Rough Beginning to the Day

Yesterday we took a step backwards. Mom woke up and was unable to shake a bad dream about being in war times. After talking a while she slowly came back to reality, yet she couldn't quite shake a bad feeling. . She skipped her oatmeal and sat in her chair and started her spell of leaning her head back and shaking in a type of spasm. I walked her back to bed and she rested, and soon got herself up and I thought she was better. It took a couple walks and some tours of the house but soon she was doing better.

What caused this setback? It might have been because Michael and I were away for 2 1/2 days to a family wedding...but she doesn't recall we were away. She had wonderful care from Beverly and Betty who took day and night shifts. It may have been because I decreased another anti-anxiety med the night before. (Doctors advice) This makes the most sense to me. I was anxious to see how this morning would go.

At 5:30 a.m. I woke and found the monitor lit up and could see mom was out of bed. I waited and she came in view of the monitor and so I gently tapped on her door and came in to find her completely dressed. Shoes, belt and jewelry included. She looked lovely and was a bit confused but not upset. I encouraged her to go back to bed, and showed her the clock. She asked some questions and needed a short tour of the house to figure out where she was. As soon as she saw the kitchen dinette she said.."Oh yes, now I see." She went back to bed and I woke her up at 8:00 a.m. She woke and we started the day on a very positive note.

Speaking of the little kitchen dinette...last week we had the most marvelous experience with my daughter Jenny. Jen had come for a visit and the three of us were having breakfast. Mom was talking about my dad and how much she missed him and her mother. I wanted to turn the conversation away from sadness to happy times. I asked mom to tell Jenny about how she met my dad. She was so happy to tell the story about how she was a nurse in a mental hospital and dad came to hide from the Germans. She glowed as she relayed the details. It is such a romantic story. I motioned for Jen to turn on the recorder on her phone. The funniest thing she said was when she talked about taking a motorcycle trip with my dad to his sister's house about a day and half away. She told her mom "You can trust me, mom.' Her mom said, "Yes, but can I trust him?" Oh she laughed and laughed and so did Jenny and I.

She was on a roll, so I asked her to tell Jenny about how my Dad was healed miraculously from a severe burn that paralyzed his arm. Surprisingly Jen did not recall this incredible part of our family history. Note: We need to document stories we assume our children have heard and remember. Mom told the story in a very lucid way recalling great detail and she was so animated. I ran and grabbed my video phone and asked her to repeat the story for you to see:
Enjoy!