Hoisin mushroom rolls, rice noodle salad, stirfried veg

A productive day here: enough so that the following is going to read like a completed to do list, I suspect.

First, I had a shower. (Well, actually first I fed Suki, but that goes without saying when you have a cat.)

Then I arranged transport to a medical appointment of mum’s on Friday. Mum, of course, listened in on my conversation and has spent the rest of the day getting very anxious about it. Some time around the fifth or sixth time that I assured mum that it would be OK, she gave me a pat on the head. Include on today’s list of achievements ‘not rather sharply telling mum that I’m not a damn dog’.

Then I called the company that insures my mobile phone and making a claim to replace this one, which I have dropped once too often and which is now cracked and heats up enough to lightly cook my fingers when used.

By lunchtime mum’s anxiety was kicking in in earnest: everything hurt, she didn’t want to do anything, and she was yo-yoing between my room and the living room so often that Suki gave up on moving out of the way and just laid there watching mum with mild exasperation.

This afternoon Lil the cleaner came. I had a firm but kind word with her about doing a better job of cleaning the kitchen, and she took the opportunity to let me know that she’s cutting down her hours for health reasons so we’ll be getting a new cleaner.

For today she did a good job of cleaning, and of keeping mum calm while I arranged for a solicitor to come round to set up a Lasting Power of Attorney for mum’s healthcare. I explained that mum’s cognitive awareness fluctuates, so the solicitor (or at least the admin person who manages her diary) that I’ll call them on the morning of the appointment if mum isn’t capable of understanding what’s happening.

Today she understood at least the outline of what a LPA is and agreed it was a good idea. She was also capable of watering the garden – identifying plants that needed water, finding and filling the watering can, and applying water where needed – without me being involved at all.

Then she asked me four times in five minutes what time Lady Friday would be here, unable to hold in her mind that she won’t be here until tomorrow.

I’m not sure if I mentioned that I asked for a second opinion on mum’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, but I did and mum now has an appointment to see a specialist psychiatrist in early August. I hope that that manages to sort out what’s going on with mum, so I know she’s getting the best treatment for whatever is causing her symptoms.

In the meantime, I am keeping notes of how mum’s abilities fluctuate and change not just from day to day, but often from hour to hour. It’s exhausting for us both – at least we sleep well at night!

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Dinner was Higgidy Hoisin Pulled Mushroom and Spring Onion Rolls – a name far bigger than their flavour, which is nice but not spectacular – with a homemade rice noodle salad. Mum approached these new foods with more curiosity than I expected, and cleared her plate with enthusiasm.

And so to another evening. I’m about ready to go to sleep, but there are still a few hours to go yet. 🥱

I’ll see you tomorrow.