Visitors and Laughter

We’ve had lots of adventures of late. Mom’s youngest sister came to visit for several days and we had a continuing party! She spent most of the day, each day, sitting with mom and talking to her, watching movies with her and just giggling over everything that came up. They even stayed up until 9:30 or 10:00 several nights. The first night I made them stop giggling and go to bed, but then I realized that they were having so much fun, if it exhausted mom and she slept for a week it would be worth every minute of it to see her smiling and so happy. Well, by the last day Mom was worn out and she slept most of the day, but my Aunt got two or three days of visiting in, with more wakeful time that mom had exhibited in a long time.

And she has slept like a rock for most of the time since then.

She is also dropping her intake of foods and fluids dramatically. She still eats a good breakfast, but dinner is just a few bites, most days. We try to get her to drink as much as we can, but she often drinks only 6 to 12 ounces a day now. That is impacting her fluid output, of course, and that makes me worry about kidney failure when combined with her diabetes. The reduction in fluid intake can also impact her bowel movements, making them hard and painful. So we keep pushing fluids even when she declines them.

As a result of her dropping intake, she is also losing weight. I can now lift her up and hold her while the caregiver cleans her during her daily ablutions. We had to roll her from side to side previously, but this is much less painful and disconcerting for her, so, in a way, it’s a good thing. It’s sort of the upside of the downer.

We have had some very warm and sunny days of late and Mom is sleeping through much of them, but she is more fitful in that sleep in the mornings and willing to engage in movies in the early afternoon, so I am still hopeful that this summer may help her to be more wakeful and alert.

She has started seeing “family” again and has repeatedly called me by my father’s name when she wakes up in the morning, but is still groggy. She asked me yesterday if I was him now. I’m not sure what that meant, but what I told her was that he was one of a kind and I am not him, but I am taking care of her now like he used to do. She seemed to be happy with that answer and went back to sleep.

On a last joyful note, she has really grown fond of the dog now. The dog will come and lie on the bed while we take care of mom in the morning, watching over her. When we’ve finished, the dog gets up and goes back to sitting in the sun or prowling the yard for potentially dangerous sea gulls. Of course, she is always on stand by when Mom is eating. Recently, Mom woke up at one point, looked around and called the dog’s name. I asked her if she was looking for the dog and she said, “Yes.” So I called in the dog and she sat there and let mom pet her head for a few minutes until mom drifted back off to sleep. It’s good to see them becoming buddies!