Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Noone Told Me

I wasn't told ahead of time that I would need a degree in psychiatry to lovingly give care to a family member with Alzheimer's. We appear to be living in an insane asylum these days. Nothing is as it should be. Communication is nonsensical and garbled much of the time. In spite of telling each other over and over again that it is completely ridiculous, my husband and I still catch ourselves expecting Papa to 'make sense'.

After several consecutive nights of very interrupted sleep, I feel as if I'm needing a psychiatric treatment. By 6 a.m. this morning I was fed up with redirecting Papa out of closets, away from the windows, and back into bed. Enough is enough!

I got his bath ready, then his breakfast, and by 8 a.m. we were in the car to go 'somewhere'. It had snowed overnight. The roads were slippery and clogged with morning rush hour drivers who would have cursed me had they known I was merely taking up valuable road space for recreational purposes.

We drove around for the next 2 hours, somewhat aimlessly. Papa is calm and stationary while in the car. Sometimes he comments about the snow or the traffic. Mostly he sleeps slumped over beside me.

Fighting the insanity on the roads was easier than fighting the insanity in our home.

After the caregiver arrived, I was able to shower and rest for a while. Now, feeling somewhat refreshed, I'll go do something creative to renew my spirit.

Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful caregivers who bless us with lovingly spending time with Papa so we can regain a measure of mental and emotional stability.

1 comment:

  1. I join with you in thanking God for the caregivers who come in to take over in such good and caring ways, and I thank God for your choice to end this post of trying circumstances with thanksgiving. Praying for you and holding on to the promise of Isaiah 46:4 to "sustain, carry and rescue." May it be so, to the glory of God and for the sake of you & Stan & Papa.

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