It has been a bit stressful in my corner of the world this week.
I don't seem to have the horribly way-too-busy-life stress so many people seem to have, but like water, stress seeks it's own level.
Understandably, it is stressful to watch my mom spiral downward. No, she isn't doing terribly, but it is becoming more difficult for her to speak. Sunday she had a very good day. Yesterday when my dad and I went to visit we were able to attend the hymn sing with her. Physically she looks very healthy. But, it's still a very sad disease to witness.
Just going to a nursing home is stressful to me. I have to work up the strength to go. Although it seems weird to say it, I'm glad that my mom isn't all that aware of her surroundings. She is always happy to see us, but except for my dad, we are all now "Grace" who is her twin sister who also has Alzheimer's. Thankfully, she is always happy to see 'her Grace'. Which really sounds funny, when you think about it. Ironically, when the aid asked me yesterday if I was 'her Grace', she did not curtsy.
My dad somehow joined something again that we have to get him out of. I think he has finally been convinced to not answer calls from UNKNOWN sources. And to think that he was always the one who told us to beware of things that sound to good to be true. And, then the 'gift' he was to recieve for joining this 'whatever' was stolen from his mailbox.
And, darling Jonge is not recovering as quickly from his mystery illness as we had hoped. The fever is gone, but in it's place is an extremely moody 2 1/2 year old. He will be just fine and sweet and helpful and adorable then SUDDENLY - and I do mean SUDDENLY - something will bother him severely and he becomes inconsolable. This is not behaviour he has ever exhibited, which has left his mommy and me totally bewildered.
Daughter is always a good source of 'interesting people' stories. Monday she had two very unusual customers. She was working the lunch shift when a strange guy came in. He had what she said could only be described as a 'homeless' look about him. Awhile later, a woman came in who also fit that description. Although, she said this woman looked like she was maybe 'not quite the full quid' or else a wee bit drunk. This is really a dilemma for people who work in restaurants. It's not considered polite to ask to smell someone's breath. So, Daughter stressed about this a bit and called her boss to give an assessment of the situation.
To make a long story shorter, the homeless looking man bought a beer for the homeless looking woman. Then, he admitted to Daughter that he was not able to drive home and could she call him a cab, which she very happily did. The homeless looking woman then asked the homeless looking man if she could share his cab.
He replied with a firm "No".
Daughter called another cab.
When the homeless looking man left he handed Daughter a note.
On it was scrawled this message.
"She mitt [sic] be Jesus. You never know."
Daughter's response - although he wasn't there anymore to hear it - was:
"Well if she WAS Jesus, YOU just bought her a beer, and then REFUSED to share your cab with her! So write yourself a note!"
I have no idea what this has to do with the stress in my life, except maybe that it gave me a good laugh and relieved some of it.
Not that I think that it's funny to laugh at people more unfortunate than oneself, but it is always very amusing to watch Daughter act out scenes from her incredibly interesting life.
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5 comments:
I'm so sorry about your mom.
I thought about you at the ocean--there are good thrift stores there.
I know what you mean about having to work yourself up to visit someone in a nursing home - we've been having such hard visits with Glen. Last time we visited, He was huddled in bed and there was urine on the floor.
Your daughter's story is fascinating to me. People are so strange.
After going through a similar time with my own mother, I have come to realize that God still held her in the palm of his hand, even with the state of mind she lived in during her last days. She wasn't stressed because she didn't know what was happening to her. She had perfect peace, which is what we ultimately want for them. In my mother's case, it was actually merciful. I was still able to love her and she received it from me - whoever I was to her!
My mother has had Alzheimer's for over 20 years. She has been in a nursing home for eight. Sometimes she knows me, but usually doesn't.
She has good days, when she enjoys her life, but gets urinary tract infections a lot, and we nearly lost her last month.
It is difficult, but she seems content. For that I am grateful.
Must be the phase of the moon! My week has been stressful, too. Youngest daughter, who is pregnant was diagnosed as a carrier of the Cystic Fibrosis gene, mother is sick again, and I had a very bad reaction to a prescribed medication
We just have to have faith that our loved ones are in God's hands.
ya... I'm stressed out too.
And as for the mood swings... my kids have done that too. He is probably just off-kilter from being sick. Or perhaps getting his molars? I know my son Owen gets like that when he has ear infections.
kids.
and parents.
what's a girl to do?
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