A Caregivers job doesn't end at 5pm

A Caregivers job doesn't end after 8 hours, I was looking forward to my pjs, hot chocolate and football game. At least they didn't think I was the sick one this time, she is so adorable even when she's not feeling all well

The Flu Season is Upon Us

As we have entered flu season I made sure my Mom got her flu shot and this year I remembered to get mine too. Since I always seem to get the flu or pneumonia and even H1n1 one year i prepared myself with a emergency bag.

Since everyone has their own lives I can't expect for people to drop what they are doing to take care of me when I get sick so in my bag I put couple of bottles of gaterode, cans of chicken soups, crackers, extra bags and keep it near the stairs so I don't forget when I end up sick I also added some soup for my Mom that she likes so it will be easier for me to hear up when I'm not feeling well

Voting

My Mom has been a US Citizen for almost 40 years and is a true American she loves her adoptive country deeply and I recall her saying because it saw give birth to two of her daughters and gave her kids opportunities that we would not have had back in her home country of Ecuador.

I noticed the presidential election we had before she was officially diagnosed she had issues in her voting booth but I thought it was because they were using the computers for the first time because I was confused too. Once she was diagnosed I knew she still would want to do her American duty that she said many died to have so we started doing voting by mail. I already know what her way of voting was before and I observe her when she watches the news to see how she feels regarding a particular candidate or measure. I also try to catch her good days and we go over the ballot pamphlet but she does get tired, it takes us a good one month to get our ballots done but it worth it because I know I'm helping her still feel like she's doing her American duty

A typical Friday night for us

Playing her Leap Frog memory or flash card games is such a great way for my Mom to use her brain but it's also a nice bonding moment for us.

Dancing Queen

My Mom enjoys dancing and even though she gets tired when there are people around she seems to dance a bit longer which is wonderful for her brain but also to sleep better at night.

When the lucid times come around...it hurts more

A few week back I was taking my Mom to a family get together and on our way to pick up another Aunt she turns to me and say "you are 25 right?" and I replied saying no I'm 36 (I round up) and she moved her face away from and I tried to look over to her side as we were driving and I see she is crying.  I asked what was wrong and she said "she couldn't believe that she can't remember 11 years of my life, she can't believe how her head is giving up on her."  I had to pull over and join her on the cry fest, I told her not to worry about it that this why I was here for, to help her remember.  Then I told her "oh no I forgot the pasta" she laughed and the moment where she was lucid and all there for a moment left us as fast as it came by.

It hurts me when she asks me things like how about how many Grandkids she has but it's the moments when Alz is gone and my Mom is completely lucid and she realizes that she has the disease and it is stealing her memories.  This is disease has no other word that "evil" because you know there is no cure for it and nobody wants to forget their loved ones and happy memories.  For that moment I was glad Alz came back so my Mom wouldn't hurt anymore.

Seeing the disease progress

The last month I've witness this horrible disease take my Mom's memories more and it feels like a knife gets wedged into my heart.

We had family visit from Spain, my Mom's eldest niece who she hasn't seen in about 50 years or so and that made my Mom very happy which I thank them for visiting with her the little time they had to spare. In one of our outings my Mom wasn't able to say how many Grandkids she had and this killed me. She was trying to tell her niece's daughter she had two then said no I think I have three or maybe it's two I think there's a boy and there's a girl her name is Alexys. My cousin's daughter helped my Mom said yes you have a grandson I turned around and said his name is Paul and turned back trying to hold my tears in.

I feel that she remembered my niece more because she's the only who wants to spend time with her Grandma and tries to be the best respite caregiver any Aunt can ask for her. She is patient with her Grandma and keeps her entertain by doing dance therapy and other activities but most of all she is her "Nina Bonita Su dulce princesa". Those are words my Mom always says to my niece.