Cousins sharing...

From: Del and Lee
To: Betty Thorsvig
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 9:17 AM

Yah my Mom is the same way. One time when I take her she is all happy & saying the home isn't too bad & she needs to be there & the next time she tries to convince me she needs to go home as that place is falling apart. The food gets lousier & lousier & is always cold etc. I have bought a pass a couple times & eaten with her & what I had was very good & very hot However I'm sure some meals are better than others Last week when we went to the beauty shop they had screwed up on her morning cereal as she loves the cream of wheat they serve her & has always been very good but whoever cooked it this time did a lousy job as it was all lumpy. So I'm sure it is off & on & there are foods she doesn't like. Meat loaf being one & they have that now & then, with fish as the alternative meal if you don't want meat loaf & she doesn't like fish either.

They have an alternative list on the wall but they don't bother to point it out to the people & with Mom's memory she doesn't remember she can order anything else & if she did remember it she can't see well enough to read it. I think it odd that they don't take into consideration that some people are there because of dementia etc. therefore can't remember things & go ask them each day do you want this today or do you prefer the other meal.

Mom is very weak in the knees & her hip is real bad again She can barely walk anymore. I don't know how much longer I can hold her up to take her out. I told them about it at the last care plan meeting & they are supposed to either put her back in physical therapy or in the restorative program to try strengthen her legs again. Part of it may be from the tranquilizer they give her too as she was so stressed out & causing so much trouble & cussing & swearing & threatening suicide etc. at first that they finally had to put her on a mild tranquilizer. It makes her very sleepy so that may be part of the problem.

Tomorrow she & I go to Las Cruces to a dermatologist to see if he can freeze some of her cancer spots off so as not to have them surgically removed. She will be 92 in July & I hesitate to keep having her put under for surgery all the time. She has had 3 cancer spots removed already surgically & now has another on her upper chest about the size of a quarter. Plus 2 or 3 more little ones that are about to start growing. I hope he can freeze them off so they don't develop.

Thanks for the pictures I sure enjoyed them. Aunt Harriet sure has aged. She looks as old as my Mom. Everyone thinks Mom looks so young & does so well for a 91 yr. old but to me she looks so old & is deteriorating fast. I see more failure everytime I see her. But I can remember the real vibrant, fun loving ,able to take care of any situation, independent, person I use to know so now she is so different it is almost like taking care of a total stranger.

Well have a good day sorry this is so long but guess I felt like talking today.

Love Del

----- Original Message -----
From: Betty Thorsvig
To: Del and Lee
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 9:58 PM

Hi Del,

Things are doing ok. No acting out. She still has good and bad days. We were up for a visit last Wed. evening for a hour - Bill and I - and had a really nice visit. Today I her out for a ham Sunday dinner and she was weepy, talked very little, cried a lot, slept and they cranky.

You never know from time to time.

Betty