We've been dementia-up-to some things!
During the holidays, Mom took up competitive go-kart racing.
(This is totally true.)
Hello my fellow dementia households! Did you have a happy holiday season? Was it a nifty New Year's? Did dementia give you a chance to breath some reprieve into your world? We were action-packed here at Stumped Town Dementia enjoying an intimate yet relaxing Christmas day, a raucous online get-together with friends on New Year's Eve, and a whole lot of Miss Behavings before, during, and after!
Our first foray into mischief making occurred when MotherMinder and I decided that Mom should start the new year looking spiffy. So we plopped her down and forced her to endure her second COVID home-haircut. With no Ridiculously Tall Grandson allowed in the house to do the honors, I brandished the sewing scissors myself this time around and it turns out I'm ahh-MAZING at this sort of thing!
Shaggy Mom prior to unleashing my inner tonsorial talent.
Stunning Mom after my miraculous transformation - WOWZA!
(This is totally true.)
Who knew I was an idiot savant in the art of hairdressing? (Emphasis on "idiot".)
Now, unfortunately Mom's naughty side has once again taken up the task of tossing herself down, with or without our assistance.
She fell face first into The Other Girl's car seat while my sister was trying to settle the opposite end of her in Corinthian leather comfort.
She threw herself down behind her bedroom door the other night after we all thought she was safely ensconced in la-la-land; the thud from above sent me flying up the stairs while MotherMinder came-to from a dead sleep to assist getting her back to bed.
And last night she mistook herself for Wonder Woman, taking a seat on an invisible chair in the hallway. It didn't end well. She landed flat on her fanny, frightened and confused. The Boyfriend in the Basement and MM did the honors of pulling her upright as I was deep into my first bottle of wine, pursuing my own goals of caregiver misconduct.
So far no bumps and bruises from her tumbling tricks, but it is a disheartening bit of proof of progression to acknowledge in our days.
On the upside, two weeks ago she said The Other Girl's name! Not to anyone in particular, or to someone I could perceive as I sat beside her in wonderment, but she said it. And since then she's she said my name TWICE! Again, not to me, not to anyone, but it is still music to our ears to have her once again toss the epithets she and Dad bestowed upon us out into the ether.
And in the world outside of our four walls, three-car driveway, two patios, and a yard full of dog poop, I've heard tell of a courageous group of dementia caregivers who stormed the US Capitol demanding dementia awareness and support for people throughout the country living with dementia and their caregivers! How cool is that?
Caregivers fighting on behalf of their dementia folks!
(Hmmmm. This may not be true.
These dudes don't look near brave enough
to withstand a day of dementia caregiving.)
And while I haven't had much time to stay up on my social media lately due to dementia devilry (and some I've concocted on my own with no help whatsoever from The Big D!), a Tweet from Dr. Debra Tann (@DebraonDementia) about an upcoming dementia event caught my interwebs eye...
A Journey with Dementia Minds is an interactive, storytelling performance by individuals living with dementia. The performance promotes dialogue between individuals living with dementia and the people around them while demoting dementia stigma for all of us slamming and jamming through this life.
I am down wit' all of dat!
You may register for the Zoom performance here. It's a hands-on-Mom day for me, but I've registered in hopes that Mom will be content to join in on the fun, or at least keep her dementia shenanigans off camera so I can enjoy the performance!
And that wraps up the sum total of our latest transgressions. I hope you pussycats have had a good start to your new year and are healthy and happy as dementia allows.
Oh! And watch out for marauding bands of dementia caregivers this upcoming week. They may show up at your state's capitol, irrationally angry 'cause they really, really suck at caregiving. (Again, this may not be true...)
Hoh boy, Kelly. COVID and dementia are not a good mix. Sorry your dad and you are going through this. Is he taking any meds for delusions? May be time to try something new or adjust dosage amounts/times.
I don't know if you've read all the posts on our COVID experiences - https://www.stumpedtowndementia.com/blog-1/tags/covid - The diagnosis starts with "Put on a happy face?"
Mom slept for almost three days straight when she got COVID, then bounced back to almost normal for a few days, then spent the next few months cycling between okay and falling and sleeping for 16 hours.
I hope your dad can kick it to the curb! Sending you both healthy, healthy thoughts!
I know! A broken bone anything on Mom would be the worst. She was falling regularly for a few months after COVID but has been steady for awhile now... I'm guessing its the progression letting us know it's on the go. She's also having more pronounced difficulty swallowing liquids. Still able to most of the time, but I pulled out the thickener today after she gag on a sip of water. <sigh>
Love your upbeat, fun perspective! I read the article online that featured you and your mom after battling COVID. My dad is currently in the hospital with Covid, and has been struggling with delusional behavior. They had to restrain him today. Praying he can make it through like your mom did.
Ha! If only all that Capitol craziness had been about something so worthwhile as dementia support! And no. Neither they or many of the mamby-pambies in Congress could survive a few hours with the average awake and in motion dementia patient.
Sad to hear about all of the falls. Mom went through a very brief phase of that before losing the ability to do more than shuffle a step or two or stand for a few seconds during her final weeks. It's certainly scary when they go flying. Because all ANYONE needs is a shattered hip or some other broken bone AND dementia! It sounds like you all are hanging in there. Sending you love and light to keep up…