jmgoyder

wings and things

Jul 4

1. Sixteen Kilometres

by jmgoyder

I have been wanting to write a book about our experience of Dementia for some time so this is a chapter draft. I am numbering them so I can keep track. Any feedback appreciated.

SIXTEEN KILOMETRES

When Anthony says he has run sixteen kilometres, fixed all of the fences around the farm, and found the rogue mouse, do I correct him? Of course not!
Yes, Anthony used to love running around the paddocks (for the sheer joy of running). He also used to love the fiddly aspects of fixing fences, and I vividly remember his hilarious determination to eliminate a mouse, using a fly swat, in the hallway of our house.
So, when Anthony talks about these things as if they have just happened, I go with the flow by acknowledging these accomplishments, hallucinations and memories. I only ever contradict Anthony, if what he is seeing, or sensing, is distressing to him (more about this later).
Anthony: There he is in the corner, Jules.
Me: Who?
Anthony: The baby.
Me: You mean Ming?
Anthony: That furry one there [pointing to the corner of the room where is nothing]
Me: So is it a dog or a child?
Anthony: A bit of both.
Anthony sometimes forgets that Ming (our 23-year-old son) is all grown up, so he often ‘sees’ Ming as a baby or toddler. This hallucinatory thing mostly happens when I am visiting by myself. When Ming visits by himself, Anthony often misrecognises Ming as a cousin, uncle, even a deceased relative. I had already prepared Ming for the inevitability of Anthony not recognising us so, when it happens to Ming, it’s okay.
To some people, the idea of not being recognised by a spouse or parent or friend is the last straw. It’s quite common for relatives and friends to stop visiting a loved one, because they aren’t recognised. So what! As long as you recognise him or her, then surely that’s what counts. People with Dementia don’t intentionally hurt the people they used to know so well; they don’t intentionally misrecognise.
Anthony: Where’s Julie?
Me: I am Julie.
Anthony: Oh, that’s right.
Maybe it’s the constancy of my visits, maybe it’s because, despite Anthony’s Dementia, he and I still adore each other, maybe it’s just luck, but Anthony almost always knows who I am. I am so glad that I’ve been transcribing our dialogues for so long because, even though these conversations are mostly short and sweet, they are like gold to me.
Not long ago, I entered his nursing home room after days of not being able to visit because I was sick. It was the best welcome I have ever received (from anyone):
Anthony: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I was just trying to conjure you.
Me: Oh, Ants – I’ve been so sick!
Anthony: Yes, I know. The kids told me.
Me: Are you okay?
Anthony: I’ve been running.
Me: Again? No wonder you look so tired! How far did you run this time?
Anthony: Sixteen kilometres.

 

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Jun 29

Lonely

by jmgoyder

I used to brag to people that I wasn’t lonely, that I was comfortable with being alone, and comfortable with my own company. But, since Anthony has been in the nursing home – nearly six years now – I have experienced such a piercing loneliness, and a longing for him to be home again (impossible) that sometimes I want to howl like an abandoned, injured animal. We are on 100 acres of farmland so, with no close neighbours, sometimes I do howl. I try very hard not to do this in front of Ming but sometimes it just happens – the uninhibited grief, the howl of longing for the impossibility of Anthony coming back home, the absolute misery of our situation.

On the other hand, I am not willing to give in to this kind of despair and I am determined to continue to make myself at home in Anthony’s nursing home room.

I would never want him to be as lonely as I am.

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Jun 28

Purpose

by jmgoyder

I have a new sense of purpose, having returned from the Happiness and its Causes conference in Sydney. Ming and I delivered a talk entitled “Dementia Dialogues” in which we described our experience of Anthony’s Dementia. I have already written about this on Facebook so will not repeat myself here.

The conference experience was both fascinating and enriching with an eclectic mix of scientific and experiential approaches to happiness. Kindness (both to others and ourselves), generosity and gratitude were recurring themes and Ming and I learned so much.

One of the best outcomes for me was the sense of purpose I now have in terms of writing the book I have been trying to write for so long, but didn’t know where to start. In preparing notes for our talk, I had unwittingly created a loose framework for this book and, since I only had time to convey some of the points Ming and I wanted to make, those notes are a great incentive.

