What's the best thing that's happened to you in th... - Page 3

Gram W · ‎01-22-2013

@sandraskates. Thank you for this blog. Reading it reminded me of my father who had Alzheimers and his last 2 years his memory left almost totally. I traveled every weekend to spend time with him for a visit. Things you might enjoy doing with your father is looking at family pictures. Dad often reacted to pictures when we were young and his early years. We would watch TV and he reacted to the shows from the 50s. We loved the game shows. Others with similar memory problems would watch also. It became a contest to see who could answer first. Questions from that time period seemed to jog their memories. A lady brought music,play a couple of lines and they would guess the song. Then she would play the whole song and they would sing with it. Playing these games were some of the only times a few people smiled. I know nurses can not take time to play but such little things brought smiles and group interaction. One old gentleman eventually joined us just to sit and clap. Dad had been gone 5 years and I miss him and mom so much. During this time he did not know who I was but he seems to know when it was time for my visit and would be waiting by the elevator. The first thing I saw when the door open was his big smile. I like to think he always knew how much his family loved him. I don't know what triggered his memories but we never gave up trying to make contact to bring happiness to him like he always did for us. Treasure your moments with your father.. Best of luck. I will pray that you have many more moments together.

libbyannE · ‎10-27-2010

@Shorty2U wrote:
I'm glad that you have those special moments with your dear dad.

As for me, my yearly mammogram just came back clear. (I had breast cancer 7 years ago this month).

@Shorty2

Thank you.

SEVEN years? How wonderful! I'm so happy for you.

libbyannE · ‎10-27-2010

@Gram W wrote:
@sandraskates. Thank you for this blog. Reading it reminded me of my father who had Alzheimers and his last 2 years his memory left almost totally. I traveled every weekend to spend time with him for a visit. Things you might enjoy doing with your father is looking at family pictures. Dad often reacted to pictures when we were young and his early years. We would watch TV and he reacted to the shows from the 50s. We loved the game shows. Others with similar memory problems would watch also. It became a contest to see who could answer first. Questions from that time period seemed to jog their memories. A lady brought music,play a couple of lines and they would guess the song. Then she would play the whole song and they would sing with it. Playing these games were some of the only times a few people smiled. I know nurses can not take time to play but such little things brought smiles and group interaction. One old gentleman eventually joined us just to sit and clap. Dad had been gone 5 years and I miss him and mom so much. During this time he did not know who I was but he seems to know when it was time for my visit and would be waiting by the elevator. The first thing I saw when the door open was his big smile. I like to think he always knew how much his family loved him. I don't know what triggered his memories but we never gave up trying to make contact to bring happiness to him like he always did for us. Treasure your moments with your father.. Best of luck. I will pray that you have many more moments together.

@Gram W

i appreciate reading about your experience. It's difficult to be a five-hour drive away from Dad, but we are going back at the end of this week. I wish I could see him every day or even every week. He and my stepmither, who has Alzheimer's, were still in their home with 24-hour in-home care until Dad fell and broke his leg just three weeks ago. He had surgery, and now he is in a home for physical rehab. All this has taken a predictable toll on him and he has slipped to new cognitive lows. Day at a time...

granny me · ‎09-05-2014

I said earlier this evening it has been a good day because I haven't been as sick today.

mistriTsquirrel · ‎07-17-2010

This past week has been full of anxiety and disappointment...but it's been nice to re-connect with people here after being gone for a long time.

Also, I stayed at my mom's house for a night, and I got to watch some shows on the ID channel, which was nice (I don't have cable).

"Heartburn Can Cause Cancer" -- www.ecan.org

Gram W · ‎01-22-2013

@libbyannE. I sounds like we have similar stories. Mom and Dad lived 90 minutes from me and they took care of each other. Dad took care of Mom doing and she asked. She might have to ask twice but that is a story with a laugh. My sister and father were in a car accident. She almost did not make it but he was not seriously hurt. The doctors but him in the hospital while some bruises healed. They confined him to bed getting up only for the bathroom. That started his decline. He lost the ability to walk and take care of personal needs during the 7 weeks in the hospital. He was put in a nursing home while waiting for a place with his needs. An Alzheimer patient survives on repetition, at least he did. He was kept in a wheelchair but allowed to go visit on his floor. They "lost" him a few times. He knew the nurses had to push a button for visitors to leave so he hopped a ride. He loved people and he was never a person to sit still. If I said I had stopped to eat before seeing him he had to see my receipt. He checked the math and each time he told me I had figured the tip wrong. He was using 20%. I would say that tips have gone up and he would tell me times were changing. Make her reat memories inspite of the circumstances. Never feel guilty about how much time just make the best of each visit. It sounds like he probably has no sense of time. He will feel your love.

libbyannE · ‎10-27-2010

@Gram W

Thank you for sharing all that. I never forget that my dad and stepmother are among so very many, like your dad, who suffer with these diseases. I'm sorry for what you went through. We have worked hard for several years to keep them at home, and my stepsister and I have been really involved every day in the details of their lives. Lots of travel, but even from my home, I have been busy managing their care, giving groceries delivered, etc. It has been worth it because they wanted to remain at home. Now we have moved on to another stage, but I still feel lucky to have them. And I still have my 90-year-old mother living nearby! I'm lucky, and I know it. Your comment about guilt helps. It's hard because I want to be there every day!