Jan 21 2012

Well here we go another week. Has been better than most. Maribeth has been in a good mood most of the week. She did fall 2 times but no bumps or bruises. One time she helped me pick her up but this morning no such luck. About tore my back out. Has been eating ok. Today she ate a big cup of tomato soup. Only soup she seems to like. still will not sleep in bed and at night she somehow manages to creep around when I am sleeping. There is no predicting what she will do.
Last couple of nights she kept me awake most of the night.I think she is going down hill very fast but then what do I know I am just the hubby. I wish I had some help. I know this is all affecting my health, no sleep and constant worry.I want to sleep right now and it is 2:50 pm

Jan 24 2012

Well last week was interesting. Maribeth only fell one time and no bumps or bruises. Picking her up was not to bad because she actually helped a little, picking her up is tough on my back. She is not eating very well unless it is sweet. Sunday morning was interesting, when I woke up she was sitting on the love seat nude. She had taken her dirty depends off then pooped and peed on the love seat, right in the crack between the cushions. Happy they are sewn together. The pee mixed with the poop and ran down the front of the love seat on to the floor and then under the seat. What a mess!!! I am very surprised I am doing all this without gagging. Is funny the things we can do for someone we love. But other than that it was a pretty uneventful week. Judy, my neighbor, said she sees a big difference in Maribeth for the worse just in 1 week. Oh something she did do. I found her sleeping face down in a pad. Good it was fluffy because I don't know how she was breathing. I just picked her head up and turned it so he nose and mouth were clear. That is all I can think of for now. In the morning she knows who I am but afternoon I am not so sure. She even managed to say "I love you" to me and smile

another week Sat Jan 14

Well another week and 2 more falls. One was not so bad, she actually helped me pick her up and she did not fight me when I cleaned her, that might be a first. The second was not so good. I ask "what are you doing on the floor" she just smile. But she did not help me pick her up and I could not get help. This is killing my back. I don't know how much she weighs but she has put a lot of weight on. All in all though the week wasn't to bad. Had to clean poo 4 x but it is ok I know she is clean. I just have to find a way to shower hwer. She can no longer step in bath tub. That is it for this week

Jan 6 2011 post

Things have changed drastically. I really need to post every week now.Maribeth has had several bad falls. Fell out of bed and hit her face on the night stand, big black eye, then she fell at night and hit her head on a fan, another black eye, then 3 weeks ago she fell sometime around 3 am and cut her head with the glasses she was wearing, another black eye and a cut, I did call 911 and they took her to hospital. Now 11:00 Wed night she fell, and I found her by the front door with no cloths on shivering and you guessed it 2 black eyes and a bruise on her forehead.
The dreaded day did come and I am amazed at myself, I change and clean her with out getting sick.
There are some funny times too. The first time I gave her a Depends to hold while I went to get pants for her and when I came back she had it on her head looking out of the leg hole, I have a picture of that but I won't post it. Then she saw me nude as she often does but this time was funny. She recognized the private part of my body and pointed and said ohhhhhhh, then she smacked it and giggled. There are more I just don't remember them.
She does get very mean when I change her, punching and scratching. The punches don't hurt, except the time she hit me on the top of my head, I was washing her feet in the shower and BAM, that hurt.I do manage to stay cool through most of this. I will smack her leg when I am changing her because she if fighting me punching and scratching and a tap to the leg seems to stop her.
Feeding her is getting much more difficult because I never know what she will eat. PB&J was great for a while now she like Jimmy Deans Breakfast Bowls and she loves coffee. I try not to give her soda as she has put on a lot of weight. When she falls it is very difficult for me to pick her up my back just isn't what it used to be. She spends most of her time in a wheel chair, she can still shuffle around the house but I do worry with the one dog being so big would be easy to knock Maribeth down.
I don't know what is in our future but I do know this is making me a more tolerant person. Well that is all for now. I am sure I will think of more after I post. Until next time good health and good life to all.

June 26

This has been an interesting week so far. Stopped at a donut shop and while I was ordering I ask Maribeth to sit at a table. She did, for a min. I turned around to check on her and she was gone. She had followed another man out of the store and was trying to get in his car. Yes I went and got her. Then on Monday she put all her shoes in the washing machine, I was working on RV, by the time I walked into garage I heard, thump bang boom. The shoes were in the drier. was kind of funny but not good for the shoes.
Now Maribeth insist on getting the mail. If there is mail it is all for her. I found important mail in the trash. So now I have to watch that.
This Alzheimer's is getting worse much faster than I thought it would.
Well it is a new day lets see what trouble Maribeth can get in to.

