AUGUST ...NOW ITS OCTOBER 24, MANY CHANGES

LOTS HAS HAPPENED TO MOM SINCE AUGUST.  THIS IS HER READING ( LOOKING) AT ONE OF HER BIRTHDAY CARDS..FROM KENNY AND CAROLYN.  SHE DOESN'T REALLY EVEN UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE..BUT..THEN WHEN YOU ASK HER THE NAMES OF HER CHILDREN...SHE NAMES THEM ALL IN ORDER.

 HER 96 BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS GREAT. WENT TO A RESTAURANT. AT 6PM THAT NIGHT WHEN I ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED MORE CAKE..SHE SAID WHAT WAS THE CAKE FOR.  ?  MY BIRTHDAY? WELL HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE WITHOUT ME???

SO 3 HOURS IN A RESTAURANT, BALLOONS, FAMILY..GONE.

MY SADILITY GROUP AT CHURCH CELEBRATES OCTOBER AS THE MONTH OF OUR MOTHER THE VIRGIN MARY..AND WE GET TO BRING HOME THE BLESSED STATUE FOR ONE NIGHT...SO I PUT IT IN MOMS ROOM BY HER BED.  IT WAS ABOUT 9PM SO MOM IS JUST ABOUT ASLEEP BUT WE SAID THE ROSARY ANYWAY.  GREAT MEMORY ( FOR ME)! 

 MOM IS SITTING AT HER TABLE.  ITS DECORATED FOR HALLOWEEN, WITH HER PUMPKIN, HER WITCH PLACEMAT AND HER PUMPKIN TEDDY..SOME OF WHICH SHE REMEMBERS IS HERS.  THERE ARE TIMES I PICK UP THE ITEMS TO WASH THE PLACEMAT AND SHE WILL SAY ' HEY THOSE ARE MINE'.  AMAZING.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE ITS MORNING AND SHE LOOKS HALF AWAKE, BUT LATELY THATS ABOUT THE MOST SHE OPENS HER EYES.  SHE TALKS..SHE IS VERY SWEET IN THE MORNING..SAYING GOOD MORNING BUT...SHE SEEMS IN A DAZE..TIRED...JUST NOT REALLY UP FOR THE DAY!!

SHE WILL TELL YOU ' I DO THE SAME THING EVERY DAY.NOTHING.'.  I SAY NO, YOU PLAYED CARDS TODAY, WENT FOR A WALK IN YOUR WHEELCHAIR, HELPED UNLOAD THE DISHWASHER'.  SHE SAYS I DID???  THEN THERE ARE DAYS WHEN YOU SAY WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY AND SHE WILL SAY ' I WENT TO CHICAGO..AND THEN DROVE ALL THE WAY HOME..SO I AM TIRED'.

EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT.

TODAY IS OCTOBER 24TH.   THE HOSPICE GIRL, CASSY  COMES AND BATHS HER AND PUT A RIBBON IN HER HAIR AND THIS PRETTY WHITE GOWN ON..SHE LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE GIRL GOING TO A PARTY..SO I TOLD HER SO!!!

BUT TODAY IS A BAD DAY...NOT UP 2 HOURS AND WANTS TO KNOW WHERE SHE IS...AND " WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ME"..SO MUCH ANXIETY....MOM JUST DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON...I KEEP TELLING HER SHE IS HERE WITH ME AND SHE SAYS ' OH I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT'.  BUT 15 MINUTES LATER..SHE FORGETS...HER DEMENTIA IS WORSE THEN EVER....

THE BEST PART OF THE DAY IS THE EVENING...FOR WHATEVER REASON..SHE KNOWS ME..KNOWS SHE IS IN HER ROOM...BUT SHE IS CONFUSED AS TO WHERE SHE HAS BEEN ALL DAY... ' JUDY SO NICE OF YOU TO DROP BY'.  NO MOM, I LIVE HERE WITH YOU...

THIS IS A LONG SAD JOURNEY.  MOM IS GETTING SO BAD.  SHE HARDLY PARTICIPATES IN THE DAY AS SHE USED TO..DOES ONLY WHAT WE MAKE HER DO..EMPTY DISHWASHER SILVERWARE..COUNTS THE PLACES WHERE A SPOON GOES, BUT WE TRY TO KEEP HER BUSY LIKE THIS..I DON'T WANT HER JUST SITTING HERE ALL DAY...

I HAVE ONE CAREGIVER WHO PURPOSELY STRAIGHTENS DRAWERS..WILL TAKE EVERYTHING OUT..AND MAKE MOM TELL HER WHAT THE ITEM IS AS SHE PUTS IT BACK..MAKES FOR A GOOD TIME WITH MOM..AND NICE ORGANIZED DRAWERS!!!!

MOM SAYS ' ITS A MIXED UP WORLD'.  YES MOM..AND YOUR IN IT. SADLY

GOD BLESS MOLLIE