Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2004. Mattie was almost two years old. That weekend we took him to the Children's Museum in Washington, DC. It was our first and last trip to this Museum. I was underwhelmed with every component of this space. Nonetheless, we made the most out of it with Mattie. Mattie and I were in front of a very large sandbox. Mattie was fascinated by this, especially since it was inside and not part of a playground. The one great part about this Museum was the hands on exhibits and activities, and Mattie gravitated to all of it.
Quote of the day: Communication is merely an exchange of information, but connection is an exchange of our humanity. ~ Sean Stephenson
After my usual morning routine, I then woke my dad up and proceeded to change their bed linens and get him into the shower. Before putting my dad in the shower, I always first ask him whether he has to go to the bathroom. Despite my best efforts, that doesn't prevent him from having accidents. This is becoming a more regular problem.
My dad can wash himself, as long as I prep everything for him. I have him set up with a shower chair inside the shower, so once I safely place him in the chair, he can shampoo his hair and wash himself with soap. Therefore, when he is in the shower, I am making their bed, cleaning his toilet, and collecting garbage in bathroom waste baskets. This morning while doing all of this, I could see out of the corner of my eye, my dad standing up in the shower. He never stands in the shower, unless he is pooping. Sure enough, the smell hit me before I could see the mess.
So not only do I have to make sure he is clean, not getting poop all over himself and the bathroom floor, I also need to scrub the shower, his shower chair, and bath mat. I assure you it is not a pleasant way to start the morning. Honestly after all of that, that would be a full morning for most people. Not for me. That is just the beginning of a long day ahead.
After I cleaned the shower, I got my dad dressed, brushed his hair, shaved him and got him downstairs for breakfast. Once breakfast is done and I clean up the plates, I then do his cognitive exercises, followed by his walking routine. Once his routine is over, I then get my mom on the treadmill and help her with her routine.
Meanwhile, my dad's sugar levels are rising and the doctor wants me to limit his bread and sugar intake. None of us have been effective at managing his sugar intake his entire adult life. Now that he is 87 years old, I am a realist. I can try my best, but at the end of the day, if this is what makes him happy, I am not going to deny him this. So if my dad has to return to being on diabetic meds, I will deal with it. He was on them for decades prior to getting sick in 2020, so the pattern continues.
I tried buying him sugar free cookies, chocolate pretzels and fudge. He hated all of it, and it was a complete waste of money.
This afternoon, I took my parents out to eat. We go to a restaurant in Alexandria every Thursday. This restaurant happened to be Mattie's favorite over the years. Therefore, I have a long history there. Since my parents moved in, I spend a great deal of time there and I have gotten to know the managers, the hosts, and the general manager. They are all wonderful people, who truly love their jobs, and enjoy getting to know their customers.
Today when we walked in, we were shown to our table. Our server (some of you may remember, I gave him $120 a few weeks ago so he could get his prescription filled for his eye drops, after damaging his retina... his eye has since completely healed!) already had our drinks and appetizers ready on the table. They know that my dad is all about the food. He doesn't want talking unless there is food present. In any case, while my dad was chewing away, the manager, and hostess came over to chat with us. They tell us we brighten their week, and I told them they are a life saver to me. When I have the opportunity to meet fine individuals like this, who truly care about others, it instills hope in my heart that humanity is alive and well.
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