May 18,2016 Well that is really good......

>>> This is for all the grandfathers out there.
>  Last week, I took my grandchildren to a restaurant.
>My six-year-old grandson asked if he could say grace.
 As we bowed our heads he said,
God is good, God is great. t

thank you for the food,and I would even thank you more
if Grandpa gets us ice cream for dessert.
and liberty and justice for all! Amen!"
>
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby,
 I heard a woman remark "That's what's wrong with this country.
 Kids today don't even know how to pray.
Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"
Hearing this, my grandson burst into tears and asked me,
"Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"
>
As I held him and assured him that he had done
a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him,
an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my grandson and said,
"I happen to know that God thought that
was a great prayer."
>
"Really?" my grandson asked.
"Cross my heart," the man replied.
Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added
(indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing),
>
"Too bad she never asks God for ice cream.
A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."
Naturally, I bought my grandchildren ice cream
at the end of the meal.

 My grandson stared at his for a moment,
and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.
>
 He picked up his sundae and, without a word,
walked over and placed it in front of the woman.
>
With a big smile he told her,
"Here, this is for you.
Shove it up your ass, you grouchy old bitch! "
> 

 

 Touches the heart doesn't it?

And that's what Mac said after he had a great laugh....Well that is really good...

nothing touches my heart as much as Mac having a good laugh....

good for you marge, sending me this...bye..xx

May 15, 2014 Where are we.....

I used to answer this question with a big long story...we are at the Floralies, we used to be in Chateauguay blah blah blah...now i realize...that's not the answer..so this morning, i just said, we are on our way to the bathroom to brush our teeth and get ready for the day....and that saved us a lot of questions and worry...and that's just what we are doing...getting ready to go to the teapot for lunch and walk along the lake...it's going to be a hot hot day.....in the meantime, i received this from a friend whose mom died of the big A.

http://www.wimp.com/whatdisease/

 

and this was my answer to her emal;-

 

I'm putting the answer to that film on this thread as well ...yes it's a terrible disease and for sure i hope you don't get it, everybody is so nervous about it...in the case of genetically getting it, apparently the A. Assoc. says there is only a 5% chance  of that...a lot depends on the make up and health i think...for example, mac used to drink ...Alchohol does play a part ...not that he was an alcoholic, but he had wine every single day...and i think if one is going to get it Alcohol does work on the cells of the brain, and even tho new cells are always made, why lose cells, that's one of the reasons i very rarely drink wine even though i like to have wine with meals, i don't   - it's so obvious what acohol does when watching people after they have had a few drinks...so i don't go there....thanks for the film i am sending it on....i have seen that type of film numerous times at the Alzheimer's assoc, when they have speakers.....and only PREVENTION is spoken about a cure is not..as there is NO cure.  it's awful...

Mac is in the second to last stage...he still eats well, and WALKS  and with all the people here in the apartment bldg..that have the big A. many are in the last stage...non eating, non walkers, and in fact two have  just died...one lady is a kind of friend of mine now, her husband is in the last stage, in bed constantly, crying in pain and not eating, she looks a wreck now..and i'm so so sad for her, and i know what's coming eventually for me, so it's not great, but i live as i keep saying in the MOMENT or i try to...

anyway, keep positive, you probably will NOT get it...  xxxjan.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014 Just go to hell....

Really, that's the good word first thing this a.m., as I tried to get Mac out of bed...along with some other choice words, but we, Vedette (preposee) and myself persisted..  Actually,  Vedette, left after those words and said she would return in a few minutes...She did, and he did get dressed...with much shaking of his fist and saying this would be the very last time...Ten minutes later, drinking his coffee and eating his brekkie, he was a happy camper, and when I referred to his bad temper this morning...well when was that...not him he was quite content...and so he was....finally.



This good mood lasted him all day, and he was in a great mood yesterday, as well.  We've had some great walks, although my ankle is not the best...I'm treating it with frozen corn, and heat off and on...yesterday, when we were walking extra slow mac in shuffle mode and me in limping mode...we were starting to go across the st.  when the driver of the car that was stopped at the sign..had his girlfriend roll down the window on her side.  Thinking they wanted directions, i bent down to hear what he wanted to say...and this was what we heard

"Hey there, I wish to make a big announcement...are you guys ready!!..  Well o.k. i answered - what's up??? Well it's this lovely girl's birhday.. with that she raised her hand holding a beautiful rose.  "I said   WOW, happy birthday...how old are you...  I'm 19.she said.....oh to be 19,  I wished her a happy life...and he said...You two look like you've had a happy life...I answered..we have had a happy life, and we still are happy...so here's wishing the same to you two.. with that..off they went in their sport's car..waving to two old fogues...

