Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2006. That weekend we took Mattie to San Diego. Mattie loved this part of California, as there was just so much to do outside. Mattie thrived on being in the outdoors, and did not enjoy being cooped up inside. That day we took him to Balboa Park. Balboa Park is a lot like Griffith Park in Los Angeles. In the sense that it is filled with all sorts of activities and even a zoo. Mattie loved the model railroad museum at Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, and the carousel. It is such a beautifully planned park that all of us enjoyed visiting it!
Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.
- number of people diagnosed with the virus: 2,111,622
- number of people who died from the virus: 116,114
Though my dad has a few physical limitations, on the whole he is strong and is capable. The main issues are cognition and chronic exhaustion. After the shower, my dad had to lie down and rest. He ate breakfast in his recliner, as he did not have the energy to sit at the breakfast table with us. After eating, he slept until Jon, the physical therapist, arrived. Jon is downright lovely! He made my dad work for about 60 minutes today. What Jon's exercises prove to me is that my dad can physically walk and exercise. But when Jon is not around, my dad chooses not to do his exercises.
It is hard to fight stubborn, hard headed, and his aggressiveness at times.
Jon gave my dad a new exercise today, which illustrated to me his upper body strength.
I would say that Jon was the highlight of the day, as everything else went downhill from there. Peter called my parent's movers. Though the company acknowledges that my parent's made an inquiry, my parents never booked moving dates. So though Peter and I were prepared for a Thursday and Friday move, the movers weren't! Peter explained the situation, and the company is trying to arrange for movers on June 22. Needless to say, Peter decided to stay in LA with me another week, rather than return to DC. As it really takes both of us to manage care and the move! Things now are not stable, and I am under no delusion that things will return to normal.
Which is why I have been working with a caregiving agency to work on respite details, so that my mom gets daily/weekly breaks. Fortunately caregiving is not new to me, but I have to admit, caring for a loved one with dementia has a different set of challenges from a stroke and cancer. Things I am more familiar with!
I would have to say that today was not a good eating day! My dad ate very little, and though we try to explain the importance of nutrition and drinking fluids, we aren't getting very far. For me, I am very sensitive to the stresses of those around me, so I am not sleeping or digesting food very well.
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