Geez, it has been a month since I posted on my blog and I would love to say it was because I had been so busy creating art or writing poetry but alas, not so.  We are in the process of changing doctors to ones that are closer to us in our new quarters near the major medical center of Houston.  We have hooked up with a geriatric team which gives us a new primary care doc but also means that we have to get acquainted with each of the specialists we need...eye doc, dermatologist, orthopedic doc, gastro-enterologist and cardiologist.  All this is very confusing for He-Who-Sleeps-A-Lot.  Lots of questions...where are we going?  who are we seeing? why are we going?  Is that the same as the physical therapist I see downstairs?  And who can blame him?  5 appointments in one week between the two of us and then a test or two thrown in.  I even struggle to keep track. It takes a lot to keep us old folks going.

He-Who has gained weight since we moved here...like two waist sizes which is great as he was too thin.  He loves sweets and dessert is always served here.  If on the table, he will eat it first. Alzheimer's patients lose much of their sense of taste with the exception of sweet and salt.  Before we moved, I seldom fixed dessert mostly because I have always struggled in the other direction.  In preparation for a trip to Austin for my 60th high school reunion this week, it was clear that he needed pants that he could button.  Off we went to Dillard's and he was just so cute...like a little kid in a candy store.  A beautiful clerk took over as our personal shopper and fixed him up with pants, shirts, socks and a great tie.  We topped it off with new dress shoes...at least now I don't have to worry about his wearing his dress shoes out in the yard and scraping the toes.  At least I don't think I have to.  All dressed up he looks so handsome!

Two weeks ago He-Who complained that his arm was really sore.  He hadn't fallen or hit it on anything and I've learned that it is hard for him to articulate what is going on.  On investigation I found that the source was an Exelon patch, a medication given for Alz that he had been on for at least two or three years.  The new doc had ordered one on his arm every day always switching arms daily versus the prior instructions to only use one every other day.  There was slight swelling under the patch and when I pulled it off, the skin underneath was broken out.  I reported it to the doc and so now he has been off of it for a couple weeks.  We started it up again yesterday and so far, so good.  Who knows what that was all about but Alz makes it so hard for him to articulate any aches and pains so I need to be alert..

We had a wonderful breakthrough today however.  Brookdale scheduled a meeting for just men to organize and schedule speakers that they are interested in.  There was a great turn-out and He-Who came bubbling into our apartment after the meeting with a new male friend to meet me!  Really nice guy, fairly new resident and both of them were excited about the prospect of future meetings. This man has more than 40 grandchildren!  All of them in the Houston area.
 Feedback is that Ken really contributed and has plans underway to call in some speaker from NASA.  I am thrilled as this is the first event that he has really participated in.  He goes to programs but only as a viewer.
And then we went to Happy Hour where there was some great music and danced and danced.  It has been a really good day.  I don't know if he will remember much of it tomorrow but I will and enjoy this precious memory.