Things are still going well sans Mum. We’ve been busy running errands, going to happy hour at a fantastic outdoor restaurant and Dad and I even went shoe shopping- at his request. Got to love a Dad that wants to go shoe shopping with his daughter, ha! The Hubs, Dad & I also went to the movies to see Star Trek. It wasn’t my first pick but the men outnumbered me. The movie was bearable for me whereas Dad and the Hubs really liked it.
I asked Dad if he wanted to go to a local baseball game but he wasn’t as keen on the idea. It might have something to do with the Red Sox being on TV or he just doesn’t care- either way, it was fine by me.
This week has been going by fast without Mom, which I guess is a good thing. Although, I feel like Mom could have stayed away longer. She was so worried about being away and the problems that might ensue but really, Dad has surprisingly done well without her. I think this experience bodes well for the next time. That said, I’m sure Dad will definitely want to travel with Mom on the next getaway. He was talking just the other day about wanting to fly to a family wedding in August to see his Sisters and extended family. If he stays “good” we might be able to give flying a go.
I’d have to say, the only things that have been difficult with Dad is getting him to bed at night, dealing with his OCD and stubborn tendencies and some of Dad’s night time delusions. First, Dad refuses to go to bed before 11:30pm- he has to watch the late night news. Around 2am after he gets dressed and futs around doing this and that, he’s finally ready for bed. However, I can’t go to sleep until he’s ready because we have to say prayers together. I do enjoy sharing this moment with Dad, however, I just wish it could happen a lot earlier in the evening! Then there are Dad’s OCD tendacies and his major stubborness that just drive me batty and have me testing my patience. For the most part, I’ve kept my cool this week. Finally, for some reason Dad has these weird delusions about the Hubs which flare up at bedtime nearly every night. They eventually lead to Dad chasing down the Hubs, ready to fight him or yell at him. A sampling of his nightly delusions include the Hubs stealing Dad’s Dog, the light blowing out and it’s the Hubs fault, the neighbors yelling at Dad because Paul has the TV too loud (the TV is set low and we have no neighbors), the Hubs blasting Dad’s ears out with an imaginary generator and so forth. Nearly every other night, I’m chasing after Dad as he’s ready to go after the Hubs for something or other. There’s just no rationalizing with Dad and we have to give him time to cool off. Like I said, it only lasts for a few minutes and things settle down, so luckily things are relatively manageable. Really, bedtime is the only “painful” time for us in terms of Lewy acting up so we can handle it for now.
Just a few more days and Mom comes home!
Holly, how great that you and your husband are staying with your Dad so your mum can have a bit of R & R.
And thanks for posting those three educational videos
for caregivers, in particular the one by Tanis Furman. What came across as she speaks is something too often missing from this kind of lecture: an obvious compassion for both the patients and the family members who find themselves thrust into a job they never applied for, without so much as a one-page job description, and who want to do well at it.
About the turndown for the baseball game, do you think maybe the noise and the size of the crowd are becoming too much for him?
Jay
Hi Jay,
Glad you found those links helpful. About the baseball game, I was thinking he didn’t want to go, because as you said, maybe he doesn’t want to deal with the crowd or can’t focus as much. I’ve noticed lately that Dad has been zoning out more. I might ask him again if he wants to go to a game and see what he says the next time. I suspect there’s a deeper reason for him not wanting to attend the game.