A Rough Day

Today was a rough day…..

Some days are rougher than others. Sometimes, it is just the addition of one more “new” thing that has happened that makes it seem over the top.

The many, many things that a full-time time caregiver does seem like everyday things to us. When I enumerate all I do each day it always surprises me how we can just take new things into our stride and they become just normal and everyday.

Here’s my day through lunchtime:
Get up, make coffee, fix his breakfast, lay out his medication, make him read his blood sugar level, give him an insulin shot. He is badly in need of a shower. While he is drinking his coffee, I go into his dresser and pull out clean underwear, socks, shirt and pants. Lay them on top of the dresser. I convince him that it is, indeed, time to get a shower (spend about 20 minutes convincing him).

He gets into the shower, I’m on standby in case he can’t find the soap, shampoo or the long brush for his back (all in plain sight). I’ve had to take a big black marker and write HOT and COLD above the faucets on the shower wall to keep him from getting confused about which is which. He showers, dresses and comes out of the bedroom wearing the same clothes he took off. Back into the bedroom to put on the clean stuff.

We went to the nursery to buy plants today. About a 40 minute drive, with him asking at least 15 times on the way there “where are we going”? I find the plants I want, we go to check out and he makes an inappropriate remark to the young girl at the counter. It is of a sexual nature and this is a first. It embarrasses me. Now there is one more thing to try to watch out for when out in public.

We stop at Cracker Barrel to have lunch. We get the menus, he cannot make a decision about what to get, so I help him make a choice. After we order our food, he asks over and over again if they are ever going to bring us a menu. Then it’s “did we order?” and “what did I order?”

Food comes, we eat our lunch and head home……every few minutes, all the way home, “Do we need to stop for groceries?” As we pull into the driveway, he says “I’m glad we’re home…I’m hungry and ready for lunch”. He doesn’t remember Cracker Barrel, or eating lunch. I’m tired and the day is only half over.