My plan is to write a short-ish book, with very short, easily digestible chapters, about the strange and wonderful conversations I share with Anthony, Ming, carers, relatives and friends. In this sense I think that the title “Dementia Dialogues” will work and I plan to pitch it to Penguin publishers.

Instead of a rather vague sense of purpose, I now think I have something more concrete and this blog is a great platform from which to test my ideas. I’ll try to limit chapter drafts to 500 words and post on the blog from July 1st – hopefully two per week.

Several weeks ago, I told Anthony I wanted to write a book about him and he said “No”. When I asked why, he said something so interesting, but so poignant, that I was taken aback.

“Because I don’t exist,” he answered, cryptically.

At the time, I reassured him, of course, but I didn’t have that sense of purpose I have now; I didn’t have the right words, even for myself.

You do exist, Ants, and our ongoing story is my purpose.

Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia Anthony blogging death death and dying dementia depression Family Happiness Humour joy laughter LOVE STORY nursing homes Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease dementia PURPOSE Wings

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Jun 19

Magnificent

by jmgoyder

I am spending as much time with Anthony as possible before Ming and I go to Sydney for five days. Yes, anyone would think we were going to the moon for a year but I do worry, mainly because I was unable to visit Anthony for so long when I was in hospital. I know my mother will visit him every day (she is absolutely wonderful) but there is something quite visceral about the way he misses me that has nothing whatsoever to do with cognition.

It is more to do with the passing of time; the longer the gaps between my visits, the more he suffers the unspoken pain of simply missing me – just my presence.

Today, I stayed with Anthony for hours, feeding him his lunch in the common dining room where he often is now; taking him back to his room to half-watch Dr Phil, Master Chef and Judge Judy; him listening speechlessly to the rapid pace of the conversation I had with my mother when she visited; looking bewildered as I left, until I promised to bring more chocolate.

At one point (it was probably one of Judge Judy’s calmer moments), I said, “This is great, isn’t it, Ants.” I had purposefully put my hand between both of his, then tucked them under his knee rug.

“Magnificent” he said.

Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia Anthony blogging death death and dying Family Grief Happiness Humour joy laughter LOVE STORY Marriage nursing homes Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease dementia

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Jun 14

Happiness

by jmgoyder

In just over a week, Ming and I are off to Sydney to speak at a conference. Check out the link!

Home

The title of our talk is – yes, you guessed it – “Dementia Dialogues”. I am hoping to convince the audience that it is still sometimes possible to derive, and give, great joy within the context of Dementia. Ming and I are simply going to cite a few examples of the funny and poignant conversations we share with Anthony. We only have a 15-minute slot, so our talk has to be succinct, a bit like a TED talk I guess.

I emphasised the word “sometimes” above because I am well aware that our own experience of Anthony’s Dementia is not necessarily like other people’s and I recognise how lucky we are to have a husband/father who is so resilient. The other day, when I got to the nursing home earlier than usual, and was able to feed Anthony his breakfast in bed, I asked him if he was comfortable and he whispered a booming “EXTREMELY!”

Anthony’s sanguine nature is a wonderful ‘plus’ when it comes to Dementia but every single person who has Dementia is just as individual as those of us without Dementia. Now that I am involved in support groups for carers, I have heard a fair few horror stories and I do remember our own horror story before Anthony’s admission to the nursing home. So I guess another point I want to emphasise in our conference talk is that the idea of placing a loved one in a nursing home needn’t be a tragedy.

I haven’t blogged for so long that now I’m rambling – ha! It’s good to get the words out. Now I just have to prepare for the conference – yikes!

 

 

 

 

Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia Anthony Australia blogging death death and dying depression Grief Happiness Humour joy laughter LOVE STORY Marriage nursing homes Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease dementia Western Australia Wings

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Apr 20

The dream

by jmgoyder

I have various versions of the same dream about once a week. It’s always some sort of party, or wedding, or get-together but the venues change from dream to dream. The ‘characters’ in these dreams usually include old friends, close relatives and always Ming, but he is often either a baby or child.

