November 2017
Dad's memory is definitely not getting any better, he often thinks that he is about 18-20 years old and he wants to go back "home" to Salt Lake to be with his mother. Most of the time he doesn't remember who I am and he calls Robin, "that woman". He doesn't remember that he was married for over 50 years, and he talks a lot about his friends - the ones he had when he was young. He continuously talks about a truck that he left somewhere and he wants us to take him to it.
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| Dad has the shiniest shoes around because he spends hours each day shining them - with a polisher attached to his drill. |
But yet, suddenly without warning he will be lucid and remember recent details like my husband's name. Dementia is so strange! There is no predicting how he will be at any given time. Fortunately for the most part he is calm. I have heard of some dementia patients who get very agitated and mean. Dad isn't like that. However he frequently gets depressed and frustrated because he "can't do anything right". He repeatedly states that he just wants to die and once even told me to take him downstairs and hit him over the head with an ax. It is so hard to watch him be sad like that.
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| Visiting mom's grave |
We are so blessed to live in this day and age where we can easily stay in contact with people far away. Tasha and Zane send us pictures and Marco Polo videos almost every day of Ish so we feel like we can be part of his life while he is growing up. I look forward to each and every picture and video!
And then, happy day . . . Tasha and Ish came to visit! They came the week before Thanksgiving while Zane was at a conference in San Diego. Apparently at this point Ish is a good traveler on the plane, thank goodness! Shandra and I picked them up from the airport and I thought that Shandra was going to have a nervous breakdown waiting for them! She was so excited to see her cute little nephew for the first time. She literally ran to the escalator and ripped Ish from Tasha's arms. It was so cute!
She stayed for only 5 days, but we packed a ton of memory making, fun times into that short time. Ish didn't get put down at all because there was always someone's arms ready and willing to hold him. Kalel loved playing with him and was great at getting Ish to smile. Shandra's boyfriend, Hayden, turned out to be a fantastic babysitter and we all had to fight him for turns to hold Ish. I always love having Tasha here, I miss her so much, but this trip was extra special because the baby was here too.
It was hard when Tasha and Ish left to fly home - but just a little easier because they are coming back to spend the Christmas holidays! Yea! We only have to wait a few weeks to see them again.
I opted to stay home on Black Friday this year, Robin really wanted to go and someone needed to stay with dad. Kim was a real trouper and stayed at dad's house with me. Roxane and JoCee came up and played games. Shandra and Hayden joined us. It was really fun!
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