A Normal 24 Hours

Yesterday Margaret was supposed to visit her local GP for a weekly check up but this was canceled due his own illness so we are rescheduled for this afternoon. This caused Margaret some problems because twice during the day she got fully dressed, put on her hat and pushed her wheely walker through the house announcing that she was going out. She knew that she had had a doctor's appointment but with its cancellation had not been able to understand that there was no reason to go out. After a little while she settled down after I said that we would go for a walk with her little dog, Louis, later in the afternoon. I like to rest after lunch as I usually do the housework and shopping the in the morning.

Our afternoon walk was a success. I got Margaret in her wheelchair clutching an umbrella as storms were forecast and I stuffed a waterproof poncho in my hip pocket. We set off with Louis on his lead being held by Margaret and had a three kilometre walk around our local estate. We finished up in a park on the way back where the local dog walkers can let their dogs socialize off the lead. Her we met Joy and Bill with their neighbor's dog Buffy. They have looked after Louis and walked him on several occasions so we stopped and talked for a while while Louis and Buffy played. Soon we were joined by several other dogs and their walkers and Margaret enjoyed a nice social chat. We got home before the storms broke.

Back home I cooked dinner - Margaret's favorite beer battered fish and salad. After I cleared up we sat and watched TV. Margaret watches a lot of television but doesn't remember too much about the shows so she was very pleased when a repeat of Dr Who came up on ABC2. When it ended she asked when it was going to start. In this episode, Blink, the Doctor plays only a minor part as others try to save him being trapped in 1969.

Now it was time for bed. Margaret was tired and confused. I had to supervise her night time medications, sort out her nightclothes and get her settled. This took about forty five minutes as she was worried about our daughter, Helen, back in South Australia. Finally she settled lying on top of her duna wrapped in two snuggie's which was her last "rational" purchase from the TV. I went to bed and after reading for a little went back to Margaret's room and switched of the light and TV before getting to sleep at 11.45.

This morning Margaret was awake, when I got up a 5.00 am, feeling cold - it was actually quite warm but her internal thermostat doesn't register properly. She told me that she had got up early to find her big Teddy Bear and had ended up in my bathroom before returning to bed where he was hiding all the time. In the last two weeks Margaret has become more and more childlike and takes two Teddies and a Rag Doll to bed; they make up a lot of Margaret's conversation. One thing about her dementia is that she appears to have passed through the aggressive stage and is quite sweet.

It is now just after 9.00 am, Margaret has had her breakfast and morning medications (11 tablets!) and I am just about to start a few chores while things are quiet.