Update on my wife

Since the last post my wife has gotten much worse, not flushing toilets, throwing valuables away and not being able to understand speach.
She has trown away diamond ear rings, gold and semi precious stones. This week I found a Torques and silver necklace , which by the way I think I recovered all items or atleast I hope I did.
Also found clothing, shows and our sewing box in trash..
Glad I am bigger than her, she would probable put me in trash can.
Any letter of form with a long name on it she assumes it is hers, because her name is long. Maribeth can no longer read or write. Everyone she see's in public she thinks she knows, and will "talk" actually just babble to them.
I do not look foward to the day she forgets to use toilet, I can't do that. I have no idea what I will do.
As far as my sanity goes, what I have left is being protected by a very special online friend we will call Button. She is a very good and special understanding person. I can vent my frustrations to her and she offers her point of view. She lived through this with her mother, so she is a big help. I feel very fortunate to have met Button. Every bit a lady and takes no crap, listens to no foul words and is very moral. For those of you who know me she is the exact opposite of who I would pick for a friend. Maybe I am mellowing out, because I know have two friends like that. Lynda who I have know for about 3 years and Button who I known for about 16 months.
I need to start posting atleast weekly because I forget the changes in Maribeth and she changes everyday>

Well since my last post a lot has happened. Maribeth is getting worse and I am getting more stressed. This past week she spent everyday sorting her shoes. Now there are odd shoes and one odd Tote's boot. How and when she throws them away I have no idea.
I try to do the laundry only to find MB has either taken the cloths out of the washer or she has put whites in with the colors. I just got our whites white again thanks to OxiClean
Our friend Lee just got back from Hawaii and brought us a box of chocolate covered macadamias. Guess who ate them all inside of 1 hour, give you a hint, it wasn't me.
I just bite my tounge and get more stressed..
I wish there was happy news but not this time.
We do however have a new dog. A sweet mutt lab that still has a lot of puppy in her. She does like to get in the shower with me and just sit there while I shower. "Baby" is 8 months old and all of 42 clumsy pounds. She does need training as she is rough on our older much calmer dog "Maggie.
Damn how selfish of me!! There is good news. Katie is more preggy and Melanies room is about finished. Brian and Katie are doing a good job. Brian and I put the new ceiling fan in babies room and Katie and Brian put up mirrored closet doors.
Yesterday we got the ceiling fans up in living room, Brian did most of the work with supervision and Katie and me. He is a fast learner, he even turned the power off this time so I didn't get tickled.
Looking foward to being a Grand dad or grand pa or grand pop even a grand poop, I don't care as long as I am one.

Vacation

Well we are down to the wire, leaving for vacation Monday or Tuesday. Stop in MS see my sister Jay, then on to TN to see Lynda and Rob in Camden, then over to Monterey to check on our property. This trip will decide if I keep the coach or sell it. Will see how Maribeth does.
Maribeth seems to feel safe at home and not so around people she doesn't know. I will post more as we travel and hopefully see the colors of fall

three more very important friends

I met Lynda and Rob, Lynda first, in the same chat room as I did Deborah. Lynda are very religious people who have come to mean a lot to me, with any luck we will be seeing them in Oct. I think we get along so well because we do not discuss our religious views, although Lynda does pray for me and she doesn't hide that from me. I think she is prying for me to go way lol. Not really We met Lynda and Rob in St. Augustine a few months ago. What a great couple, crazy, but great. Rob just needs to duck, those door closers will poke his eye out one day. Want to laugh? Hang out with them. All they seem to do is laugh, more so Lynda when she laughs AT Rob.
My third friend in an Asian lady that I met by chance online. She isn't religious like the 2 nut cases one and two but she has the same morals and we share some things in common as care givers. Soy had to care for her mom for a few years plus work and raise 2 children. Katie and Brian don't read this part but I cyber adopted her grand daughter. So please no one tell them. I feel so much better after all this typing and retyping. Katie sorry about all the phone calls for help but thank you sweetheart. I am a fortunate man to have these people in my life Love you all

Online Friends

The Internet has opened many doors for people, from Religious people to perverts but the best thing I have found is the friendships that can be developed. My first truly close friend lives in England. Deborah and I met in a chat room and somehow clicked, I have no idea why. She is attractive, educated and Ms Neat freak where I am not so neat, not going to comment on the other two. At the time I met Deborah it was the beginning of Maribeth's illness. Many times she talked to me and made me feel better about myself. I credit her with saving my life. I had a really bad day and was very near ending it all. When I came online she knew how bad it was and my thoughts. That wonderful woman stayed online with me for over 4 hours talking and consoling me. She had to get up for work the next day but still she hung in there. I do believe I would have ended it if not for her. Deborah is a class act. I have no idea how she kept me in line but she did all it took was a look from her on cam and I knew I went to far. Little package but would slap me silly sometimes if she could only thing that stopped her was 4000 miles. One day I hope to meet this online friend

Progressive Illness such as Alzhimers, cancer ect

Welcome to my Blog. I have started this blog as a way of meeting people in similar situations. My wife has a progressive disease that will eventually completely disable her. I have found it hard to find people willing to talk about this situation. If I can find others in like situations I am hoping to find people who understand. I tried a support group and all I got was offer for a piece of ass, no I didn't act on it.
Since Maribeth got ill her friends and family have disappeared. It is very difficult for people to be around Maribeth because her conversation, no matter how hard she tries, is incoherent. Plus her mood swings are dramatic. She can go from loving and caring to mean and hateful at the drop of a pin.
Am I whining? Hell yes. That is why I am doing this. It is my release and if someone sees it great, If not still great because I feel better.
Maribeth was a life long secretary. Her last job at Sickle's High School in Tampa was great until she was let go due to illness, no disability, thank you HCSB. The kids love Maribeth, we have tokens and gifts from the kids here at home. In fact we have 2 paintings a student from Haiti did for her. I will take pictures of both and post them. Out of space more later