On Feb 14 I created this post. My sister-in-law’s visits with my mom were
positive and full of conversation. My
visits were not so uplifting. And then
mom became Mr. Hyde for each of us. But
now she’s seemed to take on this happy drunkard personality with a desire to
travel – and in her mind she has. In her
mind she has done a number of things that she would have never even considered
just five years ago – such as sky diving.
I have actually never experienced a
conversation of where she’s been and what she’s been up to – but apparently she
has told my niece and nephew-in-law countless stories about having gone to
Russia, Hong Kong, China, and South Africa – all within the last ten years (she
has been out of the state, but not out of the country – unless it was with a
tour group in the early 2000’s)
Occasionally my niece and
nephew-in-law will take her with them to my brother’s house for Sunday
dinner. Corey was with the rest of the
family when mom related her “sky-diving” experience.
The conversation started out with reminiscing
of sky diving events that had already taken place in real life with my oldest
niece and nephew. Their younger sister
was unable to go because of age or lack of money. But after having watched Ellen and Kimball
experience the thrill of falling out of the plane, three other family members
have been saving up money to experience the same thrill.
Apparently my mom chimed in with a
story of her own as she has also been skydiving (my mom has never sky dived in
her life; she doesn’t even enjoy certain rides at the amusement park as her
legs are dangling. There is absolutely
no way she would ever go sky diving! She
cringed at the very idea of Ellen and Kimball doing it.)
And so the family allowed her to speak
without correcting her. Some smiled as she did so. And because the events were so real to her
and she was able relate with details, Sunny said that even Corey seemed to
question whether she had actually gone or not.
She must have fallen asleep during some war movie where they were
jumping out of airplanes or was watching a documentary or something.
My grandma has been to China. Maybe Russia – I don’t know. She really did go on several tours and saw
many parts of the world before she died.
I don’t know if my mom got her own life mixed up with her mothers or if
she has started to watch the travel channel or if she has exotic dreams or
what.
There was a time when Jenna’s visits
used to wear her out (I think Jenna’s enthusiasm and loudness has wiped out
just about EVERY family member) but now she welcomes her and calls her cute and
crazy.
I don’t know if it’s her blood sugar
or in the meds that she’s taking or if this dementia is somehow gratifying her
because so many desires have apparently been fulfilled in her mind. But it just makes me worry about her all the
more – for I know there are times that she is alone – and it’s okay if it’s the
television that takes her away – maybe not the best thing – but certainly
better than having her walk out the door and not knowing where she is.
We’ve called the police on her a few
times – one time they found her (that was just before we took her license away)
and a few times kind strangers have brought her home from wherever she happened
to be. We need to set up the alarm
system so that she’s unable to leave unless someone is with her.
Thanks to the police and all of those who
have spent time assisting us with my mom.
Thank you to the firefighters who continue fighting the countless amounts
of fires. My mom used to keep herself
updated on all the current events. I
wonder if she even knows about the fires – or if she’s completely missed the
boat on them because she’s been having all these global vacations.
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