That's Life

Nana & Grandy at Goldie & Jimmy's in Middletown

We have faced the fact that we're dealing with the onset of Stage IV Alzheimer's Disease.  We do have one problem and that's trying to figure out how much comprehension that is missing is due to the disease or the fact that the third set of hearing aids may not be working as good as the first ones, or the second ones.  This time we had to cough up about $250 a  year for insurance on the blasted things.

Right, now, the best way to describe the situation is like dealing with Grandy's dementia.  The short term memory is not firing on all thrusters.  Fortunately, he's stopped asking about his brother and parents. I don't know how long that is going to ask.  What he does ask, on a daily basis:

1.  Are all the taxes paid?
2.  Is there enough money in the bank?
3.  Did you go to the post office today?
4.  Was there any mail?
5.  Is there oil and anti-freeze in everything?
6.  Are we staying here tonight?
7.  I need to get  your mother something for Christmas.
8.  What about the taxes?

Today, when my mother said he wanted to talk, I told her to tell him, the taxes were paid, there was money in the bank, I hadn't gone to the post office, and John Vega had taken care of his old trucks.  He laughed.  I told her to ask if his refrigerator was running.  He thought that was funny when she told him to go catch it, that obviously I had no 'respect' for his questions.  It was all in good fun.

Funny thing, he can go to the store, and completely calculate price per ounce of something, telling MD what is the best buy on something.  He's still reading his cowboy books.  I told her about a Bible passage I wanted her to read.  She asked him to get the Bible for her.  "Which version?"  That was a question he would always ask.  He read the chapter to her twice, discussing it.

He is getting frail and tired.  He forgets where things go. She keeps telling him what to do.  Yesterday, when they discovered they had a busted pipe down by the well, he had a fit, wanting to go fix it.  She finally had to get quite specific, telling him no.  Then, he got over it.  The neighbor came over and visited with him.  That helped.



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