It's the Holiday Season (Again)

I've been home for a few days now.  And since the stores now start holidays 2 months ahead of time, we are celebrating too.  It's good to be back home, see old friends, see Voyageur, familiar haunts, familiar faces.  And it's great to see Mom.

The progression continues.  We went to Wendy's for lunch - she couldn't remember what she liked.  I mentioned Junior Bacon Cheeseburger and she remembered immediately, and a medium diet Coke.  And then later in the day she asked if I was Voyageur, said nope - Dreamer.  We had a great day - went to Pier 1 and tried on Venetian masks, oohed and aahed at all the glittery holiday decorations, came home and got her garden ready for winter and popped popcorn and curled up together on the couch, watching reruns of Friends.

And then last night as we were getting ready for bed, she asked me where Dad went. I went into her room and just looked at her and said, Mom....and she knew.  She said she forgot he was gone, tried to laugh it off and started crying.  Which is worse - that she sees her dead husband and is worried for him when he wanders off, or when she realizes he's gone and grieves the loss of her love, again.

Hallucinations are more prevalent in people with fronto-temporal dementia than Alzheimer's.  And friends are telling me Mom is more verbal than their loved ones who had Alzheimer's.  The crazy thing is, talking with Mom, she sounds like Mom.  She can hold a conversation (albeit not very complex), she can crochet still - her scarves are much shorter, narrower and kinda curvy - she makes me eggs every morning and we have chicken salad or something with shrimp in it at night (she forgets I'm pescatarian, so do I :).

I'm not sure if she realizes the progression of her disease.  If she does, she sure doesn't let me know, if she doesn't all the better for her.  Yesterday we decorated the house for Christmas - Christmas' past there was only one or two funky ways of decorating, now all of the decorating is pretty funky.  Kinda like a 7 or 8-year old designed it.  Sad, funny and wonderful all at the same time.  Last night as we were getting ready for bed, she said how much she enjoyed going to Pier 1 - it was the best part of her day.  Mine too.

Back at ya Voyageur - wake up!