Days of Delirium and Dementia and Reunions

Mum is in RCH with a diagnosis of delirium. She fell many times prior to the ambulance delivering her to the emergency ward. I think she not only had a bladder infection but that she was also dehydrated and that brought on the delirium. Her dementia clouded the diagnosis until she was admitted to emergency. She is sedated now and will be for a while. She is also on an IV and is being attended by a caring staff. Nothing can be done for now and she is so severely tired that her deep sleep can only help her heal.
She will be on diminishing doses of anti-psychotics for a couple of weeks.
This leaves Dad alone in the apartment. He is scared to be alone, he also has been tipping over and falls nearly 3 to 4 times a day. One of us must be with him at all times. Barry slept there for a couple of nights and last night after Dad's carer changed him into his pyjamas Barry thought that he would be okay for night. Dad said to go, he was fine, he didn't need anything but to watch a little TV and then to bed.
This morning Barry went over and there was Dad on the floor, half undressed and confused. he had no idea how long he had been there or when he fell. He had his Alarm bracelet on but he wasn't pushing it hard enough to sound the alarm.
It may have been hours that he lay there alone.
Heather is on her way out there right now. I hope. She will be sleeping in the apartment and this will give us a good observation and if Dad needs to enter the system through the emergency ward door then so be it.
I will go next week and give Barry another break while he goes on a golf trip with his Palm Springs buddy.
We have to get this falling problem solved and I hope that the system can find them both a new care home so that they can be together and this never has to happen again.
Unfortunately we cannot do anything, we are powerless to get them into a specific facility, the only thing that we can do is get them into the system.

On to another subject, Bryan and I are going to Vancouver for a reunion of all the old Black Spot people. The original fans and musicians
It is quite an alumnus of names. The enthusiasm for the event is growing exponentially. What started out as a few musicians gathering for an evening has turned out to be a 2 day affair. I am sure the press will be covering it. Some interesting, notable and extremely talented people will be there for a dinner and social one evening and a jam the next day. This will be so much fun to get together with some people that Bryan and I haven't seen for many years and some close friends that we see as regularly as we can.

check out these threads.

http://vancouverjazz.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2388

http://www.jazzstreetvancouver.ca/venues/7



The Black Spot morphed into the Java Jazz..the Flat Five and then the Blue Note I think. All over a period of just 4-5 years. I will no doubt be corrected on that because I wasn't there for that time and all my info is absorbed through conversations with Bryan and his friends. I have only been in the picture for 43 years:o))
We will be there in early August for this event. We will be staying in an hotel downtown, if you, gentle reader will be there at the same time please e-mail me and we will get together.
This will be the first time in my life that I will be going to Vancouver without stopping to help M&D. Wow, I wonder if I can do that. I am guessing not.

Going around and around

A circumstances with our parents spiral in and out of control and their health and minds deteriorate, I found another spiral. This one is a walking meditation labyrinth carefully designed and placed in our favourite park. I can walk the meditation pathway, conscious of every step and every breath and before long I have forgotten the anxieties of the day. I really have to apologise for the sucky music, but I was editing in youtube so you will have to forgive me.
We have been struggling with the challenges of dementia. Mum has been having hallucinations and is sometimes deep in paranoia. Things got out of hand two nights ago when her fears wouldn't let her allow anyone in the suite to give them dinner because she thought the chefs were poisoning the food. Dad is weak and when Mum wouldn't let him come to the phone, we became quite concerned. Everyone tried to help, from the front desk staff to me so far away. This only exacerbated the situation and she only calmed down when Barry went over and gave them some reheated dinner and settled them down. Today off to the docs on the advice of their caseworker for the results of blood work and yes, indeed it turn out that Mum had a bladder infection and that could make matter worse. Apparently paranoia is a symptom of infection in the elderly...who knew.
However, it is quite apparent that Dad had a stroke. His specialists referred him to other departments in the hospital after his renal treatment, Barry whizzed him around in the wheel chair and it was found that he had had a stroke. He is now weak, his speech is slurred and he is quite incapable of changing his ostomy bag. God know if that wouldn't be enough to make me demented. My poor Mum, no wonder she is obsessed with laundry. Dad causes it all.
The upshot of all of this is that they need to be in a nursing home and Mum's doctor kindly explained that to her today. I know that we will have to make this transition with them kicking and screaming even though they have lucid reactions to the news sometimes, it doesn't mean that information sticks.
Anyway tomorrow will be another day, and I hope that their case worker can get them started on a path to a care home quickly. Mum fell again tonight. Sigh. This is wearing Barry to a thread. It is very depressing to be a carer. And he is trying to work as well.
I will keep everyone posted.

The Davenport for lunch. Wow!!

Out on Lake Union on Sunday afternoon

We walked around the old wooden boats repair yard and US naval building and found to our delight that the Sunday afternoon ice cream cruise was still running. We were able to get right on board the 5 o'clock sailing which took us around Lake Union with a humorous running commentary and ice cream on the upper decks. House boats, yachts, tugboats, crab boats bound for Alaska and even past the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat with a man snoozing on the deck disagreeing with our commentator. We sailed past Warren Buffet's yacht and the Gas Works park. All sights of Seattle that I wouldn't have seen otherwise.

Kat and her buddy Ben

Off for a Hike to Snoqualmie Falls

When we have rounded up the crew after breakfast we will head to Snoqualmie Falls for a hike. Now that I have learned to post from my phone I will send a picture or two. I can't find a way to make my old Canon Powershot work. It hates my batteries and my SD card. Maybe I can find someone to help me. I am also going to find a little handycam for our business so that I can upload movies of our listings.

I see how the Black Spot jazz club reunion has taken on a life of its own. Wow! A lot of people want to be involved. I think that is wonderful. Maybe there should be two events because people will be coming from near and far and as hair greys and time ticks by there may not be another one.

Just my two cents.

We drove through North Bend Washington today which stood in for the fictional Twin Peaks. I took some photos of the famous restaurant that served the cherry pie and the lumberyard where the body was found wrapped in plastic. Actually the town reminded me of Pemberton for some reason.

Part of the current claim to fame for this town is the rail road restoration of old steam engines.

We stopped at an outlet mall and I scored an amazing find for Bryan and if on the off chance he reads this blog I will withhold the info on the gifts and reveal their identity on a later blog.

After dropping off Dan and Kat, Heidi and I went shopping at the shrine of DSW and Nordstrom Rack, then off to the Bellevue mall for more wallet extractions. We scored.

Tomorrow we will look for Costco. I will buy a camera and that will be that.

IMG00251.jpg

This post is an experiment to see if I can upload and publish a post from my BB phone and YES!! I can!