December 2010 Through March 2011 Updates

12/14/2010

Thanks to Geeb we had a wonderfully relaxing time on our short cruise. Our stays in Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo were just a taste of Mexico.  The Holland ship Oosterdam is everything a cruise ship should be and more. It was great.

After a week of not seeing Mom I can definitely see that she is continuing to fade. I can’t say the medications are not working since we do not know if her condition would be worse without them. As Geeb remarked she is definitely “happiness and pleasure adverse”. I can’t recall that Mom was never satisfied or even content when younger and now a smile from her is a rarity. She is not in pain, she gets new clothing or jewelry more than twice a month, ice cream, manicures, hair styling, and pretty much anything she asks when she wants it so we know that she just isn’t going to be content no matter what. She had an echo cardiogram today and she still has fluid around her heart, but it has not decreased or increased. She wants her energy and “concentration” back but there is no pill for that so we truck on.

Again, huge thanks go to Geeb for letting us get away. There is nothing like a vacation to renew one’s batteries of patience.

Christmas cards will hit the post soon and I will send another note with more details about our trip and possibly pictures since you all know how picture adverse I am.

Take care and don’t let the bed bugs bite,

3/27/2011

It is time for another update on Granny/Emma’s condition. It is very hard for me to describe how her mental and physical capacities continue to deteriorate. She continues to lose weight. She weighs 76 pounds. Her blood pressure is completely under control and is normal. Her heart is functioning normally. Everything else is what she would call kaput. When she is not at home I have to hold her hand when she walks or I have to put her in her wheel chair. She has trouble breathing due to her advanced osteoporosis. She cannot taste or smell her food anymore. She talks and shouts in her sleep.

Mom’s ability to retain anything in her short term memory is pretty much gone. She can remember how to do certain simple tasks yet cannot remember to brush her teeth. I could list everything she is forgotten how to do, but I think just telling you that her present memory and parts of her past memory are now gone. She is seeing other people (that do not in reality exist) in our house. She continues to ask about her 12 year old daughter. After her nap she thinks it is morning and wants coffee and breakfast.

I encourage you to call her as often as you can because the day is coming when she will not remember you.