Saturday. Going to be a different kind of day. Weather is expected to get really rough in Birmingham. Some local storms overnight but the chance of some real rocky weather has the newscasters buzzing and the school has called off Kate's rehearsals. We've put up anything outside that could fly around, golf cart in the garage, pets inside and hunkered down waiting, just waiting.
For all of the wonderful spring like weather we've had in the past week, today it is dark outside, which would be a perfect day for laying around and watching the tube but I have much work to catch up on. Put the frozen Easter ham bone in a pot, soaked some pinto beans and have just put them on the cook.
The smell of Texas is wafting through the house as I update blogs and reflect on this past week.
Sunday, we were reminded how blessed we are to have such great friends. Jim, Debbie, Diane, Pete, Lori, Bobby, Leticia and many more gathered on the hill in Helena for a mini reunion complete with burgers and fixins. I made a very large homemade banana pudding with thoughts that there would be too much and leftovers but that was not the case. I only left drippings in the pan as we packed to leave before dark with the newest member of our zoo.
Igor, the first baby duckling was pecking through his egg as we were packing the car preparing to leave for the pool party. It was extraordinary to see as we had all babied the eggs that their mother would not sit. (will post more on the baby ducks later)
Friday morning came with fits and starts. As posted, Bill is hard to rouse in the mornings. It has become ritual to let him "sleep until he wakes up" as sudden starts in the morning create confusion for him the rest of the day. Most AD patients have issues at night (sundowners), however our biggest challenge is morning. It takes him several hours then, after waking, to get his bearings.
So, to be at UAB by 9 and combining the car pool with Kate to school by 8 meant that he needed to be up and at it by 6:30. I assumed that he would not bath, just shave, but I was wrong. He wanted a shower and after he got in, I could not get him out.
We did get him out, dressed and in the car with breakfast by 7:00, Kate to school by 7:45 and in the parking garage at UAB by 8:00. We were early and I was rattled.
Because of the last MRI and the issues Bill had with the cage around his head and tightness of the tube, I had given him 2- .25 Xanax with his morning meds.
After arrival at the normal location, we walked alone down the street 2 blocks to the MRI facility where he did great, except that he fell asleep several times and began to snore. Those sections of the MRI had to be repeated.
Back to the Dr's office, they ran another mini mental exam. Bill had been scoring in the 17's consistently, but yesterday only scored a 15.
Then, back up the street several blocks to the Jefferson Tower in the hospital for blood work, then back the the Dr's office for Dr. Kinney to see him for about 5 minutes. This certainly doesn't sound like much, but we did not leave the UAB parking deck until 1:30 pm. I was exhausted.
Am somewhat worried about the score of 15, but believe that I may have induced this with the meds to relax him for MRI. The nurses may have been alarmed which answers why Dr. Kinney decided to see him when it wasn't initially planned for.
Sometime mid-June we will be back for another infusion and that will be another all day event in the hospital. Have requested again that they schedule Mr. Henry's infusion the same day so the two old geezers can act out together, give the nurses heck and generally cut up.
Is he getting worse? I am afraid so. Yesterday he tried to let the garage door down with the car key remote. He changed clothes last night at 8:00 pm, not into pajama pants or shorts, but into walking shorts and t-shirt similar to what he would wear during the day. On Wednesday, with Wade here I asked him what season it was and with clues he said "Spring". When I then asked what month it was, he said "August".
If you are a caregiver, you know of these things. If you are an onlooker, you are amazed. If you are an outsider, you have no idea.
Until next time......
Just Brantley
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