Alzheimer's Patients Do Strange Things

Pat went to her daughters house for the weekend. It was a nice break from the daily grind of Alzheimer's. We enjoyed our time away but as always, we just pay for it when she returns. She is so confused about where she is and where her daughter is.

Yesterday I must have answered 50 times or more that Kelly wasn't coming down. I think she just had the feeling, not the memory, of Kelly so she thought it hadn't happened yet. I feel so bad for her that an entire weekend was gone for her. She really misses her daughter because she doesn't remember that she came to see her. She doesn't get satisfied with a long weekend of visiting like you or I might.

Things only continued to get worse for her. Last night she was so confused and even went to bed without taking her teeth out. We didn't bother to correct her. We just thought she would sleep with them in all night and it was one less thing for her to worry about. We were wrong.

This morning she came out of her room with tears and fear in her eyes. When she said she couldn't find her teeth, Mark and I started helping. We searched everywhere, having her take all the contents out of her pocketbook, opening drawers, pawing through mountains of collected tissues and couldn't find her teeth. Finally, Mark found them wrapped in a tissue on the dresser. Plain sight, but invisible to Pat and me.

Already she has forgotten there was any altercation this morning and the day goes on like normal. For Mark and I though, we shared a raised eyebrow, knowing this is just the beginning.