Promptly

Do you need a break? From what?

In my context, the context of this blog, the answer is sadly obvious.

Do I need a break from caregiving? Yes, I am sure I do. I am sure any of us in these circumstances does.

What’s more, I am sure we all wish we didn’t.

Wouldn’t it be peachy if our pwd* didn’t need care?

Didn’t have dementia? Was well?

Right now, my love is lying on his bed telling me that there are cars going by in our bedroom. (No, we don’t face the street; our view is rooftops.)

He says several people were looking for cabs, and he helped them out.

He’s experiencing anxiety over an appointment with his PT later today. He sees me nearly falling down even though I am seated near him.

*pwd= person with dementia

His quote du jour, one of many, “My mother is dead, so I had to get a new one.” This by way of explaining why he refers to me as his mother.

He still understands that I am his wife, so this dual role is an extra challenge he’s giving me.

His confusion saddens me. Of course it does, even when I try to keep an open mind looking for kernels of humor.