As 2013 begins I reflect on the three and a half years that
have past since Dad has come to California .
In preparation for Dad’s coming to live with me and my wife, we had read as
much as we could about Alzheimer’s and what to expect as Dad progresses
through the stages. This first month of 2013 has shown me that time has taken
its toll on Dad.
January 1, 2013: We visited Dad today and were very happy to
see him dressed and out of bed. He was in a very chatty mood conversing in both
English and Spanish and, regardless of the language, what he said made no
sense. He used words and sentences but there was no comprehension by his
listeners. However, the expressions he had as he spoke indicated that what he
was saying meant something to him.
January 5, 2013: When we arrived at Dad’s nursing home
today, I found him sitting in a wheelchair at the nurse’s station. As I
approached him, he seemed much disoriented and did not recognize me. His CNA
wheeled him back to his room to clean him up and so we could visit with him. Our
entire visit consisted of listening to him babble and watching him slap his
forehead. This behavior is becoming more common now as we slowly watch him
being consumed by this terrible disease. This is the worst I have seen Dad in the
last three and a half years.
Who knows how 2013 will turn out but I do know that time is
taking its toll.
Here are some photos and a video taken in the past few weeks:
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| This is Dad on January 1, 2013 |
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| Dad was wearing this T-shirt at one visit |
This video is of our visit on January 1, 2013
