I guess we have settled
into living with dementia. Some times are good and some times are
not so good.
The other day some ladies
were here playing bridge. It was my time to bid and James came
wondering in from the bedroom and stood behind me. He said “You're
not going to let her bid are you? Especially with that hand”. And
we all laughed; that is exactly the kind of thing he would have said
before he got sick.
A few days ago my friend,
Karen was saying how upset she had been but she went home and talked
it over with her husband and then felt better about the whole thing.
That was a little unexpected knife thrust into my heart. I will
never again be able to talk things over with James and feel better
about them. Not Karen's fault – just a fact of life with dementia.
I still thank
the Lord he is easy to get along with. He has gone down physically
a little more. Doesn't walk as well.
We are having a
wedding in the family this Friday night – our daughter's daughter.
There are all kinds of contingent plans made for James. If he gets
restless at the reception or whenever, our son will take him home and
stay with him and I can stay for the
festivities. And I expect that to happen. His patience are thin and
he gets bored easily when he is not at home in his own little nest.
He won't remember the wedding by the time he gets home and we could
easily get someone to stay with him but then we would not have him in
any of the wedding pictures.
There
is a picture of my grandfather who died before I was born. Every
time my mother would see that picture she would remark, “That was
taken after he got sick”. I think James in these wedding pictures
might be like that.
