Some Days Are More Trying Than Others

I'm realizing that all the issues and problems are not solely related to the Parkinson's.

A little over a week ago we bought bunkbeds for the girls and got their room all set up. Three children, even small ones, can fill up a room fast and the bunkbeds helped more efficiently use the space. That meant the double sized bed that was in there had to go somewhere. My sister came and got the head/foot boards and frame but the mattresses are still in the living room! I'm hoping we can get them out this week. It just adds to the clutter.

On Monday, I went over to help Terri finish the clean-up from having moved in. We got rid of all the extraneous stuff, put things away in proper places, vacuumed and dusted. When I was over there Friday afternoon it looked like we had hardly done anything. Mom's mental state is such that she thinks and acts on about a 6-10 year old level on any given day but she is fully aware of the fact that she is 78 years old. She gets a little testy when I try to neaten things up a bit and throw away trash but in my whole life (growing up) things never looked like they do now on a regular basis.

Dad's things continue to be problematic in that he still has boxes and drawers full of stuff that needs to be gone through. He brings up a box or load of stuff from the basement and as he goes through it, item by item, it covers the entire area around the couch and coffee table for days. Then I get the stuff to bring home and decide what gets kept, burned or otherwise given to someone else. He knows his mind is going and he wants to get as much done as possible before the light goes out.

I imagine the mental effects of Parkinson's are similar to dementia and Alzheimer's. Dad takes 3 different medications for that particular symptom but things are getting worse anyway. He's fearful that he will say something to a neighbor or friend that will be bad enough someone will call the police. I told him that if that happens we simply explain the situation, have a chuckle over it and tell them we'll keep an eye on things. What else can you do? He's physically pretty helpless and he reminds me that there are no guns or knives (swords) of any significance left in the house so he can't hurt anyone. Terri called and said that 3 times, the night before, he had tried to make a phone call on the TV remote and change the channel with the phone. I can tell by the way he answers the phone if he's having a good day or a bad one.

So far things are working well with Terri and the kids there. She's realizing that there are things she needs to take charge of, like Dad's meds, both parents' exercise routines and the food prep in order for them to get done at all. She's doing a great job. She's a beauty and a joy forever!!