 |
| Bette Davis as Margo Channing in "All About Eve" |
Bill's hospice healthcare nurse made her weekly visit yesterday. We had a long talk.
Good news and (of course) bad news.
The good news is that Bill's leg wound has completely healed. No more daily cleaning of his leg wound and applying new dressing. The twice a day egg custards that I am feeding to Bill obviously has greatly helped his healing process.
The bad news is that Bill is showing signs of early dementia. He's having trouble looking for words. Common every day words. This frustrates him as well as me. Having a conversation with Bill is gradually getting more difficult. He will ask me a question and when I give him an answer he's forgotten he's asked me a question. At first this was funny but it's not funny anymore. Again, we'll manage the best we can. I try to put this latest development in perspective. Again, it could be worse. For instance I finally was able to get in contact with my longtime friend Lar (since 3rd grade). Larry was diagnosed with ALS over seven years ago. His decline has been gradual over the years but he was still able to get around. No more. He can no longer walk. He is totally bed bound. That means he is totally dependent on nursing care which he has at his home. Of course I asked him "How do you go to the bathroom?" You know the answer, he goes in his Depends. Then is nurse has to change him and clean him up. Full cycle here from baby to old age. Thank goodness Bill isn't THERE yet. I'm not sure if I can care for him that much. Bill can still manage to go to the bathroom on his own. But then Bill has trouble swallowing which Larry doesn't. Bill also is blind whereas Larry's vision is fine. I don't know which is worse. And me? I have trouble walking. I hope I can stay healthy enough, long enough to care for Bill until he make his final exit.
As Bette Davis famously said "Getting old isn't for sissies!"
Bette Davis - at the end of her life
2 comments:
I am caught up in your musings.
Glad that Bill is doing well. His leg is healed and television hooked up. The dementia thing is going to get worse before it gets better. It's difficult for patients who know what is going on and can't recall things as they should. It can be very frustrating for them and their caregivers.
I am glad that you are getting out and moving about. Have you looked into taking collagen and or magnesium glycinate? I take both to keep lubricated at 66 years of age. The collagen is for my joints and the magnesium is to prevent any leg cramps. I still workout 6 days a week-cardio and weights. Just keep moving is the key. Great that you are still reaching out to your friends.
So Pat is pairing down. I could live in that amount of space. It would depend on how things are layed out. I would want storage. I hate clutter. Your house is just way too big for me. Now I could take the land and move to a nice forest type area. My condo is on only 832 square feet.
I think you hit the nail on the head with competition. I just don't like any company-internet, grocery stores, cell-phone...-having a monoply and or have two or three companies being the sole players in any field. I will let you weigh in on the banks. Something is fishy there. We have been going down the road of too big to fail for a long time. I don't think we have learned anything since 2008. I heard skuttlebutt a few years after that we were headed down that road again and banks have learned nothing. I am also uncomfortable with the constant rise in interest rates with companies having record profits in many sectors. The dots do not connect for me. I need to dig deeper. What I can say is competition keeps everyone honest and better customer service.
Bette is right. Getting old is not for sissies.
Be well!!
Ron, you may want to discuss with Bill's doctor some oral medications that might help slow down his cognitive decline. It does sound like early stages and sometimes coming in early in the game might help slow the process. Maybe this article might help.
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/medicines-to-treat-dementia
I think staying put is a good idea as long as you can maintain the house and property. As far as the outside stuff, that you can always hire out to help maintain. I'm thankful to be in a condo myself as I have no desire to do outside maintenance and that stuff is getting harder to do. Some days the inside stuff is a challenge! Bette was right on. Getting old is not for sissies nor about anyone else as I see it! Take care.
Paranormal John
Post a Comment