Checking in from the twilight zone

ButterflyWings

Forum mates, 

I have not been able to gather my thoughts to share a couple of updates from our weekend adventures. Another close call which DH (and I) have survived. I will post about it later as it helps to share the learning, may help someone else, and often someone here has additional advice which is priceless. 

In the meantime...since dementia is constantly progressing, there are frequent "Twilight Zone" experiences to observe and share as well as reach out for advice or just a virtual hug from this amazing group of fellow travelers. Things like this make me feel like I am in the TZ, a TV show that used to amaze me that the writers could even think of such bizarre and creative scenarios. I now wonder if they knew a PWD and just documented their most interesting thoughts! Today's check-ins:

• Right now, DH wants to know where the other people went. Says they were just here.
• During lunch he called out"Huh?" to answer the voice only he could hear. Wouldn't say who was paging him but it was a voice he recognized.
• Looking out the window now, word retrieval + hallucinations are yielding "chickens". There are none. (Nothing even remotely close).
• There have been some very, very confusing conversations this past 24 hrs. I say "Yep".
• One epiphany is he truly is at the 6d/e age range Tam Cummings' stages say. 2-4 yrs(!)
• I have been wife, cousin, niece, son, stranger, friend and foe -- all since sunrise. I can't.
• He looks so handsome today. Let me shave him & cut his hair yesterday. Looks perfect.

Literally can't tell he is totally not as he appears, until he opens his mouth and makes some totally off the planet remark or his personality flips. This is what's keeping me off balance today I think. That and sleep deprivation, lol. He looks exactly as he did years ago. Before the invasion of the body snatchers spirited my brilliant DH away. Before we got transported to the AD Twilight Zone.

CatsWithHandsAreTrouble

I don't have much to add but the comment about the "chickens" reminded me of the video meme of a little girl who gestured to a field of I think geese and proudly exclaimed "Look at all those chickens!"

I'm glad DH and you got out of that recent close call. Take your time in sharing it with us if it's still got you shaken up. Hope you can get some rest and recuperate soon. ((Hugs))

Quilting brings calm

(Hugs), BW.    We are here when you are ready to talk about it.

toolbeltexpert

Bw that's a show I saw as a child, I guess most of us remember it, I can still hear Rod Sterling.

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.

Sorry I couldn't help myself. It's good to hear your update, you handle a whole lot. It sounds like it's been pretty trying time. Your in my prayers.

Daughter80

Hugs to you. How heart wrenching to see your DH there in front of you, but not have him there with you. Twilight zone is right. It is just so bizarre. I hope you can find comfort in knowing you are not alone. Hugs again and again.

May flowers

I can so relate to the twilight zone…

Today, FIL had an argument that turned into a shouting match with someone who is not there. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he started hollering for his dad to come help.

Please share your story when you’re ready, standing by to commiserate…

Stuck in the middle

One of the creepiest shows I ever saw was a TZ episode (or maybe Outer Limits, a similar show).  A family was visiting Grandma at the NH, and she was begging them to take her out with stories about staff who weren't human and who performed terrible experiments on her.  The family shook their heads sadly and went home, at which time the person pushing the wheelchair away from the visitor's area was revealed to be not human.  That show has haunted me for 60 years.  It may be why I am so in favor of antipsychotic medications.  To Grandma, her hallucinations were reality.

ButterflyWings

Stuck- TZ scared me too. I might have been too young to watch that stuff, or just have too vivid an imagination  The episode I couldn’t shake was a cure for alcoholism if I recall it correctly. 

1. * Reader alert: Don’t read this if you’re at all squeamish or this might stay with you (haunted is a good description). In this tale, the guy drank what was supposed to be guaranteed as his last drink ever— it was the antidote or cure to remove any desire to drink. Turns out (he learned later) there was some kind of larvae in the glass that took up residence in his inner ear or brain. If he slipped (I think he did at least once), the thing grew when/if he imbibed. Scared me so...I had nightmares for a while imagining earwigs or something getting in my ear. Sheesh. 

2. Update from yesterday: DH locked me out of the house shortly after this post. :0 I always say I NEVER step outside without my keys, but a stranger had parked by our garage and was walking into the back yard so I stepped out with the garbage to intercept and send them on their way. My DH appeared at the door (uh oh), I told him I’d be right back inside, he backed away and I sent the hopeful tree trimmer on his way. Turned around to see the door closed (oh no). Thank goodness he opened it when I knocked and was cordial. He knew me (whew) but had latched the screen door and took a bit of coaching to remind him how to undo it to let me in.

Final TZ episode for the day I guess, he had used the 5 minutes on forbidden kitchen exploits: 

• the freezer was wide open, a box of popsicles out on the counter, 
• a small mug in his hand which he thankfully handed to me when I reached to check the suspicious smell...
• DH had poured himself some Chardonnay (retrieved from a secret spot on the bottom shelf of the fridge door, darn those twist off caps, we need corks lol - but I’m no connoisseur lolol). He hasn’t had alcohol in ~3 yrs due to his meds, and I barely do. 
• I had to smile. Give the guy an A for effort. Seems like he just wanted to be normal again. Me too. 
• A couple hours later I went for the last of the old school popcorn I’d popped for us around 2pm and the big metal pot wasn’t on the stove where I had left it (?). Looked in the fridge, nope. Then my eyes went to the microwave where I could see the large metal pot outlined clearly. (Yikes!) He was gonna cook again?
• I am SO glad I shoo’ed the prospective worker away despite his urging to stay and discuss potential lawn services and quote. A few more minutes and DH may have had a microwave fire to go with his cocktail. So glad he opened the door for me. 

May flowers

Wow, BW, how scary and that it happened so fast! When I complain about my FIL, I remind myself it could be worse, he could be mobile!

You are amazing and so patient… any luck in the caregiver search? 

Quilting brings calm

OMG BW…. and  you haven’t even yet told us about the weekend.  You’ve had a really traumatic few days on top of the normal daily trauma.