Chapter 556 - Just a Bad Morning

I shouldn't be writing (with those words I stopped typing yesterday, hoping to finish today). Yesterday she interrupted a shower saying she needed to return to bed. So the Wild Dog Carer and I dried her, pulled a clean nightie over her head, then partially put her incontinence pants and pad on while seated on the commode/shower chair before I slid and rolled her onto her bed. From there the Carer rolled her backwards and forwards until the pants were in position, the duodopa pump was reattached, she relaxed, the dyskinesia eased and she dozed from 0815. By 0830 she was sound asleep yet when I checked at 0900 she was awake, wanting to get up. So I had her stand into the Sara Stedy after I slipped a pair of slacks onto her legs and fitted socks and shoes and once seated on the pads I helped her into bra and blouse. Then to breakfast. Then I encouraged her to do some Dancing for PD down streamed from New York. Later she began cleaning the bench top in the kitchen. I helped her wipe the kettle and toaster, took away the unused blender, re-positioned the new blender, discouraged her from cleaning inside the dish washer (memories of the inner door seals on the oven being destroyed), suggested she clean some marks on cupboard doors, then some marks on the wall and by then it was lunch time. After lunch a windy walk, she in the wheel chair, up to the hall for the mail. A few days ago we borrowed a 500 piece jig-saw from the hall. I was hoping it may gain her interest and keep her entertained; unfortunately, the complexity and frustration discourages her, perhaps a simpler puzzle with less pieces may be better.

A week ago I contacted Wild Dog Care about an OT visiting to advise about toys/hand crafts that may interest her; I included images of the wrist watch and the tea spoon she disassembled. An OT as well as the EN from Wild Dog Care will visit next Monday. I told her that the OT was coming to check her hands which are frequently cut and nicked by scissors and such.

Some weeks ago the Wild Dog Carer scheduled to arrive at 1900 to help her toilet and dress for bed was 12 minutes late on an evening when she was stressed and eager for bed. Although I said nothing rude to the Carer, I was accused of abusing her, so I lost control, walked passed her to open our front door, saying "Get out and don't come back!" Then to compound the matter, when I rang the Wild Dog Carer after hours emergency number to complain I received "This number is unavailable" message, on our landline and several mobile phones. So I added that to my complaints in an email. The problem was an error in the last digit of the phone number written on the cover page of the new folder delivered from Wild Dog several weeks earlier.

I had a phone consultation with the clinical psychologist a few weeks ago; not all that satisfactory because I failed to raise matters that bothered me. We will hopefully have a Zoom meeting in a few weeks, and I hope that provides more of a clinical atmosphere than a mere phone call. Our Dementia Carer's group meets weekly now via Zoom; a satisfactory way to maintain contact.

Rolling her onto her side when dyskinesias happen in bed continues to be the only relief; on the other hand, returning her onto her back or sometimes her left hand side helps should dyskinesias begin again on when on her right hand side. At times she "feels twisted", needing her body to be straightened, her legs repositioned or her bottom moved slightly when seated. Perhaps I have never mentioned that she is unable to move or wriggle her body; she can't roll her shoulders or hips, can't roll in bed, can't easily move her legs even though they kick like mad with dyskinesia. Those little unconscious movements I know I do to "get comfortable".

I sense my glassful of reportable incidents is only half empty (or full?) yet I can't remember the mental notes I made, even though skimming through my daily note book brings issues to mind that are just too much effort to write about.