This is what we just love about living in Lachine...the diversity, the craziness on the lake and everywhere, sometimes...like yesterday, an old guy - almost 70 i'm sure..about 6 foot 2..skinny with his grey hair in a mohawk,  short jeans all cut like the kids wear..and rollerblading like a pro... stopped at our bench, and speaking French said o.k. if I park here, and take off my skates...I said...sure o.k.  Then the girl all of about 15 yrs old (with him) took off her roller blades..she was in short short black shorts and a midrift  white top, and proceeded to get in the freezing cold lake..up to the top of her legs..and tried to feed a Canada Goose...someone said she should be careful..the lake was polluted they thought...Then the old guy said in English...hey how else will she be immune to germs if she is going to be so picky...I said, is she your daughter, "no he said, I'm old enough to be her grandpa...she's just a friend, and i do mean friend, not a girl friend..."   Other kids came along to see the geese, and everyone was saying, hey it's summer...well 20 degrees not exactly summer..but we are all desparate for summer..it was amazing - everyone out flying kites, kite surfing, and getting their boats out.. fly fishing in the lake, fishing on the shore..and everyone lapping up the SUN....

Today we were out again, cloudy and cool...how different, but the craziness continued..as we avoided a man cycling like crazy along the grass beside the sidewalk where we were walking..wanting to get the green light on busy busy 32nd Ave...and what a shock, there hanging on to his handlebars for dear life was a white cockatoo..with his yellow plume waving in the air...seemed to be just loving it...I said, "hey that's amazing..and as I watched the cyclist and his cockatoo, he turned quick to look and raised his fingers in a V.  and continued at top speed across the street...What a place said Mac.  I agree What a place...but it's great...



and right now, he's waiting for his dinner, and looking at me like, hey what's up as he rocks in his chair to the music on cbc radio 2.....so good evening and bon appetit...

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 If your hand wasn't in the way....

Quick little blog to remind myself that life got quite a bit better yesterday...we were able to go for several tiny walks around the little park in the back...even took a chance to try to beat the yukky musical sound that lets pedestrians cross our busy 32nd ave. to the park -which is in back of the restaurants that face our building...we didn't make it, thought we were going to get mowed down by a truck, but I guess the driver took pity on us doddering along.



Also, the new doctor said that life in this disease will not  get better, but there are ups and downs...hello, tell me about that..anyway, if I  give the pill he had again and see the same symptons, walking off kilter, not able to eat properly, generally sluggish - and bad tempered...he has a a couple of other options to help mac sleep better at night, and of course that means i'll sleep better too.  What a nice young doctor, think i'll change doctors...hmmm my mom always said, better to have a young doc as you get older - my doc is almost my age,   may pop off at any time, hey and this doc is right here every week...anyway back to mac..   The funny thing is when i was trying to help him eat his supper last night...i said -gee what's happening here can't you see your spoon.???  'I could - said Mac, if your damn hand wasn't always in the way....well good he actually could see my hand, ha.



A great night's sleep, a first in a couple of weeks...so all is right with the world this morning...g'day.

Monday, May 5, 2014... I can't go there - hold on...

A really really bad day for poor Mac, his memory of how to walk off the wall, his eyesight..is as if he is blind, but it's really perception...as he says..wait can't go there - hold on, this as we go through a door , he sees his shadow on the floor and thinks he is going to go down or up - who knows...it was such a sad time.  Decided to get the walker from the storage in the basement ...try to see if that would help...We did go around the path in the little park in the back of the building...but with much trepidation - hesitation, fear and confusion, so will maybe try again when he is more settled...but his walking did not improve...he would not use the cane, and at times seemed like he would tip over  unless i held on tight...i had the preposee put him right in bed tonight....and tomorrow we will see the new Doc...Dr. Ginsburg...



Now I'm wondering, is it the effect of the pill, although as i read yesterday's blog, i see he was pretty bad yesterday...but today was the worst yet...he could not handle his spoon, fork or glass  by dinner...I was feeding him....and except for finger food, that was the way it had to be...



He did try to go downstairs and sit on the rocker , but it was scary i thought he would fall so many times, my heart was pounding...and this evening, we went down for the mail, but since i knew Stepahane was going to help us back upstairs from muriel (our neigbour downstairs) room. i took a chance...He was exhausted, and shaky all the way up on the elevator , so he is happily now in bed where Stephany and I managed to put him in - ...no pill tonight...hopefully he sleeps..all night...and we'll see, what   - if anything the Dr. has to say tomorrow...



i know that these are the usual effects of Alzheimer's ..and in fact some of the behaviours  i.e. not being able to get out of his chair...i had to use the special button that makes his chair lift him right up...haven't done that since we left Chateauguay..his shaky walk, plus falling, that was a chateauguay problem, which stopped when we moved here...i thought it was because of the stairs...but now - who knows...hopefully this will pass also, but we'll see...so must get some sleep now g'nite...

Sunday - May 4, 2014 I've gotta get out ...

"I've gotta get out'...friends are waiting...how do i get out of here...I have to go right now...i'm not waiting..NO, right now....That's the answer Mac was giving me - along with some really great swearing..at about 2 a.m.  This answer was to my saying, 'look wait till it's bright out, it's the middle of the night..no onw is awake now.." well forget that no way was that acceptable... This was going on for about an hour, off and on, with his trying to walk to the window, stopping and starting, yelling, and then coming back to the bed...To distract him, I tried calling my daughter, but poor her, the middle of the night and waking her up, not too bright of me, but she did try, and he didn't respond but got worse... So hung up, and just waited and talked softly till he calmed down enough to get back to bed by about 3;30 a.m.

