Chipolatas, crispy potato slices, mixed veg; cherry pie and ice cream
Today was a better day in many respects: she is more lucid, more cognitively capable, and more like her old self. She has done household chores without prompting or panicking, chatted about things other than her various health problems, and even made jokes.
It is interesting to me that this sudden improvement coincides with us running out of the medication she takes for her dementia, donepezil. Maybe it’s a coincidence, maybe there’s a connection. It’s definitely something to mention to the psychiatrist (or psychologist – I never can remember the difference) next week.
Our new gardener came round and removed the pile of sticks mum has been complaining about for months, mowed the lawn, did some pruning, and talked about his collection of (real, need-a-licence-to-keep) birds of prey. Mum adores owls, so I’m vaguely hoping she and the gardener will become friendly enough that he invites her round to meet his four. Well, you never know!
We had the second phone call from the local mental health team, which went far more smoothly than the first one as mum was actually capable of understanding the questions this time. It was decided that CBT isn’t really suitable for mum (no, really?!) and her anxiety issues will instead be referred to the psychiatrist / psychologist next week.
Through all this I have staggered along under the weight of exhaustion and low mood. None of the phone calls I was intending to make got made. Indeed nothing very much got done at all on my part: I just don’t have the energy or the motivation.
Thankfully dinner was easy: just chipolatas and crispy potato slices on a tray in the oven, and mixed veg microwaved. We didn’t really need cherry pie and ice cream afterwards, but it was very delicious!
Tomorrow I really do need to do some of the many things on my to do list. For now, I must go and deal with mum’s latest emergency, manufactured because I am in my room – hiding from the ubiquitous Strictly Come Dancing – rather than dancing attendance on her.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. 🙄
