Mama

My experiences while living with my mother and her Alzheimer's Disease.(her birthdate = January 2, 1925)

Monday, November 25, 2002

An early Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

This weekend Mama got it into her head that someone was coming to visit. She must have run to the front door a hundred times. One time she waited until I was in the bathroom, and proceeded to walk around the house looking for someone. She bribed Bandit with a treat so he was munching away when I tried to find her. She was ambling around the corner of the house with her scarf on her head.

I guess I am going to have to put a bell on the storm door like some stores have to alert them when the door opens.. I can tell when she opens the front door, but the storm door is silent. Of course, since I was a bit indisposed, I couldn’t have stopped her that time anyway.

Saturday afternoon Bandit and I went for a walk. I asked Mama if she wanted to join us. She giggled and said no. We headed off down the road. When I turned to back toward the house, I saw Mama walking toward us. Bandit saw her, too, and started running lickety split toward her. I was a bit scared that he would knock her over, but we were lucky. She said she just decided to meet us partway. I guess I won’t be able to take my evening walks anymore. Or maybe I will walk a shorter distance several times. That way I will be able to get to her before Bandit knocks her over or she falls on her own. Maybe I will have to dust off all those great pieces of exercise equipment and actually USE them. What an interesting idea!

I guess I will have to get a digital clock for the living room. Sunday afternoon, Mama decided it was 6:30 when it was actually 5:30. She started bugging me about going to the evening service at the Baptist Church, which starts at 7:00. We fussed back and forth about the correct time. She gritted her teeth and said, “Let’s go.” I said, “It’s not time yet!” She said, “Let’s go NOW!” I said, “It’s not time yet.” She pointed to the clock and said, “It is too time. See it is on the 6. If you won’t take me, I will just walk!” I shut the door and told her she wasn’t walking ANYWHERE, and I would take her when it was time to go. I mean that is my only hour in the house without anyone there. Would I mess that up?????????? I don’t think so!

Last night she kept getting up to check outside. She told me that someone waits until we are asleep and ALWAYS comes to see us. We keep missing them because we are asleep. I told her no one comes, but she wouldn’t believe me. I was afraid she was going to take another walk around the house so I got up every time to check on her.

About 3:30 this morning, I heard her bedroom door open. She whispered something, I asked her, “What?” She said, “I thought you were up, but I guess you weren’t.” I said, “What did you want.?” She said, “I love you.” She walked over to my bed, losing one of her slippers in the new rug I have on my floor (discovered in my storage stuff) as she shuffled over to give me a hug. I told her, through gritted teeth, that I loved her too. Then I told her to go back to bed.

We just have all the fun.

An early Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

This weekend Mama got it into her head that someone was coming to visit. She must have run to the front door a hundred times. One time she waited until I was in the bathroom, and proceeded to walk around the house looking for someone. She bribed Bandit with a treat so he was munching away when I tried to find her. She was ambling around the corner of the house with her scarf on her head.

I guess I am going to have to put a bell on the storm door like some stores have to alert them when the door opens.. I can tell when she opens the front door, but the storm door is silent. Of course, since I was a bit indisposed, I couldn’t have stopped her that time anyway.

Saturday afternoon Bandit and I went for a walk. I asked Mama if she wanted to join us. She giggled and said no. We headed off down the road. When I turned to back toward the house, I saw Mama walking toward us. Bandit saw her, too, and started running lickety split toward her. I was a bit scared that he would knock her over, but we were lucky. She said she just decided to meet us partway. I guess I won’t be able to take my evening walks anymore. Or maybe I will walk a shorter distance several times. That way I will be able to get to her before Bandit knocks her over or she falls on her own. Maybe I will have to dust off all those great pieces of exercise equipment and actually USE them. What an interesting idea!

I guess I will have to get a digital clock for the living room. Sunday afternoon, Mama decided it was 6:30 when it was actually 5:30. She started bugging me about going to the evening service at the Baptist Church, which starts at 7:00. We fussed back and forth about the correct time. She gritted her teeth and said, “Let’s go.” I said, “It’s not time yet!” She said, “Let’s go NOW!” I said, “It’s not time yet.” She pointed to the clock and said, “It is too time. See it is on the 6. If you won’t take me, I will just walk!” I shut the door and told her she wasn’t walking ANYWHERE, and I would take her when it was time to go. I mean that is my only hour in the house without anyone there. Would I mess that up?????????? I don’t think so!

Last night she kept getting up to check outside. She told me that someone waits until we are asleep and ALWAYS comes to see us. We keep missing them because we are asleep. I told her no one comes, but she wouldn’t believe me. I was afraid she was going to take another walk around the house so I got up every time to check on her.

About 3:30 this morning, I heard her bedroom door open. She whispered something, I asked her, “What?” She said, “I thought you were up, but I guess you weren’t.” I said, “What did you want.?” She said, “I love you.” She walked over to my bed, losing one of her slippers in the new rug I have on my floor (discovered in my storage stuff) as she shuffled over to give me a hug. I told her, through gritted teeth, that I loved her too. Then I told her to go back to bed.

We just have all the fun.