Alzheimer's Reading Room
Joanne and Mango
I received a few emails asking me how Dotty is doing so I thought I would write another update.
It seems to me that Dotty is continuing to improve a little bit each day.
I can't say that Dotty is back to where she was in April and early May. She is not making remarks and conversation about the newspaper headlines in the morning. I miss that for sure.
On the other hand, she is looking out and noticing the Oleander's. She prefers the pink to the white. She is also remarking on how big the trees are. Its getting very hot here in Florida, up into the 90s, so the Oleanders are shedding their flowers. Most of the really bright flowers on the ground have succumbed to the sun. Its that time of year.
Dotty did walk down the hallway today with out holding on to the wall, she was holding on to my hand. This is a good sign.
Now don't laugh too hard. I am teaching Dotty how to walk -- again. I get in front of her, hold her hands, and walk backwards while she walks forward. I remind Dotty to stand up straight and to put her feet out in front of her when she walks. I have been doing this for about a week and it seems to be working.
One thing for sure, we could now give a fast turtle a run for the money. Two weeks ago we couldn't beat a snail. Dotty is definitely doing much better walking and I don't have to put her in the wheel chair to move her around the house. She has also made it out the door and to the car a couple of times with my assistance.
The most amazing thing is that Dotty has not fallen once. She is moving on occasion from the bedroom to the kitchen on her own. I hope I can get her moving better in the days and weeks ahead.
The only thing I know for certain is that if we don't try it isn't going to happen.
Dotty has now completed the medication for her "maybe" pneumonia. I will be monitoring her very closely over the next several weeks. I am hoping that the problem does not flare up again. She did say her stomach was bothering her this morning. However, she ate breakfast. If she stops eating we have a big problem.
We have to move out of our condo for a couple of days next week. Initially we were going to a hotel. However, I was able to obtain a condo in the community. This will allow for much of the surrounding to be familiar to Dotty. I feel better with the condo, but I remain worried about how she might deal with or perceive the change. I'll try to make it a "kinda" vacation.
If Dotty was more stable medically and more mobile, I would have turned it into a vacation. I just can't risk it right now.
Dotty is a bit more feisty. If I mention the wheelchair she pitches a fit. This is a good sign. Compare this to when she was really sick and she got right into the wheelchair without complaint or resistance.
Overall, we are doing very well if you put the situation into the proper perspective. Definitely better than I thought we would be doing under the circumstances.
Special note: Today is my sister Joanne's birthday. I am not allowed to tell you how old she is. Let's put it this way. She is younger than Dotty and older than me.
Happy Birthday Joanne.
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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,510 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
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Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room