past couple of days and he did. We ate lunch after the haircut and a short
drive. Mom took her pills at lunch and
had a hard time with the multi vitamin because of it’s size but she got it
down. Then after a bathroom trip we took
a drive. It was a sunny day with temps
in the 30’s. I took mom over to Columbia
Bottom Conservation Area stopping at the visitor center for a bathroom
break. We then drove over to Sioux
Passage Park before heading home. We
talked about the houses and cars in the parking lots as we drove. Mom napped in her chair after our drive until
dinner. The last time mom had anything
to eat or drink was at 6pm. We both were
quiet during dinner and mom napped for about an hour after dinner. We then watched TV and laughed this
evening. I was able to find a Xmas music
special on the PBS station. Mom went to bed at 12:30am and was about her
normal static on changing into her nightgown.
Friday December 9th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea was able to get mom washed
dressed and pills down without too much trouble. Andrea said the word of the day was sleepy
mom slept most of the 6 hours Andrea was here.
Mom was up most of the 2 hours Shannon was here and mom was sweet. I spent my day running errands and grocery
shopping. It was a partly sunny day with
temps in the mid 30’s. Mom was up
watching TV with Shannon when I got home at 3:30pm. Mom and I took a drive to Sioux Passage Park
shortly after I got home. We talked
about the houses and cars in the parking lots.
We did see a deer today in the park.
I have noticed that moms eyes are getting a little worse over the past
few months. Mom talked about her normal
amount on our drive and was in good spirits.
We ate dinner when we got back but tonight we both were fairly quiet
during dinner. The last time mom had
anything to eat or drink was at 5:45pm and she went to bed at 11pm. We took a second drive tonight at 7:30pm to
look at the Xmas lights. Like normal she
enjoyed this drive and seeing the lights.
Mom has gotten more confused on recognizing her house once we pull up
onto the carport at night time. I think
apart of this is her eyes not being what they use to be especially at
night. We watched TV and laughed the
rest of the evening. I did my normal
routine of telling mom I love her countless times and lots of hugs which helped
tonight getting mom to brush and change into her nightgown.
Thursday December 8th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Even though I left early mom
was up and had eaten breakfast but not dressed when I left. I took my van over to get it state inspected
and it passed with no problem. I spent
the rest of my time running errands.
Andrea said mom was more distant today but was up most of the time
Andrea was here. Mom was up watching TV
when I got home at 1:30pm. I had some
things I wanted to do after I got home before mom and I could go for a
drive. We took off a little after 3pm
for our drive. It was a partly sunny
afternoon and normal temps for this time of year. We drove over to Sioux Passage Park talking
about the houses and cars in the parking lots.
I fixed dinner shortly after we got back and the last time mom had
anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm. We
listened to Xmas music and talked about the Xmas lights during dinner. We took a second drive around 7pm to look at
the houses with Xmas lights mom does enjoy this drive. We spent the rest of the night watching TV
and laughing. Mom was up all day without
any naps until she went to bed at 12:30am.
I didn’t get much static when it came to mom changing into her
nightgown. Of course I gave her several
hugs and told her I love her.
Wednesday December 7th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea said mom wasn’t too bad
when it came to washing or getting dressed.
Getting mom to take her pills was a little harder. Mom was up most of the 5 hours Andrea was
here today. I slept in as normal like I
said before I get to sleep once Andrea gets here. I spent the rest of my time away doing moms
Xmas shopping. I also setup for the
pastor to come out next Wednesday the 14th to visit with
mom. Mom was up sitting in the living room by the
Xmas tree when I got home. Mom and I
took off for a drive shortly after I got home.
We drove over to Sioux Passage Park.
It was a cold but sunny afternoon.
We talked about the houses and number of cars in the parking lots. Mom
talked about her normal amount today on
our drive and this evening. After our
drive we watched a little TV before eating dinner. We talked about the
lights on the tree during
dinner and the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm
and she
went to bed at 10:30pm. We took a second
drive at 7pm to look at the Xmas lights on the homes. Mom does enjoy
the Xmas lights. She will point some out to me so it gives her
something to occupy her brain. I did
find some music specials on TV tonight and we watched them. Mom still
likes music. Mom was fairly easy to get changed
tonight. Of course I give her lots of
hugs and kisses and tell her countless times that I love her.
Tuesday December 6th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea did have trouble getting
mom to take her pills today. Mom was up
dressed when I left to meet up with a friend.
We played around trying to figure out some iphone app programming. It was fun both hanging out and trying to re
learn some C programming. I do enjoy
programming. Andrea said mom was
restless when she was here and Schatcie said mom was sleepy the 2 hours she was
here. I got home at 4pm and mom was up
watching TV. So we took off for a drive. It was cloudy and much cooler today but then
we are in the car with the heater on. We
drove over to Sioux Passage Park but didn’t see any deer today. Mom and I both were quieter than our normal
on the drive. During dinner we talked
about the tree lights and the last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at
5:30pm and she went to bed at 12:30am. I
was able to find a Xmas special tonight on TV and then another music special on
the PBS station. Mom did try to start
conversations tonight but it is getting harder for her to put her thoughts
together. Mom does get confused
especially at night knowing we are back home when we are on the carport. She recognizes her house as we pull up but
forgets as we are getting out on the carport.
