When worlds collide~the original flats meet in 4D!!

[winkers]

My Mum had alzeimers too!! She didn't remember me when I went home for my Dad's funeral and told my sister !"Isn't it nice of what's her name to clean my bathroom" To which my horrified sister replied " She"s your daughter" Mum said "and when did I have her "? I was rolling my sister was upset !!! She also would tell the same story over and over and over !!
I did find out an interesting fact about dementia !! When they look in a mirror the person they see is not how they remember themselves and it can cause some scary or hilarios responses
!!

I think you have to keep a sense of humor when you're dealing with alzheimers or dementia. I'm glad that you could laugh, it is kinda funny!

Awww!! Too cute and sweet!

The other day I was telling DH that I wanted some "wintergreen" flavored mints. You know, the kind in the roll? I got all teary-eyed when telling him why. My Grandma ALWAYS had these mints. She would always pull them out in Church and pass them around to the family. Just something I remember. When I smell or taste wintergreen it makes me think of her. She had a special lotion too but something about those darn mints.

thanks for sharing!

Eveing All!!

evening Rosie!

My grandparents had a candy dish. Brach's cinnamon red hots....hard to find now....I remember the candy dish too. Yellow. It used to sit on the hutch in the dining room.

I wonder what my kids and grandkids will remember about me?...

 

[Blueyed Girl]

I wonder what my kids and grandkids will remember about me?...

Hmmmm, not sure which one to choose up to this point. But if I'm able to get video of this whole pole dancing event that is supposed to take place, we might have a winner!

 

[winkers]

Hmmmm, not sure which one to choose up to this point. But if I'm able to get video of this whole pole dancing event that is supposed to take place, we might have a winner!

maybe I should wait till I'm in my 80's to do the pole dancing...then i can blame it on dementia.

 

[Blueyed Girl]

maybe I should wait till I'm in my 80's to do the pole dancing...then i can blame it on dementia.

That sounds like a good plan!

 

[All7OfUs]

maybe I should wait till I'm in my 80's to do the pole dancing...then i can blame it on dementia.

Good one! I wonder what other kinds of trouble you'll get into when you're headed for the funny farm?? They say you lose ALL inhibitions.

 

[englishrose47]

maybe I should wait till I'm in my 80's to do the pole dancing...then i can blame it on dementia.

I wouldn't have long to wait !!!!

 

[winkers]

Good one! I wonder what other kinds of trouble you'll get into when you're headed for the funny farm?? They say you lose ALL inhibitions.

considering all the stupid things I do now...I hate to imagine what I might be up to in my dottage.

I wouldn't have long to wait !!!!

 

[LiteBrite]

Hi everybody,

I've read and loved all of Winker's wonderful trip reports, but I've never posted on this particular thread. However, I now find myself wanting in on this conversation, because my mother is heading downhill with Alzheimer's.

I was having a good cry about it this morning, as a matter of fact. She is starting to forget who I am, or at least to get me mixed up with DD22. In the past week, she's asked me who my parents are, if I was done with college yet (I'm 49), and what I do for a living.

I'm trying to keep my sense of humor intact (and thanks for the reminder about that, Rosie), but I have to admit that I'm really starting to dread Christmas this year, with the thought of all the hours we'll be having to attempt to fill with conversation that day. Hubby and I are working on devising a strategy for making it through the day with our sanity intact.

Thanks for letting me vent for a minute. Also, shout outs to Jordan and All7ofUs, with whom we have some stuff in common (hubby and I are both on staff at our church, and we've done mission work overseas part time for several years now, hoping to get there full time soon).

 

[winkers]

Hi everybody,

I've read and loved all of Winker's wonderful trip reports, but I've never posted on this particular thread. However, I now find myself wanting in on this conversation, because my mother is heading downhill with Alzheimer's.

I was having a good cry about it this morning, as a matter of fact. She is starting to forget who I am, or at least to get me mixed up with DD22. In the past week, she's asked me who my parents are, if I was done with college yet (I'm 49), and what I do for a living.

I'm trying to keep my sense of humor intact (and thanks for the reminder about that, Rosie), but I have to admit that I'm really starting to dread Christmas this year, with the thought of all the hours we'll be having to attempt to fill with conversation that day. Hubby and I are working on devising a strategy for making it through the day with our sanity intact.

Thanks for letting me vent for a minute. Also, shout outs to Jordan and All7ofUs, with whom we have some stuff in common (hubby and I are both on staff at our church, and we've done mission work overseas part time for several years now, hoping to get there full time soon).

i'm so sorry about your mom... Sometimes a good cry is needed even with a sense of humor. Is your mom in a care facility?

 

[englishrose47]

Hi everybody,

I've read and loved all of Winker's wonderful trip reports, but I've never posted on this particular thread. However, I now find myself wanting in on this conversation, because my mother is heading downhill with Alzheimer's.

