Sunday came and went with much stubbornness and time that was consumed by relentless delusions. There are no answers, only questions. It seemed like for a brief time on Sunday she was with us. We watched a program on television, Virgin River was the name. Probably too much drama for her, but she watched without emotion.
As the clock neared 10 pm, her eyes reflecting her tiredness, I suggested that we call it a night. She declined as she was not tired, the glazed look in her eyes told another story. That was the end of the day and the beginning of a very long night.
There was indeed a "party" of sorts. Dementia invited delusion, hallucination and paranoia to the big event. I am pretty sure delirium dropped by to watch the fun. As SIL went on to wake the children and try to exit the front door we were thankful that the lock had been applied to the laundry room and all sharp objects were safely out of reach.
Once the kids were settled back into their beds, I watched SIL continue to try and open doors and look for things that weren't there anymore. All scissors and knives had been moved to the locked laundry room. All firearms tucked away safely, and all vehicle keys secured in a lock box.
If there is anything more that can be secured, I haven't found it yet. My next thought is to test her urine for an infection. I have a specimen collected and as soon as DH arrives, I will run it to the lab.
*update* No UTI. Welcome to a new world. Here there is no Columbus, no Mayflower, or Pinta or Santa Maria, not even pilgrims for that matter. Just one adult crossing over the threshold of dementia. Yesterday as she tried to assess the baby gate in the hallway, the almost 2-year-old came over to investigate.
There is a double gate in the hallway, not so much for the adult as it is for the dogs. They have figured out how to open both gates individually, but one after the other is too much when they are close together.
I thought I captured the little one opening the gate for the big one, but it is a video, and I couldn't load it. The day was long, and the night was a bit longer. I turned in early in an effort to be rested when SIL arose for the day. It was a good idea. After a day with the little I was pretty tired anyway.
Today started with a shredded pull-up. Not the worst wake I have ever had. It was interesting in the fact that the main part of the item was still on the wearer. Have you ever tried to coax an individual into removing a piece of clothing that is damaged and they disagree? I guess probably not, just so you know, it is difficult if not impossible. I went for finishing off the shredding of said garment. It was not without argument, but it was removed.
Last night before dozing off on the couch, SIL was in "inspector" mode. The youngest child had left water on the vanity in the bathroom after washing her hands and brushing her teeth. Pretty much a cardinal sin when dementia is in the house. SIL often follows behind the children and checks the bathroom for upkeep after they have vacated the room. It is helpful most of the time, she gives a gentle reminder to tidy up their things... now.
When she is in inspector mode things are different. She reports to the "chief". He was watching a game and his irritation with being summoned to "inspect" the water damage. Myself, I call it a win if it is only water and not half a bottle of soap or a tube of toothpaste! Apparently the "chief" felt the same way. As the insistence of the one increased so did the ire of the chief. Luckily, dinner was ready. Too bad no one was in the mood to eat.
On Sunday I made an appointment calendar this was to serve as a reminder that Tuesday and Thursday were to be days that I can go to work outside the home or just hang out somewhere. It worked well for Tuesday. I did three shops and went to several stores for necessities. It was a nice little break even though it wasn't very long.
Nice and clean looking!Very crowded but orderly in this area. 
This is the view from one of the areas where I sit and wait. 
I often carry a small project to do while I wait. 
I am throwing this information in just because someone else is too busy to sit still, lest she fall asleep.
Again, this morning I am thankful for locks on certain doors and circuit breakers that can be flipped off as needed. This is necessary because the microwave has suddenly become an item of intense interest. Did you know it will turn on even without food in it? Oh wait! No, it won't! Okay, there is food in it... look really hard and maybe you can see it too. Don't see it? Me either. It was on again last night and set for seven minutes. It was a struggle to get to it to turn it off. She was the struggle! She might little but she fierce when defending her actions!
I really thought a cherry vanilla smoothie would be palatable to SIL this morning. I risked going to the basement freezer to get cherries, but she is not interested. She is still inspecting things. I drank the smoothie, not bad tasting.
I have added to my list of things I do at night to try and deter any disasters. The newest thing is to shut off all the circuit breakers that will allow cooking to be done. The house phone is also unplugged, 911 is too easy to dial. Not to mention all the numbers that are embedded in her memory. All extra bathrooms are locked leaving only one place to find her if needed. All exterior doors and interior doors are locked, several times over, leaving only the main living area, her bedroom and a bathroom available for roaming.
Seems cruel but her safety is what I'm trying to ensure. It is suddenly quiet in her room... maybe it is nap time? I sure could use one right about now.
Nice and clean looking!
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