Me and Mr. Alzheimer

Hi gentle reader,

I hope you day is going well for you. My day is a so-so kind of day. 

This morning I had difficulty speak in complete sentences and would stutter or forget for a minute what I was trying to say. Twice I got up from the livingroom sofa and got half way to where I was going. That can drive you nuts!Talk about being absent minded...it was like driving in a strange place using your GPS and suddenly, with out warning it goes dead and you get that sence of being lost. Yes gentle reader, I know it comes with age. However, in my case old age I am sure plays a part but I know it is mostly Mr Alzhiemer messing with me again.

It's times like that that you want to give yourself a wack up side the head but then you know that wouldn't help and besides it hurts.

For me with Alzheimer's, these sort of things happen too often. There are some nights as it gets dark I start to panic, the darkness is a fearful place for me some nights. Lisa got some little plug in wall lights and put them in our long hallway and bathrooms. That helps quite a bit and is very comforting. This New Years, starting with New Years Eve guess what? You got it gentle reader, Mr. Alsheimer started screwing around again.Yup, two out of three the little light bulbs burned out. The bulbs are the type you use to use on the christmas tree. Now we have those tiny LED type ones ones.Great! so now I dealing with the dark again and I can't steal bubs from the tree either.  Thanks Mr. Alzheimer, I really didn't need your New Years gift. Ok gentle reader. I need to tell you we do still have the tree up. It's like one of those artifical green jobs prelighted and to take it down you just jam it into the box when you remember where the heck the box is.

Today I found it! and that's what I did...jammed the tree...lights and all in to the box. There done. I forgot where I put the packing tape to seal the box, so that became a project. I have other stuff too that need to come down, but you don't want to rush into these things. Lately my motto is "if you can put off today what you can do tomorrow do it." Besides I like Christmas decorations,The lights bring me comfort and peace, it's the putting up and taking down that's a pain.

Gentle reader, I got a neighbor across the street who has a two story house complete with gables and everything. He hangs all kinds of lights and wreaths all over the house. Looks like he also had a bunch of stuff inside too. It was fun watching him put it all up then take it all down....That's not for me, thank you. If I did that, they would be up all year round if I didn't kill myself in doing all that climbing on the roof and gables.

But this darkness deal....that scary to most Alzheimer's folks. If your in a lighted area and about to walk into the dark area and you have Alzheimer's the fear that that situation creates at times is beyond discription. It's like your going to step off the edge of light into a dark bottomless void. It doesn't happen all the time but when it does it is terrifying experience.

One way you can help someone with this fear is to paint the wall behind the toilet black. By doing that the Alzheimer's patient  doesn't fall over the toilet and is stopped by the blackness. Another safety item is to put a colorful toilet seat on the toilet thus making it highly visiable. Another thing is not to have round trash bathroom, kitchen and study baskets. It's a good idea to hide them or by ones with covers. You see the one with Alzheimer's may think it is a toilet and try to use it.

Many accidents and falls dear reader, causing broken hips is stuff on the floor around the traveled areas of the house.

Real and artifical flowery plants can also be dangerous because they smell good and can be seen as a food item. Covering wall plugs that are not in use should be cover with those plastic plugs that protect children. these are good to protect Alzheimer folks too.

Well gentle reader gotta go, it's laundry time and I was going to do that yesterday but today is yesterday's tomorrow and....well you get the idea. I'll see you around the next visit. Remember all this is Mr. Alzheimers fault.  You know the spelling, grammer etc.

Etc. is a good word especially if your forgetful like me...

As always, your comments and suggestions are allways welcome. Pastor Kaye +