I was having a good cry about it this morning, as a matter of fact. She is starting to forget who I am, or at least to get me mixed up with DD22. In the past week, she's asked me who my parents are, if I was done with college yet (I'm 49), and what I do for a living.

I'm trying to keep my sense of humor intact (and thanks for the reminder about that, Rosie), but I have to admit that I'm really starting to dread Christmas this year, with the thought of all the hours we'll be having to attempt to fill with conversation that day. Hubby and I are working on devising a strategy for making it through the day with our sanity intact.

Thanks for letting me vent for a minute. Also, shout outs to Jordan and All7ofUs, with whom we have some stuff in common (hubby and I are both on staff at our church, and we've done mission work overseas part time for several years now, hoping to get there full time soon).

You have to remember that they cannot help it !!! Do NOT take it personally, I think my Mum was more at ease with me because I wasn't upset with her forgetfulness and my sister was just so upset by it !!Mum wouldtell the same story over and over and I would just listen or at least appear to be , cuz I knew it was pointless to tellher she just told it !! Remember to give very simple directions as it can have disastrous results if you don't and be carful where you ask things ! I oncemade the mistake of asking aclient I took care of who had dementia IF she wanted to go to the bathroom ,she said YES and did ....In the middle of the bedroom !!!I learned to lead her to the bathroom point her to the toilet have her pull down her pants and THEN say Do you have to go!!!!Best advice Chin p and roll with it !!

 

[jordanyosh]

Hi everybody,

I've read and loved all of Winker's wonderful trip reports, but I've never posted on this particular thread. However, I now find myself wanting in on this conversation, because my mother is heading downhill with Alzheimer's.

I was having a good cry about it this morning, as a matter of fact. She is starting to forget who I am, or at least to get me mixed up with DD22. In the past week, she's asked me who my parents are, if I was done with college yet (I'm 49), and what I do for a living.

I'm trying to keep my sense of humor intact (and thanks for the reminder about that, Rosie), but I have to admit that I'm really starting to dread Christmas this year, with the thought of all the hours we'll be having to attempt to fill with conversation that day. Hubby and I are working on devising a strategy for making it through the day with our sanity intact.

Thanks for letting me vent for a minute. Also, shout outs to Jordan and All7ofUs, with whom we have some stuff in common (hubby and I are both on staff at our church, and we've done mission work overseas part time for several years now, hoping to get there full time soon).

It's hard to watch and hard especially when the person is living with you.

Thanks for sharing and we'll keep you in our prayers....

 

[LiteBrite]

Aw, thanks, you guys.

i'm so sorry about your mom... Sometimes a good cry is needed even with a sense of humor. Is your mom in a care facility?

She still lives with my dad in their home, and he is amazingly patient with her, although I know it's very stressful for him.

I did feel a little better after my cry this morning!

You have to remember that they cannot help it !!! Do NOT take it personally, I think my Mum was more at ease with me because I wasn't upset with her forgetfulness and my sister was just so upset by it !!Mum wouldtell the same story over and over and I would just listen or at least appear to be , cuz I knew it was pointless to tellher she just told it !! Remember to give very simple directions as it can have disastrous results if you don't and be carful where you ask things ! I oncemade the mistake of asking aclient I took care of who had dementia IF she wanted to go to the bathroom ,she said YES and did ....In the middle of the bedroom !!!I learned to lead her to the bathroom point her to the toilet have her pull down her pants and THEN say Do you have to go!!!!Best advice Chin p and roll with it !!

Thanks, Rosie, and I'll be careful not to get my feelings hurt. It's really more that it's just sad to see it happening to her. I am glad to say that she mostly still seems to lead a happy life, although she gets upset sometimes. So far we've been able to deal with the stuff that makes her fearful. For instance, she got it into her head that she had seen someone break into the house and steal her clothes (not at all true), so my dad had a security system installed in the house, which helped her relax.

It's hard to watch and hard especially when the person is living with you.

Thanks for sharing and we'll keep you in our prayers....

Jordan, she lives in the same town as me, but not in my house. I don't know if it will eventually come to that or not - we'll have to see how my dad continues to handle it. Thanks so much for the prayers.

 

[englishrose47]

Aw, thanks, you guys So far we've been able to deal with the stuff that makes her fearful. For instance, she got it into her head that she had seen someone break into the house and steal her clothes (not at all true), so my dad had a security system installed in the house, which helped her relax.

I don'tknow if this is what your Mum thought but at a training by the Alzheimers assoc. They said how mirrors can cause problems for alheimer patients !! As their short time memory is affected , when they look into a mirror
the person they see is not them cuz they don't remember what they look like now so she could have seen herself taking clothes out of her closet and thought it was an intruder ! My Mum did something similar involving a mirror ! When I heard tht at the meeting it made alot more sense !

