Slipping into Deeper Waters
Photo after heavy rains flooded the lake taken by our neighbor Brenda It wasn’t until after the year 2000 that Dad’s little world showed more severe signs of breaking down. After the excitement of Y2K wore off, lack of new excitement took its toll. Once again I got...
To the Rescue
I put my dad on a decent diet, proper supplements, and one by one, we overcame every confusion he was encountering. We waded through his finances, his investments, and his mail.I began poring over his investment newsletters and learned how he liked to invest. I did...
The House on the Lake
When we first visited the house on the lake, my kids were young, five and six years old. The house was barely a skeleton with an erected frame, some outside walls, and a wooden floor that spanned a generous slab of granite jutting out from the ground. This bulge of...
Wrestling with Emotions — Celebrate the Day!
During these past few weeks, my dad has revived the theme of going home. I ask him where home is, and sometimes it’s Akron, Ohio with his parents. Sometimes it’s Ohio in the house where I grew up, and sometimes it’s here in Alabama. However, more and more he doesn’t...
Dental Dismay
I always look forward to seeing the house on the lake, my dad and my son, Brad. My son is a wonderful guy. He swept up all the leaves; turned on the water, lights, and heat; and in general got things ready for my arrival to Alabama. A cold front sent temperatures down...
Traveling Man
When I first arrived at the nursing home, Dad was busily wheeling around in his wheelchair, using his feet to move forward. He got a bit of exercise that way and certainly a substantial change in scenery. The first moment I arrived, other than greeting me with a big...
Busy, Busy, Busy
I call my dad daily, and I never know what the call will bring. Even though his memory consistently and exceedingly slips away from him, his imagination makes up for what his memory lacks. Yesterday when I called, he told me he didn’t have time to talk. He was too...
Mood & Memory Swings
During these past years, Dad’s memory shifted, faded and re-formed like designs of a kaleidoscope, and many different time periods came to view, often mistaken as the present. He had moments where he wanted to call his mom and dad to take him home. He had moments when...
Wild Times in the Roaring 90’s
Wild Times in the Roaring 90’s This trip I just finished to Alabama was rather mild mannered. Not much new going on with pops—the same garden variety attempts to shake locked doors open and wheel away to freedom, all to no avail. We went for a few nice drives, the...
A Turn for the Worse
On April 14th, my dad ran a high fever of 104° and was hospitalized. Antibiotics quickly brought down the fever to 100°, and my dad was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI). My son Brad was not too worried and thought Dad would go home within a few days...