 Mac has not been a happy camper in the middle of the night  - really I'm not getting enough sleep..i've decided to give Mac his special pills tonight , i'm supposed to check  out his behaviour in the day and if there is indication of agitation, then give him a pill...well, he is not exactly agitated but very very confused, so decided to give him the pill..tonight and see if it's any better during the night.  i did do that two nights but he definitely was agitated before bed...so it was a go and it was the first time i've slept all night in weeks (exception of course for the bathroom)...t'was beautiful..

.I can call the special nurse in the middle of the night and he will come, but if mac is too agitated to take the pill they give an injection and although he never has had one, i hate the thought of his yelling and screaming to get out of it...so i put up with the yelling and screaming to get out of here and eventually he did calm down..which can take up to one or two hours with breaks inbetween.yuck..so tonites the nite for a pill.

 

Mac has a great sense of humour and we have fun many times in the day, though lately hehas been saying, "why am i so confused, it's terrible, I would be lost if you weren't here".   Again and again, i tell him that's the  problem it's your memory...so let's just live in the moment...easier said than done...This is the words every few days..and it is terribly sad.. today Debbie came to look after him while I went to a "Grandmother to Grandmother Concert" in aid of African Grandmothers.....While there, our good friend and psychiatrist reminded me that I need to have a break, i must take time out, and get refreshed, etc etc.  Well I know that, but Mac is the one who really needs the help..he is the one really suffering, and tries so hard to be "up' , and good to be with...I can see that he has trouble even talkng and today his walking is awful, just shuffling, as we haven't walked enough...so tomorrow if it's not raining...my strained ankle better be better, I am going to get him out walking...and that's it for tonight...hope we have a good night - g'nite

 

Actually the days are pretty good with the exception of some parts of it...he seems to be getting weaker for walks, i'm not sure if it's because i strained my ankle, so we're not walking as much...therefore, vicious circle - the less we walk the less he is able to walk...shuffles along...

April 30, 2014 Get my coat ..i need my coat.......

Well  those were the words that were the most important to mac last night I'll just copy and paste from two emails i was writing..the first.last night and now todays ....as right now all is well mac is  directing the orchestra with his head and feet  ...just to say all is well now..but this is last night;.

first to my cousin, and the second today to my friend...

 thanks so much for the pics, you all look super, and super happy as well...living well and healthy so good.on all of you and especially on your dad..what a fantastic man, but he definitely better start to move around  even if it's just around his many acres of pathways...

 Funny thing ';;just as i typed that...a not so funny thing happened...mac got very agitated, he had been sitting happily listening to jazz when he decided he must must have his coat and go out to see his mother..people were waiting for me  he was saying over and over...i have to go home...i said, this is home and you can't go out it's cold and going to be dark...well no getting him to stop, and then he became really up tight and yelling, so i said, let's go downstairs and see what the weather and the night is like, - it was still light - but of course sundown already, well we got down, but no he was in the lobby, and yelling and telling me i was a liar....so the receptionist tried to reason with him, then the head nurse (male) tried to say wait 20 min i'll take you out...he did, but then mac didn't want the man with him..and was yelling out front..and came back in, then 2 nurses tried to give him a pill..no way,  they brought him back to our apt. he settled down, but really furiously, petting the cat....i came in and he went over his misery and why....i called Gaye so he could vent with her, she is good at calming him...and she did..thank god...  she said she would come over and get to the bottom of things for him...and he then said, no it's o.k. wait, it will be o.k.   well now i'm going to get off this email and use it for my blog...sorry....and

i will think of what struck me so funny and write another email maybe tomorrow...

 

this is today's email

 

i'm missing you and hoping that all goes well with your  parents...remember the help is the most important thing...i'm writing quickly as yesterday, mac and i took our long long walk, and then silly me decided to also do my grocery order ...too much for mac, i think, and although he was fine on the way home, by after dinner he decided he had to see his mom, and life became unbearable, as not only was he climbing the walls, but i had overdone myself  in the walk process we sit where we can, and a couple of times pulling him up from sitting, i strained my left ankle and back...now i'm hobbling around like an old crone...so sitting with my leg up,

luckily mac is fine this a.m. after i got his special pill in him before bedtime...he absoolutely would not take anything from the nurses who wanted him on meds when he went kind of beserk last evening...but they managed to strong-arm him back to the apt. and thankfully the cat distracted him - he stopped and petted the cat and calmed down enough to do the usual bedtime procedures...brush teeth ...wash..and the preposee got him in p.j.s and i got him into bed.  so remember...it's the help your dad needs the most...

the first email was about my cousin's dad who is over 90 and fine, the second to my good friend whose mom has the big A....now i'll put my feet up and ice on my ankle...there are no accidents'  i must  take care  -bye.