Alzheimer’s/Dementia

be your best you!

3 Positives:
T’s procedure was a success
time in the studio – all but 2 cards finished
we tasted our first watermelon of the season yesterday (YUM) and put 2 1-gallon bags of sliced strawberries into the freezer for smoothies.

Our Journey Notes:
T’s eye pressures are now in the acceptable range – hoping they’ll stay that way after the yesterday’s needle flap lift. Ted said this eye wasn’t as easy as the right. His eye hurt a little after the numbing meds wore off. Now to focus on the cataract in the right eye.

I got him to switch audio book services yesterday – he’s now listening to a new book. I put his other service on pause for 90 days to see which he likes better. He still has access to the other books until he can download them from the new service. Glad they carry that author as well as a couple more of his favorites and it’s a little cheaper and he can download several books a month without any additional expense.


Some things just evade me… the memory is gone unless reminded, but even then, I still don’t remember the time or day of the happening often. It’s definitely happening more frequently. Thankful for friends and family who let it pass after a correction. Another thing to add to the list for the neuro. As Mom used to say, “getting old isn’t for sissies.” I have creaks and pops where I didn’t have them before. The knees don’t like the stairs, especially in the morning or late evenings. The pain across the middle of my back is here to stay it seems and those tingles down the legs when I put my head a certain way… still there.

be kind to yourself

3 Positives:
chose another book to read
assembled the wreath, it could use a little more greenery
got an appointment with the PCP for next week

Our Journey Notes:
I have an early in the morning appointment with my pcp next week. Long list to discuss.

T has his next flap lift procedure tomorrow afternoon. He’s taken the full day off from work and has plans to get a few more things checked off his “prepping for an earlier than planned retirement” list before and after the procedure. We’ll see how things go on the after list — I have a feeling he might want to take a long rest — he’ll be fully awake for this one, just the eye numbed and for a short time. Hoping it goes as planned and while his vision won’t improve with this procedure, we can start planning for the next one – hopefully a full lens replacement for the new cataract that has grown in his good eye since all this procedure stuff got under way last fall.

find the good…

3 Positives:
2 coats of paint on all but the ceiling in the master bath
T noticed that things were a bit brighter in there (that’s a good thing)
Got a little reading time in

Our Journey Notes:
T’s been having more bad eye days than good this past week. He’s pulled out the walking stick and is using it quite a bit in the house, but isn’t taking it outside except for on the deck. The cataract is really impacting his right (good) eye with some significant blurriness and more. Let’s hope that will be scheduled within a couple of weeks of his next procedure in May.

I’ve got to rethink a few things — and hope that tweaking a few things will be helpful. The lists are still working pretty well — including adding a priority to some items on the short and long lists. I did skip a few things last week, and need to move those things to the top of the list for this week. Hoping the “tweaks” work in my favor.


a digital memory from the past

3 Positives:
Painting started – 1/2 done
First of the month bills paid
Carry-out for dinner – it was just the right thing

Our Journey Notes:
Lack of or loss of short term memory is back on my front page. UGH! This morning has been a bit rough already. Hoping to finish up a couple of things this morning and then maybe work on a multi-step project and see if I can follow the steps – and keep things moving in the right direction today.

your future…

(image by artsydee)

3 Positives:
finished last bday card for April and 4 sympathy cards
chat with a good friend
one of my sisters welcomed a new great grand daughter. How exciting for their family!

Our Journey Notes:
UGH! The insomnia cycle has made a return. The only upside at the moment is that I’m getting some additional reading time in – finished a book and started another. We’ll see how tonight goes…

where will your thoughts take you?

3 Positives:
Learned something new —
Reading time
switching gears on a project – not a lot of progress but some

Our Journey Notes:
Snafu with T’s insurance has been resolved – though according to them, there was no problem on their side, but something from the doctor’s side. We’ll see when the office resubmits for pre-authorization for the upcoming needle lift needed for the left eye bleb scheduled for next month.

