This blog was formerly dedicated in 2009 to my Dad who died of Alzheimer's in 2013. It's been three years now...and I find myself missing blogging...so I am re-inventing my blog... because, after all, life is about moving through, and going forward...

Friday, February 5, 2010

Its top secret...I have to get my clearance...


Despite the rain in California, Mom drove valiantly to visit Dad.  She found him eating his lunch.  They had some "toe tappin"  music playing in the dining room.  Mom said he looked like an orchestra conductor the way he was bobbing his head and swinging his fork to the beat of the music.

After she greeted him, he informed her he had written the music that was playing, and asked her how she liked it.  She complimented him and told him it was very "catchy".  Before Mom could figure out what he was having for lunch, Dad had sucked it up like a powerful vacuum.  All she saw were some peaches and some cold slaw.  When she tried to feed him the cold slaw, he made a face and told her "he did not care for it". So she fed him the peaches and he made yum yum noises showing his enjoyment...

In between bites, he told her "Mrs. Ronald Reagan had stopped in to visit him, along with Dr. Martin Luther King, trailing behind".  Mom just nodded her head...

Dad went on to say,  "Yes, and they want me to come to the White House" 

"Oh Really"? Mom responded, "How nice, and what will you be doing there"? 

"Oh, I can't say", he said, "Its top secret.  I have to get my clearance."

They began to clean up the dining room, so Mom asked if he would like to go to his room and put his foot up.  Dad told her he "was not sure where his room was."..  Mom told him not to worry, that she knew where it was and off they went.  Mom stopped at the nursing station to verify she had the right room...which she did.  Room 30, bed 2.

Mom said the "wall of love" is now above the head of his bed instead on the wall at the foot of his bed.  He used to have the bed near the window, which had a wall.  Now Dad is in the middle and faces his cherry wood closet, and they frown on taping any pictures on that...

Dad's favorite Angel saw them, and came over to give Mom a hug.  Smiling, she told Mom, "Watch this", then she made a gesture with her fingers from her eyes to Dad, and Dad convulsed into a roaring belly laugh, almost falling out of his wheelchair!  She told Mom the gesture was between them, and it meant she has her eyes on him, so he better eat all his food.  She said Dad really gets a charge out of it when she does that to him...

She did it again, and Dad burst into another belly jiggling laugh.  She told Mom they were having a Super Bowl Party this weekend, and Dad was really looking forward to it.

Dad looked at Mom and nodded toward the phone, telling her he "could call his daughters whenever he felt like it."  Mom reminded him that my sister works and I am taking Izzy on a lot of walks.  When she saw Dad's blank look, she realized he had forgotten who Izzy was, and he could not dial either of our phone numbers if he wanted to....so she changed the subject back to the Super Bowl...

Dad began to close his eyes and appeared very tired, so she called the male attendant to come and tuck Dad into bed.  She told us how gentle and sweet he is with Dad.  We are so Blessed to have the staff they do, to care for Dad.

Mom kissed him good-bye and he told her to "drive carefully in the rain".  Mom smiled and told him she would, waving good-bye and blowing him another kiss. She was so pleased to see he did not seem upset in any way over the move and was happy to have another great visit...

8 comments:

Mari said...

I love reading about your Dad, and I can tell I would just love him if I met him!

gayle said...

Oh this is so sweet ....yet sad at the same time!!! I am trying not to cry!

Wander to the Wayside said...

You are so fortunate that he is having such interesting delusions!

Unknown said...

Maybe your dad has been dreaming? I know that for me, I can dream and then wonder if it really happened or if I was asleep.

My dad also has dementia but it hasn't progressed to quickly although when he was in the hospital, he was coming up with some really humorous stuff. It was hard to keep a straight face. Thank you for following my blog. I'm now following yours!

Unknown said...

ciao Michele pianetatempolibero

Carol............. said...

How sweet that you still have your dad in your life and thank you for sharing your stories.

Friko said...

a very moving and, at the same time, life affirming post.
I've seen you around blogland and decided to pay a visit; I am glad I did.

Donna B. said...

Mari. I agree, my Dad is a sweet heart, so kind and so gently. His quirkiness makes him so endearing.

Gayle: Cry with me Gayle, I appreciate your sensitivity...

Linda at WW: His imagination has always been one of his best attributes. Loved the stories he would tell us when we were kids...

Chocolate: Looking back on Mom's diaries, we think Dad has been sneaking up on the disease for a good 5 years. Last May is when his paranoia and delusions got to the point he had to take medication and he refused and got worse.

Michele: Ciao Michele, la ringrazio per fermarsi a dire "ciao" ...

Carol: Thank you, he means the world to me and it is bittersweet the way he is, but at least he is not traumatized like he was back in June (See those posts to see where we have come...)

Friko: I am so glad you stopped by to visit too. Now I will return the favor and stop in to see you. Thank you so much for your kind and compassionate words.