Football, UTI's and Haircuts
Sitting here, watching college football on Saturday night. Of course, Mom and Dad are sitting here as well. Dirk's team, Alabama is on, losing to Texas A and M. Mom has the uncanny ability to always root against the team someone in the room wants to win. In this case, she seems to be rooting for Texas. Remember, Dirk's team is Bama. We're here in the last quarter, Bama just got picked in the end zone, Mom is laughing...nope, she doesn't get it at all.
Mom is also recuperating from a Urinary Tract Infection. When you are old, a UTI can cause hallucinations and delusions, in addition to a serious lack of balance, and a temperature. Incontinence is also part of the deal. Your appetite also really stinks. Mom had all of these symptoms, even though we were able to figure it out early enough to get her on antibiotics before the delusions and temp set in.
We had a snow storm here in the midst of her visions. She kept going over to the window, saying, "Look over here at the kids playing." First, we ignored her, then started looking saying, "Oh, yeah". Gradually her visions began to include her grandchildren coming to the door but just standing there. Then we had the bugs. Bugs with night wandering was the worst part of it. "Where am I? What are these bugs?"
"See those bugs over there? You have to get them. Kill them" and she would swipe at them with her hands. I really didn't mind that, but it was a bit more disgusting than kids playing in the snow. The visions pretty much died down along with her fever on Thursday. She made it through a shower, and was happy to be clean and went to bed. No wandering.
The routine began anew on Friday, with the Baldwin Center on the agenda. She was still a little off balance, but was steady enough to be driven, and hang out there for the program. We celebrated later by getting a little chicken nugget pack at Mickey D's while waiting for Dad to get his hair cut.
Yes, the hair cut. While we begged him to get one in the hospital, and my sister offered to have someone come here to cut it, he said, "No, I'll go to the barber."
Well, going to the barber requires a full plan of action. With snow still on the ground, Dad insisted he had to go. Imagine the whiney squeaky voice of an older man..."Weeeellll, when CAN you take me? I have to go TODAY." So I tell him book an appointment for after 4 p.m. on Friday. So he does. We're all set, I think, until...
"Well, I wanna go earlier. The PT cancelled and now I can go earlier."
"Well, I have to pick up Mom at 2, so you can't go before that, or you'll have to wait."
"I can't wait."
"No, wait if you get an earlier appointment - I can drop you off, then pick you up after I get Mommy."
"I'll call my brother then."
"You do THAT." I hear him on the phone with my Uncle, who obviously has other things to do.
"Well, I guess I'll keep the 4 o'clock." I'm thinking, YES, YES YOU WILL!!! Especially given he's getting a shower at 1:30 with the wonderful Mrs. M., who comes 3 times a week to do that.
Around 3:15 or so, he throws out Mrs. M., gets his coat on and says, "Let's GO". Getting in the car takes a few minutes, but he manages it, Mom gets in the back seat with the folded up walker. We get to the barber, I pull up as close as I can, and he JUMPS out of the car, grabs his cane and huddle walks (you know what I mean!) to the barber's door! What back surgery?
Mom is also recuperating from a Urinary Tract Infection. When you are old, a UTI can cause hallucinations and delusions, in addition to a serious lack of balance, and a temperature. Incontinence is also part of the deal. Your appetite also really stinks. Mom had all of these symptoms, even though we were able to figure it out early enough to get her on antibiotics before the delusions and temp set in.
We had a snow storm here in the midst of her visions. She kept going over to the window, saying, "Look over here at the kids playing." First, we ignored her, then started looking saying, "Oh, yeah". Gradually her visions began to include her grandchildren coming to the door but just standing there. Then we had the bugs. Bugs with night wandering was the worst part of it. "Where am I? What are these bugs?"
"See those bugs over there? You have to get them. Kill them" and she would swipe at them with her hands. I really didn't mind that, but it was a bit more disgusting than kids playing in the snow. The visions pretty much died down along with her fever on Thursday. She made it through a shower, and was happy to be clean and went to bed. No wandering.
The routine began anew on Friday, with the Baldwin Center on the agenda. She was still a little off balance, but was steady enough to be driven, and hang out there for the program. We celebrated later by getting a little chicken nugget pack at Mickey D's while waiting for Dad to get his hair cut.
Yes, the hair cut. While we begged him to get one in the hospital, and my sister offered to have someone come here to cut it, he said, "No, I'll go to the barber."
Well, going to the barber requires a full plan of action. With snow still on the ground, Dad insisted he had to go. Imagine the whiney squeaky voice of an older man..."Weeeellll, when CAN you take me? I have to go TODAY." So I tell him book an appointment for after 4 p.m. on Friday. So he does. We're all set, I think, until...
"Well, I wanna go earlier. The PT cancelled and now I can go earlier."
"Well, I have to pick up Mom at 2, so you can't go before that, or you'll have to wait."
"I can't wait."
"No, wait if you get an earlier appointment - I can drop you off, then pick you up after I get Mommy."
"I'll call my brother then."
"You do THAT." I hear him on the phone with my Uncle, who obviously has other things to do.
"Well, I guess I'll keep the 4 o'clock." I'm thinking, YES, YES YOU WILL!!! Especially given he's getting a shower at 1:30 with the wonderful Mrs. M., who comes 3 times a week to do that.
Around 3:15 or so, he throws out Mrs. M., gets his coat on and says, "Let's GO". Getting in the car takes a few minutes, but he manages it, Mom gets in the back seat with the folded up walker. We get to the barber, I pull up as close as I can, and he JUMPS out of the car, grabs his cane and huddle walks (you know what I mean!) to the barber's door! What back surgery?
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