It's Not All Bad
Tue., February 10, 10:13 AM
For a change, I found some really good things recently. Not the least of these, of course, is a little break in the temperatures. I just don’t deal well with discomfort any more, and I don’t have the courage to go out, especially by myself, when there’s ice on the ground.
So, for starters, how about the opportunity to have a nice lunch with my sister? I hadn’t seen her since August, and I don’t know when I last ate out.
Then, of course, there was public television. Sometimes you just have to catch something by accident. Connecticut Public Television is unique — I believe it still is — because it is the home station for Connecticut women’s basketball. Local commercial stations show the men’s team, but the women used to take a back seat. About fifteen years ago, the president of the station took a chance and aired a game that was not on national television. To everyone’s surprise, it drew more pledge money than any other offering. Since then, the station has signed contracts to air any women’s game that is not claimed by a national television outlet. There aren’t many games left for us in the season, because the tournaments usually belong to ESPN (where, just incidentally, the coverage isn’t as good). Yay for women’s basketball!
One night last week I got to see the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor awarded (posthumously) to George Carlin. Yes, all the guests were funny, but the best parts were those film clips from George’s own performances. Some I had already seen, some I had not. Do you realize that I felt as if someone had been reading my mind? I can’t wait to see it again.
Finally, very early on Sunday morning, I caught an episode of “Lomax, the Hound of Music.” I’ve been looking forward to this for over a year, a show about folk songs and aimed at kids. Furthermore, our friend Last Girl, an amazing violinist, is involved with the production. It looks as if I shall be up very early next Sunday too.
I found something cool on commercial television as well. “CBS Sunday Morning” ran a segment about “doo-wop music,” which blossomed during my high school years. I especially liked Little Anthony and the Imperials singing what I now call the Alzheimer’s song: “You don’t remember me, but I remember you…”
We had another bit of strangeness that gives me some advantage after all. About a week and a half ago, we — U.D. and I — became aware that Husband was not doing well. He was rude and nasty in the morning, and he was still nasty when he came home from day care. When U.D. suggested that he needed to see a doctor, he became angry and aggressive.
We have been advised that, when he gets that way, we should call an ambulance. Well, if it’s not life and death, 911 first sends a police officer. Husband is not so far gone that he doesn’t know he should be polite to a cop. He was; the cop didn’t understand why we had called. “What do you mean Alzheimer’s? Who diagnosed it?” Well, I just happen to have a medications list, on which are listed such prescriptions as Aricept and Nemanda, and they’re not for a cold. So the ambulance was summoned — and the ambulance attendants didn’t understand either, because to them he was polite too. But they agreed to take him, and I didn’t even go along.
The doctor who phoned me next day said that he did just fine talking to the psychiatrists. He also had a chest X-ray, because he sounded bad. Actually, he always sounds bad, but his chest was clear. However, in examining him, the doctors found a U.T.I. No wonder he was uncomfortable! But if he had cared to tell us, we could have resolved the whole situation easier. However, I am backing off. Let someone else check him this time.
Our son, who has power of attorney, came down to talk to the doctors. He tried mightily to persuade them to put him into extended care, but he doesn’t fit the criteria for that. Son brought him home on the fourth day with a slight change in his meds — whatever — and permission to put him into day care five days a week instead of three.
A nurse stops by to check him, and basically all I’m doing now is giving him his pills and breakfast and supper. People are beginning to understand that I am wearing out. However, the sun is shining, and I think I shall go out for a while. Always be grateful for small favors.
