Never say never
July 23, 2006 It’s sweltering hot here for us spoiled Pacific Northwesterners- been over 100, but only 30% humidity, unlike the east coast. Our caregiver is going camping this week and she would like to stay even longer if I can find someone to spill me off a bit. Anyone available to look after Ben the afternoon/early evening of Wednesday 7/26, Thursday 7/27 or Friday 7/28, anytime on Saturday 7/29 or Sunday 7/30, and in the afternoon/early evening of Monday 7/31, Tuesday 8/1 or Wednesday 8/2? Your place or mine, or… Ben loves taking walks, playing checkers and Yahtzee, playing pool and he still wants to go hit golf balls.
We seem to be getting into a routine around here- still in rehab, although we are taking a couple of months off of occupational therapy but he’ll continue with speech therapy. We take yoga at the Y. This week we start cardio rehab at St. Pete’s- I think the exercise will help Ben sleep better. Nighttime is the main time we have problems as far as Ben becoming disoriented and confused- they call it ‘sundowners syndrome’- and it’s common with Alzheimer’s and other mind-effecting diseases. But luckily it really doesn’t happen until after dark- which is after 10 here in the summer. The trick is getting to bed early enough, but not too early. We plan to walk over to the Capitol Plaza and watch the fireworks tonight, which begin at 10:15, but we’ll see how it goes.
From what the doctors are telling me, this is going to be a long haul. Right now he’s making progress and that’s what they want to see- but they keep warning me that there will come a time when he levels off. They say most of his brain injury is what they would term ‘moderate traumatic brain injury’ all except his memory loss which they say is severe. Memory is one of those things that doesn’t usually repair itself- although Ben’s memory is improving right now- but when it levels off we will be learning new tools to help him compensate for his memory loss- things like lists and a daytimer. I got him a watch with the date etc. so that helps.
Speaking of watch- I ordered Ben’s new watch band was too big and needed a few links removed. We went to Talcott’s and the new owner, who Ben did some breal este business with, recommended McKenzies who does jewelry repair. Ben walked into Mc Kenzies and said, “Do you know who we are?” Mc Kenzy looked taken aback and said, “No, should I?” Ben said, “We’re the Bolenders, the oldest family in Thurston County. We’ve been here since 1906. No, 1896. No, 1776.” It’s always so difficult to know what to do in those situations because if I correct him then we usually start arguing. I said, “I think it was 1896, hun.” Ben says, “Well, you ought to get to know us. We just got back from a trip around the world and we are very big jewelry customers.” This line of talk continued on, me trying not to get into an argument. Finally when Mc Kenzie was finished, I asked him how much did we owe. He thought for a minute and said, “How does ten bucks sound?” Ben answered, “A hundred’s more like it!” I had to politely tell Ben a hundred was more than what the watch cost. Ben continues to be blissfully unaware that we are not millionaires, which is fine with me. He doesn’t need to be worrying about money.
Speaking of worrying about money, I think I’m going to get my real estate license. I deliberately let it go a few years back, along with my real estate school credentials. Dang it, I have to take a 60 clock hour class- the same class I used to teach- but now I can take it on-line. There’s no other business I could go into that I would have the flexibility and make as much money. I know I swore I’d never go back to real estate that I was determined to be writer, but I’m writing about the real estate industry so I can call it ‘research.’ Never say never.
We seem to be getting into a routine around here- still in rehab, although we are taking a couple of months off of occupational therapy but he’ll continue with speech therapy. We take yoga at the Y. This week we start cardio rehab at St. Pete’s- I think the exercise will help Ben sleep better. Nighttime is the main time we have problems as far as Ben becoming disoriented and confused- they call it ‘sundowners syndrome’- and it’s common with Alzheimer’s and other mind-effecting diseases. But luckily it really doesn’t happen until after dark- which is after 10 here in the summer. The trick is getting to bed early enough, but not too early. We plan to walk over to the Capitol Plaza and watch the fireworks tonight, which begin at 10:15, but we’ll see how it goes.
From what the doctors are telling me, this is going to be a long haul. Right now he’s making progress and that’s what they want to see- but they keep warning me that there will come a time when he levels off. They say most of his brain injury is what they would term ‘moderate traumatic brain injury’ all except his memory loss which they say is severe. Memory is one of those things that doesn’t usually repair itself- although Ben’s memory is improving right now- but when it levels off we will be learning new tools to help him compensate for his memory loss- things like lists and a daytimer. I got him a watch with the date etc. so that helps.
Speaking of watch- I ordered Ben’s new watch band was too big and needed a few links removed. We went to Talcott’s and the new owner, who Ben did some breal este business with, recommended McKenzies who does jewelry repair. Ben walked into Mc Kenzies and said, “Do you know who we are?” Mc Kenzy looked taken aback and said, “No, should I?” Ben said, “We’re the Bolenders, the oldest family in Thurston County. We’ve been here since 1906. No, 1896. No, 1776.” It’s always so difficult to know what to do in those situations because if I correct him then we usually start arguing. I said, “I think it was 1896, hun.” Ben says, “Well, you ought to get to know us. We just got back from a trip around the world and we are very big jewelry customers.” This line of talk continued on, me trying not to get into an argument. Finally when Mc Kenzie was finished, I asked him how much did we owe. He thought for a minute and said, “How does ten bucks sound?” Ben answered, “A hundred’s more like it!” I had to politely tell Ben a hundred was more than what the watch cost. Ben continues to be blissfully unaware that we are not millionaires, which is fine with me. He doesn’t need to be worrying about money.
Speaking of worrying about money, I think I’m going to get my real estate license. I deliberately let it go a few years back, along with my real estate school credentials. Dang it, I have to take a 60 clock hour class- the same class I used to teach- but now I can take it on-line. There’s no other business I could go into that I would have the flexibility and make as much money. I know I swore I’d never go back to real estate that I was determined to be writer, but I’m writing about the real estate industry so I can call it ‘research.’ Never say never.
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