In each of these weekly dreams, Anthony is extremely incapacitated and in a wheelchair; the destination is hours away from the safety of the nursing home; and it’s only when we get there that I realise I have forgotten his medications for Parkinson’s Disease (the timing of which is vital).

So, in each of the dreams, I am either searching my handbag for a stray pill, or trying to decide whether to drive all the way back to the nursing home. I am totally panicked and trying to figure out who can help me get Anthony from his wheelchair out to the car, but people are milling around him, happy to see him but concerned about him being in a wheelchair etc.

Because this is a dream I am, of course, leaping tall buildings and smashing windows and unlocking safes in my frantic search for Anthony’s pills – all to no avail. So I get back to the party, or whatever it is, and am relieved to see that Ants isn’t slumped too badly in his wheelchair. I rush to him and kneel, apologising for forgetting his medications and all of a sudden he gets up and is fine – robust, loud, laughing and hugging me as if the whole thing was some sort of bizarre practical joke. The relief that washes over me in the dream is so wonderful that it wakes me up.

So, when I wake up, it takes me about a minute to get my bearings and realise it was a dream but it never makes me sad. Instead, this recurring dream gives me enormous joy because it reminds me in so many ways how fantastic our life together has been.

I hope I get that dream again tonight.

Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia Anthony Australia babies death death and dying depression Embarrassing moments Family Friendship Gossip Grief hallucinations Happiness Humour joy laughter LOVE STORY Marriage nursing homes Parkinson's disease Teenagers

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Apr 15

Pip, the therapy dog

by jmgoyder

Recently, I have been at a bit of a loss for words, not for any particular reason, just feeling quiet. Also I have been quite preoccupied with Pip, our four-and-a-half-months-old miniature schnauzer.

I am training Pip to be a therapy dog and we are now a few weeks into “puppy pre-school.” So far, she is very good at sitting for food but not very good at obeying any other commands although she is house-trained simply because she is an inside/outside dog; and luckily she chooses outside to do her business.

Pip is already relatively well-behaved in the three nursing homes I take her to, including Anthony’s. For the most part, I keep her on a leash but in Anthony’s room she will now settle on her own pillow on the floor near his armchair for a good couple of hours. I keep her pillow, a container of dog biscuits and a water bowl in one of Anthony’s cupboards. In the other two nursing homes, the joy I see on some of the residents’ faces, when they see, pat or even hold Pip, is beautiful.

Anthony smiles at the way I fuss over Pip and I keep hearing myself sounding like an old woman with a little dog (ha!) But, despite his initial reaction to her puppyhood “It’s just a dog, Jules”, he and she have now bonded.

Me: Do you love her, Ants?

Anthony: Well who wouldn’t, Jules.

At home, Pip is now a hurricane of energy; she races in and out of the house and terrorises Jack, our Irish terrier who is still so in awe of her that he stands back when I feed them both and only eats Pip’s leftovers!

Every morning, I am greeted first thing with a deep growl from Pip, which is her rude way of asking me for breakfast. The closer I get to the refrigerator, the deeper the growl. Ming and I are getting a lot of laughs out of this hilarious new addition to the family.

Apparently I can register Pip as a therapy dog once she has undertaken further training so I am looking into this.

So, even though I’ve gone a bit quiet lately, it’s an accepting kind of quietness. I found out the other day that Anthony is now a ‘full hoist’ which means he is unable to walk at all. I had assumed that he was still maybe able to walk, using the walker, in the mornings, but I guess I was a bit nervous to ask the question because I didn’t want to know(?)

Oh how much I wish I had made more of the last time I saw Anthony walk using his walker – that shuffle-sprint-stall that I have known for nearly a decade. It seems impossible that he would now be more or less bed-ridden but I am an idiot to not have seen this coming.

And, as I contemplate whether to cry or not, I see from the front window of what used to be Anthony’s mother’s bedroom – now my study – a black fur-ball of absolute joy racing towards the front door.

Yipping with delight, Pip enters the quiet.

Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia Anthony Australia blogging death and dying depression Embarrassing moments Family Friendship Gossip Grief hallucinations Happiness Humour joy laughter LOVE STORY Marriage nursing homes Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease dementia Wings

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Mar 21

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

by jmgoyder

I have been fluey for over a week now so haven’t seen Ants except for a quick visit on a day I thought I wasn’t fluey. But it seems to be a bit of a boomerang flu that keeps coming back so I have been staying away from the nursing home just in case it’s contagious and also because I am tired.

It is so, so, so hard not to visit him because I wonder how he is, mentally and emotionally. I already know that he misses me when I don’t come in for several days (like lately) and he seems to feel my absence in a visceral way. Sometimes he will say things to me like:

  • you abandoned me
  • who is your boyfriend?

And I am always too flabbergasted to give a coherent answer, which makes me look and feel guilty even though I am innocent!

Some staff members have told me that Anthony is particularly difficult to put to bed if he hasn’t seen me for awhile. This is so unbearable for me to imagine. I can’t ring him because he forgot how to answer a phone years ago.

I just rang the nursing home to give Ants a message that I will be in tomorrow and spoke to a beautiful nurse who said she would relay the message. But the burden of guilt is still terrible for me – terrible – and I think many carers of loved ones with whom they have been separated, due to the nursing home decision, feel the same.

See you tomorrow, Ants!

 

 

 

Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia Anthony blogging death death and dying depression Family Friendship Gossip Grief hallucinations LOVE STORY Marriage nursing homes Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease dementia

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Mar 15

How to interpret a conversation that doesn’t make sense

by jmgoyder

One of the most difficult situations, when caring for and/or about a person with dementia, is how to make sense of that person’s unflow of words, or else silence.

Anthony’s previously loud voice has, over time, diminished to a whisper (Parkinson’s disease) and his ability to put words together coherently has been affected by Dementia. So conversations (as in the ‘dementia dialogues’ I write about from time to time) are becoming more and more difficult. Sometimes I find myself trying to interpret sounds, rather than words, and sometimes I find myself trying desperately to read his silence.

I haven’t seen Anthony for five days because on the weekend Ming, Meg and I attended my nephew’s fantastic wedding down south. This was an eight-hour return trip so we stayed the night.

And now I have a cold, so my determination to get to the nursing home in the late afternoons has been thwarted despite good intentions. The guilt, and missing Anthony, is difficult to cope with but obviously I don’t want to spread germs in a nursing home environment.

One of the greatest comforts to me is the relationships formed with other bloggers and it has been wonderful to reconnect with them over the last few days. I was feeling guilty about not reading other people’s posts when they were reading mine but I now realise that blogging doesn’t need to be like that and that people are more than understanding of bouts of silence.

At my nephew’s wedding,  I was, as we all were, filled with joy for the happy couple and their gorgeous little daughter. But, later in the evening, I experienced a moment of such intense misery that I could hardly breathe because of Anthony’s absence. My nephew and Ants have always had a wonderful connection, and I know that Anthony would have wanted to be there. Anyway, Ming got me through that moment and I went back to party mode -ha!

A few weeks ago, this was my short conversation with Anthony:

Me: Ants, is it okay if I write a book about you?

Anthony: No!

Me: But why not?

Anthony: Because I don’t exist.

I will never know what Anthony meant by this; was he being cryptic, humorous, philosophical? Was he being deliberately or accidentally poignant?

As Anthony becomes more silent, these transcribed ‘Dementia dialogues’ have become absolutely vital in terms of giving me conversational cues. Topics like the town he grew up in, our son, Ming, various nephews and nieces, farming, fences, cattle, the dairy …. all of these topics are interesting and important to Ants.

Eventually, Anthony will probably be totally silent so, from now on, I am going to record every single word he says.

Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia Anthony blogging death death and dying depression Embarrassing moments Family Friendship Grief hallucinations Happiness Humour joy laughter LOVE STORY Marriage nursing homes Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease dementia

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Mar 9

Blogging and reciprocation

by jmgoyder

Apart from the fact that my blogging has come down a notch in terms of frequency, I also have the guilts about not responding to others’ blogs so am going to catch up in next few weeks. In other words I am going to shut up and listen!  It has been a low period of time over the last few months and I so appreciate the support given to me by blog, Facebook and day-to-day friends. My turn now – to reciprocate.

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