Today the old question came up again, "how did we get here??" asked mac, first thing before we even had our breakfast....this question along with, "have you seen my mother" 'i don't have any money," "where will i sleep tonight"?? i guess are the 4 most commonly asked questions by Mac...as his memory is such that those questions are so important, and so they should be, imagine, never knowing where, how, who and why you are in a place. So i always try to make sure to answer them no matter how many times he asks, and of course 'how did i get here', could be brushed off, by saying "by car', but i would hate that answer, and so i tell him the story ...."we moved here a few months ago from Chateauguay, we had a mover move our furniture here, and our children, Les, Gaye, Valerie Glenna and Maureen ...all helped to set up the house with our furniture, and then les drove us over here in his car....' that usually settles the question, occasionally he wants to know 'why did we move', the answer is simple, we had stairs in our house - and had to go up and down constantly, so this way we have an elevator...and my knees are now much better, and you will not fall....' , this settles that question too...
But tonight he asked," are you going to make sure my slippers are there???" This as he got into bed, which made me kind of nervous...as a couple of nights ago .....he got up, put on his slippers at 2;30 a.m. and walked around searching for a way out...i managed to convince him to go back to bed, but then he was up again, putting his slippers on the wrong feet, and practically tripping along...and i could not convince him to get back to bed...he was on a mission of some sort had to get out...and while i was wondering how to get him back to bed, and at the same time, thinking should i phone the emergency # to get the night nurse up here, yikes, he managed to get to the front door, and out in the hallway....in broad daylight he gets lost...but in his dream like state, he was quite confident..tellng me go back to bed, leave me alone - go away....i'm going out....
so there I was bare feet in my nightie, with the cell phone in my hand ...trying to remember the special # to call...as I trailed after him, - also not wanting to talk too loud and wake up the neighbours, and at the same time, loud enough for partially deaf Mac to hear me...'saying come back, and mentally saying what the hell is that number...finally remembered. and called - no one came....did it 3 x...by then we've walked around the hallway...mac contemplating the elevators and trying to open them with his hand...trying the fire escape doors, with me pleading him saying go away...looking here and there trying out peoples apartment doors, but deciding no can't go there...and then i said 'you know you might as well do this in the morning, there will be more people and we can go out with them....surprise, he agreed and readily came back to bed...although by then it was 3;30...i had been whispering - pleadng, talking louder, and freezing....and vowing to myself that the people in charge were going to hear from me in the morning...
BUT, when i got Mac back to bed and was putting the phone back on the hook, realized, i forgot to press 'talk' after i dialed...oh well can't remember everything...and the emergency was all over anyway.....
so the idea of slippers, and where are they when he asked, gave me a good idea....move the damn slippers so he can't get them on, .., although last night was great, he slept all night...but one never knows...so maybe if he can't get the slippers, and decides to follow up on whatever his dreams say, trying to find his slippers may slow him down - but who knows....this is one of the signs of the big A. they can move in their sleep - their hands or even their bodies, Mac is a good example of that.... while healthy people or people without the big A. are not able to do that in their sleep....and most people do not walk in their sleep if they are healthy...So think i'd better get to bed and get some sleep just in case I'm required to do some night walking...i need my sleep ...so g'nite...
Jan, your nighttime adventure sounds very scary ...and exhausting. It is also potentially dangerous especially if Mac had managed to get out of the building. I wonder if it would be possible to rig up some kind of lock or overhead catch on the door so that Mac could not manage to open it. He would be frustrated for sure but not able to get out and you would have time to call for help. Just a thought. Praying for quiet nights for you both.
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