Will works hard with various projects but he doesn’t walk much. We are fortunate to have YMCA membership from his company which includes the basics for us. I love the pool and there is a track for walking and that is all we need. There are sitting exercises in our park and I will look into that for us.
I have some examples of his Dementia:
For many years, He had a favorite spoon he would use to eat his cereal or ice cream. After our last move, he doesn’t want that spoon anymore. He uses an entirely different spoon.
He always loved Butter and we always had it on the table. Years ago, he used to eat margarine with Olive Oil and is what he uses now.
He still has his “heart” pillows from his heart surgery in 2014 - he has to have those! One night I thought he was holding a cat toy - we used to have a cat he loved.
I am finding many likes and dislikes changing in him very often and I just go along with them. I notice how many times he goes back to where he was years ago. Sometimes his choices are just different from any I am familiar with. He is very adamant about what he likes or doesn’t remember or that “he never said that.”Our communication is getting poor with his hearing problem and his low mumbling. Going to a hearing specialist next week and also our favorite Neurologist who we haven’t seen for 3 years because we moved to North Carolina.
It wasn’t a good move for me, no family or friends, and a few nice neighbors., no real friendships.
Will was in his glory, working on our acre property and older home, which needed everything. He was buying everything he needed or lost? regardless of cost. Thousands and thousands of dollars gone!
And this is a new one for me: The other day, I heard him ordering something from Lifeline and he seemed to understand what he was doing. When the unit arrived, he didn’t remember ordering it and so it needs to be returned - $500 worth plus monthly charges. If he had wanted to keep it, I would have, but he didn’t remember anything about it, so I canceled and sent back the unit, hopefully with a refund. Some day we may need this help, but not yet. This was a new one for me and something I’ll be more aware of in the future.
In the meantime in NC, I was so lonely and with COVID, didn’t go to church or join a woman’s club. Bugs and snakes everywhere - had exterminators but did not get rid of black ants.
The people in general were very friendly but I never got to know them. We were living in the middle of a forest and was it quite beautiful but HOT in the summer.
We came back to Elgin, IL because of Will becoming ill, where our friends and relatives are. We did recoup some of the money he spent and I am grateful for that.
Sometimes he looks at me and I wonder who he sees.