Yesterday, I learned that it’s possible that some margins of the thyroid were left during the surgery and that may be part of problem in regulating the medication and resolving the issues I’ve been experiencing since the surgery last year. The goiters were large and he felt that the surgeon may have been extremely cautious around the para thyroid – He had several recommendations to discuss with my PCP or to get another endo to work with since I wasn’t happy with the last endo/office.

shine on

3 Positives:
a dozen cards and inserts in the envelopes with stamps – ready to mail
plumber fixed the faucet (aka hose bib) in under an hour ($400+) – thankfully, our home warranty covered nearly all of it
hand delivered a card to a friend

Our Journey notes:
The “list” is still pretty much unchecked in a few of the bigger job areas this week. Not much energy to tackle them even if it’s possible to do them in incremental steps. I do need to try to work on one of them next week and see if I can get it done. Hoping for a lot more energy next week…

Migraines are near daily, but I’m figuring that the barometer fluctuations are part and parcel of those with the storms and changes that have rolled through in recent days… I need to do another med refill to make sure I have enough for next week since we have incoming storms in the forecast.


when life feels heavy…

3 Positives:
Saturday chores completed in good time
Photoshop elements and I had a good editing session
Baked a small batch of peanut butter cookies

Our Journey Notes:
T is burning through his list of audio books almost weekly. He has a hard time waiting until his credits are dropped and he can get a new one. I’m trying to get him to switch to another platform, but he’s not wanting to right now. The apps the library uses has no appeal either. We’ll see how long it lasts as he’s nearly memorized word for word, one of the books he purchased.

I’ve broken out in a rash on my arm. Have to watch it and then if it changes or grows in size by tomorrow, I need to go in. Not sure that it’s injection related (vaccines), though one of the injection sites had a small ring of rash around it yesterday, it hadn’t been there previously. No pain, or fever at the site. It doesn’t look like it’s changed in size though it has faded a bit when checked this morning.

Changing my to-do list format a bit. I’ve just been writing things down as I’ve thought of them. Now, however, I do need to start prioritizing a few and move them up to the top of the list with a finish by time or date depending on whether it’s a daily list or a weekly list. While I generally finish the lists, some of the items I least like doing are left to the last and by then, I’m on on a time crunch to get them finished on time — plain and simple procrastination. So I’m hoping that by moving those items to the top with a time and date to finish will help and lessen the stress/panic of not getting them sorted out as needed. And then, nothing gets lost in the muddle of it all.

the more we care…

3 Positives:
SLEEP
quiet
more sleep

Our Journey Notes:
Monday, I threw caution to the wind and got caught up on all but two of the needed vaccines my doctor recommended. I paid for it all night and all day yesterday. Grateful they’re done and checked off the list, but I hadn’t anticipated getting knocked on my keister again. Feeling much better today. No dizziness, fever, or headache. Just a very sore arm. I do have to return to get a second dose for one of the vaccines, but that is the only shot I’m getting! I did sleep for a good portion of the day and was able to sleep for at least 4 hours without waking up. That is definitely progress.

Behind the storm…

3 Positives:
It snowed here in the valley and in the mountains
delicious soup on a cold spring evening
repaired the zipper on T’s heavy winter coat. He can now wear it today.

Our Journey Notes:
T’s eye appointment went as expected with just a bit of good news. Both eyes have stabilized, but the left eye pressure is still a little on the high side. Right eye is 20/80 and the left eye didn’t have a reading listed when I checked the visit notes. He’s down to two meds instead of the 6 he was on prior to the surgery. From the sound of things — he’ll continue with those for the long term.

I heard from my doctor about a med that he’d suggested stopping this year. His recommendation was to continue taking it until our next appointment this fall. I agreed and called in for a refill. The new health app makes it a lot easier to get answers and fairly quickly without having to call in and ask for a callback and have to go through a list of questions before getting to the real reason for the call. It’s like one and done with the app.

I’m still using lists to help with memory stuff. Routines are definitely helpful – and if I get out of sync, I can generally fall back to the routine fairly easily or check the list and start there and not get freaked out about having “lost my way.” Still tweaking the planner/calendar thing to tighten a few things up, but for the most part, we’re doing good at the moment.