Thursday Louis Dean and I drove to Lewisville to meet with the doctor for his memory tests results.
She's an A&M graduate and reminds me so much of Deanie's daughter in law, Becky.
Both are brilliant and beautiful and they could be sisters, they look and even sound so much alike.
The diagnosis was no surprise as we were both fairly certain that he has some early dementia.
It is the beginning stages of 'Mixed Dementia' meaning he shows symptoms of both Vascular as well as Alzheimer's dementia.
We have an appointment early in February with his neurologist to go over his treatment plan.
All good news and we are moving forward in this new journey.
We are already doing most of the things the doctor recommended - stay active, eat healthy, keep busy.
The only time he gets fried foods - for the most part - is when I'm gone and he has the kitchen all to himself. These opportunities are getting fewer and farther in between!
The only thing he can improve greatly upon is staying hydrated!!!
I have often told him his life depends on drinking water and the doctor told him the very same thing!
The appointment was short and we were back home within the hour.
I think we were both exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally because by 8:00 Thursday night we were already in bed and we stayed there over 14 hours!
Friday was a quiet at home day and I am happy to say that most of Christmas is now packed away and it is in the neatest and most orderly way I have ever done this.
Louis Dean cleaned out two of his deck boxes for me and I used one to hold six tubs of Christmas textiles - stockings, tree skirts, table cloths, napkins, etc. The other one holds Christmas trees - the smaller ones - an entire box full. The larger trees he put up in the storage building attic.
Come time to decorate for 2023 - I should be able to find things much easier and faster!
Friday night was another early bedtime for us....as in by 10:00.
So not like us and I'm pretty sure we won't be turning into 'early to bed and early to rise ' people, but we go with what we need to do when we need to do it.
You would think we would get up earlier but it's still close to noon by the time we have had our coffee and stupor time and done our reading and Quiet Time.
That's why we eat so many lunches instead of breakfasts.
The kitties are looking out the bedroom door as I have been going in and out a good bit the last few days - and still they haven't tried to escape. I think letting them out for a few hours on a Sunday may be a good idea.
It's been a good Saturday!
Louis Dean has been puttering and tinkering in his room.
He loves this place all his own.
. He moves things around and is constantly organizing and reorganizing all his 'stuff.'
This is good therapy for him.
We weren't married very long before I realized that his room was all his own and unlike any other room in the house. It doesn't have to make sense to me as long as it works for him.
I could write a book on his room and someday I may do that!
This works for him and that's all that matters.
I have been working on a baby quilt for my sister Rita's newest granddaughter.
One more to make after this for my brother Buster's new baby granddaughter!
June is still in the nursing home and doing her therapy so she can get stronger and go home.
She called me this afternoon while I was sewing and I told her Louis Dean had just come back from picking up a Rx and a pound of butter - how in the world did I run out of butter??
I had promised her a fresh batch of fruitcake cookies and the dough is now made and in the fridge.
I'll bake a couple dozen cookies tomorrow afternoon when I get home from church and take them to her while they are still warm from the oven!
The house looks a little vacant right now....
I haven't brought any of my 'debris' in to take the place of all my Christmas stuff so it's a scaled down look for now.
Tonight Louis Dean and I met in the den and I lit a candle, put a fire log in the fireplace and we each had our glass of wine while we watched a Jesse Stone movie.
The den is un-decorated but not clean - still - I lit a candle to celebrate!
A light finger food supper to go with our Chardonnay tonight.
And our sweet Samantha to keep us company!
Now as I write, we have moved on to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game we recorded earlier.
Next to the Dallas Cowboys - they are my favorite team!
I have been processing Louis Dean's diagnosis over the last few days and I admit the word 'Alzheimer's' scared me. I have worked my way past that now and moving on.
Louis Dean has given me the happiest years of my life!
Just because he has mixed dementia doesn't mean we can't still be happy.
I've always loved the saying....
Make the most of what you've got -
and the least of what you've not!
And Louis Dean and I still have so much to be thankful for and so much LIFE left to be lived.
