It has really bothered me to see that some of the paint was starting to chip and peel which is not an unusual phenomena so we decided it was time to repaint. I figured that it would be an easy task and something Dave could continue to do. Well, was I wrong! I figured that all we would have to do was scrape the chipped areas, smooth them out then paint. I knew it would take a couple of days as Dave tires easily and has trouble staying on task, but wow it has become this huge growing monster. We have discovered that Dave is capable of doing some of the work but it just doesn't get done quite the same as before.
Of course it is a little discouraging to Dave but at least he is still capable of doing some of it. I can't really pinpoint the problem because I know that he did get huge chunks of paint off the wall but then he would have a hard time figuring out how to get the tip of the scraper under the paint and ended up just making lots of black marks over the wall. I tried not to interfere and allow him to work on his own but the job is getting longer and longer and we have only worked on the area around the tub not the area on the side of the sink! So here we are 3 days later and I am sore and exhausted. (In between job hunting, Gabriella came and helped with the scraping and Dave went outside to mow the grass.) No one tells you how hard it is going to be when you try to continue doing things that were such a breeze before. And that it is done in silence to help him stay on task, that means no music no background noise of any kind. It is hard to know what Dave can still do and what he maybe shouldn't be doing at all. Part of me doesn't care that it is taking so long but another part of me just sees it as one more thing to check off my list of "things we used to do together that brought us joy and satisfaction" and now will have to start finding other people to do. What do other people of a certain age do? Do you always find someone else to do the work? How much fun is that? This was something Dave and I used to do a lot, see something that needed fixing, make plans executed the plan than sat back and enjoyed the results. Now for me it is just a "Oh no! something needs fixed now what????" We are at a funny time now (not a ha! ha! funny) because I am ready to throw my hands up and quit and Dave feels the need to continue. I think to prove he can still do it! So now what??? I guess I am making an executive decision, we will sand and fill in the areas then paint. It will probably look really bad but I am tired and I don't want Dave discouraged any more. Can someone tell me....can I just fill in the edges around the paint I can't get off or do I have to do the whole wall to make it even?? (Please give me the answer I want even if it means the wall will look tacky!)
There has been some progression in Dave's cognitive abilities. He continues to have problems with multi-step task, even if you verbally give him the steps you have to give one at a time and wait for him to process what it means and how to do it. I am not sure how to explain the problem he is having with going down steps. He can still go down them but it is much, much slower and he has to hold on to the handrail and do not talk to him or distract him because he will lose his footing. We do not want him falling! We have also noticed that when he needs to turn the light on, or push a button on the microwave or lock/unlock the windows he spends a lot of time running his hand over the area to figure out where the switches, locks or buttons are. I am not sure if it is a vision problem or just progression of him not remembering how to do something, so I will be making an eye dr. appointment. When he is tired his inabilities become more pronounced so we try to keep work to only the morning hours when he is more alert and can think more clearly.
Monday is Memorial Day and we will be taking our usual trip to KC for a picnic at my sisters. This will be our first extended away trip. We will be spending the night at my sister's where we have stayed at many times before but this is our first time since Dave's "official" diagnosis. Needless to say I am a little anxious but after talking with my sister plans were made to make sure that Dave would not become too disoriented if he gets up in the middle of the night. I also know that Dave can become anxious and have difficulty thinking clearly when around a crowd with lots of conversations and noise but we can retreat inside and find a quiet place until he is ready to be with the crowd again.
The changes are coming faster than I thought they would yet there are so many things that are still the same! Dave still does his own activities of daily living and there is no personality change. Dave is a pretty laid back quiet kinda person and I truly believe he will continue to be so even in the later stages.
Monica
