Monday, October 27, 2014

He-Who Sleeps a Lot

This is one of those great mornings of no exit deadlines, just some errands to run and a doc appointment.  He-Who is still asleep now at 8 am which is not unusual these days.  He frequently sleeps 10 or 12 hours.  I'm done with worrying about it since I read that having Alzheimer's is exhausting.  It seems it takes a lot of energy just trying to track what is going on around them and keep it straight and try to behave appropriately.  That makes sense to me so I've learned to let him be unless there is a need to get moving.  In that case I get him up at least an hour before we need to leave as it takes him a long time to get ready to go anywhere.  He has to check and recheck lights, wallet, highlighter (he takes one everywhere), keys, hearing aid batteries, etc.

But today is slightly overcast and cool and after putting out the trash, I crawled back in bed for an extra hour.  I seem to always dream vividly when I do that and I so love dreams.  For the past few months they have a recurring them of being on a trip with a group of girl friends.

Today's:  We are at a conference or workshop of some kind or on the way.  Today we are on the way. I'm not driving and we seem to be way out in West Texas somewhere in the mountains and get lost (another recurring theme).  We start down a dirt road and it becomes totally non-negotiable, full of deep cracks and right the edge of the hill..very scary but our driver puts the car in reverse and backs up.  We meet a man who gives us directions to a rustic lodge down another road and off we go.  End of dream.

Hmmm...this seems to be a reflection of where I am in my life right now.  On a strange highway with a lot of girl friends.  Two of my best and oldest friends with whom I went to grade school through UT now have husbands who are having some brain malfunctions...all this just happening since our get-together in San Antonio in August.   Is this what old age is about?  And perhaps the dreaming helps me process all this.

1 comment:

  1. At the moment I have no other dementia "contacts". Following your journey will help me with what I might meet in the future. Thanks for your "reflections".
    Marilyn

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