I did get some fussing when it came to mom changing but I did my routine
of giving her hugs and kisses whenever she starts getting frustrated.
Monday December 5th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. I slept in this morning to get
enough rest for my interview. Mom was up
washed, feed and dressed when I got up. I
did some reviewing before my interview.
I spent most of my time dealing with my interview today and I’m not sure
how mom was today when I was gone. Mom
was up watching TV when I got back home at 4:30pm. During dinner mom talked about the tree
lights as we ate listening to Xmas music.
The last time mom ate was at 5:30pm.
We took a drive shortly after dinner around town looking at the Xmas
lights. Mom has been enjoying these
drives and seeing the Xmas lights. Mom
tried to talk and carry on conversations a few times tonight but it is hard to
understand what she is trying to say. I
did find some Xmas specials on TV tonight so we watched them. Mom went to bed at 1am and did fuss some on
changing. At first she started putting
her nightgown on over her shirt until I stopped her.
Sunday December 4th 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. I had my friend Patti over this
morning so I could go to church. Patti
feed mom breakfast while I was gone. Mom
had lunch and I gave her pills after I got back home. After I got mom dressed and a few bathroom
trips we took a short drive. It was cloudy
and a little rainy so we just drove over to Sioux Passage Park. We talked about the houses and we did see a
deer when in the park. We both napped
some after our drive and before the second drive. It was still cloudy and cooler so we took a drive
to Sioux Passage Park just before dinner.
On this drive mom was fairly quiet but so was I. During dinner we talked about the lights on
the tree, mom does enjoy the lights. The
last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6pm. After dinner and a couple bathroom trips we
took a third short drive. On this drive
we just drove around Florissant looking at the Xmas lights. Mom enjoys this and even pointed out several
houses herself. I found a singing
special on the PBS station here and we watched that this evening. Mom went to bed at 11:30pm and was fairly
easy getting her to brush her teeth and change into her nightgown. I have worked out my routine that I explained
yesterday that works so far. Now I will
review some for my job interview tomorrow so wish me luck.
Saturday December 3rd 2011
Mom
did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. I had Schatcie over this morning
so I could go over and get my hair colored for my job interview on
Monday. Wouldn’t you know it we are too get lots of
snow Sunday night and Monday morning. Schatcie
feed mom breakfast but mom took her pills when I got back. I got mom
dressed then after a couple
bathroom trips we took a drive. It was a
mostly sunny with temps getting around 50.
We drove over along the river road to the Grafton visitor center. We
saw 2 boats today and a few more
motorcycles than last week. We talked
about the river, houses on the cliff tops among other things. Mom was
chattier on this drive than her
normal. It was great to see her so
chatty. I still had to take her in to
the bathroom at the visitor center but she was much better and not
fussing like
last weekend. I prayed to god ahead of
time and he answered it. I fixed lunch
after our drive and we talked about the birds outside during lunch.
Then we both took a nap until dinner time. We both were so tired we
just fell asleep
watching TV. During dinner we talked
about the tree lights. The last time mom
ate was at 5:30pm. We did take a second
drive after dinner and bathroom trips. This
drive we just drove around looking at the Xmas lights on the different
houses. Mom does enjoy the Xmas lights. We just sat around watching TV
the rest of
the night. Mom went to bed at 10:30pm
and was confused on the changing of her cloths so I gave her extra hugs
and
kisses to help keep her from getting too fussy.
Friday December 2nd 2011
Mom did not have any bladder or bowel accidents overnight or
today. Andrea said mom was fairly easy
to wash, cloth and taking the pills just took patience. Andrea said the word for the day with her was
sleepy. Shannon said mom was up the
whole 2 hours she was here. It was
another warmer day and sunny but I spent my time running errands nothing
exciting. Mom was up when I got home at
3:30pm and we took a drive before dinner.
We drove over past Sioux Passage Park and talked about the houses and a
few Xmas lights that people lit on their homes.
During dinner mom was quiet and the last time she had anything to eat or
drink was at 6pm. We just sat around
watching TV and laughing the rest of the evening. Mom went to bed at 12:30am and has been in
good spirits. I even had a fairly easy
time getting her to change mostly because I have figured out a routine that
helps.
Thursday December 1st 2011
Mom did have a bladder accident this afternoon but did not
get the bed wet. I had my friend Patti
over for the day since Andrea was taking a day off. I had a lot of errands to run today but at
least it was a warmer and sunny day. I
have more to do tomorrow as well. I got
a phone call this morning from REJIS wanting to setup an interview for next
Monday afternoon. Patti said mom was
corporative except when Patti tried to get mom to put on her shirt. I got back home at 3:30pm but had to wait for
a phone call so mom and I had to wait until after dinner to go for a drive. Mom was up not napping at all the whole time
I was here. During dinner we talked
about the tree lights as normal. The
last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at
12:30am. We just drove around tonight
looking at the Xmas decorations on the houses.
Mom does enjoy seeing the lights and it gives her something to mention. We then watched TV and I did find a short
Xmas music special on which we both enjoyed.
With me mom has been in good spirits and about her normal talkativeness. Now keep in mind I tell mom countless times
that I love her and give her lots of hugs as well as act silly to make her
laugh. This all helps keep both of us in
good spirits. I did not get a lot of
static tonight when I had mom change into her nightgown.