 

[LiteBrite]

I don'tknow if this is what your Mum thought but at a training by the Alzheimers assoc. They said how mirrors can cause problems for alheimer patients !! As their short time memory is affected , when they look into a mirror
the person they see is not them cuz they don't remember what they look like now so she could have seen herself taking clothes out of her closet and thought it was an intruder ! My Mum did something similar involving a mirror ! When I heard tht at the meeting it made alot more sense !

Rosie, that's a really interesting thought. Hubby and I were just talking yesterday about how so far all her crazy stories have had some basis in reality, except for the one about the intruder stealing her clothes. If the mirror thing was what happened, then at least in her head, this was also something real.

Our favorite story of hers so far is the fact that she believes an older lady on her street is out to steal my Dad! She says this lady comes down all the time and flirts with him. When my DD asked Mom about it, Mom said, "Well, he is very good looking after all. I don't blame her but I don't like it anyway!" She also told me that she thought she might have to step on this old lady's fingers!

 

[winkers]

I was reading on Cynthia's ptr about her christmas tree falling over and it reminded me of the last time we had a real chritmas tree.

I grew up with nothing but the 'real deal"....I felt pitty for my friends who had a plastic tree...I believe a scoff and stuck up nose might have been involved. In my family, getting the tree was a family afair, always on my sister's birthday.

So, when I married and our first Christmas was upon us I was stunned when dh suggest we buy a fake tree. I wondered how I could have married a man without knowing his devotion to a traditional tree.

But being newly weds and relativly broke, I caved and we bought a $15 cheapo from wal-mart. I then spent hours making decorations. I stuffed 50 glass bulbs with potpuri , which led to bleeding fingers and glue gun burns.

We set up our charlie brown tree, loaded it with decorations and I sprayed pine scent all over the apartment.

Each year after that I swore we were getting a real tree, but every year we decided against it....9 years and 4 kids later we still had that fake tree.

As a surprise for me dh decided it was time to get me my real, live, pine scented christmas tree. I was so excited!

We bundled up the kids and made our trip to the tree lot....It took me awhile to find the perfect one. Then we strapped it to the top of the mini van and headed home.

As dh tried to get through the front door with it, I discovered that I had gotten the tree a little to large for our house, but with determination he managed to squeeze it through the front door.
The kids and I watched as he put the tree in the stand and strung the lights.
We had decided earlier in our marriage that to keep the peace, D.Jay would be the official light puter oner...

As we all looked at the tree in anticipation of decorating, I noticed that the tree was leaning slightly to the left. I pointed it out but he was sure it was because the trunk had a crooked spot...I asked him a few times to check and make sure. He was sure the trunk was crooked...I was sure he put the tree in wrong.

Not wanting to spoil the mood, I went along with his determination. We decorated the tree with 45 of my original 50 glass balls..It was amazing so many had survived with 4 kids.

D.jay was working nights at the time so after the kids were in bed and he had left for work I sat to enjoy the vision of my real tree....which was leaning a little to the left.

After I was in bed and sound asleep, I woke up from a loud crashing sound. I hurried into the living room, and there was my tree...on it's side. All of the ornaments on the left side lay broken on the hard wood floor.

I spent an hour setting the tree back up, redecorating and cleaning up the broken ornaments. Exhausted and feeling slightly vindicated...I had been right about the leaning tree...I went back to bed.

About 5 minutes later there was another crash from the living room. My perfect wonderful tree fell over AGAIN. So, up it went, decorations put back on and mess cleaned up.

In one evening I had decorated the tree 3 times and gone from 45 to 6 glass balls. I laugh about it now, but I was not laughing at 3 in the morning.

The next year when it was time to get the tree....we went to walmart and bought another fake tree, because they don't have crooked trunks.

 

[eandesmom]

What a great story!

I can laugh at it after the water fiasco at my house.

poor broken balls

Oh dear...that sounds

 

[winkers]

poor broken balls

Oh dear...that sounds

that does sound a little odd..

 

[englishrose47]

What a great story!

I can laugh at it after the water fiasco at my house.

poor broken balls

Oh dear...that sounds

Okay I'm being Gutter minded !!!!

 

[All7OfUs]

Hi everybody,

for letting me vent for a minute. Also, shout outs to Jordan and All7ofUs, with whom we have some stuff in common (hubby and I are both on staff at our church, and we've done mission work overseas part time for several years now, hoping to get there full time soon).

A huge howdy back at ya from WAYYYYYYY far away!!

I do hope you make it over "here" someday, wherever the "here" maybe!

We love our work, but feel our time here is winding down- we are tired, kids need home culture for while, blah, blah, blah....

PM me, if you'd like, I'll send my e-mail address

 

[Charleston Princess]

We always have a fake tree now since the cats brought down the real tree several times one Christmas. I can totally sympathize with your story!