Sometimes it Takes Two Days

My mom is better today, much better.  Dad's visiting her.

Yesterday morning, when she woke up, she was fine.  I wrote my post and told the world that my mom was better after a nights rest.

Everything was fine.   I really don't know what happened between the time I gave her oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast and the moment she turned angry.

I was on the phone with a colleague, discussing source code for a program that I was working on.  My mom, she came downstairs, fully dressed and she was pissed.  She looked at me and yelled, "I'm pissed off.... what am I some asshole?"

Confusion was surely the look I gave my mom, I had no idea what had happened.  It made no sense.  I got off the phone with my colleague and went to see what was wrong with my mom. 

I found her sitting in the sunroom with a frown on her face.  She was cross.  I went up and asked her, "Ma, what's wrong?"

"No one told me that I was crazy.... why didn't you tell me?  I've been dead for 2 years.... what happened to the other house?  How did I get here?  I have to go to the other house." My mom rambled in a panic.  It was as though she woke up from a 2 year nap, nothing looked familiar.  She was mad. 

Just as she predicted the night before as she was frantically going through her purse, "I'm going to be pissed."  Well, she was pissed alright. I couldn't stop laughing.  It was pretty funny.

The day went on and my mom calmed down. 

I took her blood pressure and blood sugar.  I observed that when her blood pressure and blood sugar are elevated, she is more nuts than usual. 

On Sunday she was at my sister's house and her blood sugar was much higher than it's been at 129.  I found that my mom, when her blood sugar goes over 125, she hallucinates or has behavior issues.

I made my mom a cup of tea and had her sit down with the hypnosis recording.  She listened to the recording for 30 minutes.  When she woke up she appeared better, not so agitated.  She asked me questions all day about her hallucinations.

"Susie, there's a lady in my closet.  She has a cone head.  She's only about a foot tall.  She was messing with my stuff so I nicely said to her in this voice (my mom's voice went up a few octaves), "Oh, you're going to have to go now." 

"Did she leave?"  I said to her, hoping to get her to tell me more.

"No, she didn't leave.  She didn't pay any attention to me."  My mom added.  Without skipping a breath she said, "Two and a Half Men, they were just here.  They came to visit me!"  My mom was thrilled that Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer were visiting my mom and she was psyched. 

Sporting a huge school girl smile, my mom believed she really had Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer in her room.  I didn't even want to ask what they were doing with her, I didn't want the answer.  But, my mom she didn't stop, she continued on. "... Oh, they are always having sex with someone.  Today Charlie has a new girlfriend...." 

I had to stop her and I said, "Well, aren't you the lucky lady?  Those 2 are really good looking men." 

My mom, beaming from ear to ear said to me, "Oh I know!  Isn't it nice that they thought enough to visit me?  I really like those 2."

I gave my mom some Helleborus Niger to stop the hallucinations.  My mom, she was apprehensive to take the pellets, she was really enjoying her visit with the men from TV.  But, she took them because she figured they had a date.

This morning, my mom is much better.  Well, she was 15 minutes ago.

She told me that my dad was with her all night.  She told me that he cleaned the house for me, that he did the dishes and made the bed.  He cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed, then he climbed in bed with my mom.  She was so happy to see my dad. 

"Susie, Daddy is so good looking.  He is a handsome man.  I had to go to the bathroom so I got up.  Unfortunately, when I got back, Daddy left.  I didn't want him to leave.  He'll be back though, he has been with me a lot lately."  She said to me as a matter of fact.

Another observation that I have made is when my mom eats her dinner, everything on her plate; the following day is always better.

Today, it's a great day because my mom, she didn't declare herself pissed off!

It's a Nightmare and I Can't Wake Up!

My mom seems more confused lately.  I don't know if it's a temporary setback or if this is her new "normal."  She doesn't recognize me most times.  I've lost a lot of weight, which I'm happy about; I've been working on it.  Last week, after months of needing to see a hairdresser to fix my locks, I finally had a mini-makeover.  My mom too.  It confused my mom, now she has no idea who I am.

Initially she didn't like her hair, but on Saturday, she loved it.  The hairdresser told us about a hair powder fiber that her Grandmother and Great Grandmother use on their thinning hair spots, Organin.  We were told that her Grams swear by it.  Before we left, she called one of her Gram's and asked where she buys the stuff.  "Folica.com" she told her, "the name of the product is Organin ."

My mom was excited to hear about the product and kept asking her new hairdresser to put some on her head.  Once we were able to help my mom understand that she didn't have the hair product, that I had to order it online, my mom began to ask me over and over again if I had ordered it yet.

I ordered her some as soon as I got home.  I hope it arrives this week so that on Christmas she can feel like she has a new head of hair.  Often she tells me that she wants to buy a wig to cover her shiny bald scalp.  Based on the recommendation by our new hair stylist, we're hopeful that this product will give my mom the lift she needs. 

I'm hopeful that once her hair is "stylin'" she'll want to go to the new Adult Day Health program.  My mom, she was one to get her hair done every week when I was a kid.  Her lack of hair has been the cause of much of her unhappiness over the last 20 plus years.

Confusion is the norm for my mom.  All day yesterday she asked me when I was taking her home.  It began with the little bag that she packed yesterday morning.  Later in the afternoon she looked at me and said, "This is so confusing.  It's like a nightmare that I can't wake up from... don't I have kids?  Where is my house?  You look like Susie, but I'm not sure if you are Susie.  Where's Donna?  Where's Eddie?  Ann, she loves me.  Marty?   Have you seen Marty?  Is he OK?"

On and on the questions came from her yesterday as I did my best to provide answers that would settle her mind.

Today is a new day.  A GREAT Day. 

It's great because I was able to have a cup of coffee and write a blog post as Savita laid across my desk.  My mom still sleeping.  Everyone is still sleeping, except for my big Savita the Cat and me. 

Quiet time with my cat.  My day has begun with quiet time... is it because it's Christmas week or is it because my mom died and I don't know it yet?  Time to make my way upstairs and see if she's still breathing.