We just recently increased (doubled) the dosage of the Excelon patches Mom uses to slow the Alzheimer's and I think it's working. (The reason the patches start on lower dosages is because one of the side effects is "psychotic episodes"(!!) which we, fortunately, did not experience. Anyway. . .) I don't think any of what follows would have been possible before the patches.
I had the most interesting "conversation" with Mom the other day. She had become thoroughly bored with the game on TV so I turned it off. Her eyesight and attention span don't allow her to follow the games anymore and everything runs together and seems never-ending to her. (See Mom-sequiturs .)
With the TV off, she kept talking. At first it seemed like she was complaining about the no longer visible game. Her complaints usually run along the lines of "Who decides that (X) should go with (Y)?" And I explain that "X" is the game but "Y" is just a commercial and has nothing to do with who's up next or the current score. Or "Y" is a preview/review/instant replay. This time we went in a different direction.
Mom: I don't understand who makes these decisions.
Me: What decisions? (This is usually a bad question and most often I just ignore the opening.)
Mom: The decision about who should make the decision.
Me: (O.K., this is a little meta. Obviously, she's not going to let this go.) Different people make different decisions about different situations.
Mom: Absolutely! But we're not happy with what's going on. I guess life is supposed to be like that. Is one person supposed to be in charge of everything? We should choose our own way or leader and if that makes you happy, good! Be happy!
Me: (Are we still complaining about the composition of the TV program? These conversations seldom have a defined subject.) Are you asking me if I have any ideas, because I'm not sure what you're talking about.
Mom: (Laughs.) Live our own lives and don't pay attention to anyone else. Everyone do as he wishes . . . as long as you don't hurt anyone else. I'd like to see how the program ends.
Me: What program? (Surely, she doesn't want the game back on?)
Mom: What's good for you and what you should do. That plant out there in the yard, taller than anyone else. I don't see why that makes it any better. And you can get awfully tired discussing this because there is no answer.
Me: . . ..
Mom: If there is a particular item in charge, I don't want to know about it.
Me: (Item? I'm not sure I want to get into a theological debate this late in the evening.)
Mom: I like to think we're happier with the more people we know and are in contact with.
I agreed and went to get her another cup of coffee. By the time I got back the topic was closed. We changed her patch, did her eye drops, and she went off to bed. A good place to end it anyway.
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