Archive for July 27th, 2007

Finally taped a Fancy Feast label to the cabinet door. It’s agony to watch Him try to find the food.
I said, “I hope you don’t mind but there’s a label to make it easier for you.” He thanked me.

I’m not positive why my Hon sleeps so much. I have a couple ideas – Aricept causes fatigue, not sleepiness but fatigue. Also, sometimes maybe he sleeps because it’s easier than trying to function.
After I mowed the front lawn, he helped me – I raked and he collected the piles of grass into a garbage bucket.

Life is not easy for him and rest is a blessing – I hope. I wish and pray for answers but no one has any for me. Guess I don’t need to know “why”, do I?

It is a bit lonely but at least I have him with me and he always comes down the hall smiling after his sleeps! If I have a nap (which is only if I’m sick as a dog!), I wake up like a bear – a hungry bear. So bless your heart, my Dear!

Going to run errands on a very hot day – suggested my Hon go to S&R’s while I roar around. He said we’d go there after. “I’ll stick with you.” Then he gave me the most wonderful smile. These are definitely memories to treasure.

My Hon has always been an avid reader. We will be sitting together and he’ll say, “I’ve probably read this to you before, but do you want to hear a cute story?” Readers Digest is great for their humorous little clips so he gets a lot of laughs and I do, too. Yes, Hon, sometimes you will read me the same clip 5 times in a row but I never stop loving your love of life and love of humor.

Herman comic is a fav of his and he sits with his collection of Herman books – sometimes he will burst out laughing and hand the book to me. So sweet. So Him.

I worked for 2 years after his diagnosis. Something very helpful (1)was to keep his cell turned on and only people who knew and cared about us had the number. Therefore, if a close friend called to take him for coffee, that person knew the routine about his safety and what to do or not do. Example: make sure door is locked and key is not left in the door outside.

(2) Turn the ringer off on the home phones and let calls go to voice mail.

(3) Painted a small stripe with a black felt marker on our mail box – it was agony for him to find the correct box and that helped so much. Now (July 07) he is having trouble finding the box – I usually have to point it out and then let him get the mail. He also is having difficulty closing/locking it. Tries to turn the lock manually but finally remembers to turn it with the key. (He never left he house to go for mail unless I was with him.)

(4) Lay clothes out for the next day and take away the worn clothes to the laundry.

(5) Make lunch and leave a note on the table. Phone him to remind him to eat breakfast and take his meds. Phone at lunch to remind him to eat lunch.

***Eventually, just before I quit work, he would put his meal in the microwave and forget to eat it. Or maybe he couldn’t run it. He can’t now (July 07) without help.