So much for Vacation...

Well, the party who was going to meet me during my layover in Atlanta had a family emergency and didn't show up. Made me angry, hurt, upset... but once I found out the reason, I kinda felt bad for firing off an angry e-mail. I need to check into getting a cell phone again.

Got into Orlando ok, my little blue bag made it with me, which is good. No problem with the rent-a-car, although they gave me a PT Cruiser, which is cute, but which I hated. Didn't use it all that much, though. So it wasn't a big issue.

The hotel was ok. Few things were a PITA, but essentially ok.

I made a huge pot of chili, a Lasagna and a pot of bean soup for them so that Dad doesn't have to struggle with cooking. Although! Talking to him some, it seems he's getting "into" cooking somewhat. That's a good thing. I bought him some crossword puzzle books too. Read on some website where those are associated with decreased incidence of several forms of dimentia... *crossing my fingers*

Mom (possibly) broke her hip while I was there - or the day before, we're not sure. She said she fell, and she was having a TERRIBLE time walking, but although one doctor said there was a "compression impaction" fracture, now the ortho surgeon says there is not. They want to do "therapy". I'm afraid she will keep trying to walk all over and REALLY break the hip big-time if she keeps her hopping and shuffling going on.

The altzheimers is bad. She has "flashes" of lucidity - but they are few, far between and very short. She remembered my name, remembered Dad's name - but forgot completely what her relationships with Dad and I are. Just calls us by our first names.

She keeps wanting to "go home" - back to Latrobe Avenue in Chicago. Unfortunately, the neighborhood she grew up in is now not a place she or anyone else like us would be safe. White Flight took that neighborhood down hard. It's a shame, too, because an awful lot of the houses there are just beautiful. The house she wants to go back to was a lovely 2-story pseudo victorian with a wrap-around porch, stained glass window in the entry hall and curving staircase with carved handrail.

Probably a crack house now. *sigh*

There seems to be a preoccupation for her with "the people" and with getting the right classes for school. Not real sure where all that comes from - perhaps it is just something to say as "filler" when she can't think of what it is she is really wanting to say?

As the day gets darker, she becomes more aggitated. She cannot tolerate the sight of her reflection in the windows - she thinks "the people" are looking in. I suggested to Dad that when the sun starts to set, he start closing the vertical blinds to keep her calm.

I also suggested that he start decafinating her. I know it's made a large difference for me, calming me down quite a lot. Since she drinks a lot of coffee all day long, it might help keep the anxiety down as the sun sets?

Well - I can't wait for Thanksgiving. THAT 4-day weekend I plan to ENJOY myself.
Sitting in the hospital all day one day, and standing on my feet cooking all day another - isn't really "fun".