Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2003. Mattie was a year old and though he wasn't walking or crawling, he was a live wire. I remember this blue whale jumpsuit and what always was noteworthy about Mattie was he looked good in just about every color. I would say the first year of Mattie's life he looked more like Peter. However, soon there after, I would say Mattie looked like me and had my personality.
Quote of the day: If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things. ~ Albert Einstein
It was another stressful morning, mainly because I had to get my dad to his memory care center and then quickly turn around and take my mom to physical therapy. I literally got up at 6am, in order to be able to leave the house at ten minutes to 10am, to drive my dad to his center. Yet no matter how early I get up, chaos ensues. After showering and dressing my dad, I got him downstairs for breakfast. It was at that point that I too tried to eat something before jumping to the next task. However, my dad eats super fast and then of course has to go to the bathroom. Which means that once again, I wasn't able to have breakfast.
Given that I had a pounding headache and took migraine medication, I needed to eat. But it didn't happen. My dad is 100% clueless about anything else around him. The only needs that matter are his own. Dementia has transformed his personality completely and in so many ways he is just like caring for a toddler.
After dropping him off, I then got back home to pick my mom up and drive her to the hospital, which is about thirty minutes away from our house. By the time I got her to the therapy session, she was not happy. My dad's decline is wearing on her physically and mentally and she admits that she doesn't like how it is impacting me and my life. My mom does have moments of clarity like this. In any case, this mood followed us into therapy. Her therapist could see that something wasn't right! So I gave her an overview of what we have been contending with at home and why my mom felt frazzled. My mom's therapist is wonderful and takes the time to connect, listen, and be supportive. Which is why I baked her banana chocolate chip bread and gave it to her today!
Peter comes back from Philadelphia tonight, but turns it around on Monday and heads to Portland, Oregon. While Peter is away, it forces me outside and into the backyard. As I feel compelled to keep his beautiful gardens going. I know that Sunny appreciates me being outside and I miss my Sunny walks and time together. As my dad is declining, so is Sunny. Chemo is taking a toll on Sunny's body, and weakening his back legs, affecting his appetite, and he has practically lost all of his hearing. When my mom's therapist asked me today how I manage, my response is.... ONE DAY AT A TIME!
No comments:
Post a Comment